Would you pay a subscription to keep GN going in these difficult times?

The ads don’t bother me. I just like to pop in and have a look at the forums. I’m not really political and stay away from the more political ones.

IMO it comes down to a yes or no.
Either pay to see fewer ads or not.
Why chat about their profits and director's pay structure?
Does knowing all that alter your decision as to whether you like posting/reading or whether the salaries and business structure makes you see GN in a different light and decide to leave.
Personally, I have no interest in their pay or perks, they earned it and it's no business of mine. I like GN and that is the way I decide.
Like it = stay, don't like = leave. Simple.

If you want edit and like buttons and any other twiddly bits, start your own company and tailor it to your own satisfaction.
Some people are never satisfied with a freebie.
This is an excellent site and often puts us in touch with people we would never normally meet, gives us plenty to talk about and the opportunity to have lively discussions with plenty of opposing views.
Many of you have mentioned (in other threads) that your friends are, in the main, people who share your views, values, hobbies, are of similar disposition and often the same social standing.
GN offers us the world on a plate. People with whom we might clash, agree and the opportunity to share opinions which might change our own views.
Don't knock it.

If I have to pay for a premium version then I def want those ‘twiddly bits’ . Twiddly bits that many forums offer as a matter of course .

If it’s free then I have no great expectation just the basic offering .

I don't seem to have an adverts at the moment - what happened?
I haven't paid my £1

I'm not sure - maybe - but probably not as much as £5.

No. Chat forums provide varied input...good, fair or poor. Posters take away new thoughts or simply reinforce old biases with no guidance from the forum at their personal discretion. Advertising is available and creates as much information or distraction as one allows as part of the experience. A paid forum becomes a filter for ideology reflective of the forum masters. Adverts become geared to their benefits meeting the needs of specific sections of a community. I enjoy the experience of a free, thought provoking chat forum.

It’s not about not being satisfied. As it stands there is a reciprocal arrangement. We get in advertising revenue and research data, and GN provides the site on which we give it. Fair enough (so long as everyone is aware that this is the deal).

On this thread, however, we are answering a question that was put to us - namely whether we would be willing to pay.

Of course people will put conditions on that, just as we consider any other purchase. That doesn’t mean that people are knocking what we have now, just that we might like a say in the tune if we were paying the piper.

No

gabrielle I would have thought it was obvious.!

GN are saying times are hard for the company., and requesting that we contribute to their coffers.

If a company says that to me, I want to know why and how it is placed financially.

We aren’t getting anything for our money, in fact I would question the whole premise of the ad no ad thing, because without ads the company goes down the pan. As an advertiser I would be keen that my money is spent wisely and reaches as many viewers as possible, so cutting the potential viewers is in my opinion cutting your nose to spite your face.

So then I must question whether in fact the final intention is to make this a pay per view site.

That is something I would resist, as I think this sort of site should be open to all not just those whose finances allow them to access it.

I would also add that it will be loosening it’s original philosophical intentions.

This site needs to be far more inclusive of men so as to enlarge its membership base. More members will bring more advertising and therefore a broader financial base.

At the present time the site is targeted at senior age women and through that creates a niche market which is restrictive to advertisers. No great revenue is ever made from specialised markets with times such as now making that marketing even more difficult.

GN management state that the site and forum are open to all, but anyone can witness by way of its structure that men are not actively encouraged onto the forum.

More diversity would make for more balanced discussion and with that a broader range of subjects brought up for debate.

However, subscription is the way that much on the internet is going and I cannot see a reason why GN would or should be any different.

no chance. It is not another mse where the founder made millions on selling up. The owners can live in hope but the site runs because of the many varied posters. No posters and the site will die. There are other and more favourite, nicer, sites for me

I'd say the consensus is a "NO" , Lara !

The ads are where the site's income comes from. Logic says that if advertising in general declines, then the income of all internet sites which depend on ads could decrease. In that situation, those with the biggest number of viewers and the most interest among the regular ones will succeed, so perhaps the way forward is to drop any proposals likely to diminish the membership (such as asking for money, even for an enhanced version) and increase their satisfaction and thus their loyalty and frequent logging on.

I would like to see -
1) a short editing interval, where we could put right any of those errors that appear magically after we press the post button, or when we post in anger and only realise just what we have said when we see it in print.
2) A more detailed reason given for deleted posts or threads, stating which guideline has been breached, or what legal or moral problem the post would raise for the site or the poster.
3) The option to hide a whole thread or topic if we don't wish to have it even listed, and/or to choose which topics we do want always to be shown.
4) Some of the income to be devoted to a full-time expert tech/programming person who can get right into the coding and improve it when necessary. The impression I have had so far is that technical stuff is only done ad hoc when and if it becomes essential.

grandad1943 do you have suggestions on how to attract more men to GN?
How do you see GN then continuing to keep its current majority posters happy - the ladies of a certain age who like to communicate with each other?

If there has to be a charge, I'd prefer a small charge per year, for everyone, rather than a larger charge paid voluntarily.
There could be the option for rich GNers to pay more.

Far North, in regard to your post @08:48 today, changing the name of the site to Gandparents net could be a good start, along with a front page image of both sexes.

There would also be nothing to stop the women of the forum from exclusively talking to each other. We have on the forum a "Grandads Shed" section, that could be repeated for women.

Yes best steaks all round at the Harp with all the trimmings. I don't mind picking up the tab

grandad1943 The flavour of Gransnet is not set by the publishers, it has grown with the posts of the members. If the members discuss things that are not to your interest, or have attitudes that are not yours, then it is because they are all individual human beings with their own personalities. Demanding that they change to fit you is your way of doing what you are complaining that they are doing.

Sorry my above post was meant for our WhatsApp family group. ?

Elegran I am not "complaining" about anything. Just "suggesting" how things could improved and made more profitable for the owners.

And not a bad view from there, either
And a walk afterwards.

If MN had asked me for a donation I would have probably done it, they provide a vital resource for many women in abusive relationships, and it is also a place for grown up intelligent discussion on womens rights issues, but they didn't ask for a donation they offered a two tier service and that makes me very uncomfortable.

Callistemon, problem is like all along there they are not open. That is the reason I said I did not mind picking up the tab. ???

Mine's an expensive red then, please
And steak with all the trimmings.

Although a Hot Cross bun and coffee might be nice.