My
responses below. I snipped out the comments and left the questions:
I'm not 100% sure that, this "vendors forum" is it, as I'm quite confused/unsure about some of its constrains and criteria. I've read it twice and I got the same "gut feeling" so, and so that I can make the correct interpretation of that you are presenting "us" with, I need to "break apart" what you are offering and request that you make the necessary corrections and clearly point out any areas that I'm totally out...!
It's a place for vendors to communicate information about their products and business to our members and where members can ask specific questions about the vendor's products.
OK so, if I understand it correctly, you want to separate the vendors from the normal members so, where do the "normal" members that also sell a few items on IAP, belongs to...???
The two classifieds forums and the deals forum still exist.
Are you considering a "vendor", someone to joined to IAP with the only intent to sell, someone that is selling items occasionally but is not a business, but a hobbyist like myself or, a registered business person with the intent to sell its products to the IAP members...???
Vendor will not be forced to have a forum. If they meet the qualifications to have one they can, but they don't have to.
I acknowledge your "qualifying vendors" descriptions, on the rules content text however, I'm not sure if the "general" members understand what it means, I consider myself a "general" member and not a vendor, at least until now therefore, I'm uncertain if this apply to me or I'm missing something...!
I don't know how to answer that.
Furthermore, I need some clarification of the following;
*- Is the monthly charge to be registered under the vendors forum, of $25 until the end of 2013, the replacement for the $10.00 per add cost under Premium Classifieds or any other add charges for other options, under the present rules...???
It's $25 per month until the end of 2013. If a vendor wants to place ads in his own forum he can. That's one of the purposes. If he wants to place ads in the classifieds he can do that as well, at the same cost as everyone else. I don't see why a vendor would have a lot of need for the classifieds if he has a forum.
*- Is this $25.00 monthly fee, going to be increased after the 1/1/2014 within "reason" or we are going to see a 400% increase of that fee...???
It's not going to be 400%, but I can see it going up. Think about it. If a vendor places two premium classifieds a month, he's almost got the same value. Considering all the other things he can do with a vendor forum, I think $25 is a bargain based on the value of our "eyeballs".
*- Is a "vendors forum" member, allowed to run as many adds and as at intervals as they want...??? (a sense of concern, here...!)
Yes, but in the writeup I did caution against overposting. The forums are easily hidden by any member. It's up to the vendor to strike the right balance. We have historically written rules to control the lowest common denominators of behavior. I'm trying something new here by not writing a specific rule. If everyone cooperates, great. If not, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
*- Can the vendors forum members have any information as they so wish, in their "signature"...???
The signature rules have not changed nor do I anticipate they will.
*- Where can a vendor forum member post pics and discuss issues of items that he/she makes from his/her stock, regardless if some of that stock has been sold, is on sale or will be sold on IAP or elsewhere, and as a general IAP member...???
They can post that sort of thing in their forum. That's exactly the purpose. They can post it, and say it's for sale. As long as the conversation is focused on the specific product the discussion is fine.
I was pretty happy to pay my $10.00 for every time I decided to post an add, I prefer the idea of paying for a service, when I decide I want that service than have to pay a monthly fee regardless if I use it or not so, I'm divided about that, as I have a gut feeling that tells me that the $25.00 offered at the moment is only "peanuts" compared with what will be in the very near future, I may be wrong, we sure will find out...!
As I said above, I don't know what the eventual rate will be. I will collect data from the vendors and watch the forums and we'll evaluate. I can't even guarantee that they will exist past the trial period. If they don't offer value to the general membership, they'll disappear. We'll probably solicit input via a poll or two at some point.
Hope that helps.
Hi Jeff,
It sure does and remember that, I may be too directly "involved" with the reason why you are trying to create this new vendors forum however, make no mistake, there many folks out there that may have similar questions as mine but being "uncomfortable" to say something so, I believe my questions/concerns and doubts are not only applicable to me...!
I believe also important that EVERYONE here as a correct understanding of what this Vendors Forum is/represent, after all they/we are the ones to have to deal with it so, it seems fair that someone as to ask the questions...!
Before I go any further, I want to make sure you and everyone else understand that, I'm most interested in having the "advertisement" issue in IAP, clarified, simplified, fairer and affordable, I don't have all the magic" answers but believe a common ground is possible to find, in the name of the "compromise" principle however, I see some negatives of this idea that may spoil any of its positives, and that concerns me.
Theses are some of the areas of concern;
*- While my initial impression was that, the "vendor Forum" would replace any other existent classifieds rules and adds requirements, something that I thought could be a good step to implement, creating a "small/fair" fee for registration and then, a 10% of the sales final value (excluding shipping) donated to IAP as a condition of registration.
Those small vendors or members that may have something that they need/want to sell, could do so for 10% of their items value, this is when the small registration fee is most important, most of these people would sell something a couple of times each year so, the new vendors forum could have a second condition that anyone is allowed to make 2 adds per year with value no higher than $100.00, free of the registration fee.
I certainly miss the small and spontaneous sales of a hand full of blanks that aren't common to see/find, I've made lots of those purchases and I never had a single problem with any of the people behind it. I may be myself, one of those people and I understand well why we don't see them anymore, which is a shame, in my view.
Concluding this "subject", I have to say that, after you made it clear that, the vendors forum is not substituting nothing, but simple being another payable requirement, if a normal member that sells also stuff on IAP want to post something without having it deleted or tagged as "advertisement"...!:frown:
I find this a most upsetting and stressing situation, being always concerned how the mods will interpret the post/thread and what some of our "jealous" members will do to have it removed/deleted. Is certainly not easy, to be me....!
*- There is one other issue that this new vendors forum will mean for some of us and I have to totally agree with Ed, when he posted this,
"You see, there are many who would pay to hear what I have to say and call it a good investment---here I have to pay to tell you, now."
Yes, I'm no different, I have people that want to pay to have me teaching them stuff related to penturnings and general wood turning, blanks making, casting, stabilising, and all the stuff I come up with, I spend many hours writing instructions, advice and how to's on IAP, I also spend a considerable amount of time making, preparing, photographing stuff that I may or not ever sell however, I take the time to incentive other/anyone to have a go and become good at it, the problem is that, I sell some of that stuff elsewhere, and sometimes on IAP, I try never to use the term "I sell" on my posts or show too many of the same stuff but, for god sake, why do I have to be so scrutinized, only because I make stuff that I also sell...???
As Ed said, and even though we are a world apart when it comes to selling stuff, is our knowledge, experience and willingness to share, worthless to IAP...???
IAP no doubt, provides us with a "place" where we can just do that, some of us may the the reason why, so many new members are joining in, one has to ask what they are doing so, is that because they found it by accident or, some of us are encouraging others to join in and participate in the learning process of penturning, there becomes a commitment for us (is for me, anyway) to support and coach these persons all the way through.
Are "we" doing this so that these people feel obligated to buy stuff from us...??? absolutely not, they have full control of what and to whom they want to buy their stuff from, buying some from you as a way to say "thank you" sure, we/I can appreciate that however, did I ever rejected to help anyone if I knew the blanks were purchase from someone else...???? seriously...? I don't give a damn however, if the problem as occurred with any of my blanks, there some additional stuff I can do, after all, the methods to work my blanks are the same as any blanks from anyone else so, the "principals" still apply the same...!
And this is where I agree with Ed, and certainly not a good position to be in, there is, as soon as we say something about a product that we also sell, even if is to assist someone in troubles, we get the "cane"...!
So, is IAP becoming a place where "vendors" or anyone that sells something here, going to be punished and be kept in a box, out the back where the deal becomes, you sell stuff so we squeeze the most dollars out of you and if you want to open your mouth, you pay us for the privilege...!
Seriously...???? do I have to pay a fee to explain/show/assist others with a problem if the product is something that I sell...??? do you guys (you and mods) realise that this is exactly what this new "idea" looks like...???
In the end of the day, I'm only trying to get some clarification and in the process, if I can highlight anything that you believe may have been underlooked or not taken into consideration at all then, I would see it with a more constructive bases that what I'm trying to offer, already.
Yes, I would like to see the advertisement issue on IAP resolved with a solution that will be beneficial to all, or at least to the vast majority, is impossible to please everybody and that is a fact...!
Give me your thoughts, please...!:wink::biggrin:
Cheers
George
