http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=11&topic=27490548

I must be out of touch with this site, as I didn't even know that board existed until today. I guess this is still rather low key as I haven't heard any massive outcry, but I'm wondering what you guys think. Will premium accounts (assuming that are added and as described) affect anyone's decision to continue contributing to this site?
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Nope. I don't know why they'd start with the premium accounts now after 10 years.
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Your Final Fantasy VII hatemail makes me stronger.
They also make me giggle.

I find it highly annoying.

Predictable, all the things that wouldn't happen after the CNET takeover are happening. But I don't care as long as the FAQs and stuff remain untouched, if FAQs and stuff are touched, I'll remove all my mediocre FAQs from the site and just leave my boring bad stuff.
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Goku- Look Vegeta! People popcorn!
Vegeta- Ah! What is he on?!

They don't really promise anything I'd be attracted enough to to pay for. I won't stop contributing as long as the guides are free.

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585467 Centipede | Complete FAQS: 40
http://ccc.domaindlx.com/CoolZomb/ Zombies! (Warning: Blood, etc)

I don't see the point. Why not just use ad-block and find a dead board on an old system? Unless there are a load of new features then I might be enticed, but until then, I'm OK.
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33/49 Full Circle | Y.T.W.S.R. |
The FAQer Profiles and History - http://homepages.tesco.net/vicky.reynolds1

Currently, the only website I'd ever pay premium privileges for is last.fm.
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Can't this wait till I'm old?
Can't I live while I'm young?

I'm not sure how to feel. I don't think it's a smart idea though.

I'll keep contributing as well, just can't give up on that. However if my stuff gets touched (as in paying to view FAQs), I better start getting paid some good money. That will be the only way it stays up. Other than that, I'll just contribute normally.
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Life is full of irritations, and I'm just one of them. Get use to it and move on.

The idea of premium accounts for a site like GameFAQs is hilarious. 99% of the content is user-contributed and free (and will continue to be free, according to CJayC's "promises"); what could the site possibly offer to users with paid accounts? Ad-free pages? rofl... Exclusive FAQs/walkthroughs? Other websites already offer that. Exclusive reviews? Impossible, because all the good reviewers already ran away to HonestGamers, and there's not any sign of that particularly community ever coming back to life.

It's a shame the site is commercializing like this. Perhaps the CNET and GameSpot merge things have something to do with the lack of any real new talent. I haven't seen a good author since, like, 2003 (not saying everyone sucks, but my standards are pretty high (even though I never really live up to them myself)).

OT: Admiral, you still got that css stuff on blocking the ads?

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NO! You MUST NOT climb Death Peak!

But make me dance has a good point. This site consists almost solely of user-contributed material. I don't care if ad-companies pay GameFAQs for running the site; that's just how it is. But letting users pay to see other users' work (or to have a "better browsing experience") is just ridiculous. We're slowly moving from contributing to other gamers to contributing to CNET.

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NO! You MUST NOT climb Death Peak!

With all the stupid things going on, first Paris Hilton tried to play Mother Teresa, now this premium accounts BS, this world better ends tomorrow or I would be very pissed.
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I hate trolls

As long as I can still post on the boards, read and post FAQs, and view reviews/cheats/other things, I'm fine.

I can block ads right now, and I doubt any new features added for premium members will be worth my while.

I mean, CJayC promises that he's not going to take away any of the stuff that's already free and only new features will be pay-to-see, but we've seen how much a promise from CJay is worth.

(Ouch, lowblow!)

Seriously though, I'm not really worried about it as long as what's free right now stays free.
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The University of Texas Longhorns (13-0) National Champions

The fact is, CJay can't make promises anymore.
I'm sure that when he says something, he does so believing it's the truth, but, when you think about it, he has little more say about things like this than you or I do.

Cnet wants the site changed and, come hell or high water, it's going to be changed. I'm sure he'd rather see the site remain his baby, but Cnet owns the site and they can mandate any change they so desire.


The point is, I suppose, that I'm not here, at gamefaqs, for flashy looking site design, amazingly ad free browsing, or any other sort of superfluous thing. I'm here for the forums, the users, and the FAQs. As long as those are there, intact, and free to everybody, the spirit of GameFAQs lives on.

I can redisign the site to look like whatever the hell I want it to look like. I have ultimate local control. I could put a giant monkey dancing with george bush on the front page, on my local machine, if I so desired. I can filter any ad and I can change any design. I don't care what it looks like, really. If it makes my eyes hurt or becomes hard to use, I'll change it, and let CJay know so he can evaluate it.

As long as the site's core principles are unchanged, I'm ok with it.
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The killer, karmic©, charismatic, cryptastic©, clever Kirby!
FAQs: 24 (2003KB) | CRP: 43180 | Images: 6

Oh, mods and prolific contributors sure as HELL better get free premium when it comes out. Without those two bodies of people, GameFAQs would not exist.

Of course, that would spur a rush of low quality, filler filled, guides, from people looking for free premium, which would be a huge negitive.
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The killer, karmic©, charismatic, cryptastic©, clever Kirby!
FAQs: 24 (2003KB) | CRP: 43180 | Images: 6

We're slowly moving from contributing to other gamers to contributing to CNET.

Didn't you know? That's been happening for years. All our FAQs do is pay CNET's bills. They don't care about our guides, or the people that read them. They care about drawing a large audience so they can fill their pockets with money from advertising.

FAQ writers are just pawns in business, I'm sorry to say.
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I'm not a cynic. I'm just a realist.
http://70.86.201.113/imageserv2/temporary/PBF011ADHammerScrewed.html

Aren't you being a tad melodramatic there, Masamune3.

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•— Reptile | Codes: 54 | FAQs: 19 | Total Kb: 1714 —•
In the land of the killers, a sinner's mind is his sanctum.

A tad, yes. :)
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I'm not a cynic. I'm just a realist.
http://70.86.201.113/imageserv2/temporary/PBF011ADHammerScrewed.html

All our FAQs do is pay CNET's bills.

But what about my bills, damnit, I want my FAQs to pay my bills!
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Life is full of irritations, and I'm just one of them. Get use to it and move on.

I think it would be easier if you just accept that most things don't stay the same for too long.

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•— Reptile | Codes: 54 | FAQs: 19 | Total Kb: 1714 —•
In the land of the killers, a sinner's mind is his sanctum.

[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

In the end, everything will turn out right. I have trust in CJayC.

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Hang Me 2002
Delicious Web And Graphic Designs

I don't know if offering premium accounts to prolific writers is the best idea. Well, let me clarify that. I have no problem with the current prolifics getting this, but I think it creates a problem if hundreds of users are churning out guides/reviews/codes/whatever as fast as they can to get premium accounts. This will result in rushed, poor quality contributions with lots of filler. People will write with the goal of getting prolific as soon as possible with little regard for how they get there or how good the work is. Premium accounts will become something people obsess over, like karma, since they signify some type of status. I just think it has bad idea written all over.

A reward for existing prolifics? Yes. Something that creates yet another system that people will try to exploit? Absolutely not.

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How does an Advanced Meta-Mod feature sound? Take a sample tour:
http://free.hostdepartment.com/A/Admiral1018/AMMS/AMMS_Intro.htm

All this stuff for prolific contributors is an interesting concept, and one that frankly never really occurred to me as being possible or likely. If they're going to give away premium accounts to prolifics, then the requirements needed to be a prolific need to be raised considerably. And things like game saves, game data, and cheats need to be taken off the list of possible prolific avenues.
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~Karpah~ What do girls do during sex, anyways. They just lay there and moan a lot!

Jesus Christ will return and present the true justice if Okong got premium account with all his copy-paste game script FAQs
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I hate trolls

I think it creates a problem if hundreds of users are churning out guides/reviews/codes/whatever as fast as they can to get premium accounts.

Very, very, very good point.

I think though that people who don't really enjoy writing will probably give up before becoming prolific if all they're in it for is the premium account. That's a lot of work to do for really such a small reward.

Besides, there are easier ways to make GameFAQs ad-free.
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The University of Texas Longhorns (13-0) National Champions

Yeah, but it's not just the ad-free site as much as it is the status. Just look at how crazy people get over karma and the karma boosts, which are utterly pointless. Same thing with access to LUE. Anything that this site implements that separate users into classes (where one class is "better") encourages people to find ways to exploit the system. I guess you could argue that the current prolific lists already create separate classes, but this site has seldom focused on them and I'd bet the majority of users do not even know such a list exists. Something as omnipresent as premium accounts would certainly stir up a lot of users.
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How does an Advanced Meta-Mod feature sound? Take a sample tour:
http://free.hostdepartment.com/A/Admiral1018/AMMS/AMMS_Intro.htm

Ugh. Why don't we change our names to GameSpot II already? Go on, that's the way we're headed.

I flatly refuse to pay for ANYTHING on this site. If anything I use it for now (submit FAQs, read FAQs, post on boards, view boards) became a pay service; I'd pack it in and take my FAQing elsewhere.

Or I'd start my own site, whatever would work.
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AMD Athlon 64 3700+, 1.5gb DDR400 Corsair RAM 3200, Nvidia Geforce 6600GT, Creative Audigy, 19" LCD, dual 200gb Seagates. 5.1 Logitech X530 Sound.

Imation, you computer is nearly an exact copy of mine, only slightly better. Near same chip, same hard drives, same video card, same RAM, and even same speakers.
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I'm not a cynic. I'm just a realist.
http://70.86.201.113/imageserv2/temporary/PBF011ADHammerScrewed.html

Ads?
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No matter what they say, or what threats they make, or wars they start, always, always, always, MAKE 7UP YOURS!!

Currently, the only website I'd ever pay premium privileges for is last.fm.

I only pay for porn sites.
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CRP: 7818
“One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”

GameFAQs should pay me. I need money.
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nm14 - FAQ writer for GameFAQs

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

WHoever modded me had absolutely no sense of humor, and probably a troll
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I hate trolls

I think it's annoying, and unneeded.
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Boston Red Sox 9-4
Next Vicim: Tampa Bay D-Rays