Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot Subscription Update
By far the biggest complaint that we heard was from users who either hate paypal, or simply don't want to mess with it. I'm not going to go into the politics of that issue here, but it's a valid complaint. As we've explained countless times, we picked paypal first because it was simple and quick and planned to support credit cards directly as soon as we worked the kinks out of the system. And now that's happened. I'm still interested in other payment mechanisms and I'm open to suggestions as to what they might be.
Complaint number two was from people who didn't like the metered subscriptions. Again, this is a very valid complaint. I've already explained why it was essential that we impose some sort of limits, so what we've implemented is a new option called Max Ads. What it does is limit the number of pages you choose to view ad free on any given day. By default, that is 10. So even if you view slashdot 20 times a day, your $5 subscription will still last 100 days with the default setting of 10 Max Ads. Of course, you can up that number too.
Subscribers still have the ability to choose what page classes you suppress ads on. Simply hiding ads on Articles and Index, but seeing them on Comments is enough for the vast majority of readers to never hit the default Max Ads settings. At those settings, the subscription fee for a year on Slashdot would be on par with a typical magazine.
So far we've been really pleased with the turnout: 2% of our logged in users have chosen to subscribe, and we really hope that number will increase since such a huge number of readers expressed support for the subscription system, but distaste for paypal.
As we explained earlier, a large part of our decision to suppress banner ads was so that we could start accepting other ad formats, but give users an option to support Slashdot, without seeing these new ad formats. These other ad formats are highly desirable and should allow our sales folks to get contracts that we would otherwise be ineligible for. Web Advertising is a highly competitive field, and these ad formats make it possible for us to compete.
The last thing I'm mentioning here is Subscriber Plums. We have a variety of things that subscribers will eventually have access to. We're certainly open to reasonable suggestions, and we'll announce them as they come online. As I've said before, we won't be taking away things from non-subscribers, just rewarding those who are throwing quarters into the guitar case. More on these plums at a later date.
Thanks to the subscribers, as well as to those who click on our ads and support us by supporting our advertisers. You guys are helping to ensure that Slashdot sticks around for a long time.
$0.70 a day, you too can join in the millions to help out the poor, starving /. editors.
Karma? Karma? I don't need no stinkin' karma.
How about an option to hide the always annoying, never clever CowboyNeal option in the poll? That'll get some people subscribing...
"People that quote themselves in their signatures bother me" - athakur999
I miss the banner ads! Can't you make the slashdot logo link, jump, and wiggle?
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
You just got $5.00 out of me. :-)
Sig (appended to the end of comments you post, 120 chars)
At least, I better say it before someone else says it in a more distasteful way.
:) I couldn't think of a better way to get their goat.
Good timing, announcing this during the blackout. The very people who have the most to say on this topic must remain silent.
MUHAHAHA, way to go Taco!
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Great, Rob, throw this out while the blackout is going on,
I'd forgotten about that. No wonder the S/N ratio has been so high recently.
I read the internet for the articles.
Lighten up: Life is just to damn short to worry about grammar on Slashdot!
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
Another sign it's a troll: All the words in the post are properly spelled!
Next we'll be seeing guys claiming to be Hemos and Jamie posting comments here...
Best Slashdot Co
I completely agree. I have a weekend subscription to the New York Times, and I can't tell you how many times they've double posted articles on the same tired topics: the Mideast conflict, the bad economy, boring art, police brutality, etc. I've already read about each of these issues at least once! Man, it's almost as if news, or history even, has a way of repeating itself!
you could contact small businesses, and say "hey, if you don't pay us $$$, we will post a story about you that will result in your entire years bandwidth allowance being used up by lunchtime!!!"
Yeah, based on me watching the traffic numbers, I think most people missed that memo as well. *grin*
Yeah, I'm that guy.
Lighten up: Life is just to damn short to worry about grammar on Slashdot!
Or spelling, either! ;-)
Just kidding, Rob. We all love you!
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
they get 20,000 subscribers they'll release the slashcode!
Check out ioquake3.org for a great, free, First-Person Shooter engine!
There shouldn't be Flash ads - please e-mail me when you find one. I track down the 3rd party advertiser, and kick them in the jim-jams.
Yeah, I'm that guy.