Playa's Zone Debate # 2: Donating to the Zone

[shelby]

BillsZone runs on user donations, and the importance of donations cannot be overlooked. Special features are given to donors as a way to thank them for their support.

The debate question posed to the candidates is this:


As Zone President, what specific things would you do to encourage more posters to donate to the site?
What specific things would you do to improve the No TOS Zone so that people enjoy it more?
Would you make any changes to the features now offered to donors?You may confer with your staff before replying to these questions. Please be as specific as possible in your responses.

Once you have responded to the debate question, your opponents will each have the opportunity to post a rebuttal in this thread. You may then respond to each rebuttal in turn. Please note that only one rebuttal by your opponents, and only one response per rebuttal by you, will be allowed.

The debate will be closed at 5:30 am EST on Wednesday, March 26.

Non-candidates, please do not post in this thread!


Thank you for your participation, and may the best Zoner win!
shelby
Supervisior of Zone Elections

[L.A. Playa]

As Zone President, what specific things would you do to encourage more posters to donate to the site? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>This is a good question Being that I am a C.F.O of a multi-million dollar construction company, I am sure I could analyze the Billszone Financial records and come up with many suggestions to the staff.
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First I would look at the amount of donating members and see what the average donation is. Once that is determined rather than have levels of donation have 1 level of donations to be a member. This could be paid monthly or if you pay for a year that would be the monthly rate x 11 so you would get a month free. <o:p></o:p>
Also, if someone would like to donate more than the monthly or annual amount, I would have an option for a one time gift. Let’s say that someone wanted to donate $1,000 to the site, they could do this as a one time gift and get a years worth of access to the No-Tos as well as a thank you gift from the Zone.
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Also, for first time donors they could check out the benefits for being a Zoner for $1, and then have the option of becoming a regular monthly or annual donor. <o:p></o:p>
Another thing that could be done is to add a sticky bulletin to the top of each forum each week that state if you are not a donor here is what you missed this week. In it include all the benefits of being a donor along with some of the items I propose in the next answer.
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I also believe that based on the financial information reviewed, I would look into marketing the zone with a thank you for donating gift, something small but with the Billszone Logo as was done in the past. I still have the keychain I received when I first donated and believe that was a classy touch, this may still be happening but if it isn’t I would look into the feasibility of reinstating it or adding more products to the welcome to donation gift.<o:p></o:p>

What specific things would you do to improve the No TOS Zone so that people enjoy it more? <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
There is something I believe that could not only make the No Tos better, but also discover new talent and utilize the talent we have already here on the Zone.<o:p></o:p>
In the No-Tos, spurred on from this Election, have a Debate topic of the day. In the Off Season topics could include, The Draft, Free Agency, Politics, Social Topic of the Day, which woman is more beautiful, etc etc.
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Here is how this would work similar to this style of debate two donors would volunteer to debate a topic with specific questions to answer, and then there would be a public vote after two rebuttals from each debater. There would be a public poll posted and to avoid the winner being the most popular zoner rather than the actual winner of the debate, the Moderator of the debate has a vote and an Admin of the site has a vote. Whoever has a majority with public counting as 1, Moderator as 1 and Admin as 1, will have an opportunity to write an article on the topic that will be posted on the front page.
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Then in the aforementioned weekly sticky if you are not a donor this is what you missed, you could include excerpts of the debate as a benefit of being a member. The winner each week would go on until they lose.
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I believe since this is a message board and part of the greatness of a message board is the spirit of exchange of ideas and intelligent debate this was spurn that on and also would provide the Zone with more great writers.
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This type of contest would also spur on more people to donate if they have aspirations of writing for the site, or just writing aspirations in general. I also believe that if people read and see the proper ways to debate a topic it will inspire them to be more informed and better posters with less personal attacks when discussing a topic in the main forum.<o:p></o:p>

Would you make any changes to the features now offered to donors?<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
Being a donor is appreciating something so much that you give of your hard earned money to show that appreciation. I believe that this site offers so much to every member that there does not need to be any added benefit to just donors.
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I believe when someone decides to donate to the site they are not looking for extra features that non donors have, I believe they are giving back to a community that has given so much to them in terms of information, laughter, friendships and a release from their everyday grind.<o:p></o:p>

[The King]

Dont you think looking over the Billszone financials is a bit lofty as a one year member to the MOD staff? A lot of people talk about the little gifts the site gives out do you think that directly effects if someone donates or not? Isnt it just cutting into operating costs?

[L.A. Playa]

Dont you think looking over the Billszone financials is a bit lofty as a one year member to the MOD staff? A lot of people talk about the little gifts the site gives out do you think that directly effects if someone donates or not? Isnt it just cutting into operating costs?

Why is that lofty? If I am president it is my job to attempt positive change for the zone. While all my ideas and/or my fellow zoners ideas my not be reasonable or possible I certainly can try to influence positive change.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
By looking over the financials I am simply determining the cost of running this place monthly, how many donations are coming in….etc. Basically I am collecting facts so that I can better make decisions or suggestions. As a CFO this is my job, this is what I do, so if I can apply here and help Billszone financially then all for the better.<o:p></o:p>
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Directly affects donation or donation rates? No. Does it make a positive impression on our current and future donors? Sure. No I don’t believe people donate simply to get a keychain or a t-shirt or whatever. But it is the little things sometimes, it is the thought. Its letting donors know just how much we appreciate their contributions.<o:p></o:p>
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As far as cutting into operating costs, Id say minimal at best. There are so many bulk production companies out there getting things made in bulk doesn’t cost much at all.<o:p></o:p>

[Gunzlingr]

I agree with Bedard. Examining the zone financials when it is privately owned seems to overstep the authority of any moderator.

I know in the past, staffers would contribute to the costs of the premiums so it didn't have an effect on the bottomline so it is basically a non-issue.

I also don't understand how a debate topic will make the No-TOS a better place.

[L.A. Playa]

I agree with Bedard. Examining the zone financials when it is privately owned seems to overstep the authority of any moderator.

I know in the past, staffers would contribute to the costs of the premiums so it didn't have an effect on the bottomline so it is basically a non-issue.

I also don't understand how a debate topic will make the No-TOS a better place.

I think you both misunderstand my intent, the intent of looking at the financial is to lend my opinion as a C.F.O. to the staff and to examine the current and historical trends of donor contributions as well as looking at the expenses to explore if there are any cost effective ways to cut expenses and increase a marketing budget to better advertise the Zone to get more traffic. I have had experience in the for profit and not for profit sector, I know that the Zone is not a money making enterprise, nor am I proposing to make it that. I am proposing to lend my real life experience to help make the Zone better as a whole.
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p>
The debate topic is to add more participation in the No-Tos and also give an incentive to members who wish to write for the site. A way to find and cultivate talent that is already here but yet to be discovered.<o:p></o:p>