Request For Input On Future Plans For Fpn

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Dearest Members of the little Fountain Pen Nut house on the digital prairie,

 

 

Considering the (lack of) speed and performance of our board of late, we are looking at increasing funding to be able to afford better hosting packages.

 

In Community Feedback we have therefore created a topic requesting input on possible paths to follow, here:

Request for input on advertising on FPN

 

We would really appreciate it if you could list any ideas you may have for such an endeavour.

 

Thank you very much in advance!

 

Warmest regards, Wim

On behalf of
The FPN Admin Team

 

[njagota]

As a very occasional user, I would be glad to donate small funds on a monthly basis as a membership due in exchange for access to better things such as search in the classifieds. That seems to have been eliminated upon my return after 4 months absence. I would also welcome advertising by manufacturers of pens, and similar collectibles such as shaving and tobacciana even though I don't smoke.

 

Regards, Nimesh

[wimg]

Thank you kindly, Nimesh.

 

In the donation options, the anonymous ones, there is the possibility to donate yearly, if that is an option. We couldn't list all the possibilities, as it is either/or with PayPal.

 

The search facilities are still available in Classifieds, just that they have been repositioned with the software upgrade, slightly higher up to the right. We also added Google Search for FPN a few days ago, which is the first option showing. Clicking on the Google search field will provide a dropdown list, and Classifieds is one of the options presented.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Calamus plasticus]

Well, perhaps the major brands could advertise in the dedicated forum, that is, MB in the MB forum, Sheaffer in the Sheaffer forum and so on, acting like sponsors. After all, these forums are a great source of bussiness for them.

But all controlled by the admins, please, no automatic advertising (no wallets and cufflinks with the white star just bucause we are in the MB forum).

[wimg]

Well, perhaps the major brands could advertise in the dedicated forum, that is, MB in the MB forum, Sheaffer in the Sheaffer forum and so on, acting like sponsors. After all, these forums are a great source of bussiness for them.

But all controlled by the admins, please, no automatic advertising (no wallets and cufflinks with the white star just bucause we are in the MB forum).

That would be the general idea anyway - straight adverts, no automatci ones, controlled and approved by us first, as indicated in the topic referred to above.

 

We want to stay in control .

Warm regards, Wim

[speculator]

It looks as though running a search (for a particular make, for example) cannot be done anymore on the FPN Classified page. Can that be changed?

[wimg]

That should work, but you have to use the standard search, not the Google one, and select Classifieds from the dropdown list where it says Google now.

 

BTW, this really is a question for the Members Helping Members Forum.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Juicyjones]

I don't mind at all as long as we can keep the ads related to pens and ink. Subscription options to see the site ad-free would be good as well.

[jptech]

go loud.

 

Fountain pens are luxury items and we are sitting on perhaps the largest group of that luxury demographic.

 

Breitling

Mercedes Benz

Mont Blanc

Louis Vuitton

Ferretti Yachts

 

Of course, I'll probably never be able to afford a thing on that list, but the ad money will be brilliant.

[Newjelan]

I don't mind at all as long as we can keep the ads related to pens and ink. Subscription options to see the site ad-free would be good as well.

Agree! I'm happy for pen, ink & paper ads but NO shaving or tobacco etc. Happy to contribute monthly/annually as well and the ads can stay as long as they are subtle.

[Brian C]

BRING ON THE ADDS!

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BRING ON THE ADDS!

<ROFL>

 

Warm regards, Wim

[PatientType]

FPN might be successful in issuing a sponsored credit card. The card could be made using an uploaded image of one or more of the member's own fountain pens or, alternatively, one of several images donated by one of the masterful photographers that post such great pictures in their reviews and posts.

I think that the way those can work is that the sponsoring organization gets a small percentage and, sometimes the card holder does as well, as a rebate on every purchase made using sponsored cards. So, FPN member can contribute without buying something posted for sale on FPN and without digging into their bank account.

I'll bet that some of the fountain pen companies would also give a 5% or 10% discount on purchases made by people using a FPN credit card to buy pens or ink. That as well as loyalty to FPN would make the card attractive to members.

Edited September 28, 2013 by PatientType

[RMN]

I think that might work if FPN was just a national organisation, but with Members scattered all over the world I think this won't work.

 

And I always hear: credit costs money.

Shopowners accept credit cards because it makes online sales possible, but not all will be willing to offer discounts when using CC.

 

D.ick

[N2theBreach]

Clothing sales? T-shirts, polo shirts, tote bags,whatever. They could have the FPN logo, or not. I'd be happy with discreet line drawings of FPs, or FPs drawing line drawings, and so forth. We have enough artists here who may be willing to help.

[RMN]

Clothing sales? T-shirts, polo shirts, tote bags,whatever. They could have the FPN logo, or not. I'd be happy with discreet line drawings of FPs, or FPs drawing line drawings, and so forth. We have enough artists here who may be willing to help.

If you would care to look on top of the page, click the logo for Cafepress, and you'll see it already exists. I doubt it is bringing much revenues....

 

D.ick

[raging.dragon]

I don't mind ads, and ads from reputable brands and dealers can even be useful, so long as:

• They don't use sound (interupts music I'm listening to, annoys anybody else in the room).
• No popups. Especially mouse over keyword popups like Konterra.

Flash and scripts in ads are also annoying and have a slew of privacy concerns. Many people block these so ads using them will be less effective.

[wimg]

As mentioned in the topic linked to in the first post, this link:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/253067-feedback-request-on-advertising/

 

We will not do pop-ups, pop-unders, etc., just plain image ads with a link to the advertiser's site. We want to keep maximum control over what is displayed and advertised .

 

As to Café Press etc.: that currently provides us with an income of roughly $10 per month, and diminishing . Considering the effort that went into setting it up, all I can say is, well, it is available as an option to our members .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[OcalaFlGuy]

There is likely no option any tastier the proverbial free lunch that wasn't supposed to exist in the first place.

 

It's not easy sometimes to find out that there's now a charge for something you've gotten for free for an extended period of time.

 

Tough.

 

Life's not fair.

 

I am reluctantly resigned to the fact that the changing net means less completely free content. I have the least of any issues with the way FPN has decided to handle it (fixed pen related ads). Completely free content isn't so (usually) for the contributor. I wrote a monthly article for gratus in an on-line motorcycle E-zine for a couple years. "For the fun of it" only goes so far and after awhile was bumpkus as any protection to my Editor come deadline time.

 

Thank's to Wim and crew for at least trying to put a cherry Lifesaver in the spoon full of Pepto-Bismal.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank you for your kind words, Bruce, much appreciated!

 

Warmest regards, Wim