The news
Yes, I finally got it working!
We now have an account on Patreon, where you can sign up to be a subscriber and support the forum's ongoing existence, should you so desire.
You can subscribe by clicking hereWhat is it?
As a subscriber, you'll get the ability to upload images (through the usual button in the editor, and drag-and-drop works too), and - since it's not really fair to take your money
and show you ads - the ads will be removed too (with the exception of the top banner - that's exclusively for our tFB Traders to provide deals or PSAs that benefit our members, and we never take a penny in return for them).
Currently images are limited to about 2.1MB each, although I'm working on trying to fix that; there's a good case for upping the limit to 3MB, since that seems to cover most pics taken by phones. Later, I'll also work out how to fix Vanilla's image resizing code, so that we'll take care of that for you.
Important note: You'll need to use the same email address on Patreon as you used to create your account on tFB; if they're different, it won't be able to
automatically find your account and enable the new functionality for you. If you can't do that (eg you already have a Patreon account under a different email address), or if the ads haven't disappeared when you've subscribed, just email me at
admin@thefretboard.co.uk with your username and both email addresses, and I'll get it sorted for you as soon as I can.
How much?
There's only one tier at £3.50 + VAT/month (£4.20), although if you're quick you can get one of 20 spots at £2.50 + VAT/month (£3). You can actually pay whatever you want above that if you're feeling generous, but that's not really necessary (I couldn't see how to easily remove that option).
The pricing's based entirely on the cost of hosting images pretty much forever, but I do understand if that's a bit much for you. In fact, there's no hard sell here...it's entirely optional, and you can always carry on doing things the way you always have.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes, it can take about 10 minutes for Patreon to tell our system (behind the scenes) that you've paid, so don't panic if nothing changes immediately. If it gets to half an hour and you're still seeing ads, email us at admin@thefretboard.co.uk and it'll get sorted ASAP.
Does it have to be monthly?
When I originally asked about pricing, there was a request to have longer-term billing options - Patreon do allow annual billing, but I can't activate it until we've got a history of keeping the account in good standing. As soon as it becomes available, I'll enable it and you'll be able to switch over.
UPDATE: Patreon still aren't offering it, so as an alternative...you can send £42 to PayPal instead and that'll get you a year's membership. Don't forget to put your username and "Annual Subscription" in the notes!
What if I don't want to subscribe?
Well...no worries, you'll still be able to use the forum as you always have. I'm not going to start splitting the forum's membership into them-and-us - in fact, there won't be any obvious way to see who's subscribed and who hasn't (unlike, for example, the tFB Traders). There certainly won't be any restriction of access to content for people who aren't subscribed; subscribers get additional functionality, and the warm fuzzy feeling of helping this place survive and grow. That's all.
What next?
In terms of the future development...most functionality that gets added to the site will be covered in this tier. I'll only be adding extra tiers or changing the price
if the cost of running the new features (or an increase to the cost of hosting) is significant enough to risk there not being enough in the coffers to keep the site alive.
This won't ever affect people who're already subscribed.
What's the fine print?
The only fine print here is...you do still need to abide by the site's rules. Being a subscriber doesn't make you immune from bans or being stuck in the cooler. However, we're not assholes, so in the case where someone gets banned outright we'll refund a pro-rata amount of their most recent payment made (assuming your subscription is still active). This is likely irrelevant to most folk for monthly subscriptions, but when we get annual subscriptions enabled it'll be more meaningful.
Comments
flanging_fed “
Idiots' authority | Promising equality | So where is the Land of the Free? | Stop it, you're killing me
Yet when you're not logged in it says see new sticky
Well it does on my phone anyways (android)
I'm guessing help & feedback section not viewable if you're not logged in?
Idiots' authority | Promising equality | So where is the Land of the Free? | Stop it, you're killing me
I've opened that section to guests, let's see how it goes...
It's just another irritation with Patreon...they bill it as "We take care of the VAT for you!", but it's actually "We don't give you any choice, even if you're not VAT registered!".
Apologies to anyone for the mix-up. Totally get it if you want to cancel at this point, given that it's basically costing 20% more than (initially) advertised.
asking for a friend
edit: and if someone previously banned is happy to subscribe can they sign back up?
Idiots' authority | Promising equality | So where is the Land of the Free? | Stop it, you're killing me
And no, subscriptions don't override the rules (ie the terms and conditions of the site). If somebody's banned, they're completely banned and signing up again will just result in them being banned once more. If they manage to subscribe before we ban them again, we'll refund it.
Ebay mark7777_1
even though I'm not actually getting it!
If you did get it, you'd have to register for VAT and pay it all over to HMRC. You don't want to get it!
Your only worry is income tax, unless you're going to create a more formal vehicle to own/run the forum and receive/pay monies relating to it.
Nah, the Fretboard has changed my life. Into someone who's skint and doesn't have any space that's not occupied by guitars, admittedly, but it's worth it.
By the way, you hit a bit of a bug when you signed up - I've fixed it now, and updated your account.