Extra Perks?

[Peach 00]

Since the title of the topic makes this out to be more of a question towards staff than a discussion topic, I'll explain what I mean with a few questions towards members to toss ideas around about the perks and unavailable perks that regular membership has and what $20-$60 can buy premier membership -wise. Anybody can answer - this is not exclusive to regular members. Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Given the fact I don't see any necessity for blogs, poll-making, or other such perks given to premier members, I'm quite comfortable with the current arrangement and feel that there isn't a lot to improve upon. Members are given the ability to post, comment, PM people, et cetera, and those are all the privileges a member should ever need.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?The only perk that doesn't make all that much of a difference in Premier Membership that I think could be given to the Members group would be the ability to see images representing your current post count (Submerged!, Encountering Protodermis, and other such post count 'titles'). I think the storage of messages could be expanded a bit, although perhaps that could be just kept as a perk for the premier members.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?Honestly speaking, no. I saw the original price setting as touching expensive for Lifetime membership, but now it's overpriced. I don't see any reason why it needed to be upped so severely in price, but perhaps there were reasons that all of us on the site aren't aware of for the increase.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Heh, heh - no.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?No. It isn't worth it - at the current price it is for any of the time periods you can have it for, I'd prefer to go buy something else I could actually have a chance of keeping for a lifetime. Harsh words though they may be, you could call what I am being is brutally honest, or stating my opinion boldly. You take your pick.If this is not suited for General Discussion or any part of the forums, the staff are welcome to close it. If this option isn't needed, then I'd love to see some serious, open, and diverse discussion be seen here. You don't have to stick to the questions - toss ideas around if you want. Just stick to the topic at hand.

[Sumiki]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Yes. All the Premier stuff really is just extra, though it's kind of fun, especially the blog business.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?Like I said, there's nothing that Premiership actually gives you that's necessary for BZPower usage ... I like the blogs as Premier things, simply because it's already busy enough as it is and entries are usually swallowed underneath other blogs. Not saying that this is a bad thing, but if that ever happened, we'd definitely need more blog staff.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?It depends on how much you value Premiership. I think they're all a little pricey, but I got Lifetime before it went up, and I think it was rather worth it. People also tend to think it's all about perks, when the perks are really just ... perks. The main thing you're doing is saying "hey, I like BZPower, I want to help keep it around." Without Premiership, this site would not have made it this far.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Oh boy, you're really being kind of brutal here, aren't you. I think I covered this in my previous answers, but there's another point I'd like to make here: the price of Premiership never got adjusted for inflation. It makes sense that one would need to adjust the price occasionally - but I agree with you, the prices are a bit steep - especially Lifetime.By the way, I wasn't going to survive on 1,000 messages much longer. Us FMs send out rather a lot of PMs, and 2,000 messages for Premier Staff is a perk that I think is probably the best, surpassing the blog that I held in high regard when I was an OBZPC.

[Ziko]

I am comfortable with the current perks (maybe not the right word) that regular members have. None of the Premier Membership perks are necessary for members to use BZPower; they're extras that thank people for contributions. As such, I don't think that any of the Premier Member perks need to be given to members. There are frivolous perks could be given to regular members without much effect, but, in my opinion, if they're that frivolous, they might as well be kept as a Premier benefit.I could see members wanting more PM space, though, which I suppose could be increased somewhat without taking away from the Premier Perk. But I don't consider that a necessity, either. Even now, after I haven't deleted any PMs in months, I haven't reached 200 messages, and I don't think I did back when I sent out PMs as part of a job.In regards to the price, I don't see it as being too expensive for something optional, and I also don't think the price increases were too steep (three-five dollars doesn't seem like very much to me). I do think the price increases made the cost of Premier Memberships seem much higher than the previous prices, though.As for whether or not the benefits are worth the price...I think that depends on the person. For me, the cost was worthwhile, especially since I used the perks frequently in the past. The purchases also did contribute a little toward helping the site, which I'm generally pretty fond of; I think that using the money for BZP was a better choice than using it for something else. Premier Membership was cheaper than a video game (likely what I would have bought), and BZPower has kept my attention and interest much longer than any game has.Last question...if I wasn't a lifetime Premier Member already, I might buy it, but probably not for myself. I don't take advantage of any of the perks, and I think someone else would use them more.

[fishers64]

Answering questions=fun times. Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Yes. We are given three conversational mediums - forums, profile feeds, and PM - and a bunch of areas for posting of creative stuff, not to mention a signature and topics for promotion and organization. I'm comfortable. Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?It doesn't bother me too much, but I think regular members should be allowed to make polls. Less messy in terms of topics that could be polled and should be. Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?Price increase was due to inflation, I hear. As long as my wages are adjusted for it, doesn't change very much. Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?I tend to view it as buying webspace, at least in terms of blogging. The flat rate of $8 a month is less than the $10 other sites charge; even better yet, you can pay $40 and never get another bill again. It could be considerably argued that a BZPower blog has less utility than other forms of webspace, but it does have one advantage - the forum system means that people on here know who you are and are more likely to comment on your blog. You're one person out of a hundred or so instead of one person out of 6 billion. (And yes, I am fully aware that free webspace exists. But it's still pretty limited.)Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?I might try it out, should I...er...never mind that. Curiosity killed the cat - I mostly just would like to see how it it is to have my name in bold, post a few polls, and get proto.

[GSR]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Pretty much, yeah. I grabbed premiership mostly as a way of supporting the site a little - I honestly didn't expect to use the blog quite so much.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?Tough question. The more substantial stuff like a blog is a good incentive for premiership, while the more cosmetic stuff like the rank images is probably pretty well associated with premier members in people's minds now. Sure, there's the Premier Member banner, but the rank images are a nice bit of flair for people who have donated.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?At the moment, I'd say the six-month and lifetime are a little on the pricey side. Of course you want to encourage people to go for the longer option by offering better value, but 6 months at $10.50... I dunno, it just feels a little high to me for some reason. Lifetime, meanwhile, is nice value if you're in for the long haul, but $40 is quite a bit to drop all at once, especially if it's for something like a forum, where you don't know how long you'll be around or active. However, this is all assuming you're just going for the perks, and...Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?If it were a case of paying just for the sake of the benefits, I'd say probably not unless you really needed a blog and extra PM space or something. But as a way of supporting the site and getting a few extra perks, I'd say the prices are alright. Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?I'll probably stick to the yearly PMship for now. Being a poor college student means dropping $40 for lifetime is pretty hard to swallow, and there is always the chance I'll wind up leaving for one reason or another (not that I have any plans to at the moment, but you never know). The yearly fee is more manageable, and better fits the idea of supporting the site - if I've gone another year using it, I may as well kick in a little bit again to help support it.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Yes.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?I think that the ability to make poll topics should be given to regular members. I think that it is a little tedious to PM a premier member or someone with poll-creating abilities to ask them to make a poll for you. That's just my opinion.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?The price for the lifetime membership is a bit expensive, IMO. But the 6-month and 1-year memberships are okay with me.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Yes to the 6-month and 1-year memberships. As for the lifetime membership, if you're going to be visiting BZP for a long time and you have the spare cash for it, why not? Otherwise, probably not.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?I was planning on buying a 1-year membership, but I don't have a paypal account. (Or whatever kind of pay system that is being used.) I remember reading something when BZP returned from its downtime that another way of payment was going to put into place eventually. I think it was sending in a check, though I could be wrong about that. I'll probably buy a 1-year membership when the latter form of payment comes to be.

Edited May 27, 2012 by The Smoke Monster

[Cederak]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Not really.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?Polls and post count images.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?It depends how much the perks are worth to you. For me, I think they were overpriced in 2005 and they're overpriced now.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Not really.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?It's always possible, I suppose.-Ced

[Dralcax]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Kind of... No blogs not a big deal, but the blogs are the only place to show WIPs.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?How about poll-making? Surely it would give the Voting Booth much-needed life. Same with Games and Trivia. Asking a Premier member to do it for you is kind of annoying, for the extra time and effort for both members.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?No. Buying a bunch of features, only half of which you actually want enough to pay extra? No. (Name changes, blogs, and proto vs games, polls, rank images)Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?See aboveQ5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?No... Not worth it for blogs and some proto.

[Bambi]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Sure, they're fine.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?Not really.. If you take anything out, there's really no point in going premier except for a blog.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?I guess, I don't really have to worry since I bought lifetime premier membership before the price went up.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Not really.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?

[Kakaru]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Yeah, I never had a problem with the balance before I went premier, and it certainly encouraged me towards purchasing lifetime. There weren't any essential functions that were locked out to the rest of the members, and it always seemed like all the frills and extras were given as a treat to premier members in addition to the blog, poll-making abilities, and proto, since that's the only reason we bought it anyways.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?Neh, like I said, I'm fine with the balance as is. A little inbox boost might have been nice back in the day, but since the upgrade I think it all works out great.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?Oh yes, absolutely. Let me explain: A friend of mine once compared all frivolous spending to the standard cost for entertainment in the US: $10 for an average movie ticket, which keeps us occupied and mildly entertained for two hours. Compared to this, the price of a premier membership is a brilliant deal. I got my lifetime before the bump, (for what, $30,) and it's kept me way more entertained that six hours of movies, and I've gotten that much closer to some great members and will have memories for the rest of my life because of it.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Again, I find myself comparing it as a time investment over a temporary privilege boost. If you were simply paying to use the functions and got nothing more out of it then no, it probably isn't worth it. But if you compare what you would otherwise spend the money on and its relative hold on your attention, duration, and entertainment value, it's a bargain. Blogs are so much fun when you can use them properly.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?Yeah I'm lifetime, sooooooIf it ran out for some legitimate reason I would totally buy it again. ...iiiiiiiif I weren't trying to save up for college (and Bricks Cascade). Then again, I can't currently go to movies or buy games either. I dunno, just a thought.

As for whether or not the benefits are worth the price...I think that depends on the person. For me, the cost was worthwhile, especially since I used the perks frequently in the past. The purchases also did contribute a little toward helping the site, which I'm generally pretty fond of; I think that using the money for BZP was a better choice than using it for something else. Premier Membership was cheaper than a video game (likely what I would have bought), and BZPower has kept my attention and interest much longer than any game has.

This, guys. This is more or less what I was trying to say. Edited May 28, 2012 by Kakaru

[Taipu1]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Not really qualified to answer as a premier member, but I guess so. I got by fine without the perks, but I was prepared to pay for more, and to donate the site.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?When I was temporarily out of premier, I did lament the loss of the rank image, but at the same time, these are all incentives to premier membership.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?Yes, and you talk as if keeping this site living isn't motivation enough. I usually compare it to the cost of premier on other things. I was premier on Runescape once, by comparison, Premier on BZP is a pittance. Or compare it to Xbox Live, I might be a bit of a simpleton saying it, but they're both good and fun, and if I'm prepared to pay for Xbox live, why on earth wouldn't I be prepared to pay for this?Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Yup. And like I say, what about the motivation of contributing to the site?Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?Depends, I have on and off periods of going on BZP. If I'm on an on-period, I will buy premier, because it makes life better. Not sure why I don't buy lifetime, I've paid less so far than the cost of life time, when I reach the point where it would've been worth buying lifetime the first time, it'll be annoying, but life is always like that. I just can't guarantee it'll be worth my while buying more than one year.

[<Reverb>]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Yes. Just always really jealous of Premier Members who get the pictures under their name. xDQ2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?^^ Anything else is completely fine. I wouldn't keep up with a blog if I had one. Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?Yes, just I've never got the chance to get it. Supporting the site. ^.^Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?No, but you know, it's supporting the site.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?Posssibly if I get the chance, but it do agree little pricey. It is though, neccesary to keep the site running... If you want BZP, you gotta support it.~Gravity

[BioGio]

Let me sum up my major answer here really quickly: Perks are exactly that: perks, extra. They're bonuses, rewards for helping out the site. Not everyone needs to have a blog and make polls. These abilities were always meant for premier members, so there's no reason to change that.~ BioGio

Edited June 6, 2012 by BioGio

[Eeko]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?This doesn't hold much water, since I've been premier most of my time here, but I think there is plenty for regular members to do, without there being a pressure to become premier. Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?I was fine without them, but if I had to pick one, I'd say the ability to post a game/trivia. Since they're allowed to run one anyway. Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?While the new lifetime seems pretty steep, I'd definitely say the 1-year is worth it though.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Yes, I love having a blog. And the post rank images are still awesome.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?I bought lifetime, but if I hadn't, I most certainly would've bought again.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Eeko

[Phyoohrii]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members?Honestly don't know, it's been years and years since I didn't have the PM perks, so I couldn't say. I'm sure they're fine though, I certainly wouldn't feel the need for the extra perks these days. It's just force of habit that I maintain blogs and such.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits?I think the poll creation one could be added, if it hasn't already (been a long time since I've checked the PM rules). I dunno, maybe there's some issue of moderation that I'm not seeing.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)?If you're not getting PM without the intention of helping the site, then you probably shouldn't get it. If it's only perks you want, maybe it's not worth it. But that's not the point of PM, it's about helping the site out.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits?Probably not, I guess. But again, that's not the point of this. Perks are merely bonuses.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again?I wish I didn't get Lifetime in a way, because I feel I owe the site mroe than the $35USD I payed for it years ago.

[Nuparu1995]

I'm fine being a regular member, but I most definitely would like a blog more than one week out of the year.

[Eyru]

Q1: Are you comfortable with the current perks that are available for regular members? Yeah, I think so. You've got everything you need for a good forum experience without the Premier perks.Q2: Should certain benefits given to members in Premier Membership be bestowed upon regular members? And if so, which benefits? Nah. No real need.Q3: Since the price of the Premier Membership has increased, is it still worth it for any of the versions of it (6-month, 1-year, Lifetime)? I wouldn't say it's particularly worth it, no.Not for the perks, at least. But it's nice to know I'm helping keep BZP around.Q4: Do you think the current price for any of its versions is worth it for a blog and few other benefits? Not really. But, like I said above, it's not just about the perks. Those are nice, especially the blog, but it's nice to know I'm helping BZP afloat.Q5: If you are a regular member, do you plan on buying Premier Membership? If you are a premier member but didn't buy Lifetime membership, do you plan on buying it again? I'll probably end up buying a yearlong membership again because I like having a blog and, like I've said, I like supporting BZP. But Lifetime is a wee bit expensive, especially when I have no idea if I'll be on BZP a year from now. Probably I will be, but you never know.