$1 a month subscription to Luminous Landscapes

[Hsg]

I was looking for an article about a particular camera and clicked on the luminous landscape result, after the article loaded, a drop down menu with 'subscribe now' appeared. I clicked here and there thinking this was just the typical pop-up window to register but nothing happened, finally clicked on subscribe and it said $1 a month in order to access luminous landscape site.

Michael Reichmann is following the strategy of send me a $1 and I'll teach you how to be a millionaire... Anyway, in this age of open source and free ebooks, greed is still there even in the most unlikely of places, a website for photography discussion and reviews.

 

[JP Owens]

I don't know. A buck a month seems to me a bargain, if the site is useful to you. Giving everything away free is a sure way to go under. I'd sure pay a buck a month to keep this site going, if asked.

 

[Hsg]

I don't know. A buck a month seems to me a bargain, if the site is useful to you. Giving everything away free is a sure way to go under. I'd sure pay a buck a month to keep this site going, if asked.

Leaving aside the articles in luminous-landscapes, all the forum posts were contributed for years by people for free. And suddenly to turn all that free contribution by members to a commodity is greedy imho.

Its not about $1.

 

[Jim-st]

Leaving aside the articles in luminous-landscapes, all the forum posts were contributed for years by people for free. And suddenly to turn all that free contribution by members to a commodity is greedy imho.

Its not about $1.

The forums are still free

 

[Tijmendal]

Wow. Accusing someone over being greedy for 1$ a month. If you don't want to read the article fine; go somewhere else. Like you said, everything is supposed to be free, right?
The only person I'd say is greedy, is you.

 

[Hsg]

The forums are still free

It did not mention that in the subscription window.

I checked now, the forums are free.

Thanks.

 

[Mike Fish]

Michael Reichmann is following the strategy of send me a $1 and I'll teach you how to be a millionaire...

I interpreted it as "send me a dollar a month to help defray the cost of maintaining a site with not insignificant traffic, and I'll give you access to a lot of stuff - including the videos that used to cost a lot more than a dollar."

 

[Jamie Pillers]

We're so used to getting a very high percentage of the amazing content of the internet for free, we forget that there are people working behind the scenes to provide the access to all this stuff. I actually like it when I see operators of websites try new ideas for making the site pay them a living wage. Someday I expect the web will be supported by the 'micro payment' idea: we'll pay a tiny amount each time we access information.

 

[CameraQuest]

I was looking for an article about a particular camera and clicked on the luminous landscape result, after the article loaded, a drop down menu with 'subscribe now' appeared. I clicked here and there thinking this was just the typical pop-up window to register but nothing happened, finally clicked on subscribe and it said $1 a month in order to access luminous landscape site.

Michael Reichmann is following the strategy of send me a $1 and I'll teach you how to be a millionaire... Anyway, in this age of open source and free ebooks, greed is still there even in the most unlikely of places, a website for photography discussion and reviews.

I want to get rich too.

I'm considering charging $1 per month to members who want to complain.

Stephen

 

[enero]

I don't know where this concept of everything that's good is free came from. But aside from that. Don't you get that it costs money to have a website that people actually visit and spend time on? LL has very few ads and even fewer trackers and cookie thingies. I'm sure those few ads barely scratch the surface of paying for their monthly server costs. Asking for a $1 a month from maybe a couple of hundred users that are actually willing to pay for good content, isnt asking a lot.

 

[skibeerr]

Over the years I have made several donations to Butkus.org as an appreciation for making my life so much easier.

Sites cost money to maintain.

 

[Mr_Toad]

There may come a time when RangeFinderForum.Com needs to ask for members to chip in, and I will happily pay my $1 a month. 🙂

 

[bmattock]

I was looking for an article about a particular camera and clicked on the luminous landscape result, after the article loaded, a drop down menu with 'subscribe now' appeared. I clicked here and there thinking this was just the typical pop-up window to register but nothing happened, finally clicked on subscribe and it said $1 a month in order to access luminous landscape site.

Michael Reichmann is following the strategy of send me a $1 and I'll teach you how to be a millionaire... Anyway, in this age of open source and free ebooks, greed is still there even in the most unlikely of places, a website for photography discussion and reviews.

If I want access to a website that is behind a paywall, I either pay or I do not access it. I never thought to complain and call the owner 'greedy'.

What is it you think you are owed here? What obligation does the owner of LL have towards you or me?

 

[Out to Lunch]

I'm considering charging $1 per month to members who want to complain.

Good idea.

 

[Orbiter]

I'm want to get rich too.

I'm considering charging $1 per month to members who want to complain.

Stephen

No complaints here

 

[cz23]

I'm want to get rich too.

I'm considering charging $1 per month to members who want to complain.

Stephen

Negativity Tax. I like it.

 

[btgc]

What Ken Rockwell did years ago - you can read, but printing out content is illegal if you don't pay.

 

[marcr1230]

I think the challenge for websites is how to monetize the content and defray the costs of providing the service (and even making a living)

The current environment is such that average folks don't like to pay if there is an alternative. So websites use ads to make money - nothing wrong with that

The Head Bartender runs a business selling and repairing photo gear - you could say that RFF is a loss leader that drives people into the store.

Free Games and Apps have Premium "In App" purchases

it's not a bad thing, it's just life - we are all free to go elsewhere

As pointed out - we members also add value to a site (liquidity , to use the financial term) , kind of like the more people on Facebook, the more value it is to each member.

The great thing is - there's lots of choices and nobody is forced to pay

I avoid Photoshop cause I don't like the $10 per month fee - I'm fine, I've got other tools, and other tools then have added incentive and motivation to do better for cheaper...

 

[Bille]

The question is, who is going through the hassle of registration and payment (minimum 12$ for a year, you cant just pay 1$) to read one article. I´d just skip and move on.

 

[krötenblender]

Someday I expect the web will be supported by the 'micro payment' idea: we'll pay a tiny amount each time we access information.

And that is, when Internet dies, finally.