The Roaring Season Questionnaire: Please Read And Reply

[Craig Metcalf]

More than happy to pay $50ish. Bargain at the price.

[GeebeeNZ]

All this for less than a tank of gas. I would be happy to pay $45 and I guess Im not the only one on this site with a Gold Card.

Its a shame that the perception is that this sort of thing on the internet should be free. Steve we shouldn't expect you to do all this for nothing.

Graeme

[stubuchanan]

I am more than happy to pay the $45 or $50. Go back 2 or 3 years and and I was paying over $200 a year total for "SpeedSport"(died) and UK "Motor Sport"(got bored with it). I'm getting far more enjoyment and spending far more computer time (so wife complains) on Roaring Season, so it's not unreasonable to compensate those who are making it possible.

However, it needs plenty of thought. There has been interesting input from people who might have been discouraged if a fee was charged. Beware the "unintended consequences".

Stu Buchanan

[Buzzard]

Hi Steve,

Nothing good in life is free, and half a hundred or so for what you offer here is a no-brainer. People being people some will leave but every new member that signs up after the change will be doing so because they see the value in it. Might I suggest new users get a short free period to sample the content before getting out the credit card?

Onwards and upwards, my card is out and ready!

Buzz

[Kerryo]

Hi Steve,
I would not pay.
I did contribute a small article on the DeJoux cars but I would not have done so if I had to pay for it.
I think the site will wither if you make contributors pay.
Goodluck with what ever you decide.

Kerry O'Connor.

[GD66]

90c a week. What do you waste on newspapers ?

[GD66]

Its a shame that the perception is that this sort of thing on the internet should be free.

Jeez I'll say. 90c a week...how much do you waste on newspapers ?

[PonysiteEd]

Steve, I like this site very much and if it would be my only interest, I'd certainly pay for it.

Running a website for about 20 years now I know how much time goes into it as a private person and one is attempted to let it go more than once. I have seen many a site rise and disappear over the years. The biggest isssue is.. to maintain it and keep the level of visitors or grow it. When it grows you have a dilemma, if it fails, you can dig it. Now you are in the dilemma situation. More visitors, more pressure on you as the editor to fulfill expectations. I also think that with a payment the visitors number will eventually be less than half, yet if it is what you want and can maintain as fun for yourself and the others, just do it, Steve. It is your website now and you are free to do what you want (somewhat), if it is paid, you have a bigger obligation to fulfill expectations. Thats what kept me from accepting ads and any other offers, rather do what I want and when I want to speak out. But that is just personal. I will appreciate both ways you go, but probably not be able to pay for another source of information due to the others I pay.
Sometimes I still like to fuel up my own car. You might wish also to think of that. Sometimes I regret to have spent so much time in front of the PC instead of on the road. Value that for yourself. Good luck with your decision.

[john l]

No brainer,well worth the amount suggested

[Russ Cunningham]

Steve, maybe a focus on specializing in selling racecars, books, motor racing memorabilia, etc., might bring in the extra dollars. I would be more than happy to pay a percentage of the sale price and TRS may become the only place one goes to look for or sell such items. Worth a thought?

[Rod Grimwood]

Sorry been away, will be paying.

This is an amazing site, and whats 8 pints of beer for a year.

[PaulieG]

I would pay. I like the idea of a motorsport focussed auction section as Russ suggested. As a 29 yr old I missed out on all the good stuff and trying to find good books etc, without having to spend hours trawling through trademe, would be bliss. Love the website and I think 45 bucks for all the stories, photos, info and knowledge well worth it. Maybe having a couple of trusted admins may lighten the work load also Steve? If young uns like us dont gather the info it will all be lost!!!

[Lotus7Alfa]

...other than being an online community, The Roaring Season is essentially an online magazine. It features articles, photo collections, event previews and reviews, in addition to having a very lively and interesting discussion forum. And so, as is the case with any magazine, my thoughts of late to grow The Roaring Season as I’d like to see it grow, would be to charge a small annual subscription, just as any magazine would.

My thoughts are that each person wishing to gain full access to the site, the articles, photo collections, discussion forum etc, would pay an annual subscription of NZ$45 (which works out at NZ0.86 cents per week).

However, I’d also like your feedback on this. If you had the choice of the site being shut down tomorrow, or pay NZ$45, which would you prefer?

Thanks for your time everyone.

Cheers
Steve Holmes

Hi, I joined the forum to try and find out more about a car I had just bought and information on that has petered out. I log on every now and then to see if there are any interesting threads but very rarely find read any new ones that pique my interest. Some of the longer-running ones sound interesting but there is too much back history for me to wade through so I don't bother. I don't have time to read any of the articles, reviews, event previews etc. but have looked at a few of the photos.

I used to subscribe to several classic car magazines both from the UK and from NZ but have dropped all of them except "NZ Classic Car" either because they became poor value for money or because I didn't have time to raed one issue before the next one came out. I am a member of a couple of other (free) motoring internet sites and several others for other interests where I read some of the threads but only a very few.

Having read your proposal, if advertising revenue is not a realistic option for funding the site, I am in favour of you instituting a charge for access to the "archive" of articles, photo collections and a "Members Only" section of the forum but feel that there should still be free access to the general area of the forum. In answer to your final question, if I had to choose between paying NZ$45 or the site being shut down, I would be sorry to see it go but I wouldn't pay.

[Steve Holmes]

Hi everyone, thanks all for your replies. I've read every post, some more than once, and I appreciate everyone taking the time to read through my opening post and then taking the time to respond. The replies supporting the idea of an annual subscription and peoples reasoning for this are really interesting. Likewise, those against it are too. For me its a case of probably being too close to the forest to see the trees, which is why I appreciate your feedback. I've invested nearly 2 years in this site. I was driving along a few weeks ago and began calculating the time each week I spend working on the site, and was a bit stunned to realise I spend roughly 25 hours per week working on it! Whats even more scary is that I actually need to be spending more time than that on it to get it as I'd like it.

Please understand that the idea of an annual subscription is just that, an idea. I do need to monetize the site, I can’t keep investing the time I do in it without it earning money. Advertising is usually the most obvious option, but finding the time to try and lure advertisers is the sticking point, particularly in a tough economic climate. I’ve been in touch with a company who specialise in finding advertisers for websites, but they want me to increase the number of articles I’m writing, and increase unique visitor numbers a little more, and even then they can’t guarantee anything. So this is an option, but the timeframe and payback are something of an unknown.

I’m in the very early stages of working with an online promotions company to find a solution.

It may be that a dedicated paid subscribers forum area is created, separate from the existing General Discussion forum, and all the articles (both new and existing), photo collections, event reviews etc etc, go into that, and those paying the subscription have access to it, plus all the existing free view areas, while those choosing not to pay the subscription, only have access to the free areas. Those not paying could see a small part of the content (ie, the first couple of paragraphs of each article etc), so if they decided there was enough in there to warrant paying the subscription, they could, otherwise they could continue to enjoy the free areas.

Additionally, an online shop will also be created similar to what Russ has suggested above.

Anyway, still plenty to think about. Thanks again for the replies. They are really helpful.

[Bruce Blacklock]

$45 or $50 is a small price, even for us pensioners, for all the history that is being revealed on the site, . Like others who have expressed their concerns, I hope the quality contributions continue. How many subscribers do you need to make it viable?

[Bruce302]

Steve, I will happily pay the $ 45-50 as it represents good value as things stand now.

But, it doesn't seem to be a good long term business plan. Count the number of enthusiastic payers, it will be a nice little earner, for a while. The same regulars will be the main support, and over time the core support will shift, and you will be forever asking people to pay.

I have lost track of the number of forum sites that I have visited and used over the last 20 years. What was good for a while seems to loose traction as the next big thing comes along.

Advertising, and links to commercial sites with a "click fee" may be a better long term goal. I really want this to flourish, but I can't see it happening on the shoulders of only the previous 54 respondents (minus 4 or 5)

Bruce.

[Chris Read]

in. Chris Read - Arrowtown.

[John B]

Hi Steve,
More than happy with the idea of an annual subscription. In fact I paid my $50.00 into your bank account about three weeks ago. Hope you received it.
John

[Roger Dowding]

Steve, was holding back on my reply, as an overseas member, enjoy the kiwi motoring stuff, sounds a reasonable price, just boughtan American " Vintage Motorsport " magazine [ been geting them for about 15 years on and off ] which cost Aussie $ 17.95, they used to cost me about NZ $22 back in 2008 and converts to the same so two magazines and you are in. will folow with interest. cheers Roger

[Grant Sprague]

Yep Steve count me in no problem