Pay for windrivers? I don't think so..

[CyberTech]

Well, I haven't had time to read through all 11 pages of posts on this topic yet, so I don't know if anyone else has tried to make this point...

One has to think, whoever's decision this was, how well did they think about it?? Not too well in my opinion.

Think about it: It is clear that a high number of users who have been loyally visiting Windrivers for years will no longer come here (I MIGHT come for the forums only). Now if I were an advertiser on Windrivers, I wouldn't want to be paying the same amount for a banner ad that only 2% of the people who used to visit the site will see. This means A LOT of lost revenue through advertising.

Also, from the general reaction of users who have posted here, it seems that very few people are willing to pay for the service. I'd just as sooner find another site with links to manufacturers' driver pages. As a result, I think the site will generate less money than before. A BIG mistake in my opinion!!

Windrivers may not be around at all for very much longer.

[DJ Specs]

I can't believe it! For whatever the REAL reason is for having to pay. I say "NOPE"! It should be free, OR mabey $5 a year. Not the insane price this guy is asking for! As for the Internet.com company...I can't wait to see a hacker deface your website! NOT Windrivers! I will laugh so hard! This is pathetic, GREEDY PEOPLE and GREEDY COMPANY's will die!!!!!

[Budster64]

[quote]Originally posted by CyberTech:
<strong>Well, I haven't had time to read through all 11 pages of posts on this topic yet, so I don't know if anyone else has tried to make this point...

One has to think, whoever's decision this was, how well did they think about it?? Not too well in my opinion.

Think about it: It is clear that a high number of users who have been loyally visiting Windrivers for years will no longer come here (I MIGHT come for the forums only). Now if I were an advertiser on Windrivers, I wouldn't want to be paying the same amount for a banner ad that only 2% of the people who used to visit the site will see. This means A LOT of lost revenue through advertising.

Also, from the general reaction of users who have posted here, it seems that very few people are willing to pay for the service. I'd just as sooner find another site with links to manufacturers' driver pages. As a result, I think the site will generate less money than before. A BIG mistake in my opinion!!

Windrivers may not be around at all for very much longer.</strong><hr></blockquote>

One word.....dejavue...sad isnt it?

[Ron Prestenback]

Guess I'll add my 4 cents...

**** happens...sometimes.

I think if I were the creator of this website, I would feel terrible right now. Obviously he knew what the general reaction would be. Seems to me this has probably been in the works for a long time - just because it doesn't really seem like something that you decide to do without thinking about.

To all those ranting about how the internet is supposed to be free and all that nonsense, things always start out free. They can't stay that way. I'm sure the postal service was free once too. Your false idealism is pale. You don't want to pay because you don't want to pay. Don't drag esoteric, emotional terms into something that is simply a matter of finances. The best way to show anyone how fervent you are that the internet should remain free is start your own website, and machine some way for you, and other website engineers to maintain and support a site of Windriver's class without asking for money from those that use it's services.

Ad dollars were good for a while. That idea was born to lose.

Like everything else in life, the internet and all those who participate in providing the content it holds, will change. Things evolve, and grow. What was true yesterday isn't true today, and this is how it will always be.

To all those upset at other websites, your fervence, while appreciated, I'm sure, is like spitting on a forest fire. You want to be effective? DoS...that's kid stuff. Take that knowledge and do something with it. I used to believe that performing tricks like this were the pinnacle of "network savvy". You will in time, like me, realize that no one pays you for this either. You can change that however. Another change in the internet is the paid hacker. Instead of playing games with DoS, try a real challenge. Contract with a medium to large sized company to protect their borders. There's always a new breed of hacker out there. Getting paid to bring them in is alot more rewarding, I promise.

Ron

[ilovetheusers]

[quote]Originally posted by Sheriff Q:
<strong>OK, Let's stop the discussion about pinging an IP addy, and trying to DOS internet.com. Those posts are a violation of the User Agreement for the UBB.</strong><hr></blockquote>

[pi$$ and moan]

Why should they worry? Has anyone ever been kicked? I don't mean to be a d!cK but when half of the active members left one day partially due to one member who would not be rid of and he's still here, what does this guy have to worry about? the rules get broken here everyday and all sowulo and the other mods can do about it is edit posts (you guys must have infinite patience some days).

I don't remember who posted the original dos attack info, and I'm too tired, grumpy and lazy to look, but you are a grade A lamer. If you attack internet.com, windrivers goes down too knucklehead. I don't care if someone thinks I'm flaming and edits this because you just don't get dummer than - "hey! the host of my favorite website is charging now! lets dos attack them! oh, darn! the site seems to be really slow and it goes down a lot now. i wonder why? duh, i think i'll go drool in the corner now..." the only advice i have for you can be found in my signature.

jeebus.

get a grip people. most of you live in the real world and out here people have bills to pay or have you been giving out computer advice for free the last few years? at the very worst you will actually need to type the name of the website that makes the product that you need a driver for if you need it. oh, eek - a third of a second of my day was eaten up by having to go to HP's site, oh dear... the boards are still free, the tech advice is still free, the news is still free, etc. god forbid you actually need to remember the names of the manufacturers web sites if you don't want to pay. if you do use it constantly - pay for it! how do you expect somone with thousands of hits per day to stay afloat if he doesn't do something to charge. really, banner adds suck in newbies and if you're here getting drivers, you prolly ain't a newbie, thus - no banner clicks. no banner clicks = no dough and no dough = no windrivers.

[/pi$$ and moan]


even though i did just rant on - i have thought of something troubling yet humorous - someone at internet.com may think to capitalize upon the free tech advice. i can see it now "only $9.99 per year for free tech advice...".

[Rellik]

Unfortunately, I don't think this will be the goldmine that the uppers would hope for because the primary reason anybody came here was because it was free, which was a very large portion of the "members".

I don't see having a pay system gaining as much revenue as compaired to the now over sized banners. This will just send quite a few users looking for other free resources, although not always the highst quality, but free nevertheless, or even using a search engine (which is what I did before I found Windrivers.)

Also, I don't know the demographics of our audience, but a portion are the poor/college/highschool aged users who like to tinker w/ computers, and most likely won't pay for services where possible, and this is a service that most people can get by without because of other resources avaliable currently. God forbid those go pay too, I may just have to give up on the Internet and save lotsa $$$ in the process.

I just can't see having a database of links being something worth paying for, there must be some other service (along side the merchandice) that could be worth paying for, but what? having drivers E-mailed to you? custom burned driver CDs? OEM Driver discs? can any body think of any other things that would make paying for worth it while keeping the driver link DB free?

All in all, I just don't see this working at all.

[auxegro2]

All I can say is... I've been using windrivers.com since August 1996 and it's been FREE up until November 5, 2001. Sorry folks, but you can find the same stuff other places. Whatever the greed-meisters want me to pay for a bunch of links to some other companies' websites is too much.


I wonder, do these corporate greed-meisters think that all of us have money to burn? Do they think we all have six figure salaries, live in Beverly Hill, and drive $90K sports cars? Hey, windrivers.com is a luxury I can do without.

Dang, I'm even surprised they aren't charging for the forums too.

[auxegro2]

[quote]Originally posted by Wayward Clam:
<strong>I can't believe the gall of everybody who is freaking out about this.

For God's sake people, get a CLUE. Websites cost MONEY. To just insist dumbly that Windrivers SHOULD be free is nothing short of ignorant.

I ain't gonna pay for it any more than you are--I am jumping ship and going to another free place. But guess what the trend is? In a year, the other free places will go under. Then the free places after that will be gone. Fewer and fewer businesses offer free net services now because for the most part it is a STUPID business move. It is very hard to generate enough money off of advertising to support a site as wonderful and popular as Windrivers.

I ain't saying you SHOULD pay. I don't plan to. But stop WHINING about it. Some of the people here--you know which ones you are or aren't--are acting like spoiled babies who have been given an ice cream cone for free every night and suddenly the ice cream is all gone, so they're gonna throw a tantrum. Who gave you the right to dictate to Internet.com what they should do with THEIR website?

To Scott--I think you have run a fantastic site in the past, unfortunately I also think this move is heralding its decline and fall from fame and popularity. I am sorry Internet.com made this decision, and kudos to you for staying a helluva lot more unemotional than the rest of this thread has.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Dude... it's was free for a long dang time. That's what everybody is pissed about. Sure, websites have always cost money to operate, but why not charge from the start. Oh, I get it! Bait and switch.

[Brian G]

I have never paid for any type of access to a website, and I never will. Period.

[WebHead]

[quote]Originally posted by Ron Prestenback:
<strong>...To all those ranting about how the internet is supposed to be free and all that nonsense, things always start out free. They can't stay that way...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Some things do stay free...

[Deanodriver]

I use Linux because it is free...

I won't pay for Windrivers....

[ShadowKing]

[quote]Originally posted by Ron Prestenback:
<strong>Guess I'll add my 4 cents...

**** happens...sometimes.

I think if I were the creator of this website, I would feel terrible right now. Obviously he knew what the general reaction would be. Seems to me this has probably been in the works for a long time - just because it doesn't really seem like something that you decide to do without thinking about.

To all those ranting about how the internet is supposed to be free and all that nonsense, things always start out free. They can't stay that way. I'm sure the postal service was free once too. Your false idealism is pale. You don't want to pay because you don't want to pay. Don't drag esoteric, emotional terms into something that is simply a matter of finances. The best way to show anyone how fervent you are that the internet should remain free is start your own website, and machine some way for you, and other website engineers to maintain and support a site of Windriver's class without asking for money from those that use it's services.

Ad dollars were good for a while. That idea was born to lose.

Like everything else in life, the internet and all those who participate in providing the content it holds, will change. Things evolve, and grow. What was true yesterday isn't true today, and this is how it will always be.

To all those upset at other websites, your fervence, while appreciated, I'm sure, is like spitting on a forest fire. You want to be effective? DoS...that's kid stuff. Take that knowledge and do something with it. I used to believe that performing tricks like this were the pinnacle of "network savvy". You will in time, like me, realize that no one pays you for this either. You can change that however. Another change in the internet is the paid hacker. Instead of playing games with DoS, try a real challenge. Contract with a medium to large sized company to protect their borders. There's always a new breed of hacker out there. Getting paid to bring them in is alot more rewarding, I promise.

Ron</strong><hr></blockquote>

So far, no one has stated my opinion exactly... Until now.

Thanks, Ron for putting it so elequently.

I don't like it, but I will still be here.

[condor]

Well I guess all good things must come to an end...

This is a sad day indeed, I remeber this site back in the days scott had it running from his bedroom. Windrivers took a lot of twist and turns since then but it has remained on of the best support sites out there thanks to scott's hard work and the efforts of many other people to contribute to this site.

These people all felt they are part of a site created by techs for techs and designed to make everyone who wants to become a tech take a few steps in the right direction.

I really regret to say I think this step of charging people for services is the downfall of this site.

I, for once, contributed as much as I could to this community but I will not pay for services I can get elsewhere for free.

With all the understanging of the tough situation the market is facing I can say this step will not be the one to "save the day" but rather the last step. Many good support resources are available on the web - what made Windrivers special was the people and since I know most people cannot afford or just not willing to pay for this site it will soon become no different...

like I said at the top, all good things come to an end.

I wish all of us good luck and I would like to thank scott for all his hard work over the years.

They say every ending is also a begining - let's all hope for new the best.

[notanymore]

Your site used to be displayed as a exculsive link....as the username says...not any more!

John
sysop-owner
West Poinsett Net
<a href="http://www.wpoin.com" target="_blank">www.wpoin.com</a>

[Gabriel]

Indeed, This is a sad day
It has been a Wild trip being here - Helping and getting help from Other people.
It has been a place where the place that you are don't matter.
It's a shame to see it going adrift - but Keep on comming here.
I guess the good feelings for the boards will be kept on.
Just a thought -> if all 34103 registered users will pay 30$ it will sum up more than $1M.
Someone has gone Bit greedy.
if the service Would have Costy $5 a year I would be willing to donate it.