Banners ads and paying for the site

from WinCustomize Forums
Well, it looks like banner ads may have to go. They don't pay hardly anything and the ad places realy are trying to get us to use pop-up ads instead.

Simply put, that's not acceptable. I don't know about you guys but I hate pop-up ads.

I've been pretty public in my support of how deviantART has supported itself - subscriptions in which the users get a bunch of goodies. I'd like to see us eventually do something like that. Provide a slick skin browing program, for instance, (https://www.stardock.com/temp/sb.jpg) as a goodie along with custom skins and other things we come up with. That way, users aren't "donating" to the site but actually getting good stuff with the knowledge they're helping the site.

5,945 views 19 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
That looks pretty slick, Frogboy. Where do I send my check?

I like the subscription idea. ObjectDesktop is the best thing I've ever subscribed to, so I trust you guys to make this worthwhile as well. I visit WinCustomize many times per day and I would be happy to pay a small fee to keep it ad free.
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Just so you get a good sampling, count me in as being a supporter to the "subscribe and get some stuff" idea.

BTW, what ever happened to branded coffee cups?
SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Yes, I'm 100% behind the idea of having more products or subscription ideas in order to help finance the costs of this site, and maybe hopefully in some distant future have this site stop being solely a Stardock expense.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
What, I'm still waiting for a Ford Focus to scream across my monitor!

Seriously though I have started paying for more things online in the last year that it is almost seeming normal now. A few years back is was unthinkable and now it is becoming a standard model. Instead of goodies how about dedicated bandwidth and server load for the paying customers.

By the way what happened to the hitbox counter at the bottom?
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I have a hat and a shirt and a sweatshirt... want coffee mug
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Where's the mug, How did I miss that?
Reply #8 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I believe this is a Stardock sponsored site. Perhaps the 'special content', etc. could be part of the Object Desktop subscription. Others who aren't subscribers pay.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
They are normally just above your name at the top there crae, but since your a 'higher' user than most you don't see 'em
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Quoted by CrowBraid:

'I believe this is a Stardock sponsored site. Perhaps the 'special content', etc. could be part of the Object Desktop subscription. Others who aren't subscribers pay.'

I agree
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Quoted by CrowBraid:

'I believe this is a Stardock sponsored site. Perhaps the 'special content', etc. could be part of the Object Desktop subscription. Others who aren't subscribers pay.'

I don't agree. I think Stardock gives enough money for this site, and if they have to provide even more money than this, I'm afraid we'll have to change the name of the site for "Stardockcustomise.com". I think it's great that Stardock gets involved as they do, but I also think this site should try to gain some independant revenue.
My 2 cents.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
TasT's 2 cents:

It is well known and understood that WinC is part of stardock, Froggy doesn't even try to make it a seperate intity anymore.

Should it be part of a OD subscription, no not the base subscription, I personally think stardock needs a new subscription service set up that has different levels.

Say ODNT+ which includes a Win C subscription a $10 higher than a regular ODNT subscription. Yea I know it would be less than say $5 a month for WinC but it would probably sell more ODNT subscriptions and would be an easier sell.

Also I would like to see an ODNT basic subscription that only allows users to get release versions of the software. This might possibly eliminate some of the WB, OB ETC... is a buggy POS comments.

IF it is possible to easily have the Web server and CM achieve these things I think they would be worth considering....
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
You know (and I feel all Faust now), there is a point with the Object Desktop subscription thing. And weren't you going to tighten the Stardock/WinCustomize relation anyhow?
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
do you have any firm thoughts on subscription levels yet?

one think i have noticed is that while to some people $20 for a wincustomize item is considered virtually free, for others (me included) this is a quite a bit of money. and then there is postage as well.

i am certanly not against the idea of a subscription, i just would like it to not be to expensive, since i have limited disposable income *shrug*
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
TasT - Also I would like to see an ODNT basic subscription that only allows users to get release versions of the software. This might possibly eliminate some of the WB, OB ETC... is a buggy POS comments.

interesting. out of interest, how many of the people here who have OD subscriptions are active users of the alpha and beta releases?

i suspect most of the active posters probably are, but i wonder in terms of the average user.

the other half of the question is how many of the bug reports are due to people unknowingly using alpha or beta releases? it doesnt seem to be a major problem on the newsgroups. drivers seem to cause more problems, at least for WB.

for some people the availibility of the alpha and beta releases is quite a selling point for OD.

i have been wedded to OB since version 0.4 personally, so i wouldnt want to give up beta access. especially since a lot of the alpha and beta's are actually quite stable for me.


TasT - IF it is possible to easily have the Web server and CM achieve these things I think they would be worth considering....
/me awaits the "in the new version of CM, just like Derengi Net" posting from stardock
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If Stardock wanted to charge $5 more in their OD subscription for an expanded Wincustomize, ala TasT, I'd go along with that. But I'm like feline in that (a) I don't have a lot of disposable income, and (b) I don't have net access for six months of the year, owing to an unfortunate addiction to traveling. I'd like to pay one bill once a year, rather than to have to deal with more bills over the months. Mail gets slow when you're on the road.
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Feline - complaints have gone down in the NGs but usually when one of the WB is so slow or buggy or OB doesn't do anything right comments show up it is from someone who has a beta or alpha version and either doesn't realize it or just uses it as a way to fire away at stardock. Like you I try all the alphas and betas and usually I am running one unless there are problems.

As far as options I was thinking

Standard ODNT

a version that only allows released software

an option to get the extra's with WinC for all levels for and extra $?

A desktop customization suite, ie no strictly productivity software

A version that would include all stardock software..( not the games)

A stardock.net suite that would include all game and non game software..

Just a few thoughts...