All members, please read (AGAIN) **EDITED V2.0**

Unfortunately, this means that I won't have an opportunity to use forum anymore. In our country all international services like pay pal, Visa, Mastercard are blocked and I can't make transactions to other countries. I feel myself very empty and upset and can do nothing with this.

Many thanks for every member of forum, I spent good time here. Wish everybody all the best.

Posted by: @graeme-ogg

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I quite understand the financial position diecast.org finds itself in, and have happily paid the new annual fee.

However, the longer-term ambition of turning our forums into an almost invisible closed shop or “gated community” seems a little distasteful and mean-spirited. There is a need for the forums to remain visible to potential new members who discover the forums by chance through casual browsing or google search or by recommendation, and I agree with John Quilter that closing the shutters completely to outsiders could be counter-productive.

And how would it work in practice? At the moment, on those annoying occasions when the system forgets who I am, I can still browse the forums and presumably the system treats me an as “anonymous guest” with “read-only” access. The same obviously applies to any other casual visitor. Most forums seem to allow “read-only” visits, with registration (and payment of a fee where applicable) only being required if you want to be an “active member” with the right to post or answer a thread.

So could the system eventually be set up to say to new visitors “Hey, you want to see if these forums are of any interest to you? Sorry, we are a private closed community and you have to register and pay a fee before you can even find out.” And does the system have the ability to identify and record the e-mail address of any visitor who doesn’t log in, and could it then send them a message saying “We see you have browsed our forums five times (or ten times, or whatever) without registering and paying a fee, so you are now blocked from viewing our forums for evermore?” (Unless you cough up the entry fee.)

The solution that Tony P. seemed to be suggesting, of allowing a “tryout period" before requiring payment for permanent membership, might be more practical, but seems to conflict with the stated longer-term aim that “the club intends to make the forums completely private for paid club members.” So that means we would end up as a completely shuttered community with “Keep Out” signs all round, and how does that create a welcoming atmosphere to attract the new members (including, hopefully, younger members) we need to keep us from turning into an isolated, shrinking group of aging fossils?

My vote (if anyone is asking or listening) is to fund the forums from the willing contributions of loyal “active” members, but to continue to allow free “read-only” access to casual viewers in the hope that will gain their interest and lead to new registrations in the course of time.

I look forward to seeing other views on the subject.

AMENDMENT!!  PLEASE READ: I've just been informed that the Club will NOT go private. Your opinions matter and they have heard. As mentioned prior, this will be an ongoing process but you will be heard.

More as we go forward...

Unfortunately, this means that I won't have an opportunity to use forum anymore. In our country all international services like pay pal, Visa, Mastercard are blocked and I can't make transactions to other countries. I feel myself very empty and upset and can do nothing with this.

Many thanks for every member of forum, I spent good time here. Wish everybody all the best.

@fred-eliseeff

Hi Fred;

NO worries my friend....I will cover you via PayPal in your name.

@perrone1 Hi Tony;

I just sent $25 to The Diecast Zone for Fred Eliseefe's next year dues but in my PayPal process there was no narrative section for me to indicate this.  Would you as administrator be able to ensure that the payment gets registered for him and not me?  I am already signed up for these dues.  I hope I'm not asking too much of you....I'm not exactly sure of your duties.  Thanks!

Jack

Posted by: @jack-dodds

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@perrone1 Hi Tony;

I just sent $25 to The Diecast Zone for Fred Eliseefe's next year dues but in my PayPal process there was no narrative section for me to indicate this.  Would you as administrator be able to ensure that the payment gets registered for him and not me?  I am already signed up for these dues.  I hope I'm not asking too much of you....I'm not exactly sure of your duties.  Thanks!

 

Jack

 

 

@perrone1 Thanks Tony; much appreciated!

@jack-dodds Thank you very much my friend.

You are very kind and generous. I'll never forget it.

@fred-eliseeff You are most welcome Fred.

@jack-dodds - Yo are a nice person to jump on that so quick - great job, Jack!

Posting members should not be taken in hostage to pay for the maintenance fees of a public website. The Forum Management should go after the dealers who make profit from us and don't already share the expenses for maintenance.

My understanding is for years, only Legacy Diecast had the burden to keep this website alive. This has to change.  Sellers like Toycargeek, Mint Models, Burbank House Of Hobbies and all others have to provide a decent monetary contribution for their free advertisement. 

Sell them annual advertisement headers on the website main page. Do the same with Brooklin, Stamp, Matrix, Goldvarg and others.

None of these businesses will refuse to get involved.

@nickies, careful with your tone, please. No one is being taken hostage. You can participate or you can decline. It's your decision. No one is forcing anyone to pay. We've never asked any of the dealers, occasionally mentioned, to pay for casual endorsements.

Posted by: @nickies

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Posting members should not be taken in hostage to pay for the maintenance fees of a public website

@JK.....I would like to pay my dues and nickies dues at the same time. I would hate the idea of an elderly man on a fixed income having to eat cat food because he had to pay a $25 fee.

What is the fastest way to pay?

Thank you.

Posted by: @ben-lampson

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Posted by: @nickies

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Posting members should not be taken in hostage to pay for the maintenance fees of a public website

@JK.....I would like to pay my dues and nickies dues at the same time. I would hate the idea of an elderly man on a fixed income having to eat cat food because he had to pay a $25 fee.

What is the fastest way to pay?

Thank you.

 

By Paypal to club@diecast.org. Please include both names and your preferred e-mail in the message field when you send those dues.
To pay by check:

Albany, New York 12205

@ben-lampson, thanks! You're one of the great folks who make this hobby so enjoyable.

Posted by: @perrone1

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By Paypal to club@diecast.org

Thank you Tony....I am on the paypal site now but I don't know nickies real name name, or can I just put 'nickies' in with the payment?

Do you know it and can you reply with it?

thanks again.