NCKA - Would you "Pay to Play"?...

I would pay, but $20/yr is not enough.  Make it $9.99/mo, give a dividend check up to the full amount of dues at the end of the year for fee generated by sales from that member from affiliate ads making the membership potentially free, have merchandise raffles, hire someone to staff booths at fishing/sportsman expos, look into a lobbyist organization to represent sport kayak fishing interests in Sacramento, etc.

This thread dovetails nicely into the issue over taking the fishing trip reports private.  NCKA is truly at a crossroads.  What happens next is important.

I'm thinking pay-- ideally to fund some of the activities-- whether they're tourney's or political stumping (i'd pay extra if there was an official NCKA rep and position on such things as...hmmmm....)
Pay, but have a free only section...i paid coastside after nearly year of missing the info.

I'm still amazed at 600 members with any posts at all...SIX HUNDRED! HOLY CRAP...

I'm still amazed at 600 members with any posts at all...SIX HUNDRED! HOLY CRAP...

600 hundred with no post and who had not visited the site this year!

An annual NCKA T shirt might also be a good option.  I would be willing to pay a donation greater than the cost of the shirt.  I think a lot of people like to have something to show for their money and T shirts always work well.  If a shirt could be produced for around $10; a donation of $25 would be a reasonable amount and provide a good value to the members.  I know that would only be $15 vs. the $20 but it's just another idea.  Getting a shirt with the year printed on it would encourage collecting them and generate interest every year.  The older the shirt, the greater the prestige.

This is a awesome idea! Let's do that.

why all the hate for lurkers abking? where's the love? everybody starts out as a lurker. it seems like the wording on your survey is kinda biased if not downright manipulative. that is why i didnt vote. if bill needs some dough then i'm with bennettdanville's t-shirt program. some of us fishin folk been on a pretty tight budget lately.

NCKA is truly at a crossroads.  What happens next is important.

No its not Bro.  The reports thing has been a long time coming and everyone that should be seeing them and posting them before will continue to do so. Nobody has made any egregious demands of the members here, 10 posts is a minimal commitment compared to the countless hours some guys have put in on the water chasing/learning/understanding their quarry and craft. I think its a fair trade for any insight provided in a fishing report. While you may see that as a major blow to newbies and commerce others like myself see it as a step toward preserving what we helped build.....the existing community.

  

others like myself see it as a step toward preserving what we helped build.....the existing community.

well said Art 

NCKA is truly at a crossroads.  What happens next is important.

No its not Bro.  The reports thing has been a long time coming and everyone that should be seeing them and posting them before will continue to do so. Nobody has made any egregious demands of the members here, 10 posts is a minimal commitment compared to the countless hours some guys have put in on the water chasing/learning/understanding their quarry and craft. I think its a fair trade for any insight provided in a fishing report. While you may see that as a major blow to newbies and commerce others like myself see it as a step toward preserving what we helped build.....the existing community.

Right.  I did pimp my post count though.

why all the hate for lurkers abking? where's the love? everybody starts out as a lurker. it seems like the wording on your survey is kinda biased if not downright manipulative.

Jack, you're bringing it hard lately.  Thank you for keeping me in check.     I took less than a minute to "create" this poll, and, yes it's timely with Bill's change to members only because it was in reaction to it.  I didn't sit around dreaming this one up or take an hour writing it like one of my fishing reports.  It's just a thought, so if you want to correct me by posting up a less biased and manipulative poll please do so.   

As for hate for lurkers, I don't have it at all.  I do generally subscribe to the idea that those who'd share in information should also share in communication, but I haven't tried to legislate that at all, and this poll may well be a reflection of my opinion (whether I knew it or not when I wrote it), so have a few beers and write your own poll off the cuff, Jack.  Maybe it'll have to do with whether people think I'm as big of an A-hole as you do!   

Seriously though, this actually has me looking at "lurkers" in a different light.  I guess there should be a different term for someone who's really just checking it out and doesn't know if they want to join and continue vs what most of us think of as a lurker, which would be someone who continually just skims info without adding anything.  The former should be called a "looker" or something...  We all started as lookers, and those who hang on skimming info and not adding anything are lurkers.  That's how I see it.

It's takes a bit of lurking, browsing to get what the site is all about. And if you are at all curious/interested in kayak fishing 10 posts should be a non-issue.

But I answered $20 in hopes of the *ideal* -- which would be no (or minimum) advertising for paid subscribers. My browser keeps hanging up with all the transactions going on before the page displays... press the stop button, press the refresh button... not complaining, just say'n it would easily be worth $20 to save the hassle.

Ben

eric, i definately do not think you are an a-hole. i think you are a great guy. i just dont agree with some of your ideas and i am trying to express myself. my apologies if i offended you. i feel that creating separate premium pay sections and instituting fees takes away from the natural beauty of a free-public forum. furthemore it creates separate classes of members. i dont like that kind of stuff.

others like myself see it as a step toward preserving what we helped build.....the existing community.

thats what hitler said, 

I like the T-shirt idea. Maybe put some of the sponsors logos on em too for some xtra $$$ for addvertising.

I want Andy to make them.

Domenic

others like myself see it as a step toward preserving what we helped build.....the existing community.

thats what hitler said, 

I think the Founding Fathers might have felt that way about the British.....Abraham Lincoln and the confederates.......and a few others might have also thought along the same lines.  The Hitler comparison is pretty stupid.

Sorry, Jack, I over-reacted.  The way the poll came out doesn't necessarily reflect what I want.  I just thought it was timely and was musing about it...  That's what happens when you're addicted.   

As for this,

Abking are you an asshole? 

I wouldn't try to answer that one either way...  I guess it's fair to say that I work every day to try to not be one.   

I voted NO, but I wouldn't say "it's not worth it". It is worth the money, even more than $20, but I know that charging admission will take away from the site. I've seen too many sites go down the poop shoot when admission was charged, fishing reports frowned on, people stared calling names, ...

I learned, laughed and cried from reading this site. I've copied many peoples modifications to make my kayak the bitchin' barge that it is! Made new friends and new fishing buddies. I say, the more people here, the merrier! A Northern California Kayak Navy! The anti's can rip us apart when we are 1 on 1, they don't stand a chance when you have FIsh Hunter, Mooch, Bill, SBD... at your side with gaff ( and beer) in hand. That's our strength.

If lurkers are poaching this site just to get fish harvest info, I say a POX on them, may Sea Lions steal ALL their fish, may Sea Gulls poop all over them, and I am sorry if my gaff pokes holes in all 4 of your tires. ( It could happen)

Everyone except Bill started off as a lurker, then some became of my favorite posters. ( think about Zinful 1, HobieBlue, Mooch, Fish Hunter, and NEWKAYKERCHICK's, posts for example)

I wouldn't know what X2A is, and would never written a letter of support if I hadn't found this site.

I always go to the reports site first, like everyone else. Who doesn't???  It doesn't mean I am heading to "P", "SP" or "HMB" because of a hot bite. I would also bet that if a person was to look at site stats, the peak usage is during WORK hours, while most of us are "extending" our weekends thru the stories and pictures of other peoples fishing reports. Charging an entrance fee would take away from the experience. If $$$ is needed for operation, my checkbook is open. But, I am saving money for OKTOBERFEST this year!