At the risk of getting slapped by those that feel that the right to free access supercedes responsibility to the site (heaven forbid) I am going to bring up the topic (once again) of WHY more of you out there need to cough up the few pennies necessary to become a Resident of the Letterville BBoard.
1. Did you know that out of the 2000+ people registered to post on the Board, ONLY 200 are paid Residents!!!!?
2. Did you know that even by reading only 1 post a day for a year you will have gained more knowledge specific to your trade than what you would have gained by attending a Meet? (Now don't get your feathers ruffled. The Meets are important too. I'm just making a point)
3. Have you thought about where else you would be able to go to gain the knowledge you have acquired by sitting on your duff and moving your finger?
4. Have you ever been known to drop $50(US) on something(s) totally frivilous with nothing to show for it at the end of the day?
(Sigh) I will not be able to make any of you do anything you don't want, but I am asking you to use some common sense and see the bigger picture. We can't expect others to pay us for what we feel we are worth if we insist on treating our own support system as if it were a freebie for us to use and abuse.
posted
You're exactly right. This post has made me realize that there are alot of us that take the info on the BB for granted. Within a month, I will become a resident thanks to you.....oh yeh and the FREE font library from the FONTRY!!!!!
Just waiting for payment on a cedar job (I'm sure you've read all about it).
posted
That is pretty weak isn't it. For all this board offers it's a no brainer or it should be. I'm with you. I did forget to renew though, so it happens by accident too!
Thanks and take care,
-------------------- Chuck Gallagher Pro Graphics Signs by Design Cabool, MO 417.962.3291 "I grew up in Letterville" Posts: 776 | From: Cabool, Mo. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I agree! But......things come up (root canals, new roofs etc.) so don't be too hard on people. Sometimes the bucks are slow to come in....and fly out pretty fast when they do.
Posts: 3729 | From: Seattle | Registered: Sep 1999
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posted
At the risk of playing Devil's Advocate, (Marty, Lotti and Suelynn...you don't know what you have let yourselves in for! (grin)) I have never met ANYONE who, when they felt something was important enough, could not find the ways and means to get it.
But then again Cheryl, at times, I am the worst culprit for determining what is a "need" and what is a "want". And I know that what we want (Resident status) is sometimes overruled by need (teeth).
posted
I am going to play devil's advocate too. Since thats what I often tend to do in life.
If I offer FREE estimates, then I need to provide that. If upon recieving my estimate clients choose to spend their money elsewhere, they have not broken any contract or abused any priviledge.
If I find too much time spent on free estimates it's on me to set guidelines I can still be happy with, like estimates given to those who take the time to come in to my office & not over the phone.
I guess my analogy is when someone sits on their duff & moves one finger they choose to seek out money making signs skills, or OT jokes of the day, or simply a quasi-social experience. That free privilege has been granted simply by registering with a name & addy & agreeing to guidelines.
I think when people choose to invest $50 in their future based on the benefits they can recieve here, there is no question that good value can be found in that. I also think that, like watching public television, if someone buys a computer, pays their isp, & chooses to spend their valuable time lurking, browsing, or posting in a public forum they are under no obligation to support that until the rules change. When the telethon comes on they can change channels or hang out and maybe be influenced to contribute like Corey was.
I am not speaking in opposition to Liz's "telethon" type appeal for support for this great place. I just think that to say "we insist on treating our own support system as if it were a freebie for us to use & abuse" is an unfair assessment. Their are sponsors contributing to funding & we may feel that support of those sponsors is also a way in which we may already being supporters of this site. Also the wealth of information available here my not fall equally among residents & visitors alike, but without a doubt, a good deal of the "value" we may take home each day comes from the words of a visitor, so we cannot overlook that visitor's contribution there either.
I looked around this board for maybe a month before I had to ante up & become a resident based on my own personal sense of ethics. I am not sure if an appeal for support that I percieved to be peppered with just a pinch too much guilt would have swayed me in any direction or not.
So I say put on your best Jerry Lewis smile & help remind everyone how great this place is, & how additional support could only make it greater. Whoever is not ready to make that commitment does not need dental bills to feel totally welcome to spend their time here learning, & teaching, as much as they want. Free.
posted
Oh, yeah. . .. and don't be late with the renewals, either!! For two years in a row now, the Mayor of Letterville has had to come all the way down to South Georgia (in the middle of winter, mind you) and collect his TAXES personally !! Thank Goodness he didn't have to rough me up too badly
-------------------- John Smith Kings Bay Signs (Retired) Kissimmee, Florida Posts: 817 | From: Central Florida - The Sunshine State | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
WHY NOT PUT A LITTLE ENVELOPE MARKED "LETTERVILLE" ASIDE, AND ON EVERY JOB, ADD $1 TO THE PRICE, AND PUT THE DOLLAR IN THE ENVELOPE. AFTER 50 JOBS, YOU GOT THE $$$$! (THIS IS HOW I END UP PAYING ALL MY BILLS!
posted
The number of Letterville Residents is disappointing at first glance, but much of that is our own fault. We have to sharpen our marketing skills, listen to our visitors, and offer more incentive for Letterheads to invest in our on-line meet.
Letterville is a very unique place. Virtually every other sign forum has to depend on advertisers in order to pay the bills. We started out as small sign shop owners and to be honest, after 25 years of the joys and challenges of that, we are more interested in maintaining a forum for other small sign shop owners and Letterheads.
There is something about our industry that bothers me. I really never thought about it myself until a couple years after we started The Letterhead Website and started getting out and about.
Our sign industry consists of some big shops, but the vast majority of us are small businesses with fewer than 5 employees. Many are just 2 or even 1 person ventures, yet I believe we are at least 80-90% of the total sign industry.
Most of us do not attend the large trade shows. Even fewer are members of any sign association. Our stats here in Letterville indicate that only about half of you even subscribe to a sign magazine. There is a huge number of people making a living from signs, yet they have never had a voice.
While it's true much of this has to do with apathy, our silence means others are making the decisions that impact all our businesses.
A few years back, I discovered Employment Canada, had commissioned a study of what todays sign trade was. They do the same with other trades like plumbing and electrical in order to define changes in a trade and develop courses for the schools. Pretty important stuff!
Because of Letterville, we discovered the study and volutered to take part. We also invited several of our local Letterhead pals to take part.
The study was conducted at a hotel in Toronto. Besides our Letterhead group, the others included a salesman from a large supplier, a guy that works on the paint line at a big outdoor advertising shop and another fellow that specialized in bus wraps. Makes you wonder how our sign trade would have been defined without Letterhead participation.
That first day was a real struggle. Many insisted that paint and brush work was no longer relevant. The salesman from the large supply company that sold Gerber and other signmaking systems, became very upset at our insistance to include traditional sign making techniques. He never even bothered to show the second day.
In the end, we got our way and I'm very proud of the document we produced. It ensures at least one more generation will have the opportunity to learn the type of business we know and love.
So what does this have to do with Letterville? In order to ensure we always have a voice here, it is essential we all chip in to maintain it. We're in no dire need, but it would be reassuring to see more financial support.
As usual, I have gotten into far more than I intended here. Learn more about what Letterville is all about and take another look at the incentives in place to pry that 50 bucks out of your pocket each year. Win just one monthly draw a year and your investment is returned many times! It's also tax deductable.
posted
You know, I come to this site everyday, (sometimes around 5 times per day) and think it's a wonderful deal. What might be a good idea to look into to have more paid people here would be this:
Instead of $50.00, why not make it lets say $10.00 and make it a paid site only. This way you would generate more revenue because those 2000 plus members here could well afford it.
This way, you would have to log into here and it would be a members only site, think about it, the average joe store owner stumbles upon this site and here we are telling all the secrets of the biz, like charging a 10% ahole fee or letting everyone know how the cost them $25 and how they got $450.00 for the job..
You won't see plumbers or mechanics talkin somewhere on the net about there business practices. Having a private site would prevent that. And at $10.00, it's not a bad idea.
[ April 22, 2002, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: Tony B ]
-------------------- Tony Broussard Graphic Details Digital Media Loreauville, LA Posts: 395 | From: Loreauville, LA | Registered: Jul 1999
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posted
I appreciate all the posts and I listen to, and try to understand, every point of view. If the numbers were closer...say 50%, you never would have heard from me. BUT ONLY 200 out of 2700!!!!
That's what I can't get over. Anyway people, I really appreciate this site and everyone that contributes to it and, you bet, I'm going to stay resident. I treat it like I do my insurance...I may never use it but I'm sure glad it's there and I'll keep paying to make it so.
posted
I'm just happy that there is no "bad mouthing" of this request up to this point. I really hate to hear the reasoning for not being a resident, although there are a few very logical ones. I think there is a lot of pride in being part of this movement, and all you have to do is pay 50.00 and sing a bar of Alice's Resturant the next time it comes around,,,, With feelin .....Arlo.
-------------------- "Don't change horses in midstream, unless you spot one with longer legs" bronzeo oti Jack Davis 1410 Main St Joplin, MO 64801 www.imagemakerart.com jack@imagemakerart.com Posts: 1549 | From: Joplin, MO | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
To understand us and Letterville, you really must understand the Letterhead Movement. It's the number #1 reason this whole thing exists. Learn more at http://www.letterhead.com/basics/org7.html
The free exchange of information is the very foundation Letterheads is built on. The original Heads were apprentices interested in learning and preserving the best of our craft's history together. 27 years later, the technology has changed but design principles and our love of signmaking remains.
We are committed to the information always being free. Letterheads have always chipped in to cover the costs associated with holding their meets, but the information has always been free to those willing to invest the time to learn.
With all that in mind, we have always resisted changing Letterville to a member's only website. Our original plan was to copy the PBS style of offering incentives and extra perks to encourage users to part with their hard earned 50 bucks.
Why $50 bucks you ask? We chose that figure based on the minimum hourly rate today's shops must charge. I'm just not convinced reducing the $50 would result in any additional Residents.
We're open for suggestions here, but we really feel the answer is finding more benefits and doing a better job on selling you all on moving to Letterville.
-------------------- Steve Shortreed 144 Hill St., E. Fergus, Ontario Canada N1M 1G9 519-787-2673
posted
I am not sure but I think my dues are up this month. Steve & Barb, do you notify us or is it our responsibility? If I am up this month I must tell you that I will have to wait a little bit to pay up as I like to feed my daughter at least every couple of days! But at some point you will get it! It's definately $50 well spent. Just a bad time for me!
Pay up everyone. You'll get your $50 worth in the first month or less.
[ April 22, 2002, 10:50 PM: Message edited by: Amy Brown ]
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
i'm not so concerned about the number of people who pay to be "residents" -- i'd prefer to see more people POST questions and responses.
i suppose there are a lot of "visiitors" who maybe feel they shouldn't post because they don't pay. i hope they will reconsider and become active participants, reguardless of payment.
AND i'm sure there are people who are afraid to post, because they've seen others get flamed. to them, all i can say is "be brave -- the worst that can happen is somebody will type mean words at you."
AND i will try to take a more active role in patting out fires to make this a more welcoming place.
maybe if we make this a nicer place to "visit" then more people will want to become "residents".
...as for the $50 -- no WAY could i buy this level of technical support for twice that ammount -- i'm happy to support the site. the freebies aren't the incentive -- just the icing on the cake.
-------------------- :: Scooter Marriner :: :: Coyote Signs :: :: Oakland, CA :: :: still a beginner :: :: Posts: 1356 | From: Oakland (and San Francisco) | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
Well said Scooter. Letterville is the only forum that requires posters to use there real name and e-mail address. That may intimidate some, but they have nothing to fear.
I often wonder why we don't get more basic questions. When I was learning, something as simple as preparing MDO to letter was a great mystery. Never be ashamed to ask what you might think is a dumb question. I'll bet hundreds are wondering the same thing.
As far as being a nice place, nothing compares to the users of Letterville. Yes we have our squabbles, but they are a very small part of the thousands of posts here. We've made a few changes regarding our posts here and for the most part things are much better. I even get some saying the BB is boring lately.
Letterville is much more than a place on the Internet. Throughout the year, there are several live meets around the World where we all get to meet, work and play together. We've meet hundreds of you through this website and knowing you has enriched our lives. I'll bet most of you have made at least one new, good friend here. To those waiting to make their first post, I say go ahead and do it now. Introduce yourself and tell us something about your family, business and dreams.
-------------------- Steve Shortreed 144 Hill St., E. Fergus, Ontario Canada N1M 1G9 519-787-2673
posted
It was a similar post that has prompted me to become a resident. When the value of all the help was pointed out it sure made a lot of sense suddenly. So I think it is a good idea to bring the subject up every now and then, as long as people are not hit over the head with it. I admit that there are questions which I never asked, in order not to look ignorant, and I bet I'm not the only one. Also posting a sign or design for input is very intimidating if everybody else posts near perfect work. But this could be another post in itself... Lotti ( Liz: ! )
posted
It's a wonder that more sign peolpe out there aren't on here giving and receiving info....member or not.
How many sign artists are out there that read "SignCraft"? You know they've all seen the ads in there for this website. The first time I sawe this site was about 4 years ago and all it took was one time, I WAS HOOKED. It's been 4 years and I think this site deserves a new member...ME.
I am surprised at the low TOTAL number of people on here...members and visitors. How many sign people are out there?? 10's of thousands I'm sure. If they only had a way of knowing that this site was out there for them.
Don't we all read "SignCraft"? Perhaps 3-M or Rapid Tac could give out leaflets with a brief description of Letterhead to people.....just a thought. We scratch their back, they scratch ours.
posted
Ive only been aware of this site for a couple of months now. So far im very impressed I think its a good idea to keep it free because it probably brings in more members I would never have paid $50 to enter a site i had never seen before, but now that ive been here and have had questions answered by pros across the continent I will definitly consider becoming a member im just about sold. As soon as I get an extra $50 me or my wife will become a member don't know if its fair for both of us to pay because we ask the same questions we'll see
as for benifits a spell checker would be nice im a terrible speller this would only make my problem worse though at least now i have to give words a little bit of thought before i type them
posted
The only real benefit I can see for a couple both becoming Residents is an extra chance at winning the Monthly Draw. A few couples do this, but it is certainly not required. All our Letterville homes have Queensize beds.
-------------------- Steve Shortreed 144 Hill St., E. Fergus, Ontario Canada N1M 1G9 519-787-2673
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