Hey all
wanted to see how you all feel about this.... sometime within the next month I'm planning to introduce discounts based on activity for everyone.

So instead of the brief discounts we offer every so often, which most folks miss their chance on if they're too late, I want to create scripts which calculate how "active" someone is on the site.  The more you use the site (making events, joining in chat, forums, uploading photos etc) then the less you pay.

This would mean that all new members must pay full price, but then as they use the site the price to resubscribe drops significantly based on how much they use the site.

It sounds a little "backwards" really, in that you pay less if you use the service more.  But actually the site benefits each time you join in, start events, etc and so you're essentially rewarded for contributing to the club.

Your thoughts welcome.  I'm yet to work out how to implement it but so far the feedback I've had privately has been positive.  Just need to prevent the system being abused.

Cheers
Matt                                                                                                                                                                             

Sounds good, in priniple, however I can see it leading to an escalation of a problem which occurs now, which is posting for the sake of it.

I do post events and news, however I am aware that I do the silly threads quite often too. I don't go into chat as often though.

Also there is the recurring thorny issue of those who only pm, but don't attend events or go on threads or chat (karma bombing.....sorry Matt, I know this is a cash o'worms issue).

I do really like the idea though

sounds good Matt but i don't envy you doing it, you could be opening a can of worms                                                                                                                                                                             

Hmm, sounds fab in an ideal world but the practicalities of running such a system fairly and transparently would be a huge waste of time n resources in my opinion.

It would be far easier n better to remove the elephant that is Karma, thus taking frustration out of actually seeing the site being abused by serial offenders.

I post on threads, use chat, upload photos, as well as PMs and arrange rideouts/meets etc but if the parameters are based on similar ones to those currently used i will barely recieve any discount, looking at current 'ratings'!

Again sorry to be negative but occasional offers of discount seem to work. Admittedly its a case of potluck as to whether you are able to take advantage but hey thats life. I missed out on a great discount recently n could only afford to pay for a small period of renewal but thats my problem.

Excellent idea which will have isues to start with but i have fiath in you Boss Man to get it right in the end lol                                                                                                                                                                             

Prefer the kiss option.
Everyone pays just £2 per month.                                                                                                                                                                             

I too think this idea, although a good one, will be subject to abuse by those who constantly post drivel just for the sake of it. Discounts could be awarded at the discretion of yourself, as they are already, and perhaps in conjunction with the moderators / admin team.
XK's suggestion of a net monthly charge does sound to be the fairest and can be paid for the duration of time members wish to be active. This also raises the problem that during the summer months, a lot of the membership will dwindle as they spend more free time out on their bikes and less time behind the keyboard.
Not an easy decision for you Matt and one I don't envy you of.                                                                                                                                                                              

The issue i have is this.

i've been a member since 2007

I pay the same as every other paying member on this site. how much i use the site should be irrelevent. i pay for a service it should be up to me how much i use it.

i don't post drivel. i don't message anyone and as a consequence don't recieve any. I've never been blocked by anyone. i very rarely post on forums anymore mainly becouse other people seem to think they can shout you down for having a different opinion to them. 

It is your site matt but i do think quite a few people will think as i do regardless of them replying on here.  I will be going back to being a none paying member.

Oh and next xmas, please don't give me a couple of free weeks and be labeled as free loader.                                                                                                                                                                              

I actually think a discount based on how long you have been an active member is a great idea.                                                                                                                                                                                 

All your concerns are exactly what I will be taking care of BEFORE launching the system.  The benefit of discussing it now is to make sure we iron out all the possibilities to abuse the system, and to make sure everyone is kept happy.

So, here's my new proposal....
Current discount codes will remain possible, so if your receive a discount code for 50% off but your "Dynamic Discount" (or whatever I call it) is only 40%, then you can instead choose to use the discount code and override the dynamic discount.The dynamic code can take into account length of time registered on BM, how much you've contributed in the past (so if you've contributed for 5 years already, then you'll get a big discount now), etcI will make sure drivel forum posts aren't included in any calculations.  Nor will "nods" or profile views. etc
The Karma system takes into account how many people nod at you, how many PMs you send, how much you use the chatroom, events you attend, etc etc - things that wont be included in any "dynamic discount".

There are things that will affect your dynamic discount that you can control, like maintaining a good reputation on BM and not being banned by other members, etc.  But others you can't control.

Basically what I'm saying is that we / I need to get all the requirements on paper.  What to include in the calculations, how to make it fair for everyone, etc.   Then implement it.  Then monitor and adjust constantly to avoid abuse.

Unlike the karma system though, I wont allow anyone to know what is included in the calculations to avoid manipulation of the system.  Except - How long you've been on the site, how much you've spent (upgraded) in the past, and how much you've contributed  to things I want most (what I decide is "value" to BM).

I have lots of ideas in my head,  but please keep your comments and suggestions coming so I can add to my list.  Please don't just shrug off the system before I've had chance to make it!  I promise it will be fair for everyone.                                                                                                                                                                             

I'm willing to give it a go.

But please, please, please, remove all standard members who haven't
done a thing for, say, over a year.
I have time for peeps who are here, but none for those who are not.
If they are that bothered, they could always re-join.                                                                                                                                                                             

Sounds like you will address my concerns. 
However, I would argue the point of deleting standard members.  Just because they are not paid up members doesn't mean that they aren't attending events/rides out/rallies and nites out.   
I would agree, however, that if someone hasn't logged in for over a certain amount of time then a case could be seen for their removal.   But unless their circumstances are known, how do you judge.  But that said, they aren't really doing any harm.  Its really whether you want to get uptight over it or not.                                                                                                                                                                               

I think some kind of automated e-mail to any account that's been inactive for say a year could be sent stating that if no activity within a month then account would be deleted.                                                                                                                                                                              

i think the reason Matt keeps all the standard members on is to keep the membership numbers up so the site has more selling so i can,t see him deleting them. Also Matt i think the post you put i the Personalized Newsletter  thread might of been meant for this thread.

I think this is an interesting topic, I have like bluesbiker been on the site since 2007 almost as long as the site has been going.
I don't tend to post much these days but that don't mean I am not still keeping up to date with what's going on and also attending things as my health and circumstances allow me to.
Plus at times I have had to let my membership as a full member lapse due to lack of finances to afford this.
So how would that figure in the new discount scheme

                                                                                                                                                                             

Let's hope Matt can program the Dynamic Pricing Policy to reward loyalty.
But we shall have to give him a chance before we shout 'foul'.                                                                                                                                                                             

Ok, dynamic pricing is one thing, but personally I feel that last logon time should be more transparent, especially in the Profile searches. I understands Matt's desire not to delete accounts, but "> 3 weeks" could mean anything from a month to since the site started, which is not really condusive to indicating whether you'll get a reply to a PM or not, etc.

As for dynamic pricing, I hope Matt comes up with a mechanism that's going to work, I don't envy him the task!

Regarding forum posts, maybe a "Like" button could reduce bloating threads with folks just typing "I agree" without much else. The "Like" system could boost Karma, if a particular comment is agreed with it indicates that the member is posting "valuable" content to the site, without the Likee having much to say on the matter themselves, and it would indicate that the Likee is reading the Forums, therefore active on the site & could influence their renewal price.

Just my 2d's worth.

'Hey all
wanted to see how you all feel about this.... sometime within the next month I'm planning to introduce discounts based on activity for everyone.
So instead of the brief discounts we offer every so often, which most folks miss their chance on if they're too late, I want to create scripts which calculate how "active" someone is on the site.  The more you use the site (making events, joining in chat, forums, uploading photos etc) then the less you pay.
This would mean that all new members must pay full price, but then as they use the site the price to resubscribe drops significantly based on how much they use the site'.

*Is this fair  considering when a person buys a product (in this case, the membership), it's up to that customer how much they use it? If I bought a kettle for the same price as my neighbour, I wouldn't be penalised for only using it 4 times a day, when my neighbour uses hers 7 times. It's up to each of us  when  we choose to use  it.

* What if a site user cannot access the site (EG. I had no Broadband for over a week at Christmas). What if they're ill, or working  long hours, or have other commitments for a period of time.

*I feel that  observing how 'active' a member is on site, and rewarding (or not)  for being so or not being  so,  almost just almost, feels like bribery....is that too strong a word? Maybe, I'm not sure. I'm on this  site because I want to be.....but I have a life elsewhere too, and I don't see why I should lose out because of that.  

*Would it not be easier to offer a set price to all, reduced for each year a person is a member?  This would do away with messy calculations pertaining to usage. So all 1st year members pay X, 2nd year members pay Y, and 3rd pay Z etc, regardless of use.

*Should a person drop down to 'Standard' they could be fully deleted, after a gap of however long it was felt fair (maybe a year, maybe two?), after all  there are an awful lot of standards on here who NEVER become full members! 

*If they then wished to become a full member again, they  could rejoin at full price  and start again.... possibly like the 'no claims' system on insurances.

'It sounds a little "backwards" really, in that you pay less if you use the service more.  But actually the site benefits each time you join in, start events, etc and so you're essentially rewarded for contributing to the club'.
But why should it be up to the members  to enable benefits to the site? BM is  a business selling a product, so surely it is for BM to ensure the site benefits by the way it deal with its 'customers', such as fair and simple pricing. .

As you say Matt, this is  going to take some working out, and of course you can't please everyone. These are just a few of my thoughts after reading your ideas and the replies given  so far.
                                                                                                                                                                             

*Would it not be easier to offer a set price to all, reduced for each year a person is a member?  This would do away with messy calculations pertaining to usage. So all 1st year members pay X, 2nd year members pay Y, and 3rd pay Z etc, regardless of use.

This, I like.

Maybe, give newbies a probationery free period, just to see if they like the site.                                                                                                                                                                             

A lot of equally valid views & idears being posted on this topic. I don't envy Matt at all on deciding how best to proceed with this idea!