currently 565 members with ZERO posts

[chris dees]

Thanks Eric, *BUT*
The page you get when you follow this is hard to read (well it is for me)

Seems to be in Dutch or Afrikaans or similar. I think it's worth fixing this, or getting it to tie into the language settings for the used.

Strange, I just tried it and it's in English

[Bjørn Rørslett]

As a Dutchman yourself, you probably would have understood the page in Dutch too

I got it presented  in Dutch, though. But easily understandable for most Europeans at least.

I believe previous Paypal activities (in the current computer session) have a bearing on what language is used. As said, Andrea will look into this and should be able to modify the forum scripts.

[ColinM]

Hi Bjorn and Chris,

it may depend on your browser settings - I was using an old iPad, iOs7 & Safari and what it showed at the time definitely wan't in English.
However as Bjorn observed, I took a guess at the likely options and found myself on Paypal, where I authorised it.

What I hadn't spotted at the time was that I'd set up a repeating annual payment. Going back into the NG menus, I see this is a tick-box option (it was late, and I was tired....). I think this makes sense for the site, after all we all value it and this is a fair price

[Erik Lund]

I believe the 'repeated annual payment' is set up as a standard for Nikon Gear.

[Erik Lund]

Thanks Eric, *BUT*
The page you get when you follow this is hard to read (well it is for me)

Seems to be in Dutch or Afrikaans or similar. I think it's worth fixing this, or getting it to tie into the language settings for the used.

This is whats going wrong as far as we know:

The problem only occurs when people remove their cookies, when the PayPal cooky is still present everything works as designed.

So the workaround is to log into PayPal before subscribing when the PayPal cookie has been removed recently.

[rosko]

Basically, I agree with Frank, but...

I think the ''Zero post'' fact is not the biggest issue.

The biggest issue is the rate of paying members regarding the total NG members

However, 818 non-paying out of 942 members is not what the admins had hoped for. We manage to scrape by, so a crisis is avoided, but in a longer perspective, the situation might be untenable.

818 out of 942 makes 86.84%  non paying members which means that only less than 14 members out of 100 are supporting the site.

If no action is taken this 14% rate will decrease even more with time.

So, the question is : When the situation will become untenable ?

Second question : How to motivate more members to be financially involved in the site ?

It would be interesting to see more ''non paying members'' giving their opinion in this thread.

[Frank Fremerey]

Earlier in life I was working for a photo site that had 100.000 members, later they had 1 Million and sold the operation.

Their conversion rate was at 13% and they managed to crank a very healthy profit from that.

Their minimum charge was 4€/month and they had some advanced plans too.

What I like to point out is:

1) we are a non profit operation
2) we should closely watch our costs and then possibly raise the annual contribution if necessary

To me 14% seem a fairly reasonable amount compared to people registered.
The site is open. Noone needs to register unless they want to post

More than half of the registered people do not participate actively.

How many of them visit regularly?

How many are just dead accounts?

[Erik Lund]

Basically, I agree with Frank, but...

I think the ''Zero post'' fact is not the biggest issue.

The biggest issue is the rate of paying members regarding the total NG members

818 out of 942 makes 86.84%  non paying members which means that only less than 14 members out of 100 are supporting the site.

If no action is taken this 14% rate will decrease even more with time.

So, the question is : When the situation will become untenable ?

Second question : How to motivate more members to be financially involved in the site ?

It would be interesting to see more ''non paying members'' giving their opinion in this thread.

But there is no need for more members, this is a healthy non profit site! Please don't ask us to change that!

I really feel this thread is a complete non issue - I'm inclined to move it to the bin.

[JohnMM]

It would be interesting to see more ''non paying members'' giving their opinion in this thread.

I registered in order to answer a request for the identification of a plant. I'm not sure that I would have paid for the privilege.

[Frank Fremerey]

I registered in order to answer a request for the identification of a plant. I'm not sure that I would have paid for the privilege.

Sure not. My feeling is, you used the site in a fair way.

[rosko]

But there is no need for more members, this is a healthy non profit site! Please don't ask us to change that!
I really feel this thread is a complete non issue - I'm inclined to move it to the bin.

I understand, Erik.

I don't want to make anybody uncomfortable.

It's just a statement. I didn't ask anything.

If you think it could stigmatize members, I wouldn't mind at all if you delete my post.

[rosko]

I'm not sure that I would have paid for the privilege.

Of course not, John.

[Jan Anne]

Community support comes in many ways, some do it with great technical or photographic content, some by subscribing and some do both

The crew has no intentions of making money on NG, all we would like in return is a healthy and happy community which we can enjoy ourselves as well online and in real life during the NG events like the amazing event recently hosted in Scotland.

Our server hosting fees are payed a year in advance and I'm proud the say that with the latest subscriptions (renewals) we now have the funds needed to continue the current hosting plan for 2017. So a big thanks to those whom subscribed or renewed their subscriptions the last few months!!!!

With a growing community the need for a bigger hosting plan also arrises so we're saving up additional revenue so we can scale up whenever the need arrises.

[Akira]

Jan, that is great to know!  I definitely continue to enjoy visiting this great community!

[Frank Fremerey]

JA. Great news!