Important: Poll on proposed subscription forums

[SpectralDragon]

quote:Originally posted by SoulDragon

Well, Jaclyn on pg 1 pretty much summed up my thoughts. I'll bet that there are a lot of serious, mature teenagers who are... well... don't like to talk about this to adults.I know if I had to pay I wouldn't, because of this, and then the majority of the other members would be in a "deeper discussion." The other boards would be almost dry of people to talk to. I know then I would leave this and have too look for another site like this, which would take a long time. Thank you for your time

Never more

In other words he made a post that parralleled what his opinion was.

quote:Originally posted by Jaclyn

Adrian,
I may not be 18+ years, but when it comes to astral projection and OBEs I take it seriously. I've been searching for forums like this for some time now, although I have noticed many immature posters. But there are some people on the forums that I realize are very experienced in AP, and if I wasnt able to post with them anymore, my progress would slow dramatically. I'm not inexperienced when it comes to this subject, but I would love to understand it more, and if I'm stuck with a bunch of thirteen year olds who don't know what they're talking about, I have a feeling it just won't be the same.
I'm not able to pay the amount asked because of family rules, but I would really hate to lose the privilage of posting and viewing the forums.

(oops, seems me and clad made posts almost at the same time)

[ImmuredSoul]

Anybody else see what I'm seeing? Moderators are playing!!!! They're PLAYING! Somebody help us, the whole world's gone insane! [B)]

[clandestino]

hee hee, yes, we are human. Underneath our moderator labels we are really astralpulse members, ordinary people. I think.

Except EOL007, he's more machine now than man.

(joke - don't beat me up stephen !)


Kind regards,
Mark

[Eol007]

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Oh, I'm awake now... what's happening?

S []

[SoulDragon]

Thank you for everyone who helped me help Nay understand why I chose what I chose which is also what Jaclyn chose... Yeah
Especially those who weren't too lazy 2 quote, like me.
And if this confuses everyone just skip my post or delete it or something.[]

[Nay]

LOL..I swear I couldn't find it to save my life!!

Well...my contacts are five months old now..eeks [:O] and I did have a couple beers last night, but sheesh.. not enough to make me go blind.[]

Electric sheep, Stephen?..LOL  

Nay

[Rastus]

I still don't see what's wrong with "Pay $10 or AP to Adrians Computer to gain admittance" idea?

Besides, all the obnoxious posters are going to pay $10 anyway [)]

And for all you that think there are secrets to AP, go read teh "Focus 15" thread, because that's the stuff that's going to be talked about.  Or the virtues of Mental over Ethereic projections.  Just no posts on "I've been trying for 8 months and I think I had vibes last night" []

[Lynfer]

I have a suggestion, Adrian. please do read this.
 What If the subscriber's forum and the regular forum be made free to all current members and new memebers pay the fee. The reason for this- not all of us knew we'd have to start to pay for some of these great resources. But the new members will already know before they indulge in it.
 I hope all of you consider this.

[Mystic Man]

quote:Originally posted by Lynfer

I have a suggestion, Adrian. please do read this.
 What If the subscriber's forum and the regular forum be made free to all current members and new memebers pay the fee. The reason for this- not all of us knew we'd have to start to pay for some of these great resources. But the new members will already know before they indulge in it.
 I hope all of you consider this.

$10.00 / year is rather easy to obtain.  Just drive down the street and pick up a few soda cans and get easy deposit refunds!   Or how about some of that interest income from your savings?   So many ways to dig up the $10.00 its not even funny!    

Now if it goes up to $20 / year the following year because the door got open...well that's another thing!

[D.E.A.T.H]

I only visit once in a while but I don't mind paying 10 bucks for a good service.
The problem of immature posters wouldn't go away by charging money but it would certainly restrict a whole lot of people who doesn't have credit cards or are unable to pay using on-line means, thus we will keep a lot of immature posters and irrelevant topics away but we will also keep allot of people away.

The idea is good and I think that those that really want to make this work and is willing to give positive input to the topics being discussed will find a way to come up with the means to pay the $10.

I've been on allot of forums and being a moderator myself I know how "stupid" people can act even the mods and admin sometimes. People should look back to why they joined here and not take this forum as someplace where they can chat to their mates or behave like it's their backyards or something. We get too easily accustomed to being here and forget the seriousness of what this forum was designed for.

[LogoRat]

Its a bunch of crap, Walk away!

[Kazbadan]

I would like to ask Adrian when are we gonna have a final decision.

Have you decided anything? Are you gonna make something different from the original ideas? When? etc,etc

I am curious about what is going to happen[]...


thanks

[shedt]

can we sponsor others ?

If it's $10 I would not mind to pay for someone else.

Esp. if they are under18 or they just do not have a job.

[jedibratt]

quote:Originally posted by MajorTom

Excellent idea!

Absolutely.[] To be purely honest, the information found on this sight, IMHO, is priceless. Think about all the universal understanding you have recieved from the Pulse. All the insight into the "world unseen, and unfelt", man, you can't get this stuff in school. Thank the almighty life force.[]

[Jenadots]

Maybe it has already been said, but I think you should just charge the ten dollars for access to any or all of the forums as they are.  

As long as it is just ten dollars for the whole year and not a monthly charge, I think it would be the best bargain on the web.

[ralphm]

quote:
Maybe it has already been said, but I think you should just charge the ten dollars for access to any or all of the forums as they are.

As long as it is just ten dollars for the whole year and not a monthly charge, I think it would be the best bargain on the web.

Sounds similar to what I said before, with the option that mabe a person could access the site free for a limited time. Too bad no one commented.  Also maybe we could give students a free ride?

[Fat_Turkey]

As long as there are still forums left over for those specific topics that non-paying members can go to I'm happy. If it they were gone then I guess we'd just have to go to the Astral Chat section instead, and end up clogging up the place.

In other words, to be fair, I hope that there will be identical forums for those topics. One of them members-only, and the other to be for regular Joe members.

Also, I am hoping that if someone decides to pay for say...two months...can hop off the bandwagon and join up at the next pit stop. For example, if I were to pay for this for three months, not show up on the AP for about 4 months (as is often the case), then I want to come back to the member's service, I'd like to be able to re-subscribe.

Great idea though.

~FT

[Akensai]

No I would Not Never EVER pay for a forum!

well... maybe not never, but its not likely.

[Akensai]

Originally posted by Adrian



In recognition of the fact that everyone on the path has different needs and aspirations, we have since opened up the scope of the forums considerably to where The Astral Pulse is today. While it is clear that many members are deriving value from the forums, it is also true to say that many of the longer established members feel that they can no longer derive the same level of discussions as enjoyed previously for many reason, mostly relating to the consequences of a much wider range of topics and therefore members. This is a situation which the moderators and I feel compelled to resolve; we simply have to return to our original charter and focus.

Ok longer established members feel the level of the discussions have gone down, supossitly by the wide range of topics and the new wave of members it brings. Got that lets read on.

The moderators and I have accordingly considered a range of possibilities, (which?) and we feel that as so many members clearly enjoy The Astral Pulse in its current format and equally clearly derive benefit from it, we should enable The Astral Pulse to continue in its present form if at all possible for the benefit of all valued members.  Valued members. Ok Who are these valued members?

We are absolutely determined however to provide a means by which our original members, as well all those who seek much more than the existing open forums provide, can enjoy a very highly focussed, and strictly moderated range of forums which will not only provide the same focus as the  original Astral Pulse, but which will also go further thereby creating a resource of great value to its participants.

The forums which will be strictly members only and will be invisible to non-members,will only consist of the following 5 categories:

What is the reason for invisible forums, is restricting posting rights not enough? Or is that technicly not possible?)

Astral Projection (The main reason why people come here!)
OBE (same)
Spiritual Development
Metaphysics  
Quantum Physics

And of course will include all of the subjects that these encompass including for example Magic in the case of Metaphysics.

In order to reflect the nature of these forums we will be applying a subscription fee of just $10 per year payable in advance, a fee that has been decided on the basis that it should be affordable by all. The first month will be free of charge, so people who wish to cancel during the first month may do so at no cost. Fees will be payable through PayPal so that anyone with a credit card can easily join.

Ok valued members are those who pay? Not original members or others?

Problems:

1) Assuming only sensible members pay.

This is the biggest problem in your way of trying to create a forum where the level of discussion higher. Paying on the net these days is easy, esp for anyone over 18. This will not in anyway make sure the level of discussion will be higher. It is likely serious members are more likely to pay, but it does not make sure the quality of the post is higher. Also you will miss the extra activity you have now on the forum, this could also inpact your discussion negatively.

2) Assuming sensible members want to pay.

Chances not every valued member wants to pay, and you need those to have a high and active level of discussion.

3) Assuming people are Ok paying over the internet,or can at all pay, for a service like this.

This may hinder some people, maybe not alot.

4) New members are less likely to pay, as they do not know the value of this forum or the member forums, this will hinder people from learning about OBE.

This could be a problem, depends on how much you value new members.

As I see it, the effects of the change could be negative, but maybe not, it also depends on the persons, some people might prefer to have smaller and hopefuly beter community.

..but ,I have my doubts if it will work.

[Sim2]

quote:Originally posted by Adrian
Our absolute objective is a high quality forum where all members have complete respect for each other at all times irrespective of knowledge or experience. Be assured that we have the very best interests of all sincere seekers of the truth in mind always.

I think the new forums should be open and observable to all rather than hidden, concealed and secret allowing the high quality contributions to be beneficial and appreciated by all. That way no one is deprived access to information from the high quality forums or deprived the freedom to contribute and benefit from these aleady existing forums. This would be in the interests of all.

[mustang]

I realise that this charging for the new forums is unavoidable and there is a considerable expense in maintaining such a large forum, with so many sub-forums. But to many of us in the Third World, ten dollars is not as cheap as it is for those of you in North America, UK, Europe, Australasia. In fact in real terms, ten dollars is about equivalent to sixty dollars to one such as myself. And I am far far better off money-wise than 90% of South Africans. And I don't think I can spare the money for now. So I will be passing on all this.

And I don't want to be the one to burst everybody's bubble, but not all or even most of the posts put up at astralpulse are of the highest quality, or even of a decent quality. And that is putting it politely. I also fail to see how charging people ten dollars is goint to raise the bar so to speak, as if the people who are going to pay the member's fee by the very fact that they are paying a fee, somehow means that their posts are going to be of a high value. Doubtless, even if moderated the standard of the posts in this new forum will be the same as it has always been - of mixed quality.

Although I'm sure there will be a lot of good stuff posted up that I and others will miss out on, especially if all the best posters with the most informative stuff start posting solely on this new paid member's only forum. In fact if this is what happens then one can expect the regular astralpusle forums as a consequence to decline in quality, but I hope I'm wrong in this regard.

[bitkari]

Perhaps keep the forums free & open, and ask for donations?

[Nagual]

Apparently, I think the main reason for a fee was more to filter members to leave out the trolls, and other annoying members who just post to flame people, etc... rather than to raise money.

[Shirley]

Dear Adrian,

Your idea of another kind of forum is an interesting one. However the voting options provided I am sure will not reflect the views of the poll accurately since you have asked us to reply within such a limited format. For instance I would like to vote in a particular way but not for any of the reasons you suggest. It would be most inaccurate if I voted and you assumed the reason was the ones you have clustered together with the three answers.
'Yes', 'No' and 'don't know' would be preferable voting options IMHO,  than assuming the reasons for the answers would be so simplistic and uniform. Alternatively, a space for 'reason for decision' would give you an insight into why people find it a good or bad idea - thereby getting  the more honest feedback you need to measure true feelings and recieve alternative suggestions - and you would also have an accurate statistic of those in favour, not in favour and those who wish to abstain.

[FistOfFury]

Paying for forums is NOT "unavoidable". What a bunch of nonsense, that's so not true.

People don't want to pay because of the price, it could be $1 a year and it still wouldn't make a difference. It's the PRINCIPLE of the matter.

Some people just DON'T WANT TO PAY, period.

Some don't believe in segregating the community. It defeats the purpose of what this forum, and other forums in fact, were originallly set up for, for a COMMUNITY.

Some don't believe that $$$ will fix anything. It's not the solution. It's like trying to fix the problem of filling a circular hole with a square piece, the two aren't related, and don't go together.

And quite frankly, who wants to pay for something where every thread de-evolves into a gelatinous puddle of personal attacks, neg paranoia, and hidden agenda accusations, like cult creation?  You honestly think $$$ will magically fix that and then everything will be okay again? No, it won't. If anything it will make it worse, cuz then people will start creating more stupid accusations like so and so is being stuck up because he's a paying member, and so on and so forth, a neverending cycle.

The only real solution, is to get to the core of the problem, not the outer skin. Get more mods that will do their job, reform the rules, and add an advanced debate forum (THAT'S OPEN TO ALL, BUT IS HEAVILY MODERATED, with non-serious and/or negative posts deleted or warned).