Re: We need YOUR help & your opinion, Please READ THIS !!!!!!!

There are several facets to this dilemma as I see it.

1. Having advertisements floating around on a site is irritating and frustrating. Some of them, more so than others. But everybody despises them. So don’t have them.

2. I don’t feel that selling anything tangible, such as a product, on the site would be a viable concept. To sell products, you need to advertise. And that means ads on the site. And people don’t like ads.

2. Having people donate money is a good way to start. And I feel that a great many people will follow through. But over time, I don’t believe that very many people will continue to follow through. The contributions will dwindle and you will be in the same place, financially, that you are in now. It’s just human nature.

3. I feel that having a membership only site would be great for those that are financially able to contribute. But since not everyone is, I feel that it would create a further hardship on those who are already hurting financially. I, personally, look to alternative health methods because the medical industry has totally lost all credibility with me. I don’t believe in them, period. But some people look to alternative health methods because they cannot afford anything else. To exclude them would be a real shame, and further hurt people that are already hurting.

4. I feel that one viable solution, at least at this point, would be to offer a membership with a fee that will support your financial needs. Give the members special privileges. Perhaps, the entire site would be open to everyone to read. But only members would be able to post. I feel that keeping the site open so that everyone can at least read the posts is very important.

5. Memberships could be further broken down by forums. Each forum could have a membership fee. This would let the member post on only that specific forum. This fee would be based on the bandwidth used for that individual forum. And a general membership fee could be assessed for unlimited access to all forums and regular services.

6. And especially, have a choice on the type of membership they want. Have a monthly fee, and a discount for annual memberships. This way, people that have very limited funds can choose the way that suits their needs the best. They could be a member for only a month or two, if that’s all that they can afford. Also, let people have a choice on how they can pay. Such as credit card, pay pal, check, money order, and other choices.

7. Add special services to the site. Charge a fee for these special services. What those special services might be, I wouldn’t know. But it’s an idea. And you don’t need ads to promote services. Just a notice and a link will do nicely.

I feel that this might be a working foundation that will last. I certainly hope so. You have done such a wonderful job with this site. You must keep this site open to everyone. It is imperative that you do. People’s health, their quality of life, and even their very lives depend on it.

The Best of Luck,
Tracy Tweet