Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
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I am more than happy to pay, this is an awesome site and one I refer to often. I have a question, several said the membership is $20.00 and some say it's $25.00. Which is correct?
With that being said, I agree that many of the creative ideas that are currently shared will not be posted once the site it changed. However, I don't know how you've maintained this site for free and understand the time and cost involved to keep it going. I do hope that the site will run quicker once everything is revamped.
I love this site and it helps me tremendously. An annual membership fee is less than a dinner out for a family of 4 (at least in my neck of the woods!) and I believe is money well spent. Thanks for asking our input, and I trust you to do whatever is necessary and best for the site. Thanks for all you do.
I have read through some of the posts and although most agree with the $20.00 or $25.00 fee some do not. If indeed it is 20.00, that is only 5.00 a quarter (calendar quarter) and in my opinion that is a BARGAIN! I have not been able to find as many ideas as on SCS (not even on the SU! website) anywhere else. And it is soooo organized! Not to mention that the 20.00 fee is also a tax deduction if you are a demo!! Where can you get so much training for so little???? There are samples to CASE, techniques to try and if a demo, so many business ideas from others who have been there and done that.
......Now...I just need to go find out how to sign up....and I am a little embarrassed by that!!!
Hugs to the SCS team. You are all awesome!!!!!! Thank-you for all the hard work, time and attention you give to all of us.
__________________ ..know that everything in life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from. E. Ross
:eek:
The fee was $20 last year. This year it is $24.95! It is sooooo worth it. I just renewed last month and have been so happy! I just did a subscription for 24 issues of a stamping magazine and it cost $37.97!!!! And, this site is available 24/7. I know it is a lot of money for some (trust me, we have 4 kids with 1 on the way and my dh and i are both fulltime students), but it is so worth it.
Besides, as Daven said, the change is only temporary. By the first of November (if not sooner) things will be back to normal (meaning free)!
__________________
~~Dawn~~
Mom of ShaSha, Bethy, JoJo, Wesser-man, Reesy, Mini-man and Sami "Don't say no and then stick to my butt like a carb." ~ Heather_M
I signed up as a member of the Fan Club almost a year ago to support all the great work being done here. This site has helped me tremendously in my business and given me such great ideas! I think a subscription to the Fan Club is a bargain and every person who frequents this site often- especially SU demonstrators - should be supporting it financially. Where else can you go to view literally thousands of samples, get patterns for projects, have opportunities to swap and correspond with fellow stamping enthusiasts around the globe? A subscription to only one magazine would cost about the same as it costs to be a member of the Fan Club and not be able to give you nearly what you see here.
I wholeheartedly support the necessary changes. I have been a subscriber since the day I found SCS. It is worth every penny I've paid and MORE. Thanks for all you do. Keep up the FANTASTIC work on our behalf.
Originally Posted by BasketMom
I have never found a site as comprehensive as this one. I love it and am a fan club member. For only $2/month - it's a steal in my opinion. Most stamping magazines cost more per year and they're not nearly as useful or interactive. With all the tutorials and galleries - I think people would be crazy to NOT come just because there's a fee.
I also 100% agree with this statement!! The fee is well worth it!! As a Stampin' Up demonstrator I always come here for ideas. This site is way
better than the Stampin' Up website, and I sell their products. I really appreciate all that this site offers, and you folks do what you gotta do to make things better. Just please don't go anywhere, because lots of us out here really love what you do. Many many thanks to all of you.
Let's see, so for 2,950 pennies a year, you can access this site 24/7.
So that's about 6.84 cents per day......hhmmmm....uh, YEAH! Definitely worth it to me!
And I'm sure I'm repeating here, but yes, that is money that not everyone can spare. But it's only going to be down about a month, so let's practice some patience. I'd rather wait a month to fix it for good than to have it keep going on forever, and every time I go to the gallery have it be a crap-shoot if I can even connect!
Last night being a PRIME example! For hours I couldn't get to the gallery and I was so frustrated because I wanted info out of my favorites for a workshop I'm prepping for. I can't wait for it to be fixed. Thanks for all your hard work and all that you do to keep things going smoothly on SCS!
__________________ "If only there were some kind of giant world wide river of information, available at any time to anyone in the world who has the right equipment, that is relatively easy to use, and available at a nominal expense.......but where would we get such a thing?" Brian Nelson
No way I could read all of the post, before my own post!
First of all am I like the only person who doesn't care if the Gallery is running slow? I have been coming here for maybe a year, I came and stayed because it was free. And since it is free I have no complaints on the time the gallery is slow (can't complain about free). I love the site and have thought to myself when I can I will contribute someday. And not to see the Fanclub gallery, I could actually care less to see it, sorry. I just want the regular gallery, that is way plenty for me and if I contributed it would just be because I appreciate the site, not because I want something extra.
I seems that the people that pay for the fanclub gallery I a bit selfish, saying they wish the sight would go paid and never go back. Really thanks a lot for appreciating the work I have shared with you and not minded if you cased, sorry I am not consider as good as you all of a sudden. Also paying a membership never promised speedier surfing, it just offered an extra special gallery.
For me $25 is a lot. I do not control the money here, I am a SAHM, so I do a lot of going without, right down to makeup at times and haircuts! And I am going to have to take a haircut (been about a year) before I can spend money on the gallery. And I unfortunately don't buy a lot of Stamp supplies either, usually I host a party to fund my addiction, so please don't assume everyone here is spending lots of money on all sorts of things and should be able to wiggle their nose and make money appear.
And don't forget I have no interest in the Fanclub Gallery! I think different priced memberships might be a good idea. $10 to remain as is, unlimited gallery use with the exclusion of the Fanclub. And $20 for the works. I might actually be able to slide $10.
Now with all of that said, I believe initially it was stated that the limited access to the gallery was going to be temporary. It seems like most post have been in the insight that this is permanant change. Could someone in charge please clarify if this is permanant or temporary? If it is temporary I think everyone should patiently wait and be very thankful to the site keepers for the good work and care, if you have the money contribute to show your thanks. And if the site creators should get rich off our contributions then good for them, after all this site was their idea so their are intitled to it make them wealthy if that should happen as any other inventor is if they make an ingeneous indemand product.
Even thought I don't pay for this sight I do appreciate it very much. And I had hoped that others had appreciated the work I had posted in return and not descriminated paying member or nonpaying member.
Daven and Terry
Thank you for all you have done. There will never be any doubt that I will support your decisions regarding this site. I have been viewing for a long time and became a member when you first requested. This was because this site is worth it. I know that to come to the conclusion that you have is because you were trying to make it the least painful for all concerned. I will always trust you to make the best decision for all members. Nothing is really free.
I wanted to let you know that I have been a Fan Club member before there was a Fan Club. I have not been a big contributor to the Gallery. Lately I have tried to upload and have had many problems. I couldn't put in the recipe was the biggest problem on uploading and of course as you know it was slow. Many times I could not get any access. Usually you find solutions quickly and to everyones satisfaction. I want to thank you for the consideration that you are giving to the people that have paid. I think the people that support you should come first until you find a solution.
I want to suggest that you reduce the members gallery by deleting the cards that are made with retired stamp sets. SU does this every year. I know they are beautiful and the members want to see them but they are not as useful after the stamp set is retired. You have my permission to delete mine after they are retired. I will miss them but it won't kill me. If you are already doing this purge, I apolgize.
Please everyone try to think of solutions to help Daven and Tracy.
Again, thanks for all that you do.
Stamping dreams,
Laura
__________________ Laura Williams
Happily Stampin' Up in Sunny Florida
I can understand why this needs to be done. But I sure wish that it could have been during the spring months. Now, when I need ideas the most for Christmas and holiday cards, my access will be restricted. I loved being able to search by set because I am still quite limited in what I have. I agree that the Fan Club membership is really cheap (considering that a lot of magazine subscriptions cost more than that), but unfortunately I cannot afford to pay it at the moment (being a recent college graduate and looking to buy a house so that my boyfriend and I can get married next year). I support this decision, but I have to say I am a little sad that I will be missing out on my favorite part of the site for awhile. Hopefully, it will be back shortly. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to somehow scrounge up the $25 somewhere! LOL....don't know where I'd be without this site.
If you go to the Member Galleries and then use the search function you should be able to bring up samples for a specific set. I think this is a great chance for everyone to finally learn how to use this very helpful tool. Also, there is now a 6-month option for $14.95!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ksullivan
I seems that the people that pay for the fanclub gallery I a bit selfish, saying they wish the sight would go paid and never go back. Really thanks a lot for appreciating the work I have shared with you and not minded if you cased, sorry I am not consider as good as you all of a sudden. Also paying a membership never promised speedier surfing, it just offered an extra special gallery.
Which no one can enjoy because the traffic overload often causes connection errors. Is it also selfish to complain to your cable company when the special premium channels you added to your subscription go on the fritz?
Quote:
And don't forget I have no interest in the Fanclub Gallery! I think different priced memberships might be a good idea. $10 to remain as is, unlimited gallery use with the exclusion of the Fanclub. And $20 for the works. I might actually be able to slide $10.
Please read the original post Daven made to this thread. He explains why tiered memberships just aren't logistically feasible. Again, there is a new 6-month subscription option for $14.95! You don't have to check out the DD gallery if you don't want to -- there are plenty of Fan Club members who just wanted to support SCS and never surf over to that part of the site!
__________________ Rachel Proud SU! demo and Sci-Fi Geek!
My Stampin' Up! blog "I'm a time traveler -- I point and laugh at archaeologists." 10th Doctor, "Silence in the Library"
I want to suggest that you reduce the members gallery by deleting the cards that are made with retired stamp sets. SU does this every year. I know they are beautiful and the members want to see them but they are not as useful after the stamp set is retired. You have my permission to delete mine after they are retired. I will miss them but it won't kill me. If you are already doing this purge, I apolgize.
Laura
Ohhhhh! I hope not!!! One thing to remember Laura, is that not everything that is in the members galleries is SU! I'm not a demo of any company and love seeing things made with the retired sets. I could see the gallery be purged of uploads that are over 2 years old as an alternative.
I love going to the gallery when I want to use one of my sets that is on that retired list. Especially when I have stampers block and want an idea for that set.
But I agree, Laura, I'll support whatever the decisions will be!!
__________________ Ann Here is my oily blog! CLICK HERE Certified Copic Instructor - Local ClassesI love cars, stamping and essential oils!
Which no one can enjoy because the traffic overload often causes connection errors. Is it also selfish to complain to your cable company when the special premium channels you added to your subscription go on the fritz?
Well actually Our On Demand never works well on the weekends when DH is home, the mom is always blipping in and out, but it works fine during the week when me and the kids use it. And uh no we don't call and complain, did that once and got the biggest idiot on the phone! And don't ever suggest I give up cable to afford the membership for splitcoast! The cable isn't for me, it runs on Noggin, Disney or OnDemand PBS all day!
It just hurts to see Fanclub members say that they wish it was a pay only site and not even think of us lowly non payers as if we are even important contributors as far as the art work goes. I am sure many have seen my gallery and possibly enjoyed the benefit of CASING my cards or getting inspiration from them, so it hurts to be devalued without a thought.
But since it is temporary I think everyone should hold tight. Or if they like and can get a contributiong in.
It's not about becoming a fee-based site. Never a part of Daven's plan.
It's not about anybody's personal financial situation.
It's not about excluding anyone.
It IS about the following:
1. Fan Club Members donate $25 annually to support the site.
2. The Gallery Server(s) CANNOT handle this tremendous flow of traffic, from both FC and non-FC Members alike. The gallery is therefore rendered useless to everybody. :(
3. SCS wishes to make sure FC Members that have paid to support the site receive a quality gallery experience. Why? Because without their support, this site would cease to exist!!!
4. So, TEMPORARILY, until quality gallery speed can be restored for EVERYBODY that uses this site, he is going to restrict the flow to the galleries for Non FC Members to 2 routes: Member Galleries and Techniques Galleries, and no uploads.
He is anticipating a ONE MONTH restricted access to the galleries for Non FC folks who access the site.
WHY? Because the % of SCS users that are FC Members is relatively small in comparison to Non FC Members. This means: Non-FC Members are the BULK of the heavy traffic.
Daven has no "desirable" options. It just is what it is: too much traffic for the servers to handle. WITHOUT A MAJOR OVERHAUL, WE WILL ALL LOSE THE GALLERY ENTIRELY. IT IS ALREADY LIMPING VERY BADLY!!!!
The only EXTRA perk FC Members have at this site is a special gallery called the Dirty Dozen/Fan Club Gallery. It is a thank-you gift to them for supporting the site. It's not "the reason" they donate.
Everybody will STILL have access to the entire site, forums, tutorials.
EVERYBODY will be able to see ALL the A-Z galleries, etc. via EVERY route after these improvements are made.
There is now an option for $14.95/6 mos. support donation. WOO HOO!!!!! Yea!!!! Cool and awesome!!!!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I certainly realize the problems you and users must be experiencing with a site as popular as this one. Could you make the "non fan club" user fee less than $25? With so many stampers accessing your site, I would think a fee of $5-10 would realize quite a sum of money to help you defray the improvements and that fee structure doesn't seem out of people's realm of possibility. I will gladly pay the Fan Club price to access your wonderful site. I can't believe it has remained free for this long -- who do you have working there, saints?
Anyway, thanks for all the great looks at cards and the inspiration it has offered me and my stamping friends. I will continue to access your site and watch for what you decide on this monumental decision.
It's not about becoming a fee-based site. Never a part of Daven's plan.
It's not about anybody's personal financial situation.
It's not about excluding anyone.
It IS about the following:
1. Fan Club Members donate $25 annually to support the site.
2. The Gallery Server(s) CANNOT handle this tremendous flow of traffic, from both FC and non-FC Members alike. The gallery is therefore rendered useless to everybody. :(
3. SCS wishes to make sure FC Members that have paid to support the site receive a quality gallery experience. Why? Because without their support, this site would cease to exist!!!
4. So, TEMPORARILY, until quality gallery speed can be restored for EVERYBODY that uses this site, he is going to restrict the flow to the galleries for Non FC Members to 2 routes: Member Galleries and Techniques Galleries, and no uploads.
He is anticipating a ONE MONTH restricted access to the galleries for Non FC folks who access the site.
WHY? Because the % of SCS users that are FC Members is relatively small in comparison to Non FC Members. This means: Non-FC Members are the BULK of the heavy traffic.
Daven has no "desirable" options. It just is what it is: too much traffic for the servers to handle. WITHOUT A MAJOR OVERHAUL, WE WILL ALL LOSE THE GALLERY ENTIRELY. IT IS ALREADY LIMPING VERY BADLY!!!!
The only EXTRA perk FC Members have at this site is a special gallery called the Dirty Dozen/Fan Club Gallery. It is a thank-you gift to them for supporting the site. It's not "the reason" they donate.
Everybody will STILL have access to the entire site, forums, tutorials.
EVERYBODY will be able to see ALL the A-Z galleries, etc. via EVERY route after these improvements are made.
There is now an option for $14.95/6 mos. support donation. WOO HOO!!!!! Yea!!!! Cool and awesome!!!!
Thank you Julie you make it so clear and non-threatening sounding. I feel okay with everything now.
I am already a fan club member and will happily renew - the $20 fee is a bargain. This is a great site and a fabulous source for ideas, inspiration and techniques - I am happy to contribute.
Well actually Our On Demand never works well on the weekends when DH is home, the mom is always blipping in and out, but it works fine during the week when me and the kids use it.
K
I just reread myself. Really honestly the "mom is always blipping in and out...", how confusing was that. I meant the "movie", but then again to think about it, yeah the mom blips in and out to!
Thank you Julie you make it so clear and non-threatening sounding. I feel okay with everything now.
K
K, you are so welcome! More than words, I appreciate that you are willing to hang-tight while the improvements are made, because we will all collectively enjoy and party big time when it's done.
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{K}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Do what you need to do!!!!! Being a SAHM to two kids under 3 does not allow for long periods on the computer! So any improvements for a speedier site would be much appreciated and well worth the money! I am so thankful to have access to such a wonderful site, thank you!
I would be happy to pay in addition to what I've already paid- I appreciate this site far more than any other site- in fact, it's all I use. Beates tutorials are worth more than what you're looking at charging for the whole site. I think most of us agree that we'd rather pay, and have a site that we can navigate, than a free site that's stuck all the time.
What if we were to log in one day and a big message came up that said "This site is no longer available to non-paying customers." Wouldn't that be horrible? And wouldn't that be totally UNCHARACTERISTIC of our Splitcoast Hosts? Some big websites are run that way.
I am sooooo grateful that this site is maintained by kind people who encourage us to leave our feedback, who care what we think, and who are sensitive to our needs! (And who don't want this to be an inhospitable place for anyone.)
Thank you for caring enough to listen, consider and explain all this stuff. It really DOES feel like a true community.
What if we were to log in one day and a big message came up that said "This site is no longer available to non-paying customers." Wouldn't that be horrible? And wouldn't that be totally UNCHARACTERISTIC of our Splitcoast Hosts? Some big websites are run that way.
I just experienced that on another (completely off the topic of stamping) website last week. We all logged on and got a message that basically did say, "You don't pay, you can't play...and don't gripe about it here or we'll ban you from the site...even if you DO pay!
I very much appreciate the question and I can totally see the reasons, and I'm sure that in November when this is all over, people will realize how truly painless the actually proposed temporary changes were.
I think it's a GREAT idea. $20/year is cheap! Most stamping magazines cost more than this/year and SCS has way more ideas and you get feedback! With all the people that browse right now, it will boost fan club membership which I think is awesome for keeping up with technology. People that are serious about cardmaking shouldn't mind paying for membership.
Love your website. I signed up today so I don't lose any privileges. With the cost of technology, the growth of your fabulous website and all the talent involved in helping us addicted to stamping, I have no problem joining your fan club to help keep this going. Thanks for all you do.
I just became a SU! demo, recently lost my job, but I canceled a magazine (way too many ads anyway) so I could just transfer that money to the membership. This has by far given me more ideas than my little brain can process. Sometimes I wish I could have sleeping problems so I can get up late at nite to be here!! Even though this is a temporary issue for Oct. it is still a fab site that can't stack up to any magazine, and is less than going to a lot of stamp camps. Heck, VSN alone was awesome to follow. (I'm looking forward to the next one as soon as I figure out the correct start time). I'm really thinking this isn't such a huge deal and taking a wait and see approach may save most from some serious "heartburn". Just my humble opinion as a newbie here.
I'll admit, at first I was upset because I am not a fan club member and I was wondering how much I would have to shell out to become a member. I also do computer programming and I know how much time, effort, and resources it takes to keep a site up and running and QUICK! I decided to check out the fan club page to see what this was going to cost me as I have gotten a TON of ideas from this site and I'm not really ready to give that up. I can not believe how inexpensive it is! Anyone that complains is being unreasonable. Think of it like a magazine subscription. You can pay $20 to $30 per year for 6 to 12 issues. Here you are paying $25 a year for everyday access. And as there is always something new to check out I think that it is more than reasonable. I'm signing up today. Even if you eventually go back to all acess for everyone I will remain a fan club member just to support the site.
First I wanted to let you know how much this site has helped me with my business as a SU Demonstrator. There isn't another website that compares to the amount of ideas and useful information. I absolutely cannot imagine not having the use of this site. I am proud to say I joined the Fan Club tonight...and I am behind you 110%. However, I do agree with some of the other members that a restriction on uploads would be a huge disappointment. I'm sure there is another way to work it out.
.....However, I do agree with some of the other members that a restriction on uploads would be a huge disappointment. I'm sure there is another way to work it out.
Thanks Again for all you do....
As it says in the original post, the limit on uploads is a TEMPORARY measure. It's just necessary to "clear some room" for the techies to work at upgrading. Once all the work has been completed, everything will return to normal, only better gallery speeds! woohoo!
Maybe discount pricing would attract more "buyers".....If the price were $10-15.00 per year, that might be more reasonable for everyone and you would attract a lot more subscribers.
Just a thought.......
GREAT gallery though. Also I have noticed a lot of duplications in the gallery submissions lately. I know that wouldn't solve the problem, but it might help a little.
Maybe discount pricing would attract more "buyers".....If the price were $10-15.00 per year, that might be more reasonable for everyone and you would attract a lot more subscribers.
Just a thought.......
GREAT gallery though. Also I have noticed a lot of duplications in the gallery submissions lately. I know that wouldn't solve the problem, but it might help a little.
All this is explained in the Original Post, if you read it carefully, at the beginning of this thread, and also on the "News" page, and also at this link just a few posts above your post.
BARGAIN!
