Upgrade Your BP.net Experience!!!

Whens the $5 "Fake cheap Platinum" coming out? You know, that lets you change your Avatar and also lets you have it a little bigger.

Hey so I'm just curious. I know everyone is all about supporting Bp.net which I'm not against but what exactly is this money going to cover? If we're expected to donate our hard earned money for the right to change our avatar and post classified ads I'd like to see something showing the actual monthly/annual expenses that bp.net has to cover and also would like to know what is going to happen with the extra money.

It's a great site and I wouldn't be where I am with my collection today without it but you'll have to understand I have issues with throwing out money when I have no idea what it is being used for.

Isn't that like asking your cable/satellite provider how the "extra money" you are paying for HBO/SHOWTIME/PAY PER VIEW is being spent? Or your cell phone provider how the "extra money" you are paying for text messaging is being spent? I wonder how they'd respond?

Running a website of this size has costs associated with is and 99.99% of what the site offers is completely free ... not a bad deal in my opinion.

I would think that if you don't see value in paying extra for an upgraded Bp.Net experience, then don't? ... no?

Not trying to bust your ball pythons here, but asking to see the sites balance sheet just strikes me as a little odd ... but hey, if it works let me know ... i'd love to see what my local video store is spending all of the money I pay them in "late fees" on ... I suspect it's pizza, but maybe I'm just paranoid. :rolleye2:


-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Isn't that like asking your cable/satellite provider how the "extra money" you are paying for HBO/SHOWTIME/PAY PER VIEW is being spent? Or your cell phone provider how the "extra money" you are paying for text messaging is being spent? I wonder how they'd respond?

Running a website of this size has costs associated with is and 99.99% of what the site offers is completely free ... not a bad deal in my opinion.

I would think that if you don't see value in paying extra for an upgraded Bp.Net experience, then don't? ... no?

Not trying to bust your ball pythons here, but asking to see the sites balance sheet just strikes me as a little odd ... but hey, if it works let me know ... i'd love to see what my local video store is spending all of the money I pay them in "late fees" on ... I suspect it's pizza, but maybe I'm just paranoid. :rolleye2:


-adam

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Hey I agree with you to a point Adam. I'd just like to know that when I donate money for something that's always been free it's being used wisely.
I don't think it's relevant to compare it to a brick and mortar business at any rate, server space is cheaper than it's ever been and traffic for the site is down 40% for the last 3 months so I'd just like to know what costs are being covered by my money before I send it off.

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

If we're expected to donate our hard earned money for the right to change our avatar and post classified ads I'd like to see something showing the actual monthly/annual expenses that bp.net has to cover and also would like to know what is going to happen with the extra money.

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First your not expected to donate, its not a donation is a purchase of a service. Not unlike any other service you purchase. Your not buying stock or shares in the site your purchasing ability's and operating freedoms with in the site.

Don't think of it a something that is being used to manipulate or swindle people. You Pay $XX.XX you get XXXXXXXX thats as far as the transaction goes.

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It's a great site and I wouldn't be where I am with my collection today without it but you'll have to understand I have issues with throwing out money when I have no idea what it is being used for.

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Its being used to run the site.

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

Hey I agree with you to a point Adam. I'd just like to know that when I donate money for something that's always been free it's being used wisely.
I don't think it's relevant to compare it to a brick and mortar business at any rate, server space is cheaper than it's ever been and traffic for the site is down 40% for the last 3 months so I'd just like to know what costs are being covered by my money before I send it off.

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But it's not a donation ... it's payment for services.

This site isn't a non-profit organization.

I don't think that I've ever spoken to any of the staff while they were traveling on their private jets or vacationing in Bali, but if that ever happens I'll be sure to stop paying for anything "extra" around here. :salute:

-adam

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

and traffic for the site is down 40% for the last 3 months so I'd just like to know what costs are being covered by my money before I send it off.

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For what it's worth, it's down for every reptile related site that you check on Alexa (since that's where I saw that figure posted elsewhere when people were discussing this Supporter program), because babies aren't hatching right now - there's no real "buzz" this time of year. This has historically been the slow time of year for ALL reptile related forums.

I bet if you check this summer - traffic will be UP exponentially.

Did you also know that BLBC traffic is also down 40% in the last three months, Fauna is down 23%, Kingsnake down 33%, RDR down 30%, etc.?

Being a monetary supporter is not a requirement for being a member here, it's completely voluntary. For years we've been approached by members asking how they can give back. We know that not everyone is interested in doing so, nor can afford to. But for those who can and want to - it's here for them.

With 10 THOUSAND registered members, we will continue to pledge to make the best decisions for this site. Not everyone will agree with us - hard to get 10K people to all agree unanimously on anything. ;) But either they trust us to make the best decisions possible, or they don't. I don't believe the staff has ever done anything that would cause someone to question that we would do otherwise?

Ok. I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said there Robin. I guess there's just a part of me that tends to think a little bit more than most about how my money is being spent and I kind of want to get people to think a little bit so I'm playing "devil's advocate".

Bp.net was and still is a great resource but I just feel like the atmosphere has changed quite a bit around here lately. Good or bad take that how you'd like.

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

Bp.net was and still is a great resource but I just feel like the atmosphere has changed quite a bit around here lately. Good or bad take that how you'd like.

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A site with the amount of growth that we are experiencing (200 new registered members a month on average) with over 10,000 members will always change and evolve in atmosphere when you add that much layer of personalities to the mix.

We can only strive to continue to serve you - the membership the best way that we know how. :)

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Originally Posted by anendeloflorien

Ok. I'm not disagreeing with anything you've said there Robin. I guess there's just a part of me that tends to think a little bit more than most about how my money is being spent and I kind of want to get people to think a little bit so I'm playing "devil's advocate".

Bp.net was and still is a great resource but I just feel like the atmosphere has changed quite a bit around here lately. Good or bad take that how you'd like.

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It's not small anymore. And if anyone starts hanging out at a small site....then compares the "feeling" they get there to the "feeling" they get here...of course it's going to be different. I guarantee you any forum started this past year will also feel different five years from now if they continue to grow and thrive.

As for how your money is spent....spend it however you wish. We're not expecting you to anything differently. If you don't trust us to use it wisely, then we don't want it. Seriously! If we've ever done anything to cause you or anyone to mistrust our integrity on how the site is run, I'd really like to know. I'm not talking about disgreements on methods or rules...but serious issues about integrity and honor. Please...let me know.