Please vote: Should GWAPA Open Most of Forum to Non-Members?

[John G]

I then have to write the awkward response of explaining why we won't allow them unless they pay for a membership. I've had several current GWAPA members tell me the bad taste they've had in their mouths from this experience, even if they do join. It's viewed as elitists and a money grab, whether we intend it to be or not..

Well it doesn't look to me as if anything would be different if you made the suggested changes. There would still be forums they couldn't visit, and would probably still have the same irritation.

[Ltrepeter2000]

I have curtailed my use of the CCA forum since it expanded because the amount of time to sift through the "new" posts takes more time than I care to devote to it, especially when I only end up viewing a small handful of the new posts as the responses or "tangents" gets out of hand on some of their posts. The membership there has nothing to do with it as the actual members are all fine people but with so many posts on tangents, actual useable information many times gets lost in the wash so you end up missing important pieces of information. Pat does a fine job moderating and sending out general reminders concerning the meetings and other happenings in the club and I think they have done outstanding work with the growth and new requirements that growth has placed on them but the forum has become more convoluted. That I think is inevitable though when you more than double your existing users.

I think that as part of the Beginners forum or new members information kit or where the prospective members register (not sure that this exists anywhere) that the club simply post the explanation of the difference in each profile, the cost associated with maintaining the website and the events that the club sponsors it requires a minimal membership fee to be able to survive. I think that way we are up front about what it takes to actually become a read only non member, a non member with posting priviledges to only those areas open to general access and a full member with posting capabilities. I am sure it would need to be more prettily worded (ala Jen Williams for President) to simply answer the question up front right where they are signing up for the account.

If this does not pass as a full open, than I do think that a Beginners link should be added so that many of those non members might be satisfied with the information that is available for the basics of planted aquaria.

One concern that arises out of this is what prevents current members from allowing their accounts to go to non member status for not paying dues but they continue to have access to the full forum and to be able to come to meetings to take advantage of the great prices at the auction and all the presentations of meetings? I know that I save the cost of my membership several times over on what I purchase at auctions alone regardless of the value of the information I can access with using the forum.

[eleontie]

I see that only "Aquarium Plants" and "Wassup?" are now "All others, read-only access". Would this decision open up more "read-only" public access ? why ?

I do not mind non-members being able to read and post to the forum. Going through finding about gwapa, registering to the forum, shows that at least those people are interested in planted aquariums. But I did not realize that will imply all posts being searchable publicly.

Eugen

[krisw]

Eugen, yes, non-registered users would be able to come and search the forum just like they do the Aquarium Plants and Wassup forums.

[fredyk]

I like it that I can know everybody in the club (if they are at meetings). At least there is that potential. (did I pay my dues? - gentle reminder)

[Aaron]

Jeff, the reasoning is not just because CCA/PVAS do it. For as long as I've managed the gwapa@gwapa.org account, it's been the #1 question I receive from folks interested in planted aquariums. Usually, the course of action is that they come on, register, and find that they can't access anything but 2 forum areas. They dig up my email, complain and ask me to "enable" their account. I then have to write the awkward response of explaining why we won't allow them unless they pay for a membership. I've had several current GWAPA members tell me the bad taste they've had in their mouths from this experience, even if they do join. It's viewed as elitists and a money grab, whether we intend it to be or not.

I think the response to that is that it's free to come to as many meetings as they want before they join. I can't really see more people joining the club because they have access to the forums. I can and do see them joining because they come to meetings and meet the awesome group of people that we have in our club. I view the forum as more of an extension of the meetings rather than the other way around.[/quote]

[londonloco]

Back in the late 90's, I went thru a cichlid phase. I attended PVAS meetings, and got to know a few "elders" there. I "dabbled" in planted tanks, but was never serious about the plants, fish was my main interest. At that time, I didn't join GWAPA because I wasn't able to see the forums, see what was here, what I was missing. I had no idea how beautiful, how rewarding a planted tank could be. If I had read only access, I know I would have joined then, and it would have perked my interest enough to include aquatic plants in my inventory of tanks (at that time I had 16 tanks set up). Instead I went on to saltwater.

Fast forward 10 years, I decided to break down my reefs and get back into freshwater/planted tanks. I emailed one of these “eldersâ€

[ingg]

I think the response to that is that it's free to come to as many meetings as they want before they join. I can't really see more people joining the club because they have access to the forums. I can and do see them joining because they come to meetings and meet the awesome group of people that we have in our club. I view the forum as more of an extension of the meetings rather than the other way around.

I very much agree with the end of that that. The forums are indeed an extension of how the meetings feel, and how the club is.

What I disagree with is that offering that extension of ourselves to public viewing does potentially promote the hobby and our club. I do think it helps us to grow exposure to what we do, and to maybe more members too. At the least, it does expose more people to what we do, even if they don't join, it may open eyes.

People like the option of anonymity as they explore new things, new people, new situations. Simple human nature. I was uncomfortable going to the first GWAPA meeting I attended. I've had that feedback from others, the hesitancy.

Perusing the forum allows them that exposure and anonimity, without travelling 120 miles round trip, and without exposing themselves to a potentially uncomfortable in person encounter in the middle of that 120 mile trip.

[PaulS]

This club has the SCMurphy’s, KrisW’s, Aarons, Inggs, Paul S’s, the list can go on and on…

LOL, I don't think I'd put myself in the in the same category as the others you listed, but thanks for the honorable mention!.

[ddavila06]

after so much talk, im a little confused... basicly, if the votes passes the board might open more sections of the forum for non-members to read and follow up, but they will not be able to post, right? or will they also be able to post and comment, exc.?