Topic for Discussion / Micro-Poll...

[sugeek]

There is a link in my sig for subscriptions - or send paypal donations to: admin at photonlexicon.com
I personally don't like re-occurring payments due to no fun in the past and I am a dork (not with this site). Maybe a lump sum for a year or something. Spread the love, alternately order him a pizza or send a gift card for Food.

Well I could go for an embroidered PL t-shirt or other swag... perhaps a portal for hobbyist vendors (microlaserlabs custom laser eNgraved fun, etherdream dac, drlava hardware/sOftware, and maybe some incoheRent light venDors who are a west coast LEM junkie with a cut go) Maybe just a catalog wiki bah... BRAINS

peas,
Adam

[Laserman532]

i do a re occurring payment and have had no problems....and i flip the janitor a bone when i can...more should contribute but alas...some dont. I may have to stop because i dont sell anything anymore...we'll see, i may get motivated to sell again...bottom line is...this place is a valuable resource and everyone should see its value even if you just lurk.

[dsli_jon]

Hey Dude -

Not picking-on you, just using your comments as a 'springboard'...

I am absolutely against any sort of advertising. I like reading unbiased reviews of products and making "my own" decisions.

So, really - seeing an ad from someone as 'innocuous' as-say, Edmund Optics would bother you? Or, what about McMaster Carr? (..Or, yes, to be fair, either of their 'equivalents'.. Point-being, I would propose ZERO sellers of more 'vested products' be allowed to advertise, ie: ChOEMs of Lasers, DACs, Software... at least not 'banner-type' ads... Or - you choose - either an advertiser, OR a member, not both.. Unless...

I'd propose that it becomes *obligatory* that anyone that puts any advertising / URL-link (..unless to like an info-only site / photo-blog, etc..) in their signature, *must* be a reasonably-minimum-level subscriber / contributor, per mo. or year - more than 'a buck', ok? - Yes, I totally hear the 'one-time vs recurring-monthly / auto-withdrawal' Option being 'best', and that is clearly 'rising to the top', here, as a 'we want it back'-message... But those that do-advertise to their commercial-gain efforts, should really be 'required' to give-back, at least a certain-minimum...

Now if there were special benefits that come with being a contributor (not access to information) it might also increase contributions.

No, no - I think that's where the whole 'hierarchy'-thing start to take this all off the rails... Here's a first-swipe at an proposal of how to 'segment' PL:

#1 - 'How to support PL' should be mentioned, right off the bat, in the 'PL FAQ' http://www.photonlexicon.com/forums/faq.php - and, perhaps make the 'Read This First' yellow box, up-top, a nice Red. Also - imho - upon 'sign-up', new Members should be 'auto-directed' to the Wiki, so that they are at least *aware*, A) There are Regs, both the US / abroad, and B) Where to find this important resource for safety / regs info... hopefully, that will 'grow', with time, too...

Let's look at the 'Forums' - I'd propose something like this:

Exigent Circumstances
Hologeekery - All-access / Free...
445nm - This would be one-place I would propose is 'paid-access'.. Why? Because there is lots and lots of valuable tech-information given out there... It also helps 'weed out' spammers, if everyone *has-to* be paid-subscribers to get into such a 'meat-areas'...

..Brief digression to-clarify: A) Yes - even the $1.00 / month (..or $12. / yr, ok..) Member has full-access! If someone does not have $12. to-contribute - or does not *want* to give $12., for such a valuable-resource - then they probably won't have the $$ to be building their own 'multi-watt' 445 / don't really 'deserve it', if all they want to do is 'freeload'... B) For those that want to 'try before they buy'? Perhaps a 'trial membership' - 1 month, All-access...after-that, you gotta choose - give $12. for an entire year of photonic-food, or.. have a nice swim...

..I mean come-on, people - we're talking about trying to all gain knowledge of how to DIY laser-projection systems, in one form or another, here - this is not a 'soup kitchen'! Those that cannot 'afford' at least $12. to support this place - got news for ya - ya ain't gonna get very far DIYing a laser-projector!

Ok, onward...

Internal and External Resources
Laser FAQs - Of course, All-Access / Free - it's just a link..
Laser Display Files - ?? Up for debate / discussion... Do contributors want Guests / site-skimmers / anyone/everyone to have your artwork? Or, only 'PL Members'? Discuss..
Benefactors Lounge - Clearly, a place for all Paid Members (..$1.00 / mo. and up! to hang-out / share sordid stories / swap nude-pix, etc..
KIDDING!! ..just wanted to make sure you hadn't fallen asleep on me..

News and Other Discussion - I propose the *entire* forum / all subs, is All-Access / Free - and - for those of you 'free info purists', that choose to be Paid Members - there's nothing stopping you from, ie: posting some 'cool new info-bit' in the Lounge, for-example, where all the world / anyone/everyone can 'benefit'... If you so-choose to 'open-source' / post-up all your hard-work / designs for a 4W Blue, for example, there, vs the 445-section.. You go, Grrl..

Photon Emitters
Lasers, All Kinds - ?? All-access / Free, since mostly 'fyi' / links to external-info, etc ??
Light Sources, Other than Laser - All-access / Free, same-reasons as-above...
Modifications - 'Members-Only' (..$1.00 / mo. and up!
Advanced Technical Discussion - I say, 'Members-Only' - again, remember: "This is not the "My laser is broken!!!" forum. Advanced technical discussion is for intelligent discussion pertaining to the advancement of laser technology." Paying-members (..$1.00 / mo. and up! only, imo..
Laser Displays, Shows, and Scanning - 'Members-Only'... (??)
Programming and other assorted Bit-level Alchemy - 'Members-Only'...

Product, Company, Sale, and Trade - Again, I'd propose the *entire* forum / all subs, is All-Access / Free to anyone / everyone...

..So, the 'idea', for those 'monetized-forums' - and, again - $1.00 / mo. Memberships, and-up... is that A) Everyone, who is a PL Member, is now 'contributing' the support of this place, and more than just 'informationally' - that 'type' of contribution only benefits us / each-other - not the Admin!! - I mean, I look at the "Photonlexicon Statistics".... Members: 4,916 (!!) Active Members: 661 (!!) - If each and every one of those 'Active Members' gave - at a minimum - $1. / mo ($12./yr) - we would not likely be having this 'discussion', right??

This way, too, we a) Avoid the 'conundrum' of Ads, altogether, and b) We've guaranteed that this place is not a 'burden', for Admin, or, really, anyone, AND, there's always the opportunity for those that *wish* to give more - ie: Corp. Members / those that sell-stuff, here - to give more - as much as they want, really...

..but I still say, that, anyone that has an 'Ad' / gainful commercial URL link in their Sig. *should be* at, say, a $10. / Mo. min (..or, yes, a 'one-time' $120. / yr, etc, etc...

OK, so - I need to go to the shop / werk, and get the baseball-bat to the back of the head, for stirring up all this trouble, now... So... you Kats have-fun chopping this all-up and coming-up with more brilliant ideas... after-all, that's what PL'ers do, right?

ciao
j

[DZ]

I don't agree with no re-occurring payments due to no fun in the past (not with this site).

I don't understand what you mean here, Adam. I never said I had an issue with re-occuring payments with this site. I've had issues elsewhere that made me decide to never allow hooks into any of my accounts again, ever.

Maybe a lump sum for a year or something. Spread the love, alternately order him a pizza or send a gift card for food.

A yearly lump sum does sound like a nice alternative. Perhaps this will bring about a change in that folks who pay an annual fee can enjoy the same benefits that monthly subscribers have.

[ireedz]

I like the idea of an annual membership fee.

If it would encourage more of a free exchange of information without the redacting and self editing that comes about because every kid with a search engine and a dream can find our current content, then I'm all for it.

[DZ]

Not pointed at you just agreeing, sheeeeesh. I mainly replied at all to add the DONATE == admin at Photonlexicon.com . And on a second note /me throws a fish at jon.

WTF, dude? You quote me, so I responded. Forget it, this is beyond ridiculous......

[aktopjian]

I donate because I want to, don't really see the point of arguing/discussing the point if the person who runs the site isn't asking for money. Don't know what it cost to run something like this site but if it was draining
MY Wallet as a person that set up a site that had as many members as here I would ask for donAtion.

From my phone sorry for the errors.

[dsli_jon]

...don't really see the point of arguing/discussing the point if the person who runs the site isn't asking for money.

You clearly don't know the person who runs the site, very-well. Admin is giving to a 'fault', and an extreme 'non-complainer'...'Pay as we feel' is a nice 'ideal', but it does not guarantee a stable-baseline to support PL-with, because not everyone does donate. To me, that's very 'lopsided', especially for all that He puts into this place vs what we all get out of it - And it *ain't* just a matter of 'hosting-bux' - remember how-bad your 'withdrawal' was during the last 'HOLYCRAP500'D' error? Who mopped up that serverbarf at 4am? ...wasn't the ISP...

Again, this is not a violin-playing session - he doesn't even know I've done this, let alone would-ask, nor am I trying to be 'pushy' - I simply opin that for all we all get out of this place - informationally and/or financially - I think a $12. / yr 'baseline'-membership, for everyone, is pretty doggone reasonable. And yes, those with commercial / gainful-ties should contribute more, as many-are. But...some aren't...

And yes, typing on an iphone sux...
j

[discothefunkyhippo]

@jon

Pick away I understand that the admin works hard and I believe he should be compensated. I understand that people have to make money in order to survive, but I was attracted to this forum because it was for fun and for free.

[gottaluvlasers]

I have seen some great ideas here. Jon- good thread!

My idea is this...

For any *COMPANY* that comes to this site to sell a product or service (CT. Lasers, Viasho, Eye Magic, DHOM, Pangolin...etc...etc...) they should be REQUIRED to pay some sort of "listing fee" or advertising fee. Any company selling anything here is easily going to make a few dollars of profit off of the members here and should be required to "give back" to this community. I am thinking in the $100 / month range or a one time "listing fee" of say, $25 or something.

there are MANY compmanues that have mad ALOT of money becasue of this forum. They should DEFINITELY be giving back. If a "member" just wants to sell a used 200mW green laser, this would not apply. But If I advertise a used 2W green laser or a projector or some form of "inventory" for sale, I should pay this listing fee or this corporate monthly fee. If the said advertised product is from a company not paying a fee of any sort (monthly fee or listing fee) than the thread is deleted.

this actually serve 2 purposes.

1) Janitor makes a few dollars to help pay for this forum and he may even make some money to put in his pockets.

2) It will most likely stop or at least slow down the ridiculous amounts of companies popping up here and just signing up to try and sell their products. Especially Chinese companies.

If you want to sell something to the community here, and make money off of *US* than we should DEFINITELY be making money off of you. there could be a separate Forum topic like, "Company buy sell trade" where all *COMPANIES* can advertise their products as much as they want. Once they become a paid "Corporate Member" they will get some sort of ID and this ID will need to be put in their signature or Under their avatar or something identifying them as an approved (or paying) advertiser. If any sales are posted and the O.P. doesnt have this paid advertised ID, than the sales thread is deleted.

I have said this before, There is NO EXCUSE as to why ANY company can not be donating at least $100/month to this forum. We ALL know that there are quite a few companies that owe a lot of their success to this forum. PAY UP CHEAPOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Marc