Please consider supporting NCKA

I IN NO WAY INTEND TO WIN AOTY!!!! but.... I joined and put my $40 where my mouth is! I now have the same right to complain and bitch about how unfair it is that ATD and Racinrob have soooo much time OTW  I envy all those that have posted fish and are not DEAD LAST just 'cause  "W" is the first letter in my handle Anyway I am on this site as much as most others are and if $40.00 keeps the door open and I can celebrate OTHERS fish postings... it is cheap... and I just might get a few BIG fish this year Join AOTY and play with the rest of us. I may not win but I have the right to comment... 

I IN NO WAY INTEND TO WIN AOTY!!!! but.... I joined and put my $40 where my mouth is! I now have the same right to complain and bitch about how unfair it is that ATD and Racinrob have soooo much time OTW  I envy all those that have posted fish and are not DEAD LAST just 'cause  "W" is the first letter in my handle Anyway I am on this site as much as most others are and if $40.00 keeps the door open and I can celebrate OTHERS fish postings... it is cheap... and I just might get a few BIG fish this year Join AOTY and play with the rest of us. I may not win but I have the right to comment... 

+1 and a woot

I am happy to support NCKA via all the advertising you want and/or an annual subscription. I just won't do it via AOTY. The money isn't the issue I just feel the big time prizes can (and has) brought out an overly competitive, argumentative and less then friendly vibe. Not with all just some participants.

 

Wow, just looked in on my profile, I signed up in Dec of '05 and since then have made something like 2900+ comments and posts many of which are meaningless and irrational (at times).  Due mostly to my own personality and lifstyle I have met and fished with very few NCKAers. Even so I find this one of the most welcoming groups anywhere and find that thru my posts and PMs and some actual fishing I am accepted and made to feel a part of the group. 

I feel that allot of that positive vibe comes from the way this site has been run from day one and I'd do plenty to keep it up and happy.  The ads on the site are about as unintrusive to the content as they can get, and I've found them useful a few times.

I join AOTY every year and haven't put a fish on the board in the last 2, seems some only view it as a competition that needs to be taken seriously (or they won't join).  I'm not an overly competitive type so I figure it's an easy way yo give back and if I wanted I could throw a few fish on the board to get up off the bottom of the list.

I'm just rambling now so:
A $20 potluck fundraiser once (or twice) a year ++,
A year long raffle, with tickets available at every big event, for a very nice prize++
A donate button++ (don't be bashfull about it)
Definetly get the store up++

I am happy to support NCKA via all the advertising you want and/or an annual subscription. I just won't do it via AOTY. The money isn't the issue I just feel the big time prizes can (and has) brought out an overly competitive, argumentative and less then friendly vibe. Not with all just some participants.

Sign up for DOTY then and come out and dive with us. We don't have any big time prizes, but we did have some AWESOME donated stuff for all who played...and we threw a killer potluck/chill to celebrate as well.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I am happy to support NCKA via all the advertising you want and/or an annual subscription. I just won't do it via AOTY. The money isn't the issue I just feel the big time prizes can (and has) brought out an overly competitive, argumentative and less then friendly vibe. Not with all just some participants.

Sign up for DOTY then and come out and dive with us. We don't have any big time prizes, but we did have some AWESOME donated stuff for all.....

No joke, the swag bag for sign up includes a bll and handshake from Jim.   Outstanding.

I am happy to support NCKA via all the advertising you want and/or an annual subscription. I just won't do it via AOTY. The money isn't the issue I just feel the big time prizes can (and has) brought out an overly competitive, argumentative and less then friendly vibe. Not with all just some participants.

Sign up for DOTY then and come out and dive with us. We don't have any big time prizes, but we did have some AWESOME donated stuff for all.....

No joke, the swag bag for sign up includes a bll and handshake from Jim.   Outstanding.

LMAO!!!!!!!

Shhhh....don't wanna scare anyone away!

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Ill join doty if u let me scuba cen coast lol

I am happy to support NCKA via all the advertising you want and/or an annual subscription. I just won't do it via AOTY. The money isn't the issue I just feel the big time prizes can (and has) brought out an overly competitive, argumentative and less then friendly vibe. Not with all just some participants.

Sign up for DOTY then and come out and dive with us. We don't have any big time prizes, but we did have some AWESOME donated stuff for all.....

No joke, the swag bag for sign up includes a bll and handshake from Jim.   Outstanding.

Now your talkin'

I really appreciate Allen's desire to keep the site "free". But if it's implied that you aren't supportive if you don't sign up for AOTY, or buy other stuff, isn't it just dues by another name?

I'd gladly pay to not see ads about the computer or water heater I just checked out, or the cell phone service I just signed up for. I find I don't mind the fishing/kayaking related ads nearly as much. "Much" being an overstatement as it's not that big deal.

I like a lot of the suggestions offered.

1) If not a "pay" site, maybe a recommended donation amount in place of the aforementioned non-fishing ads? By all means, keep sponsors and relevant advertisers.  Of course I don't know what the revenue from these things looks like, just speaking as a consumer.

2) A fund raising gathering is an excellent idea. In fact, I'd make the AOTY thing free, as suggested, and move the prizes to the fundraiser. The same logic for keeping the site free probably applies to AOTY. Maybe AOTY top ten get some raffle tickets to use at the fundraiser?

3) In addition to an NCKA store, maybe act as a portal to fishing gear suppliers? Maybe people like FW could have a space for a half dozen sale items that take the user to their site for check out, but with an opportunity to shop more? I don't know what, or how, you would charge for the service, but it seems like it would be worthwhile for the vendor and add value to site for members as well.

Ben

I am happy to support NCKA via all the advertising you want and/or an annual subscription. I just won't do it via AOTY. The money isn't the issue I just feel the big time prizes can (and has) brought out an overly competitive, argumentative and less then friendly vibe. Not with all just some participants.

Sign up for DOTY then and come out and dive with us. We don't have any big time prizes, but we did have some AWESOME donated stuff for all.....

No joke, the swag bag for sign up includes a bll and handshake from Jim.   Outstanding.

Now your talkin'

BLL and handshakes were a big hit with all.

 

 

Sincerely,

Jim

what about going zero growth, or even scale back on services, whereby revenue = expenses+

Is more necessarily better

I really appreciate Allen's desire to keep the site "free". But if it's implied that you aren't supportive if you don't sign up for AOTY, or buy other stuff, isn't it just dues by another name?

Well, I did say the following.

Any support from members is completely voluntary, and one would/should not be looked down upon for choosing not to.

But I do understand that this may not hold true for everyone.  It's been pointed out to me that that is one of the benefits of a donate button.  It is completely anonymous to everyone but me.  So no one actually knows who donated and who didn't, so it would be impossible for anyone to judge anyone else in this regard.  Someone else said that I may be too bashful to have a donate button.  And they are probably right.  But the benefits of anonymity would far outweigh my bashfulness.

I'd gladly pay to not see ads about the computer or water heater I just checked out, or the cell phone service I just signed up for. I find I don't mind the fishing/kayaking related ads nearly as much. "Much" being an overstatement as it's not that big deal.

I like a lot of the suggestions offered.

1) If not a "pay" site, maybe a recommended donation amount in place of the aforementioned non-fishing ads? By all means, keep sponsors and relevant advertisers.  Of course I don't know what the revenue from these things looks like, just speaking as a consumer.

It's an interesting concept to pay to not see the ads.  But it would take some careful consideration of direct advertisers who pay to have their ads be seen.  And user management would involve a lot of work.  I'll think about it though.  I could see having donators not see Google Ads, but only see direct ads.  Let me check on a few technical details of this.  My instinct says this may work out.

2) A fund raising gathering is an excellent idea. In fact, I'd make the AOTY thing free, as suggested, and move the prizes to the fundraiser. The same logic for keeping the site free probably applies to AOTY. Maybe AOTY top ten get some raffle tickets to use at the fundraiser?

I'd have to run some numbers and a few polls.  Need to make sure that this isn't creating a lot more work for only a little increase in funds.  The effort needs to be proportional in some sense (lest my wife kill me!).

3) In addition to an NCKA store, maybe act as a portal to fishing gear suppliers? Maybe people like FW could have a space for a half dozen sale items that take the user to their site for check out, but with an opportunity to shop more? I don't know what, or how, you would charge for the service, but it seems like it would be worthwhile for the vendor and add value to site for members as well.

Interesting thought too.  There are a lot of commission like services that could be offered.  Again, it will be a work/reward balance thing.

-Allen

what about going zero growth, or even scale back on services, whereby revenue = expenses+

Is more necessarily better

Is less better?   

If we did this on March 21, 2005, you wouldn't be here.   

-Allen

what about going zero growth, or even scale back on services, whereby revenue = expenses+

Is more necessarily better

-1 lol