How do i get my profile pic to show up next to my posts?
- Thread starter McMalty
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Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Its called an avatar, and being able to upload an avatar is one of the benefits of being a supporting member of hbt ($25/year).
Edit: I see that the correct terminology is 'premium supporter'
Edit: I see that the correct terminology is 'premium supporter'
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
This is actually one problem (one of 2) I have with the site. Every poster is a supporter of the site. They provide the site with content whether or not they are premium supporters. Things like avatars and signature files help build the community as they help people differentiate between posters. Better community, more posts, more ad revenue. Paying to disable ads is pretty common for premium memberships. Another common benefit for premium is the ability to use custom titles. Avatars are usually available for everyone.
jppostKW
Well-Known Member
think of it as helping fund the server space for that fancy avatar along with all the other things offered to premium supporters.
What is the other problem?
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What about when you change your avatar or signature often?
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
I know premium memberships help site revenue. I have my own image hosts, so server space is strictly for the text I post. I used to moderate on a large gaming site, now I donate my time to moderating a forum for political junkie malcontents who were booted from that site.
The other thing that's offered to premium supporters is the ability for the political junkies to argue. Locking down a section like this is a mistake. These sections tend to generate a f***ton of posts and page views.
But hey, it's not that big of a deal. I don't get to argue politics here, and you guys aren't subjected to my Billy Barty avatar.
I think its appropriate to complain about the service I receive from the company I pay to provide my crappy dsl service (soon to be former provider of crappy dsl service as of Wednesday). I do not think its appropriate to complain about the quality of the crappy free car wash I receive at my gas station - its free.
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I disagree. Allows "members" only in the debate forum cuts down on trolls...
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
Nobody gets a signature picture here, so that's a non-issue, but I had to look at the name to recognize the poster.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
The forum I fail to moderate is populated with trolls. It would be far less interesting without them. A lot of people don't like that forum style, but a lot of people will lurk just to read. Heated debates generate tons of page views.
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HBT isn't about heated debates to generate page views...
The debate forum was added in mid-late 2008 during the run-up to the Presidential election. Political things started to spill into the technical threads. The owner and mods huddled and decided a members-only debate forum was appropriate, as a lot of us premium supporters have become "friends" over the years and it's been good to debate politics with them.
Trolls really lower the quality of a forum, in my opinion. To summarize, I think your point is that you are complaining about not receiving access to a forum that you didn't pay for, because offering that free service would encourage more trolls.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
I get it man, our political off topic section wasn't added to the gaming site until the run up to the 2000 election due to too many posts. Yes people become friends, and that even includes the trolls. A far better solution for severe problem children is a plugin called "miserable users"
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Mongrel
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Not really, I already spend far too much time with a group of people who love to argue politics. I just know that it generates a ton of site traffic. I see it as a drawback to HBT, and anyway, it's not up to me.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
heh, we got booted from the gaming site when it got sold to another company that decided to go more family friendly. Now it's just a privately funded board for a bunch of malcontents arguing politics. But, we have had a few brewing threads.Maybe add a brewing thread to your gaming site, and then you'd be happy?
Anyway, my point is getting a little sidetracked. While my group of miserable users were still allowed to post on the gaming site, we rivaled the games being discussed. What a good off topic section does is keep your user base even after they stop caring about the hobby. We had posters stay on for a decade after quitting their MMORPG. Posters that stay on, continue contributing content. Content that dances on the razors edge of the RoC tends to generate a lot of dedicated readership.
Besides, just because I have a problem with something, it doesn't mean people have to agree with me.
Yes, crappy trolly traffic. I disagree that not offering a free forum to attract trolls is a drawback to HBT. Rather, I think its a huge asset and advantage.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
How do you define troll traffic? Every person has a different definition for who they see as a troll poster. Administrators have great tools available, miserable users being a fantastic choice for getting rid of useless tools. The willingness to pay, at least in my experience, doesn't elevate the quality of debate. And please remember, it's not just the posts that count. The number of people reading any given thread count too. Even lurkers are beneficial to a site's health.
We're obviously talking past each other here. I'm confused about why you are complaining about what you do not receive (an avatar and access to the debate forum) on a free site. Its free.
If you want an avatar or access to the debate forum, its simple - become a paying member.
If you want an avatar or access to the debate forum, its simple - become a paying member.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
It's not really a complaint, I just think it's a bad business decision. The whole it's free argument on the internet is never really thought out. Sites generate revenue based on page views, clicks, time spent, etc. Make your posters want to spend even more time here, even when they're done talking beer. <---That's my point. Make your readers spend more time here, even when they're done reading about beer, that's my point. More posts leads to more readership. That's my point.
This is not my point at all.
So you don't care about not having an avatar or having access to the debate forum as a non-paying member. Great, I have no idea what we've been talking about then. I guess just giving Tx some advice and counsel.
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I think the forum with ~72,000 members and ~2,800,000 posts is doing just fine....
DregAddict
Well-Known Member
Sounds like this is a difference of philosophy. He thinks certain things should be provided for free, and others think that the fact that they aren't provided makes this site better. You guys are just debating this difference of philosophy with him, and in doing so, you are providing him with a debate forum.
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Mongrel
Well-Known Member
No, I have places to satiate these needs. The lack of an avatar doesn't hurt my ego, and I don't give extra credit for post counts either.
What HBT loses out on is the possibility of retaining anyone who moves on from this great hobby. These political subsections are great at retaining people. Again, we don't have to agree, but my argument is more geared towards long term poster retention and increased readership.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
You're partially right
You're partially right
Congratulations. You just spent an hour arguing about something you don't personally care about. What were you saying earlier about a troll?
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
Again, you have missed my point.Congratulations. You just spent an hour arguing about something you don't personally care about. What were you saying earlier about a troll?
I'll slow this down a little. I (personally as in me) don't have to argue politics on HBT. I have other locations to do this. However, from personal experience as a moderator of an active off topic section, I've seen how much traffic a good political section can generate for a site. Posts and page views are beneficial to the site. Trolls and lurkers contribute in their own way.
This is about poster retention and the sense of community. OK, I realize premium members want to feel special. Considerations have to be made. Afterall, blocking ads is as simple as running firefox with adblock installed. The 5 PM limit is a good incentive. Staying within that is a PITA. That is quality functionality that people will pay for. Again, people like to feel special, so give them unique user titles. Adjust the colors of their names. People like that stuff. There are lots of ways to offer these things without harming user retention.
But, I'd like to revisit my earlier question about what constitutes a troll. Is it someone who disagrees with you? Or someone who simply goes for a reaction? Or, we could just dismiss any talk of trolls, because that subject makes easy to dismiss anyone with an opposing view point.
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I guess you didn't see my post from before...
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
I saw it. Homebrewing is an intriguing topic. I don't have an issue with what HBT does. I raised an question of how to keep people after they stop homebrewing. People stick to on topic questions as long as they are content with the subject matter. The off topic stuff keeps them hooked for long after. Like I mentioned, we had people posting religiously up to a decade after they had quit their hobby.
Keeping the old guys has a serious community benefit. Look, people get burnt out. I don't know how many times anyone can answer an "is my beer ruined" thread before they stop caring. AZ, like you've said, people become friends on a message board. It takes time, but you start to think of these little blocks of text as another human that you feel a connection with. My whole point is centered around keeping people here.
Currently, someone gets too busy to brew, or gives it up for another reason, they're gone. Liked arguing with them? Too bad, they're gone. Readership factors into ad revenues too. More readership = higher ad rates. More dialog encourages readership. That's good for the health of the site.
Keeping the old guys has a serious community benefit. Look, people get burnt out. I don't know how many times anyone can answer an "is my beer ruined" thread before they stop caring. AZ, like you've said, people become friends on a message board. It takes time, but you start to think of these little blocks of text as another human that you feel a connection with. My whole point is centered around keeping people here.
Currently, someone gets too busy to brew, or gives it up for another reason, they're gone. Liked arguing with them? Too bad, they're gone. Readership factors into ad revenues too. More readership = higher ad rates. More dialog encourages readership. That's good for the health of the site.
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Mongrel
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Just mentioning that thread seems to be the best marketing for a premium membership anyone has thought out. I have no idea how many memberships it buys. How many renew? Does it offset the amount of google ad revenue that's been lost by keeping it premium only?You obviously don't know about the TapRoom thread.
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
*yawn*
are you still awake?
any other advice you'd like to give the forum owner? I know I can't wait
Mongrel
Well-Known Member
I'm not the one deleting posts. Look, we don't see eye to eye on this subject. You like to feel special because you're a good, upstanding, supporting member of this site. I get it, I've helped sell premium memberships. I have also donated many hours to other sites, and have a good appreciation for all contributing members. I was simply offering a decade's worth of observations as far as community building. We disagree. What exactly are you looking for?
Yes, I regretted saying something mean spirited to you. That's what adults do.
Quote anything I've said that supports that.
I don't really want anything from you. You keep posting, so I keep responding. Or is that what you're doing? The internet's a wonderful place
