Donation forum benefits? [Request]

[VirusNinja]

I've seen many sites, mods, and other things have a donating system up. Most of the time, benefits happen. Like:

Beta Access
Name changing
Signatures (since it's always blocked on here)
Award
Colored name

It's probably a stupid thing to add for most people, but, it's a nice thing to do when you donate to a site you like, plus you get goods out of it and so does the site admin/owner.

What do you think? Yes or no?

[Kapus]

You get a medal. That's good enough in my opinion.

[Lio]

I wouldn't want anyone to have different privileges compared to a regular user just because they paid for them.

Not to mention you shouldn't need an incentive to contribute to a cause.

[Colonel ServBot]

welp, i'd donte if i had money. and a credit card. but i disagree with this, it sounds unfair to those who are poor or don't have enough money. also, medals are just as good enough. also, the last thing we need is Rainbow Names like Colonel or something.

[CutmanMike]

I don't really agree with systems like that unless they REALLY need the money to get a project going or something. In my case it helps pay for the website, I'm currently unemployed and paying for this site isn't easy on my savings. If I had a job I wouldn't even want the paypal button up.

Basically if you like this place and/or me and my work, it's up to you to donate or not.

[Ivory]

Beta Access
Name changing
Signatures (since it's always blocked on here)
Award
Colored name

1. This community is way too small for beta access to be much good. I mean a good portion of the active community is already involved with various official MM8BDM stuff.
2. If you ask me reaaalllyyyy nicely, I sometimes do a name change outside of a name change week which tends to happen every odd year.
3. We hate signatures, they take up room. Paying for them makes no difference on having them or not.  
4. You get a medal? Isn't that something?
5. Color names should be reserved for the staff/admins so newcomers can easily figure out who to ask for help and stuff.


Just my thoughts.

[CarThief]

1. Hm, this rarely ever can even happen, i only recall such a thing happening for GVH, cant remember if he did for MM8BDM as well. Either way if you ask me beta testing should probaly be reserved for trusted people in private or just making it a public beta test instead.

2. Well as she said, the name changing can be done on request rarely, this doesnt need to be an donation feature anyway because of that. Kinda open to abuse as well if people could quickly change names on request, even if they did have to pay for it.

3. Signatures take up too much space at times. This is easily noticed in some forums where people put various images (sometimes a whole bunch of animated ones too!) in their signature purely to draw attention, its quite annoying and would disturb this somewhat peacefull layout the forum currently has.
They're also still usable as introductions or bits of information for profiles, which is handy, but this information does not need to be seen with every post.

4. Well there's a medal as an award. I'd say that's nice, non-intrusive and generally all good. The medals where never a problem before (do wonder how awfully that would stretch if someone had 6-10 medals, though...

5. Well, like she also said; best used to designate between user and moderators and admins in case one needs the help of any of the last two. Also makes reading posts a little easier too with less flashy names to catch the eye with.

[Ceridran]

she

(click to show/hide)

Anyway, now that's out the way..

1 - I don't really see much reason for "Beta Access." Having access to this via donation would have a pretty large beta team.

2 - Having the ability to change your name whenever you please? It sounds fun and all, but I'm not sure what would come from that.

3 - I always screw it up and see the signature as part of the post every time.

4 - Blood donor medal.

5 - No. Carthief stated why quite well.

[VirusNinja]

1. Hm, this rarely ever can even happen, i only recall such a thing happening for GVH, cant remember if he did for MM8BDM as well. Either way if you ask me beta testing should probaly be reserved for trusted people in private or just making it a public beta test instead. - This I actually realized just now, we never really do any beta testing, and if we did, it'd be for a new megaman series addition

2. Well as she said, the name changing can be done on request rarely, this doesnt need to be an donation feature anyway because of that. Kinda open to abuse as well if people could quickly change names on request, even if they did have to pay for it. - It'd be a one time thing, so you would have to be certain you would want to change it and have a good name

3. Signatures take up too much space at times. This is easily noticed in some forums where people put various images (sometimes a whole bunch of animated ones too!) in their signature purely to draw attention, its quite annoying and would disturb this somewhat peacefull layout the forum currently has.
They're also still usable as introductions or bits of information for profiles, which is handy, but this information does not need to be seen with every post. - You could disable IMG + YouTube, which would make it less annoying, text limit? ?_?

4. Well there's a medal as an award. I'd say that's nice, non-intrusive and generally all good. The medals where never a problem before (do wonder how awfully that would stretch if someone had 6-10 medals, though... - I forgot there was Blood Donor >_<

5. Well, like she also said; best used to designate between user and moderators and admins in case one needs the help of any of the last two. Also makes reading posts a little easier too with less flashy names to catch the eye with. - It would have to be a different color than the admins/mods, I was personally thinking blue.

Those are my thoughts.

[Kapus]

- It would have to be a different color than the admins/mods, I was personally thinking blue.

That could still confuse new members into thinking you're important.

[CarThief]

Yeah, coloured names ussually mean that person has some kind of function within the forum or related services (like ST/Zan with its various groups handling different things, such as the IRC), the medal is a big enough designation of having donated for this purpose anyway.

Dont really need donations to kindly ask for a one-time name change, or wait for an special event that is all about those, but i suppose its something that could be considered regardless. As for the signature thing, even with youtube/images and such disabled, people could make text in overly large bold letters, make em bright red, or something else that just distracts for no good reason. Dont know if those can be disabled as well but it'd still be extra text to skip through, ultimately.

And dont blame me for thinking he's a she; (kinda typical) touhou avatar, female-sounding name, i judge gender by impression over the internet, and that case just seems to scream female. Sure them touhou avatars are unfortunately a bit popular, along with the large male crowd it has, its the name that hit the nail on the head though, i guess. But whatever, should technically be sleeping now.

[Ivory]

...except it's not a Touhou character?

[CarThief]

Hm, apparently not, though all these kinds of avatars do kinda look alike regardless. But thats as far off-topic as i'm willing to let it go to anyway, as i cant think of anything worth mentioning about the actual subject, it's all been said so far.