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

I think probably not.

Turnover year on year for the group remains reasonably similar with a small rise between 2017 and 2018.

I would expect 2019 to be similar (not yet registered)

Tbh I think charging is a double edged sword.

GN is primarily reliant on its advertising revenue for its existence.

Advertisers are only interested in a large footfall (or eyefall?).

Undoubtedly this would fall away if a charge was made, making it even less attractive to advertisers which presumably is why GN are trying to have their cake and eat it by giving people the choice.

GN Page views Y/E 2017 were 24 million

But compare to MN which were 1.3bn

And you can see the issue. No doubt they can charge more for advertising on MN as well.

If the choice was to pay £5 per month or Gransnet would fold, then I would pay.

Hmm. Remember when prescription charges were first brought in? They charged 20p at first ...
?

Of course they are only going to increase the revenue to GN if the advertisers think that there are sufficient people looking at the site. So it is a bit of a two way thing really. GN needs us in order to increase the revenue on which the company depends.

The wholly owned subsidiary known as gransnet made a loss up until the last accounts were registered, but a new team has been employed to work on this issue over the past year.

Perhaps this is a new wheeze to bring in revenue?

Sorry...for 10 months not 20.

I'm not bothered about the ads but if GN ran into financial difficulties and asked us to subscribe (as do various online sites mentioned by M0nica ) then I'd be prepared to pay £1 month for 20 months with last 2 free, even with ads.
It's an interesting site but if it disappeared I would do other things.

I don’t notice the adverts either, so wouldn’t pay. DH would be pleased if I came off the site as he thinks I spend far too much time on it!

No, I wouldn't pay for a subscription or not to see ads-

I would be happy to bung the odd couple of tenners GN's way, the way one does with Wikipedia, The Guardian and one or two other 'free' websites that need to fund themselves that way, but a regular subscription? No.

Hmmmm not sure . I’d probably start up a Soops Kitchen FB Page and see how that worked ?

I would pay but then I would want to be able to like or unlike posts, block entire thread or posters etc etc

People seem to be getting quite heated about this but the explanation has been given.

The site will continue free of charge but those who would prefer to see fewer advertisements would be required to pay a small amount.

So the choice is there.

Need to get hold of their end of year accounts that will tell us all we need to know.

I saw this on MN yesterday. No, I wouldn't pay for either. My finances are shot, so this is certainly something I couldn't afford to do.
What happens once this is all over and their advertising goes back to normal, will they go to being free to access? I doubt it.

If we pay £1 a month will that mean that those annoying clothes and shoes adverts from an overseas firm, trading under different names, would disappear?

Several posters complained about them because of the shoddy goods they were selling and they disappeared for a while but then came back again.

I would probably not - how would it be paid? By direct debt?

I don’t really notice the adverts so I guess I wouldn’t be prepared to pay for GN.

In answer to your post, Kandinsky, no I wouldn’t.

And the other safeguarding reports GNHQ? Where identifiable info about vulnerables needed to be deleted.

Have you any sort of audit done of response times. What is your upper time limit for this? And can you quantify what you consider "immediate"

Thanks Toad. I do record, it's just live progs I don't watch. You can watch an hour's worth of programme ad free in about 35mins!

I’d get a book every month though.

??