Date: Thu Jan 3 16:05:28 2002
From:
The last ever Bianca handle....EVER
Subject: Re: Okay Kids
Uhhhhhh.....I've set up a pay-pal account but us Brits aren't as profligate
with plastic as you colonials. The upshot is that I've used a debit
card meaning that I now have to confirm the account when I next receive
a statement. Unfortunately, my Jan statement will turn up sometime
in the middle of Feb which will still be 14 days or so after the handle
expires. No worries there, so long as you can prevent someone else
"acquiring" it in the meantime. Alternatively, even though
it might rankle, it might be worth extending the grace period by 45
days rather than 30 just for this initial month - particularly when
you bear in mind that Bianca attracts far more overseas residents
now than she ever did.
The snail mail option isn't really one....the fees imposed by the
banks to arrange a bankers draft in US dollars far outweighs the cost
of membership! Seems to me that the money would be of far more use
supporting Bianca rather than provisioning some "merchant bankers"
christmas bonus.
Finally, if I may pitch in with a few thoughts about the grey handle
issue. Personally, I do think you're missing a trick here....or have
dug yourself a hole by promising certain features up front. The majority
of your members purchase a handle because:
a) they want a forum or
b) they want to chat.
Very few members actually do both. For myself, the hassle of maintaining
a forum just doesn't seem worthwhile and I hardly ever use my private
chat. After all, why bother when I could hold a private chat in whispers?
And shacks seem to have fallen by the wayside recently too what with
the lack of graphic uploading to Bianca and the alternative "free"
hosts severely restricting attempts to view graphics on their sites.
Apart from a redirect on the member server, all of my shack resides
on my own ISP. With a grey heart all I need do is provide the URL
link in chat if asked.
So, in a nutshell, all your forum members will continue to buy red
handles so there's no significant financial increase there. On the
other hand, all those who prefer the chat rooms can, with a little
forethought, avail themselves of all the standard red handle facilities
for the price of a grey handle. I'm not quite sure if that's conducive
to swelling the Bianca coffers nor the original aim you all had in
mind. That's why the 3-tier membership outlined by someone below
seems to be a sensible proposition.
Having said all that, I do hope this succeeds so I wish all the Trolls
a non-profit and non-lossmaking 2002 :)