I'm torn - I oppose pro, but I want to support the site.
1) I'm quite opposed to two significant changes introduced with the "pro" account (see https://www.instructables.com/community/Pro-Instructables-Accounts/ for my perspective)
2) I want to support the site and the people behind it
While the above two aren't necessarily orthogonal to each other, I have to recognize that this is a business, and they are making this change purely for business reasons.
Therefore I know that if I choose to go 'pro' that may lessen the impact of my argument because, as a business, they have to recognize that even their detractors are still paying up. They may choose, for purposes of profit and revenue, to leave the major problems unchanged because it's working.
Note that I don't actually use the site enough to make the cost worth it - I'd be paying for it merely because I want to support the site and keep it going (preferably in the right direction).
What are your thoughts on this issue?
-Adam
Discussions
10 years ago
so, why dont they put a donation link instead of making people pay to see what they could se before without paying?
Reply 10 years ago
Because they're not a non profit company ;)
Reply 10 years ago
Then why do you need to pay for pro?
Not that I'm saying I'm against pro
Reply 10 years ago
Because if you are "giving" money - you need to get a product or service ;)
Reply 10 years ago
Unless if I misunderstand you, if you are giving money, then you are donating. If you are paying money, then your need a product or service.
Reply 10 years ago
You got it.... Hence giving in quotations in my earlier post ;) Some people are taking the angle that they'd rather donate... I say to them, pretend it is a donation :p Yes, you are paying for a product/service No, you can't just give a donation to a for profit company (this isn't a sustainable business model and likely not supported by instructables' investors) I pay, because I want to support the community, company and core service :)
10 years ago
You can still write instructables to help support the site.
10 years ago
I should have known... A site that withdrew my anonymity for the sake of a simple PDF would eventually want more. I have read much of what Stienman (Adam) has said and concur. After this first and last post I will submit an unsubscribe response to the newsletter.
10 years ago
I can definatly understand the pro accounts but taking away secondary images? Most Instructables on this site will be useless to non pro members unless you pull out your magnafiying glass.
10 years ago
I would suggest signing up for the pro account, that way your donating money. Plus side is, you have a few extras. Personally, I am not signed up for the features, i signed up to give something back, simple as, im not the only one either, quite a few people are going pro just to give money.
Reply 10 years ago
Zackly! Whilst I'm not wholly in agreement with the exact set of pro features, I'm pro because this site has changed my life (seriously), and the opportunity to give something back has arrived just at the time I can afford to do so.
10 years ago
If the business model had been: "Pay the pro fee and YOUR content will continue to be free in accordance with your Creative Commons License.", by which I mean that a pro fee would let users see my secondary pictures, download PDF, etc., I would absolutely have paid a fee. But this model? No. There's no value add to this model. What they've done is kidnapped content freely given to the community and put it behind a garden wall where anyone who wants to see it has to pay ransom.
While it may not be in abrogation of the terms of agreement from a legal standpoint, it is certainly a violation of the spirit under which things were posted here.
10 years ago
I think many would agree that our usage is infrequent enough that paying for the site is not going to happen. The site is interesting and occasionally provides useful info but so do thousands (millions?) of free sites. Good luck on your business model, I won't be participating...
10 years ago
I agree with your conclusions here (though not at all with your original posting), and have the same ambivalence. I don't have any problem with having paid accounts with additional features (especially when both ad and VC revenue are substantially depressed), but I object to removing basic existing functionality. I haven't resolved the discrepancy in my own mind, but I'm hoping that dialogue with Eric (as opposed to whining and polemical diatribes :-/) can encourage him and Staff to rethink some of the fine details of their plan.
10 years ago
Go buy merchandise from the store.
10 years ago
Buy it, it supports the site which is what you would like to do. If you feel that it is something you want to do (support a website) and know that it is worth it, then by all means do it. When I have donated to a forum it is not for "donor" badge net to the name, it was because I thought it is a website I like, enjoy and want to keep alive.