This Forum is Free

[Darren]

After a period of charging for new signups to this site, although it has been extremely successul. It was felt that ADUK should always be free at the point of entry and charging for the forum goes against our original plans for the site. We also hit some barriers to gaining some membership benefits due to "being free" as they weren't percieved as exclusive.

We have now struck a balance and signup/access to this forum is now, once again, free, as long as a user registers as a "free ADUK member" in the join pages (http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/join/).

To gain access to the full suite of membership benefits (http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/join/benefits.php) a user must be registered as a full paid up member. The website system does know the difference between the two.

If you have any questions, please dont hesitate to ask.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

I haven't seen any option to sign up as a paying member - where is it? Is it a new option?

[Darren]

It may have been introduced after you became a member. Hence why you didn't notice.

It was introduced under http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/join/ .

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Can I ask how much it costs, since it doesn't seem to be announced until you have completed a form?

[Darren]

You dont need to complete the form, select the option in the drop down.

[Darren]

Having a night of it tonight, sheesh. Hang on....yep, think I've at least got the last post back...

OK, I would take this to PM, but it seems my login details have been rescinded since the introduction of this scheme. I apologise if I'm being blunt, but can I ask some other questions:

Unlikely your login details have been rescinded. I have not, ever, deleted anybody from the membership database. I'll pop you an email to look at that off line.

1. Has everybody lost their membership tonight as well and needs to rejoin?

No, we introcuded the members only area/database and did in the past ask people to go and sign up via the join system (can't find the exact post but I can see lots of topic replies coming in so trying to type quickly, this is the closest I can find to the members only announcement http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/bb/vi ... .php?t=645) This was also done over email informing people of the introduction.

2. Was this announced somewhere else and I missed it, or am I the only one who didn't know about this?

See above. The link to the members only area has been around a long time. You can log into the forum without it, but you can't change any of your registered forum details or register a new forum account without using it.

3. It seems strange to accept people as members and then throw them out unless they pay to get back in. Shouldn't there be some kind of offer to existing members?

Nobody has been thrown out and nobody has lost any functionality. If anything many people have more than before. I think your login problem is something else at the min, need to investigate it.

I know you're a nice guy by reputation, and I'm conscious I'm seeming boorish here, but I'm somewhat surprised by this sudden move.

Not quite a sudden move, the original members only area came in Oct last year. If I can find the announcement I'll post.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

PM sent. You'll see the source of my confusion.

Seems I joined in a transition period, in between the members-only area being introduced, and the introduction of the membership fee.

Lots of mistakes on my part. Apologies