Hi everyone,
As a bronze member, a “leecher” so to say, I feel now like being part of the problem.
Nevertheless, here are my thoughts, in random order and unrelated one with the others:
I’m not a new member anymore but I’m not an old either: it has been a lot Beoworld history before me. But I still can feel the difference between before and now. The other day, a member used the word “moribund” about a topic and it struck me because it is what I feel about the whole forum. Lots of valuable members have left to others places and they have taken with them a little bit of the “soul” of Beoworld. They are now a lot of questions that remain unanswered when it’s obvious that is that or that other member were still there they would have helped. This, and some other little things make that Beoworld may have lost a part of it’s shine: you used to go on BW because it was THE place, now you just google your problem and sometimes you end on BW, sometimes not…
When I came here, at first I didn’t subscribe as Gold or Silver because I didn’t knew what I was buying. Things to be said, they are a lot of manuals available all around the internet, the most commons, then why would I pay for this not even knowing what was available? With the time I’ve learned that the database is far beyond what available elsewhere with a huge amount of document. But then, life made that I just cannot afford the little luxury of the membership fee. So I try to contribute as I can, helping members when I can, posting content if it can be useful and moderating to help Keith as little as it can help.
To me increasing the membership fee or closing some features to free members will just kill Beoworld. If we were in the times where all the knowledge was here, perhaps it could have work, but today, I don’t think that people will pay. And I’m afraid that Beoworld could become an old private club with old members always telling the same old stories until they die. And people will seek help elsewhere.
On the same note I also like to add that for new members, it is not very clear who’s who: the tag line “founder member” is confusing and I personally still not understand who has made BW, who’s running it, who’s funding it and who’s just a partner. Maybe have a little history about that could make the new-coming members realize why BW is so special.
I’ve indeed always wondered how the prize draw could exist, even more when you look at some prizes (A9, BL8000, etc…). What’s magical about it is that you always know someone close that win and it make it a real value. But in rough times and given what Lee told us (he barely buy the prize which is own money), I would just suspend it until weather is better.
There is something nobody’s talk about and maybe because it’s a dirty word but I will say it : advertisement. Yes one of the privilege of Beoworld is not having ads. But I rather a Beoworld with ads than no Beoworld at all. I don’t know if B&O make affiliation or I dont know how it’s called technically, But if each time a member buy a Theatre, a Stage, or any speaker, Beoworld could have receive little part just because of a banner or a little ad on that desperately empty gray zone, I wouldn’t mind.
Well there is so much to say still but I realize my post is already long so that’s it for now.
Thank you Keith, Lee, Steve, all the members that help and keep the forum alive and active.
Lets hope BW will last long.
