Open the traffic in general items!!!!!!!

[Janny]

I just became a member at the annual auction and I don't even know if it's showing me as a member yet on the forum.

I have to say that I have been the beneficiary of some tremendous advice and expertise as a non-member over the past year or so.

I have only made it to one meeting, the auction and a PA meeting but have been made to feel very welcome at each event.

I became a member to support the forums and events. I may not be a full-on participant, but I value the community and would like to become more involved.

[Hookup]

I've been a paid member since about the time i found about about OVAS...

this argument is old as the hills that i know of and I bet much older than that.

FWIW, membership is about support, not access to classifieds for me.  I cannot even think of a time when I used my card at any sponsor... it isn't about the 10% savings, thought that is nice of the sponsors for sure.

I do think that a more open, public web-based presence would get more members...  Any exposure that increases traffic is likely to generate more members...  Though I realize the counter argument is that there is more requirement for more moderation if the classifieds are opened further.


Now is a great time for anyone to run for a position on the executive if they feel passionately about changes to the club.

[OVAS-Webmaster]

All fish related web content is available to all forum users.  This includes the reopening of the classifieds, the opening up of the Photo Gallery to all forum users and all forum boards (except the OVAS Club Discussions board which is reserved for OVAS members).

The intent of the General Classifieds ads is not to bring more visitors to the site, but rather to give OVAS members some flexibility on what they can sell to forum members.  Just like the Sponsor Discounts and free/reduced admission to certain special OVAS events; sometimes membership has it's privileges.

[Hookup]

well said

besides a membership isn't about the discount or the website...it's about our events, the speakers and the wealth of knowledge, RIGHT???

is this correct?  Or am i miss interpreting it?

Since when is the website not the club?

[Brine]

Since when is the website not the club?

I knew it was written somewhere so I took a moment to look it up.
from the OVAS FAQ page...

http://ovas.ca/ovas/about-ovas/faq


OVAS is NOT this website, it is an active community that tries to meet up at least once a month to talk fish, plant and corals. Here is the place to get in contact with the local hobbyist, here you can learn and share your experience.

[bt]

well said

besides a membership isn't about the discount or the website...it's about our events, the speakers and the wealth of knowledge, RIGHT???

For salties, the wealth of knowledge is mostly via the website.

[Hookup]

grrrrr

[exv152]

What the club means will vary from person to person. What you get from the website maybe all you want or need, but for others it's about getting together and the website may just be a side bonus. No one is right or wrong, it's subjective to what you expect ovas to be for you. For me it's a bit of both. I enjoy the website as much as I enjoy seeing a presentation first-hand and meeting interesting people with the same hobby.

[bt]

What the club means will vary from person to person. What you get from the website maybe all you want or need, but for others it's about getting together and the website may just be a side bonus. No one is right or wrong, it's subjective to what you expect ovas to be for you.

+1, agree.  A very eloquent way of putting it.

[Darth]

honestly this whole thread is just garbage I mean why not ask costco why do I have to buy a membership to shop there. I am not a member of the club, but I do love the forum and give help when I can I have learned vast amounts of knowledge here and to be honest the general items listing is not that big I mean not too many posts there. I mean yes I didnt like it when the classified was closed to non-members posting, but I understood it. I dont see a whole lot of people lining up to post in general items to begin with, it is barely an inconvience to not be able to post there. yet you can still view it and buy items, would it be better to have that part totally hidden from non-members, that would stop all of this to begin with. They can easily make lots of this forum hiddem from non-members (they may already do that for all I know seeing as I am not a member I wouldn't know LOL ) I just think its a perk, and pay or not the choice is yours, but don't complain about stuff that is held back for members who support the club monetarily. The whole thing makes me chuckle

[Fishnut]

I don't think it's OK to use this site like a Kijiji or UsedOttawa for fish related products.  They get paid from advertisers from all kinds of sources and we only get CLUB sponsorships from supporting LFS's, which has to be spread to several aspects of CLUB activities...not just the up-keep of the website.  We also make money from selling memberships but our main fund raiser is the Giant Auction.

There's a massive revenue difference between Kijiji and us so IMO, anyone who uses this website frequently and never has any intention of buying a membership EVER, is abusing the club's offering of an on-line community.

Since this is in the salt water forum, I'll point out something again.  Yes, I would have to agree that most of the salt water knowledge is coming from the website because we simply DON'T have the attendance of salt water keepers at our meetings.  This past year I tried a couple of things to get you guys out from behind the computer and both flopped miserably. 

Ret Talbott is coming to Ottawa THIS MONTH.  We're still trying to figure out if he's going to present at our regular meeting OR at a special time ad date on the Sunday before, but I really hope this entire salt water community will step up and join us.  Buy a membership, get involved.

The club is separate from the website.  When we have a group of dedicated members to come to every meeting regardless of the topic, they're going to be the ones who get catered to.  If anyone wants that to change, initiate the change.

You know another perk paid members get?  They get to run for an exec position in the election.  I'm not going to have time for Events next year, so if anyone wants to nominate themselves, the election is in May.

[Feivel]

Long post to read ... I got thru most of it. i purchased the membership at the bbq wich paid for itself then and there, It has also paid for itself in 10% savings. Would i buy another one? YES to show my support for this great,wise,friendly site. I do admit i try and put my 2¢ in when i can. I try to make it out too meetings and such but not soooo much luck on that. Either way 20$ is nothing to spend to support a local site. You probably spend more on late fees for your late movie returns, or that bad choice cd a tr hmv, or some cheap made in china toy u buy for your kid that breaks the same day.
Its for a good cause  and to let the people who are behind this site know that we do care for them

I also am not sure if i am listed as a member or not, but i have my card from the bbq and a spare they sent me in the mail. The expiry date is on it, good enough for me

[brotherluv]

I have met several good people on this site!  All through the classifieds. I can't see myself attending events as I barely have time after my work for family...I can say I really appreciate the forum as I've learned almost everything I know about this hobby through this website.  I support almost all of the sponsors who support ovas...give me an option to buy a membership online with my credit card and I'll buy it.  unfortunately your giant auction is on the weekend...I work every weekend.

[bitterman]

give me an option to buy a membership online with my credit card and I'll buy it.  unfortunately your giant auction is on the weekend...I work every weekend.

You can purchase a membership using paypal  here http://ovas.ca/ovas/about-ovas/membership I have myt paypal setup to charge to my credit card so easily done

Regards,
   Bruce

[bt]

Since this is in the salt water forum, I'll point out something again.

It's in The Lounge, not the salt water forum...

I for one am not blaming you or the other execs for the lack of salty events.  You're more familiar with freshwater stuff, and us saltys haven't exactly been forthcoming with suggestions or participation.  If we want more salty events, we need to suggest ideas and show up to them.

And really, I wasn't even complaining about the lack of salty events.  I was pointing out that the website is a valuable resource.  Valuable enough that perhaps many of us aren't interested in attending events.

The club is separate from the website.

The events are separate from the website.

The view you stated just rubs me the wrong way.  If the club is separate from the website, and the website is where I get the majority of my interaction - why buy a club membership?  It's separate from the resource I care about, after all.

I may still renew my membership for next season, but if I do it will be primarily because of the website.  I suspect I'm not the only one who would be getting a membership due to the website and the knowledge available through it, rather than the events or meetings.

The website can be an additional way to help drive both membership sales and participation - saying that it's separate from the club is more likely to drive that group of paying members away than to get them to come out to meetings.  It's downright dismissive of a segment of the club's membership.

[Lurch1]

Wow, all this contraversy over classifieds?

[Fishnut]

oops...lounge.  I saw so many salties commenting :p

I don't see the separation as a view point, it's a fact...at least that's what I've come to learn.  I'm not too sure how I can explain it.  The two are very intertwined.  The website is more of an aspect of the club...not the club in it's entirety.  Does that make sense?

Regardless, this is something the club has put together as a benefit to those who participate in our hobby.  The club is a real live group of people (obvious to most here but there have been some who assumed it was 100% on-line only) who hold meetings and incur expenses to create a fun and friendly information sharing environment, not a place to sell used stuff.

The whole point that started this was opening up the classifieds to work just like other websites that sell used items.  To do that would be to allow too many to use and abuse without contributing.  I'm pretty sure everyone here also checks all the other websites for used stuff.  There's no need to have it here.  It will just cost us more money in website usage and we get nothing in return for doing it.

[bt]

I don't see the separation as a view point, it's a fact...at least that's what I've come to learn.  I'm not too sure how I can explain it.  The two are very intertwined.  The website is more of an aspect of the club...not the club in it's entirety.  Does that make sense?

Then I think perhaps the phrase you were looking for was "The club is more than the website."  That is a viewpoint I would definitely agree with (and would note this applies to the meetings as well), and I think it goes nicely with what exv152 posted.

[brotherluv]

If I have 3 SW tanks and 5 FW tanks am I a saltie or a freshie...Lol. Why would we want people feeling if they dont participate in the events they aren't part of ovas.  I think the original purpose of this thread has been lost...perhaps with more people frequenting the site checking out the classifieds the membership numbers would grow...also with higher volume of people on the site it may attract more money from our current sponsors, as well as new sponsors.  The more traffic the better in my opinion. In less than a year I've spent a ridiculous amount of time on here.  I should get a membership to help support the cost of maintaining the site.  To be honest I'd rather give a donation since I'm not interested in a 10% discount and won't be attending events as they don't coincide with my schedule.

[washefuzzy]

( Fishnut
There's a massive revenue difference between Kijiji and us so IMO, anyone who uses this website frequently and never has any intention of buying a membership EVER, is abusing the club's offering of an on-line community.)

I don't think it is  abuse for people to to use the the forum with out buying a membership. It would be nice if everybody bought a membership but they are not doing anything wrong if they don't.