Sorry to say we lost another

Sorry to say that we lost another poster here ( osideterry) that won't be renewing their membership. I know when all of a sudden I could not post here anymore a few months back because they deceided that they need me to pay now for that privlige I almost didn't join...Like Terry I also post at the IPS which has alot more action going on in there forum. You can be a member or not and still be able to post and respond in threads.....like DG use to be....Well I will state now that when my time comes I won't be renewing at this site....And at that time I will sure to miss alot of great people who add to this forum. I have watched as this board has declined in this last year due to the pay subscription required. I am sure you will agree that osideterry was one of the most active people other than palmbob and I will sure miss him.
Curt

This is what he said to me too. Bummer. He was very active here. Why are they charging to post? That seems ridiculous. They got almost all their data in Plant Files from people volunteering their time when it was free. Now they charge users to post?

not to post specifically, but to access the site's features, including discussion boards

I have to admit I am not 100% clear on why the discussion forums would require the subscription fee (though I dont find it prohibitive at all) while things like Plant Files, Garden Watchdog, etc. do not... would think it would be the other way around. Discussion requires a lot of input from as many sources as possible. But if you are looking to add or get useful data, THAT is what I would expect to have to pay for. Use of journals, blogs etc. should be a fee (and I think is?), as should chat room perhaps.. but where most of the information is gleaned is from discussions like these. And it is through such discussions one meets different people, learns about different experiences, points of view and expertise- all things that are 'out there', but perhaps a subscribing fee will keep away. And over time, should the discussion groups become large enough and full of enough 'experts', perhaps they would, in turn, attract more to the site (and more potential paying members). This site has far more photos of palms or cycads, or any tropical plants for that matter, than any other site on the web... it has the potential of being a world class discussion forum. But it has to support itself, too. I am sure the administrators have long pondered this issue, and for some reason come up with this format... but I don't really get it. Were I to chose (and thank goodness I am not involved- too weighty a choice) I would have almost everything else BUT the discussions as a member service.

I am sorry that anyone is leaving. I have been a paying sub for years. What does it come to, $2 a month? I spend $1.25 a day on a coke at work (that I don't need). I get far too much from this site to give it up over a small amount of money.

George in San Antonio

I agree with jester. The amount of money required is ridiculous for anyone who can afford a palm collection (to say the least). This is not to criticise anyone's decision to leave the site (they know what's better for them), but the money itself cannot be the reason.

Is this a protest to the fee or just not worth the money? Is is stimulating enough? Are there enough participants? I was thinking about becoming a member long before the fee requirement because I wanted to help support it. I was grateful for all that I had gained from DG.
Dave

I think it is not the amount, but the fact there is a fee to post. It is free to 'add' to DG's. But not free to 'use'. Know what I mean? I feel, people like Geoff shoudl have free access since they add so much.

George
I believe Terry had just became a member Of the IPS which has a higher price tag on it, even though he could have posted there for free, anyway....he wanted I'm sure to contribute to the IPS......so you can't go around and give everyone your money or you wouldn't have any left huh.....
Curt.......just my two cents worth......oops just lost some more

I agree you could become a member of too many societies... I used to belong to several cactus clubs, bamboo society, various cycad societies, palm societies etc... but after a while it does add up. so i dropped the bamboo society. Oh well... it's a start.

LOL, hard to wean off PB. I agree BUT I get enough here to justify the $2 a month. If someone isn't getting $2 worth they need to quit reguardless if its free or not free.

George in San Antonio (NOT a member of IPS, I am of TCS though).

Thank you, you have made my inevitable decision easier for me. I am dropping out of the International Dandelion Society and the Rare and exotic Weeds club.

Let's come up with a better financial plan and present it to the Admin or Big Dave.
Chats are free. Donations welcome. Fee to access so many plant files per month? Raffle rare palms and cycads to paying members?

Dave

The forums are not free because it takes resources to provide them, maintain them, and oversee them. (Servers, software, programming, administrative time - our DG admin team is small and we average 50-60 hours a week apiece keeping the place tidy, free from spam, and running smoothly.)

Asking for forums to be free is a bit like using a restaurant to hang out at every day, and only ordering free water to drink. After a while, the manager is probably going to charge a fee of some sort because he can't keep the place open (he's got to pay the light bill, rent, and pay the staff something) if the tables are all taken up by folks who want to use the space for free.

The other features (PlantFiles, Watchdog, etc.) are free because they are built by the gardening world at large, for the benefit of the rest of the gardening world. If we charged a fee for you to share your comments and photos on plants or companies, there would be far fewer willing to share what they know.

So there you have it.

I understand the IPS talk site is 'free' but Dean Ouer works his butt off to oversee and adminstrate that site... not sure if that's a volunteer position or not, but it shouldn't be. And there have been problems on that site, and some talk areas had to even be completely eliminated. Even palm people can get too rude for a site I guess. The board may even completely revamp it.

So I guess that makes sense. And back to the original issue... cost is pretty minimal if you look at what it costs us per day to use it (5.3 cents a day?).

well Dave we will miss you at the International Dandelion Society. I understand cutting back though....lol. There have been times, hard times, in my life when I did not have the money for this sort of thing. did not have a computer then either. If it comes down to cost I supose I would be willing to offer a plant or two a year through some DG sale that would benefit those who could not afford membership. Sure, why not. Gardeners as a whole are giving people in my oppinion. I am sure you could get thoughsands of donations through the folks here.

George in San Antonio

I have learned so much on Dave's Garden, I feel like I should pay even more for the pleasure of being amongst such greatness in the gardening world...The people are among the most giving, caring, generous I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. And, I have NEVER encountered people so free to share the knowledge they have amassed over so many years.

I calculated the cost of being a member at Dave's when I bit into the very first tomato I ever grew on my own.

Dave's Garden annual membership? $20
One 75 quart bag of Miracle Grow Potting Mix? $11.95
Making so many wonderful friends around the world who could teach a newbie to grow a tomato? PRICELESS!

If this forum brings you more pain than pleasure end it,I have a hard time beliving the money is the issue! if you're bored you're bored.....I personaly think there is a'lot to learn here no matter what level of knowledge you bring to the table...........Lance

Glad to see you guys have something to say.....And it seems the board is active again.....I did what I set out to do........
Curt

Ok. So what is IPS and TCS?

Don't know what TCS is, but here is a link to IPS fourm http://palmtalk.org/cgi-bin/forum/ikonboard.cgi?
copy and paste and your there
Curt

I have a small but short question concerning all of this,in about us,it states,
Dave's Garden is a software company, based in Bryan/College Station, Texas, that produces software for the garden industry.
Does Daves Garden,Make any kind of income,off any of the information,that is posted,or any photos,in the plant files?

Thank you!

I'm not sure where this discussion is headed. Is there a point to these questions of copyright, and whether Dave makes a profit or not?

Like I said in my earlier post -- I feel like I OWE Dave money for all I've reaped from this website...

Terry, ya'll are doing one FINE job at the Dave's site!