About the User fee poll you’re currently taking. Implementing what I’m about to suggest will probably cause you no end of grief, but I was wondering if you had considered a Corporate fee, in addition to an individual user fee. That way, the company could purchase access for all their employees, at a reduced rate, rather than trying to reimburse a whole series of expanse statements. cheers, Matt.
It’s not that I’m planning on introducing member fees. See it as putting a finger in the air to see the wind. But I like your suggestion. I actually know of other forum’s that runs with paying members, corporate members (everyone employeed by a corporate member get full access) and non-paying members. The only real difference is that the paying/corporate members are the only ones who can add classified ads and events. Best regards, Erik P. Ernst, webmaster
Actually I would like to point you eyes to this page: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20011223.html This article actually suggest that we should look at a micropayment system. Very interesting. Although I’ve difficulties seeing how this would really work. What would you say to pay i.e. 2 cent to ANSWER someones question?
I would have to agree with the author of the article in that without an infrastructure built into the Web, there’s no way this type of approach is feasible. And I’ll agree with you that paying to solve a problem would decrease the value of this forum. Most of the valid responses come from a minority of users, and they hardly ever pose their own questions. So there’s no value for them, at all. Potentially, you could create a credit for those responses that the original author deems of value, but then the discussion value of the forum would be lost. And your moderators would need to work a lot harder at this site validating responses of value, to prevent fraud. Intersting situation you’ve got. Better you than me. 
Erik, I wouldn’t mind paying a nominal amount per year for my own access to this site, as I do find it very useful and interesting. But I know that the total amount of traffic would drop dramatically if there were any kind of charge and that, in turn, would significantly reduce the value and interest level of Navision.Net. Not an easy issue to address. Dave Studebaker das@libertyforever.com Liberty Grove Software A Navision Services Partner
Hello, I think NOLUG offers great help in the Navision world and I wouldn’t also mind paying a kind of fee, but rather a kind of company access as suggested above. All people represented here “work” with Navision and I don’t see any reason why NSCs and Navision clients wouldn’t be willing to pay an annual fee to access this “informal” information forum. Especially as there is no international help forum directly offered by Navision for Financials/Attain, as there is one for Axapta, this forum is very important to raise new ideas, share information of all NSCs across different countries, and give end users a much broader access to information. Saludos Nils
Since I have joined the forum I have probably asked 5 questions but have given hundreds of answers. So would I mind to pay for the priviledge to help other Navision users? Yes, I would. With best regards from Switzerland Marcus Fabian
Thanks Marcus, the bad thing is that there is only one of a dusin of your kind - I would hope more would be like you… Right know this is just a request for comments and suggestions to alternative financing and to see what you would say if this became a reallity. We have previously had a debate about banner ads or not. The outcome was basically that this would not be appriciated. Best regards, Erik P. Ernst, webmaster
I think David hit the nail on the head…Having people pay would lower traffic. I personally hate banner ads, but if they would provide enough financing, maybe they are worth investing again. Alot of us take forgranted the time and money it takes to run a site like this. Keep up the good work. Chris.
…Keep up the good work… … and the low cost
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Originally posted by chrisk: I think David hit the nail on the head…Having people pay would lower traffic. I personally hate banner ads, but if they would provide enough financing, maybe they are worth investing again. Alot of us take forgranted the time and money it takes to run a site like this. Keep up the good work. Chris.
I would submit that the small annual fee would be far less painful than banner ads. If I want to come on to this site (and it is a VERY helpful site), I would be prepared to pay before I’d be prepared to sift through all the stupid banners. IMHO! Kristopher Webb Kelar Corporation, Canada
Many free/shareware programmes actually handle it this way: Registered versions: No banners Non-registered versions: Banners We could do the same thing here. Default / non-paying members: see banner ads Paying members: don’t see banner ads Best regards, Erik P. Ernst, webmaster
Honestly guys and girls… How come that most people think that because “something” is on the internet, then it has to be for free? I am sure that most of us have received good help from NOLUG, and that that help have saved you a lot of time and money. I would pay a yearly fee, and still accept the banners in order to use this forum. The questions/answers, networking opportunities etc. of this site are worth much more than a yearly fee to me. Lars Strøm Valsted Head of Project and Analysis Columbus IT Partner A/S www.columbusitpartner.com
IMHO, actually this discussion needs to have several issues: - Payments for navision.net yes/no - Keeping the quality and responses up - The group I think, browsing through the boards for a long time, even as a user that was registered for the mailing list a long time ago, changing continents twice since then: - I wouldn’t like to pay for Navision.net (no matter what amount we are talking about)and I don’t like banners, but if we have to accept banners for keeping the group running: so be it! - Quality: we all know that we have members that give more than they receive, and I really appreciate all of the good and the not so good answers, because it still means giving time and thoughts to a problem/question of someone else. If we charge fees we will get rid of some problems but also of solutions, because we will get rid of members. Let us not do this! -The group: It is also part of the feeling as a group, browsing through the messages, reading postings of users of whom you have read messages before, even if you are not actually interested in the problem/question and having the possibility to agree or disagree, sitting in front of your monítor. Joerg R Feldhofen Incadea AG Rosenheim, GERMANY Edited by - joerg r feldhofen on 2002 Jan 29 15:55:47
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Originally posted by lstroem: … How come that most people think that because “something” is on the internet, then it has to be for free? … I am sure that most of us have received good help from NOLUG, and that that help have saved you a lot of time and money. … I would pay a yearly fee, and still accept the banners in order to use this forum. … The questions/answers, networking opportunities etc. of this site are worth much more than a yearly fee to me. …
I totally disagree in this case: This forum is based on member’s experience & knowledges for solving other member’s problems and helping each other. I’ve answered a lot more than asked (i think i’ve made about 10-15 questions and answered about 10 times that number. Is right… having something on Internet doesn’t mean that’s free… but is not payment enought the time we spend on answering also?? As developer, when solving problems/developing solutions to my customers i charge them an amount per hour. The time i’m solving questions/helping other members of this forum is time i’m “working” for free… If the forum starts charging an amount for using the forum… should the people who answers also charge their rates to the forum (as is the one who really gets benefit of those answers)?? The idea of charging an amount per using the ads section is something more reasonable, as it’s a mainly business section for buying/selling add-ons or services, but what it will obtain is making the people who use those services start using other ways like spamming the members of this forum. 
I don’t mind expending my time in helping other people for free… but i’m not going to pay for it, sorry. Another thing is… if the people who is mostly answering stops using this forum and the forum starts charging for it’s use… will the forum answer the users questions ?? (as probably then the forum will become 90% questions and 10% answers)?? will the people continue paying when their answers start not to be in this forum?? Regards Alfonso Pertierra (Spain)apertierra@teleline.es
An essential question is how do the Host and Webmaster of the forum cover their costs? I know Erik likes to do this (he wouldn’t do it otherwise), but in addition to his time, there are actual cash costs for hardware, access to communications, etc. It’s not fair for us to expect Erik or his (so far very generous) employer to pay for this forever. At least I don’t think so. Erik, what kind of $ per year in total would make a difference? We might be able to find a few participants who would be willing to share some of the costs at a modest amount each in return for some kind of recognition or advertising space. Dave Studebaker das@libertyforever.com Liberty Grove Software A Navision Services Partner Edited by - daves on 2002 Jan 29 19:51:01
I wouldn’t be against a certain amount of banner ads, as long as it is done in a tasteful manner (obviously no X10 type ads). What I have seen on other forums is that they have a paid member status. Those users that feel that they get the most benefit will be the ones that will pay the money to use it. The advantage that a forum like this has is that a user is typically employed by a company, so it is much easier to say, charge x amount per year when you charge it back to your company, rather than asking an individual to foot the bill. And David I think makes the most valid point at the end, which is: how much do you need? Without such an indication as to how much will be charged makes it impossible to guess whether anyone will actually pay when the time comes. But, as has been mentioned, you can easily get yourself in to a major jam. You can charge x amount, and if that is too much, people won’t use it, and the content of quality will suffer, which will cause a drop off of users, which will result in a useless, expensive forum.
I like the direction that Torolf’s note takes. In other words, I agree with what he says. Dave Studebaker das@libertyforever.com Liberty Grove Software A Navision Services Partner
This site produces costs and someone has to pay for - if we like it or not. For my part, i don’t like banners. And i’m sure a fee for any kind of usage would stop a lot of people using this forum 
So … why not having a simple button “Our Sponsors” on the homepage ? The button would lead to a list of all companies or persons that give a certain amount per year to keep this site running. I know this is not a perfect idea - but better than discussing the topic from time to time and then letting Eriks company pay the bill. We place a begging-letter on the homepage and wait if somebody reacts I would keep it simple - no contracts or stuff like that. Only a list with the names and logos of the sponsors. And if there is not enough money coming to cover all costs - so what? Every amount would help to lower the costs for Eriks company.
I don’t like banners either, neither do I like spped limits 
However, if the banners mean that I would have to pay less in fee, then I would accept them. The Sponsor idea sounds good, however, as a sponsor wants to see some business coming his/her way, I don’t really think sponsoring this site will bring in a lot of cash. Let’s face it: we’re not the most attractive advertising audience in the world One idea could be that paying members would get access to more features on NOLUG. What I suggest is that some features, like the forums etc. are free, but if you want to download or post in the Classified ADs, then you must be a paying member. Lars Strøm Valsted ------------------------- Software development today is a race between the programmers trying to make better and more foolproof programs, and the universe trying to make bigger idiots. So far the universe is winning.