Why does this site charge for the search feature

[tonydt1g3r]

I've never been to a forum where the search feature cost $30 a year. I just happened to find this forum on google and thought maybe the answer I am looking for is here. I wouldnt want to spend $30 to see if I could find an answer here, I think there should be some kinda trial period so new users could use the tools they have here and decide if they would like to pay much like trial versions of software.

 

[Chris Kelleher]

Hi there,

Sorry about the problem you are searching. Over the weekend we implemented a sponsor model here at ProgressTalk.com to help with some of the growing costs that we have operating our forums for bandwidth and servers.

We decided to limit all searching, including the basic search and getting new posts, to paid sponsors only. You can visit this page: http://www.progresstalk.com/subscriptions.php in order to become a ProgressTalk.com Sponsor for only $29 for a full year.

The sponsorship subscription also includes many added benefits as well, which include access to special extra content, extensive search ability, member profile picture and avatar and a custom title under your name!

You can still search this site using Google pretty easily to see if we have the information you might be looking for. In the search box, just type "siterogresstalk.com your search terms" and Google will search just this site for you, as most of our pages are indexed by them already.

Thanks for your support,
Chris @ ProgressTalk.com

 

[parul]

Bad

This is bad, as it is there are very few places where you could find proper information on progress. ProgressTalk was a good place to discuss the issues but now i guess they do not want to encourage people to discuss things about progress.

This will definetly discourage techies to use progress.
It will be a blow to progress popularity.

 

[gcampbell]

Look into www.peg.com ........ the best resource

 

[BONO]

Progresstalk is a good forum where you can find many information. The charge for the search feature let u ask progresstalk user to have some answer. I prefer progresstalk sponsoring than no progresstalk at all.

 

[vinod_home]

Hi,

I am ok with sponsor idea.. but making it a requirement for using the "New Posts" and "Search" is a little on the high side.

You could leave it as an option for people to sponsor, and I would think there will be a lot of people coming forward to sponsor and keep the site from closing down. But making it a requirement makes it difficult mostly for people from around the world where 29$ is a huge amount.

 

[Progress_Guy]

Hmmm ...

ProgressTalk is the most useful resource around for Progress developers. I haven't come across a problem yet which either someone has also had or had similar.

I begged the cash off my boss (lol), but, would have paid anyway as it can save hours worth of pain

Like everyone else I'd like everything to be free, but, I too would prefer to pay as opposed to lose it !!

The issue about there being areas of the world where $29 means more than where I reside is valid (and I sympathise), but, most Progress Developers must surely work for companies that could afford it, otherwise they'd struggle paying for Progress licenses.

Just my thoughts.

Take care folks.

 

[JvdB]

How does this work in combination with the Add banners?
Do sponsors get to pay to see Adds now, or will sponsors not see the Adds?

Pitty that the search function is pay-to-play now, I hope it will not result in people just starting new topics for questions that was already answered.

 

[Lee Curzon]

ProgressTalk is the most useful resource around for Progress developers. I haven't come across a problem yet which either someone has also had or had similar.

I begged the cash off my boss (lol), but, would have paid anyway as it can save hours worth of pain

I hate to be negative about the site I'm posting on, but it comes a distant 3rd in usefulness to the downloadable knowledgebase and the gurus on the Peg.

I don't have a problem with the administrator seeking funds for his time and effort, but making them compulsory for basic features is likely to kill off the little remaining activity here.


Lee

 

[Casper]

I have to agree with vinod that it is a bit harsh to make the sponsorship a requirement for using the "New Posts" and "Search.
In that way I like the PEG-model. The peg officially isn't free, but still it's searchable for the main topics.

I became a paid member just because I see the value of Progresstalk.

I think there would be plenty of people who voluntary be sponsoring this side. At least it would be worth a try and if the costs are then still to high maybe then make it a requirement to get some extra benefits. Even though I think it's more likely going to scare people away then that every one becomes a paid member.....

Well, just my thoughts...

Casper.

 

[Chris Kelleher]

I've been following this thread closely but have been a bit hesitant to respond as I wanted to listen to everyone's comments openly. I want to let everyone know that it wasn't an easy decision to start charging for sponsorships here at ProgressTalk.com, but it is something I needed to do in order to keep the site running.

It currently costs me $200 a month to keep this site operating in direct costs for 4U of server co-location (this site operates off of 2 servers, a Dell PowerEdge 1550 and PowerEdge 1750 connected to a Cisco router), and 1 Mbps of premium bandwidth from Peer 1 Networks in New York City. I've actually comparison shopped for less expensive co-location recently and have determined that the deal I am currently getting is a very good price.

This doesn't include hardware investment and replacement costs (the 1550 server cost me $2,000 and the 1750 server cost over $4,000) and the indirect costs and time involved with administration of the site.

This site has always been a hobby for me and I've been happy to offer it without expecting anything in return.... it's been my way of giving back something to the Progress development community. However recent life changes affecting my budget (an upcoming wedding and new home, etc...) have forced me to either close down altogether, or figure out a way to recoup at least some of the costs.

I've had a number of people already sponsor the site, which I sincerely appreciate. If support from members continues like this, I'll be able to keep this site running for a long time to come, which is what I would like to be able to do.

All that being said, however, I've decided to open back up the Get New Posts and the basic Search (without advanced Boolean and Natural Language search capabilities) to all registered members. Sponsors only will still get advanced search features and many other benefits, but hopefully this will be a better balance for everyone.

Thanks as always for your support!

 

[vinod_home]

I appreciate what you have done to the community chris. And I think many people understand that its a big overhead in maintaining a large scale forum of this kind. There are more than 1000 active members in progresstalk and I would sincerly hope/believe that many would come forward and sponsor to keep this site up and running. I wouldnt want to see it disappear, as many already know its one of few good sites around.

 

[joey.jeremiah]

5 guys ( hardcore experts ), that will commit to the forum
will make the whole difference
or atleast a noticable one

it's obvious that progresstalk.com
is a far better website

more accessible, you can just type in a reply
simple and easier to use, not this whole email mess
it's richer and looks a hell of alot better, look you'd expect
a modern website to be.

peg assets are it's users
gus, george, jurjen etc.
and practiocally every other progress guru around

i feel you can draw a comparison
of the old generation hanging out in peg
and the newer in progresstalk.com

( if you look at the recent exchange photos
they're all very old, fat or both )

the peg website/email group is a piece of **** ( sorry )
and almost everyone who's seen it
remarked that it gives off
well, let's just say a bad impression of progress

sorry, it's amteurish, any 15 year old around the block
can draw up a better website.

 

[TomBascom]

( if you look at the recent exchange photos
they're all very old, fat or both )

Someday you too will be old and fat

 

[Progress_Guy]

Yup

Would maybe not be quite so verbal - lol, but, I must agree that having briefly gone into PEG on the odd occasion it does most definately look outdated and is difficult to find anything. In fact I'd go as far as saying I find it little or no use !!

Chris, I too support all of the effort you've put into the site. When people are complaining that most other sites don't charge they need to remember that Progress is a fairly niche marker and finding information on it can be quite difficult. Type in a query on, say, .net and you see pages 1 - infinity, Progress searches return few pages.

 

[Casper]

I must say that although I'm often here at Progresstalk, the PEG, being another format though, has provided me constantly with good, prompt and clear advise on problems I had/have with Progress. Most of the time all my questions were answerded within a day.
So to say that the peg has little or no use is (understatement) a bit harsh. With active people like Tom Bascom, George Potemkin (pegger of the year), Geoff Crawford, Gregory Higgins and many, many more the quality of the replies is always very high.
At the PEG there is also lots more activity then here at ProgressTalk.
Nevertheless I like ProgressTalk very much and I'm here to stay as well. But I just use both (and, offcourse, support both).

my € 0.017 ($ 0.02 )

Casper.

 

[Skc]

With active people like Tom Bascom, George Potemkin (pegger of the year), Geoff Crawford, Gregory Higgins and many, many more the quality of the replies is always very high.

Why don't some peggers here put some good words to these people and get some of them to come here often or at least once in a while?

I like the modern-looking, easy to use ProgressTalk. I have been to peg and don't quite know how to use it. :blush:

SKc

 

[Skc]

Hmmm. I find the Search is not as useful as it once was. It returns lots of results which are not as relevant as before.... Is something changed?

What's the time limit after which I cannot edit my own post? It appears Edit option is unavailable after only a few hours.

To Chris: Webpage showing Payment option by Paypal only is misleading. Also consider putting 2-year or even 3-year sponsorship at better rates .

Regards
Skc

 

[joey.jeremiah]

not alot of people can juggle more then one forum
they usually make up their mind at some point

( in most cases, people run into progresstalk or usenet first
and later on graduate to peg )


was it always this way or did something happen along the way
that drove every one over to peg ?

if you search the forum you'll see
that alot of hardcore gurus used to be hang around @progresstalk

though not all, i've never seen gus around here
( which makes a pretty good argument by itself )


progresstalk needs a re-think, what it can offer, that peg can't ?
and how to get back the heavy hitters

 

[JvdB]

I'm not quite sure, but I think the PEG has been there before ProgressTalk.

And I don't think the PEG guru's suddenly left from ProgressTalk to the PEG. The entries you find on ProgressTalk from them was probably imported from the PEG. (This is a different story as is that I'm not going to get into any further )

Nevertheless both have their plusses and minusus