The shaming of non-premium users needs to stop!

[Sakorona]

I feel this ties into a point I kinda get: People don't think the Nexus has 3/mnth or 50/site lifetime value. Or they might not have ever felt it.

 

I feel the problem here is really this (from an interesting write up on .. ha, making more freemium conversions:)

 

https://www.onstartups.com/tabid/3339/bid/37737/Secrets-Of-Freemium-Pricing-Make-The-Cheapskates-Pay.aspx

 

 

In November 2008, we told our “free private” users that we were discontinuing free service, and that in the future they would need to buy a paying subscription. We were bombarded with disappointed, melodramatic, vituperative, ANGRY comments, claiming that we were doing something evil, sneaky, and fundamentally unfair. It didn't matter that we had worked nights and weekends for the previous two years to provide free services. Nobody thanked us for that, or for the free public services we continued to provide, or for the four months of additional free services that we provided for the transition, or for the low prices going forward ($13 per team on average), or the simplified export for those who wanted to take their stuff and go home. They had lost something, and they were angry.

People are always more unhappy to losing something, than they were happy about getting it in the first place. There is a word for this: Loss aversion - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_aversion

 

and, incidentally, http://www.charleshudson.net/thoughts-on-free-powered-business-models-and-why-time-beats-features

 

I think that's actually a good thought - the longer something is free, the more nags and not-free is introduced, the more it sounds wrong. (Although the conclusion of you should use free trials over free is.. hm. I'm not sure that works for all web startups, honestly.)

 

Personally, I'm not adverse to premium conversions because the Nexus needs revenue to stay afloat. By the same token, it's not really something I think I could advise on value vs reward. Some people just can't pledge, free users bring word of mouth and traffic, etc. etc. etc.

 

But my point in this thread is : you really shouldn't be surprised that people are upset over this. They have reasons to be. The decision to put a 'rapidgator' style nag screen as well as increase ads without any warning (Even now, there's no post about it!) was handled poorly, even if like me you can kinda see the point while not agreeing with it.

[axonis]

You linked to those articles as a (lazy) way of rejecting someone else's statement that the Nexus doesn't trick people into thinking that Premium is needed. A picture's worth a thousand words, so here's a picture showing how the Nexus doesn't trick people into thinking Premium is needed:

 

 

I disagree:

 

 

Whereas the "Fast Download" button has the same style with all functional buttons in this site.

 

It's so misleading that I had to create a special ABP rule to hide the Fast Download button because I was avoiding the "Slow Download" link as if it wasn't functional.

Edited December 23, 2019 by axonis

[Sakorona]

Yeah, that's why I thought of dark patterns. It was probably just plain misleading. Which is something different. <_<

[HadToRegister]

 

Sakorona has already addressed this, but I'll add on. What about users who speak English as a second language, or use a translator to access the site? What about users with screen readers? There are more examples, but the point is, this is what's referred to as deceptive marketing (iirc), the same as a shady third party sharing site. I think it's a shame that a well respected site has to resort to a tactic like this, honestly. Not that it matters to the Stans who are targeting and harassing users here in the thread, in a section that is dedicated to user feedback to the site admins. Not to other members, not to some random Joe, feedback to those who actually run the site.

 

 

 

Harassing?

I'm just merely stating the math and monetary figures involved.

 

whether it's 0.7% of of 18 million, or 2.5% of 5 million that have premium memberships, those are still dismal numbers, and it costs money to keep a site online.

 

[Arthmoor]

I think it's a shame that a well respected site has to resort to a tactic like this, honestly.

I think it's an even bigger shame that leeches who have been leeching for 10+ years are upset at being called out for being leeches.

 

Don't want to be counted among the leeches? Pony up instead of lashing out with self-entitled rage over something that's not yours.

[axonis]

I think it's an even bigger shame that leeches who have been leeching for 10+ years are upset at being called out for being leeches.

Don't want to be counted among the leeches? Pony up instead of lashing out with self-entitled rage over something that's not yours.

 

What do you mean by leeches ? Who is leeching what ?

 

When I'm visiting Nexusmods.com I'm immediately downloading 11+ MB of data of combined HTML, scripts and images. Am I leeching as a visitor ?

 

When I'm trying to download a 200 KB file, I have to

1. Agree to the Nexusmods TOS
2. Agree to Google's privacy terms
3. Be forced to see an advertisement for premium

Am I leeching this file as a non-premium member ?

 

"something that's not yours" you're right, and I'm grateful to mod authors for the mods. This is what is not mine. That's why I'm only donating to mod authors, including yourself, and not a single penny to Nexusmods.

 

There are alternatives to Nexusmods, including your own AFKmods. There are no alternatives to Arthmoor's mods, or Roy's mods, or JIP's mods, or Stewie's mods. That's why my money goes to mod authors, only.

 

And actually I do favor Premium as I always have. Premium modding that is. Mod authors who have the right to turn their hobby into a business. We did have this option for a brief period of time, didn't we ? Can you please remind me who led the campaign against it ? Can you please remind me who is leeching from the modding community ?

[HadToRegister]

 

I think it's an even bigger shame that leeches who have been leeching for 10+ years are upset at being called out for being leeches.

Don't want to be counted among the leeches? Pony up instead of lashing out with self-entitled rage over something that's not yours.

 

What do you mean by leeches ? Who is leeching what ?

 

When I'm visiting Nexusmods.com I'm immediately downloading 11+ MB of data of combined HTML, scripts and images. Am I leeching as a visitor ?

 

When I'm trying to download a 200 KB file, I have to

1. Agree to the Nexusmods TOS
2. Agree to Google's privacy terms
3. Be forced to see an advertisement for premium

Am I leeching this file as a non-premium member ?

 

"something that's not yours" you're right, and I'm grateful to mod authors for the mods. This is what is not mine. That's why I'm only donating to mod authors, including yourself, and not a single penny to Nexusmods.

 

There are alternatives to Nexusmods, including your own AFKmods. There are no alternatives to Arthmoor's mods, or Roy's mods, or JIP's mods, or Stewie's mods. That's why my money goes to mod authors, only.

 

And actually I do favor Premium as I always have. Premium modding that is. Mod authors who have the right to turn their hobby into a business. We did have this option for a brief period of time, didn't we ? Can you please remind me who led the campaign against it ? Can you please remind me who is leeching from the modding community ?

 

Premium Modding: Did you miss ALL the posts about how the Nexus is using part of their income to PAY MODDERS?

Or do you only hear what you want to?

 

 

On your other Claim about the Background data silliness...:

 

Nice spin, and completely silly.

Also, this is the Mental Gymnastics I'm talking about, that people are using to justify not contributing to a website they claim they "Cannot do without" and "Love"

There's background Data, and there's DATA.

 

YES, you're downloading 11 + MB of data of combined HTML, scripts and Images.

So is every VISITOR to the site, that's a GIVEN.

That's a usual SERVICE EXPENSE, such as Lighting, Carpeting etc for any Brick and Mortar shop around the world.

Nice try though.

 

I wish people put as much effort into finding a way to come up with $2.99 for a month of Membership as they do with the myriad of reasons WHY "they don't have to" give back or contribute anything to the site.

 

Here's a ridiculous scenario for you, based on numbers.

 

You own a Restaurant, this particular Restaurant runs on the policy that "Everything is Free, and if you like the food and the service, then pitch in and help us keep the place open for business by paying for your food."

 

Now this Restaurant starts out with a handful of customers, and a handful of those customers (Let's say 126,000 of them) likes the food, and decides to help keep the place open by contributing to the restaurant in order for it to stay open.

Years pass, and others hear about the 'free food' and the "Pay if you like the food" policy.

 

Now all of a sudden, this Restaurant has 18 MILLION Customers, and STILL, only 126,000 patrons are paying for the food, while the other 17.8 million customers, are getting their food for free, and not paying for the food "Because Reasons"

 

The Restaurant decides to implement Signs, Rope lanes (like in a bank) and a separate Line for the 17.8 million people showing up every day to get their 'free food", while employees remind them that it would be much faster for the non-paying customer, and beneficial for the Restaurant, (To keep the food cost inexpensive and economical) if the people getting the free food would help the Restaurant out monetarily, by actually paying for the food.

 

Well, now a lot of the non-paying patrons, immediately become incensed, disgusted, appalled, enraged, full of false indignation, and even offended by the suggestion that they should be reminded to pay for a service that they've enjoyed for free for 5 - 15 years, (I mean, who does this restaurant think they are for even suggesting that their customers pay for the food?) with some declaring after 15 years of getting free food, that "They were about to start paying for the food UNTIL the Restaurant pulled these shenanigans", and the pitchforks and torches come out, and the nonpaying patrons decide that the owner of the Restaurant is a disgusting "Greedy", "Money driven", "Money Hungry" establishment/person that "Only cares about their wallets, rather than the "Customers", despite having provided everything for free for about 20 years, and Continuing to provide free stuff, EXCEPT with the added Signs, Rope Lanes, Separate Lines, and Reminders.

 

Now, for expenses, that restaurant has to make sure, AND BUY enough food to feed 18 million "customers", while only being compensated by 126,000 of the regular customers.

 

Tell me how that business models, in ANY WAY, is supposed to be sustainable?

 

[ccmatt]

Yeah but what you fail to mention is that the guy who owns the restaurant doesn't make any of the food, he has other people do it for him for free. He only has to pay for building. Perhaps the chefs should take their talent and skills outside of the building into food trucks to cut out the middle man.

[HadToRegister]

Yeah but what you fail to mention is that the guy who owns the restaurant doesn't make any of the food, he has other people do it for him for free. He only has to pay for building. Perhaps the chefs should take their talent and skills outside of the building into food trucks to cut out the middle man.

 

Have you not read ANY of the previous posts?

 

Modders get compensated through DP points, through the Nexus

 

But hey, thanks for completely missing the point.

[ccmatt]

 

Yeah but what you fail to mention is that the guy who owns the restaurant doesn't make any of the food, he has other people do it for him for free. He only has to pay for building. Perhaps the chefs should take their talent and skills outside of the building into food trucks to cut out the middle man.

 

Have you not read ANY of the previous posts?

 

Modders get compensated through DP points, through the Nexus

 

But hey, thanks for completely missing the point.

 

No I skipped to the end to call out shills. My point still stands, modders should leave Nexus. Nexus compensates modders based on how many unique downloads they get, yet implement roadblocks to discourage downloads. It's a confused system with its heart in the right place, but its mind is completely muddled in incompetence. Hopefully the dudes who run Nexus will stop and analyze the situation before moving forward.