My .02 cents:
Look at the most active threads on here in a while.... The Trump thread and the Coach O thread. Politics and Sports. Two things that should not have been in the open section to begin with and they have been civil, constructive, and overall entertaining. I know this was originally a fishing forum, but things changed and the site has evolved. It's kind of hard to keep a forum running on strictly fishing alone. Especially when everyone is trying to keep their spots a secret or scared of being ridiculed by some members. You post a report and get a few "Good catches" and "Nice," then some come through giving flack on catching school trout or what they perceived to be trash fish. It's the same old song and dance and it gets old. I like the diversity you get on here. A little bit of fishing and hunting, a little bit of gardening, SigNate's cooking, and even some of the drama.
What I think would help this site from a business perspective would be to cut the premium membership and open up all sections to everybody. I've been a premium member for a few years now and view it as a contribution to a site that keeps me entertained throughout the day. And most of that entertainment isn't even in the premium section. I don't think what you get in the premium section is worth the $50/yr, but I'm fine paying it because I hate to see this site fail. If that offends you Casey, sorry, but it is what it is. Once things go in the premium section, it's DOA. I think opening up all sections to everyone would generate a lot more traffic to the site which would attract more advertisers. That's just my opinion. I truly hope to see this site stick around for a long time.
|