[NRSKarenRN]

Originally Posted by laughing weasel

I have a silly question where do I go to sign up.

If you're interested in signing up, please go here:
http://allnurses.com/forums/subscriptions.php

[Silverdragon102]

I wish to do the same as Tweety and spacenurse and the first to PM will recieve a gift membership.

[Larry]

Ok I read the comment and now I understand the reason for the expense.

I run two websites


costs something like £24.72 a month

In the earlier days I set up a nurses forum on a different site and came back a month later and had 254 posts, but the subject matter was explosive and I decided not to run such a site - in any case it was on free hosting.

I design my sites with Macrmedia contribute 3.

I appreciate that you have a nice forum here - friendly people and 24 bucks is not much, but to a nurse living in the Philippines it is a third of their monthly salary.

The ethics of this forum therefore should be to charge those nurses in the first world the cost (us) and allow nurses from the third world free membership.

What do you think?

Would it be possible for you to open up a nurse entrepeneur thread within this forum?

Please inform me of your advertising rates.

I am also trying to raise money for street children in the Philippines

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by Larry

Would it be possible for you to open up a nurse entrepeneur thread within this forum? [/url]

There is a nurse entrepeneur bulletin board, but I don't think you're allow to self-promote your websites and business there.


http://allnurses.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=56

[SarasotaRN2b]

Considering the size of this website, and how amazingly busy it is, I've definitely decided to become a premium member. I'm just overwhelmed by the support and everyday I go to the mailbox where I am getting more and more Holiday Cards. Chris_at_lucas, you've done a wonderful job with that. Thank you.

[chris_at_lucas_RN]

Originally Posted by mccnrs2b

Considering the size of this website, and how amazingly busy it is, I've definitely decided to become a premium member. I'm just overwhelmed by the support and everyday I go to the mailbox where I am getting more and more Holiday Cards. Chris_at_lucas, you've done a wonderful job with that. Thank you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.....



Seriously, I have sent you a huge hug, mccnrs2b, and passed on your very kind, very sweet gesture.

As for the Christmas list, I absolutely loved doing it, it was a piece of cake once I got it organized and people got used to sending all the right info. And the list was my sole reason for even considering getting a premium membership, and then the bucket o' indecisionwas tipped when I received one as a gift.

So, being an allnurses nurse, I had to pass it forward.

What the hey. It's Christmas!

[jnette]

Originally Posted by stevielynn

There are ads on here?

Truly, I don't even notice them. And I have to admit I've never even clicked on one. Guess I'll have to remember that they help pay the bills and start noticing and click on one or two.
I just spent $15 on a latte and three sandwiches. $24 for a whole year seems very reasonable to me. If it is tough for some, I think the idea of putting aside a buck or two (hey, what about all that loose change on your dresser?) for a few weeks will get most of us the $24.
steph

Gotta agree with you here, Steph.. on all counts.

Sheeesh.. my puter is down for a couple weeks and I come back to chaos !

Wow. Yes, the timing was a bit disconcerting... HOWEVER... after having read through all these posts re this dilemma, I have to admit that this is by far the best Nursing BB available ANYWHERE, and I have made it my "home" for several years now.
I think Brian has done a SUPERB job with this site, as well as the mods, who do their best to keep thing civil and organized for all of us.

I can't argue with the reasoning for the annual contibution, as it was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard about this. Yes, the breakroom and current events certainly do use up a lot of bandwith.. I can well imagine. And there ARE those like me who LOVE to post pictures.. I'm very expressive and this is one of my personal ways of "communicating"... my joys and my delights and my life. Heck, I have even posted a LOT of cartoons, just to bring a laugh to someone out there who might have needed one that day !

So yes, in retrospect, I'm sure all this adds up.

Personally, I am not at all offended by the $24.00 annual contribution to keep these things alive. I jumped right on the Premium Membership when it was first offered, not so much for the perks as much as my own contribution to a wonderful site.. to help keep things going as usual.

My first thoughts when I heard about this was that EVERY nurse needs a "breakroom".. not just "premium nurses", and I still hold to that. It is a necessity in the real world as well as here. It is there where we can kick our shoes off and BREATHE... relax, laugh, cry, comfort, support,and console.

Perhaps we can come up with other options.. as a "FAMILY". I can accept the Current Events being sequestered.. any NURSING current events can still be discussed in the nursing forum itself. I agree that the "games and arcades" are not a necessity.. far from it. I agree that a poll would be a good thing to do here.

"What would you be willing to give up to keep the Breakroom open"? (Or, for those who still feel they really need to keep the Current Events open as well, we could see what we would be most willing to give up in order to keep these 2 open for all.) I think we ALL enjoy our avitars... kinds makes it feel more at "home".

It certainly can't hurt to take a poll. Throw some ideas around.

But, all in all, I can see Brian's point here.. wanting mostly to keep it a strictly NURSING board at no cost... anything "extra" at a minimal cost.
I can't find fault with that. I'd gladly give up a few uneccessary snacks, or other "stuff" to make up that $24.00 to enjoy the "extras" here at Allnurses.

And as others have mentioned above, when in proper perspective, the cost IS minimul, indeed. And it's worth every penny to me over the year.

I can see both sides here, but I have always been willing to pay for QUALITY.
And for those things that I really want and enjoy.

I think it's super that Brian is offering a student discount, as well. And considering payment options for them and others. And why not ask friends/family for an annual Allnurses membership for a Christmas gift each year if the money is tight? Wouldn't that be better than those toe sox or yet another tie?

Then again, I also have to mull over the idea of charging "new" members .. let's say, those joining after Jan. 1st, 2005, for expample. And grandfather everyone else in...?... it's certainly worth a thought, and could possibly work out quite well.

I imagine Brain has considered all options as well. What ever he decides, it is ultimately up to me to like or not like and to respond accordingly.. as we all will in the end.

And again, this IS his site, and it has flourished under his thoughtful administration, so who am I to decide how to best run this operation?

Peace.. 'tis the Season.

We'll get through this, too.

[fab4fan]

admin note: original Post was removed, see next post

[brian]

I'd like to remind everone, if you have a disagreement with the decisions of the staff, use the feedback forum, do not post public criticism.


Thanks Brian
from the Terms of Service:

Public Disagreements with Administration/Staff or Guidelines
You agree that if you disagree with allnurses.com website policy or action of a staff member, you will not post public arguments or disagreements nor attempt to petition the owner/administration to change policy through posts, polls, email, PM or any other service found within the allnurses.com Website. If you disagree, you may respectfully post your comments in private in the feedback forum ( http://allnurses.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=128 ) where only Admins and You can see the your conversation.

Please use the appropriate forum for posting your concerns.

[Franemtnurse]

Originally Posted by chris_at_lucas_RN

For many of us, this is a lifeline, a contact with the outside world, a collection of friends who understand us, and whom we understand, like no other.

As Chris mentioned, this is my link to Nursing and to the outside world of friends who understand one another. I am disabled and homebound, and do live on a very limited income. In fact, 70% of my monthly income goes to pay my rent. This (especially the Break Room daily thread) is where I personally have been enlightened, my life has been enriched by many of the members on this thread, and we just love one another, and would like to keep this going. Without this, I have only me.