Blipfoto :: Blipblog :: 19 December 2008

Friday 19 December 2008: Blipfoto - the past, present and future

Hi folks - Joe here.

When I opened Blipfoto up to the world two years ago, I had no idea I'd find myself in the position I do now.

Back then, I invited just fifteen people to join me on my mission to take and upload one picture a day. Every day since, more and more people have become captivated by that simple idea and hopped on board. Most of you have stayed, and played a part in creating the most wonderfully supportive, enthralling and creative online community.

What we do here every day is truly incredible, and what we've created is quite unique. Testament to that are the tens of thousands of viewers who come along for a look and become just as addicted as the rest of us.

Developing, supporting and nurturing a site like Blipfoto is no mean feat, and it's been a real labour of love for us (something our beer, chocolate and custom-made brick reserves tell us doesn't go unnoticed).

We love doing this just as much as we always have, but realise that we have to get serious about the future of Blipfoto if it's to have any future at all.

In short, Blipfoto needs to start paying for itself.

After some serious discussion, we've decided the only way to protect the site's integrity and simplicity - and make sure everything we do in the future stays true to those principles - is through a paid membership.

So, next year that's exactly what we'll be introducing. We anticipate a cost of £25 per year which, aside from creating a lovely warm feeling in your tummy for supporting your favourite website, will give access to a range of soon-to-be-announced new features (yes, we have been listening), with plenty more to follow in the future. (And yes, there will still be a free version.)

That's probably six months away, so why are we telling you now?

Well, for just two months, starting at midday on 1st January, you're going to have a never-to-be-repeated opportunity to show your appreciation for everything Blipfoto has done so far, give us a kick-start for 2009 and stake your place in history with an exclusive Blipfoto Founding Membership.

For £40, you'll receive:

- 18 months full membership, starting when we introduce our membership option
- an exclusive founding member's icon, which will stay with you forever
- a specially produced founding member's enamel badge
- 10% discount on all future Blipfoto purchases, including membership fees

As if that wasn't enough, when you take out your Founding Membership, you'll have an opportunity to pay a little extra and lay your hands on a set of 200 personalised Founding Member Blipcards. Again, this is an exclusive, one-off print run which will never be available again.

We've been working on this very hard and secretively for the last few months, so it feels great to finally tell you about it. 2009 is going to be a pivotal year for Blipfoto and promises to define a lot of what it may become in the future. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in and really excited what that future will bring - I hope you are too.

Thanks for reading. You're bound to have questions, so leave a comment below and I'll do my very best to answer.

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viewed 5049 times : 138 comments

about this journal : view blipfolio

Comments

I'm in!!!!

~ hebsjournal
Put me down for the founder member package, it's the enamel badge that swung it. Perfectly understandable, surprised it didn't happen earlier but not surprised that you've created what sounds like it could be another great development in the evolution of Blip.
~ MrSmith
I'm leaving the country for 7 months on 10th January, but if you can get it all sorted before then my £40 will be winging its way to you in the blink of an eye!

There will always be a free version though right? I'd never have started on this adventure if payment was compulsory up front!
~ cyclops
Fantastic idea! I'm in too, just the fact that blip is free of adverts is worth the fee let alone all the other good stuff!
~ photofiend
I will be supporting you as soon as the memebrship details are available, but to lunch this in a middle of a recession may be a problem.
Look forward to joining as a founder member.

Good luck.
~ brickmaker
Count me in , this is too much fun to quit !
~ stuff
Mmm..this is a dilemma! Not quite sure what to do...it's a lot of money! I think you may loose a lot of contributors.
~ caffeine
It seems like a very reasonable price and I totally understand why it will be necessary to charge a fee. However, I don't think I will be able to join. Circumstances as they are here, we can't spend on this, however much I really enjoy being part of this community. I'll go to my 365 in February, but then I think I may have to wean myself off. But best of luck to everyone else. It is a fantastic site. In other times, in other circumstances, I'd be sure to be in, but the past 18months have been a bit tight here to say the least.
~ marypot70
Count me in too! Only question I have; how about international payment/shipping etc? Although I am sure you will have thought about this based on the number of international visitors blipfoto has :)
~ stephanie
Excellent. Visa or PayPal? Perhaps a regular Direct Debit so we never forget to renew?
~ wingpig
can we pay by installments?
~ shedmonkey
It is certainly worth it. For all the joy, exploration, sharing, discipline and learning Blipfoto has offered, I cannot imagine not doing this. In fact, I have often wondered how on earth you could continue any other way.
~ happyyoga
How much in US $'s? Count me in anyway!
I think it's about time Blip became profitable.
Wasn't sure how you managed before?
The price is not bad at all, especially considering
all that I have gained from the Blip experience.
Thanks, Tucson Jim
~ bikerjim
hhmm, this is 25 quid a year, right? as long as it's a paypal option should be ok..
~ effexor
oooh, i hope i'll be able to pay for the founder member package. maybe it's not too late to get all the people that don't have a christmas present for me yet together and make them pay. :)

although i really understand that all those servers and your incredible nurturing must be financed, i'm also glad that there will be a free version available...

a merry, merry christmas to everyone at blipcentral!

~ stine
i've often wondered how blipfoto has been able to function as it has without any advertising or membership payments, so i completely understand how it's come to this.

I'm happy to pay the £40/$60 but I worry about those who find it to be more of a hardship. I'd hate to see those contributors leave entirely. I hope the free option is still enticing enough to keep everyone on as well as attract new members!
~ distractedhausfrau
sign me up!
glad to be able to support an amazing site, don't know how you've done it all this time with out getting some cash flow in.
~ mlp
Count me in. At the state the pound is in against the Omani Rial, this is a bargain! ;)
~ David77
oooooh i think i may manage to come up with the bucks.
a shame that you'll lose some people but the reasons are understandable.
~ bananablip
Count me in too!
~ MissRAble
I've been expecting this for a while ... where do I sign.

As an aside, there are probably loads of blippers (me for one) who could play a role supporting, moderating and generally helping out that might help you keep costs and therefore membership down. That might also help strengthen the already strong sense of community.

Looking forward to the new features? :-)
~ 42
Blipfoto is going to be very different.

First of all, I would like to thank Joe and all at Blipcentral for the amazing work done up until now and for creating such a great site.
I am more than aware that the archives must be growing at an exponential rate at this stage and that it must become increasingly costly to maintain such a busy site.
I am therefore in favour of paying a fee for the upkeep of the site as I do not fancy myself as a freeloader.
But I do have reservations about the founding member badge and cards and other gimmicks. This two-tier system I think goes against the ideal of the site's integrity and simplicity .
I know this sounds unfair and ungrateful. I do not mind contributing. I'm just not sure about the long list of advantages and selling points listed.
To me this goes against the original spirit of the site.
I would have understood a lot better if the message had been: "look, the site has grown, it has got real big, and big is costly, let's all chip in and keep it as close to the way it was as possible".

~ raheny_eye
Looking forward to it and despite the fact I hardly have a chance to blip nowadays as much as I would like then count me in!!!
~ airborneskygod
This sounds brill.

As Blip has become my family archive, £40 is a pittence to keep my memories organised so well.

You as good as have my contribution.

ps. I do love the BlipBlog announcement photos.
~ TractorFactoryPhotos
I'm in, I mean, ready to pay an annual fee. That sounds more than fair considering how much time and effort keeping up the site must require. A membership fee is a better option than taking some blinking ads to the pages. But I don't want to be a privileged member with badges et c. I totally agree with raheny_eye!!! So far I don't either understand how blip is going to function in the future - will there be two or three blips: one free of charge, one to those who pay the membership fee, one (a de luxe) version for those who paid the Founding Member's fee?
~ valo
i started a new thread in the forums, on this Blip change. have a look and comment if you like.
thanks
~ bikerjim
I just can't believe you haven't charged before, Joe. I'm more than happy to pay especially when I've had 2.5 years of free membership.
~ mackintosh
I'm sure you've thought and planned a LOT and sweated a little about how to break the news but sweat no more..I'm sure some blippers won't be able to do it and that's sad but I think a lot will. Thanks for your gangantuan FREE efforts for the last few years!

I'm not sure how on earth you have functioned up to now. I would much rather spend 11 cents a day than slogging around a ad-heavy site such as Facebook.
~ fiori
hey joe,

if we can't pay, what happens to our website?
~ britni
Sorry but I'm going to sound a note of dissent. Personally, I think it is the wrong decision. I respect your choice (and of course the effort you put into this project) but I think this is a mistake.

I think it will change the nature of the site (and community), drastically reduce participants and put people off from joining. Young people, people on low incomes, people from parts of the world with different financial expectations, transient people - in fact many of the contributors with the most interesting things to say or show - will be put off or excluded by this.

I think that grant funding (primarily), sponsorship (second choice) or advertising (if necessary) would all have been better options. And all do-able, even in the middle of this recession. Better to be free with some compromise than pay a fee to stay pure.

If you did have to make the site subscription-only I think this is the wrong price. There's a balance between numbers and cost that should give you more subscribers at a smaller price and equal the same amount of income.

At a time when the web is moving to interesting and innovative models of funding, income generation and participation this decision moves you backwards into worn-out ways of operating. I enjoy posting here, I think it's a great project and it has made me work in a different way for which I'm very grateful. But there are other places to post pictures, chat, build relationships and engage in creative projects and they are all free - they don't require me to pay £25 a year ad infinitem (a price that is likely to rise in the future when you are locked in to that archive of images you don't want to lose).

I am aware that nothing lasts forever, especially on teh internets, but I think this is disappointing decision.

~ deleted
Sounds reasonable, I guess, but as Britni said, what happens to our stuff if we don't pay? Like a huge number of people, I already pay for Flickr Pro, so I am not sure I'd fork out the extra. I share some of Deleted's qualms here.
~ skyroad
hmm. i can see the need from joe's point of view, and £25 isn't so much i guess, but speaking as someone who may have no income after january it's still a bit of a blow. more details on what we could still have on a free site vs what you get for paying would be helpful, joe. but thanks for letting us know in advance, much appreciated.
~ astudyinscarlet
Count me in! I'd love some of those blipcards. I completely agree with what Distracted Housfrau said. It has me wondering if we will be able to purchase Blipfoto as a gift for someone else. Another question: Will those first 15 "founders" have some sort of special icon of their own? I've a good guess as to who some of them are but not all of them. Maybe they could be recognized.
~ Skip
Haven't read all of the above comments as yet, but count me in for a founder membership. Meanwhile, there are a few man and wife subscribers: what about a 'family' membership? Thanks.
~ postie
This is not totally unexpected and I love the concept of blip and all the hard work and continued effort that goes into it to make it work but I agree with the majority of deleted's post above and raheny's eye for that matter.

I'm all for innovation and evolution (plus common sense financial realities) but I am also a strong advocate of diversity and social inclusion. In my opinion the people that will not be able or prepared to pay will be a huge loss, the very ones that often provide the diverse and thought provoking content

Allied to this I don't understand the attraction of a pin badge and membership card ...

~ gillianandnick
It's NOT working BUM what have I done?
~ Flick
dear joe...............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this is sad...sad for an artistic venture to charge..what you have created is more trhan just a photo blip..it is the opportunity for many to try and understand each others cuttures thru photos..............no polictics..and from the comments you can see the connection the blippsters form..now you want to charge..knowing that for third world countries this fee will eliminate them...and their voice will be not be shared...i hope that this is not your intention to elimenate them on purpose.
dolores
~ Taranne
Right I have solved it I'll have to write that comment again
I will later , a bucket of tea beckons
~ Flick
@Flick. Don't forget to take your drops, with the bucket of tea ;-D
~ raheny_eye
flick..your comment is short and to the very nature of the fee...cheers
~ Taranne
I had wondered how on Earth you have been able to keep Blipfoto free. However, I agree that the two tiered system forms a hierarchy & I believe that the 25 pound price is steep, especially for those of us who are paying in a less valuable currency. I agree with Deleted, that I would sooner see sponsorship (Nikon? Canon?) and advertisements before we potentially exclude contributors who cannot pay.
~ katgirl
I'd have to say I'm a bit with Raheny and deleted. Not as cynical to think that you hoped from the beginning this would turn out to be a succes and cash on it, but all the gimmicky stuff to get people in are a bit too much for me. Also for about 2/3 of the amount (depending on the conversion rate) I have unlimited upload with no limitation to my Flickr account and I can download them back if I'm too lazy to find the CD where I'm keeping the original file. You might add that feature in the future, but just the one blip per day makes it too expensive. And I'm assuming that requirement stays, since that's at the heart of this site. It's not that I don't appreciate what blipcentral has done so far. That is absolutely priceless. Just the way this has been put as a fait accompli. Even though I know it's not to be expected of you to go on forever unpaid, putting a price on it in this manner, gives it a slightly sour taste. I'm undecided as to what I'm going to do. If I do leave, I wish you and your team all the best. And THANK YOU!
~ Shin
Right I am back :)
Tea consumed drops included raheny eye ;)

I will be doing this ,it's a brilliant special site with brilliant special people I hope so much that it doesn't put people off and cause people to leave :(

Not sure about 'Founding Member' wording, smacks a bit of elitism but I so love the 18mths stuff/Bargain etc etc ...:)

I don't want adverts I get confused enough already ...
Would like to be able to pay in installments I think esp. via paypal
and raheny Eye ..yes it will be different but w e can cope with that there is enough of us to make sure it all turns out well otherwise we will walk won't we?

And if we pay, will we lose the wonderful benign dictatorship that exists at the moment? I would hate that :(

And what about students and the unwaged? and can we buy gift memberships

And don't worry about supper I have that under control now ...;)
~ Flick
You're never going to make all of the people happy all of the time. I completely support the need for blipfoto to charge and compared to what I have paid for other photo sites and web sites I think it's reasonable. I love that blip is ad free more than I can tell you!

With the new change, I am sensitive to losing people from different places and circumstances because they can't afford to pay. I hope the free option will be fully integrated into the site so that only the blipper themselves knows whether they paid and have access to all the features.

You can count me in!
~ anappleaday
Raheny, Valo and deleted said it for me.
While I might pay the subscription, I really don't like the badge system (but then I hate the 'Blip of the week' thing too).
I will probably do like Marypot70 and go for my year and then regretfully drop out.
Unless a more reasonable system is found.
Cayen is a definite 'no, count me out'.
~ worry_pas
And I agree with Flick's comment about:

"Not sure about 'Founding Member' wording, smacks a bit of elitism but I so love the 18mths stuff/Bargain etc etc ...:)"

Deals are great...but we've never had more than a little widely ranging blip camera icon...
~ anappleaday
Question:
Can we have a list of "haves" and "have nots" for both the versions (free and paid) ?
~ Adda
On a scale of 1 to 10, I am currently 6 in favor of this.

One of the main reasons I joined was because it was free.

However, I do realize the need to get funds to keep this unique site going. Congrats on the growth, but I will have to review what the features and benefits are before committing.

Questions:
- Will you include discounted camera equipment insurance plans if someone subscribes?

- If I don't subscribe will you delete my account?
- Will you have paid staff to answer tech support questions?
- for int'l users, will you have 24 hour support?

~ kuchingboy
I can see how Joe needs to make some money for providing this brilliant site , and if "the tens of thousands" of people sign up at 25 quid a throw that's half a million a year , but as someone who keeps saying " i might upgrade to flickr pro " , can't say if i'll pay , stay as a free member or give up blipping . As for the founder member thing i wont be doing that (strange idea)
~ Tone
Sounds good to me.
~ missing
I've been wanting to donate to this site for a long time. I couldn't work out how the site was kept going especially without the revenue from advertising. I loathe advertising on the internet, all those flashing ads distracting from what you're trying to look at. For me, the clean simple look of this site is so much part of the charm of Blip
The £25 is a way to support a site we love and with a few extra bells and whistles thrown in as an incentive. I imagine the site will run as it did before and no accounts will be deleted if a person chooses not to subscribe and people will still be able to open free accounts and post an image a day but that those who do pay will get a few extras.

If the cost could be spread in installments then I don't see how around £2 a month could be a hardship for most people here.
I post on another site where quite a few members subscribe and quite a few don't and there is none of this 2 tier system that people are worrying about, it just means there are a few added features for those that do pay.

~ photofiend
I have to agree with raheny_eye. Though I completely empathize with Joe and all the folks at Blipcentral.

Perhaps when the differences between the paid and free versions are listed out it will be easier to decide.

But, if I am to list the main reason why I love blip, it is because the spirit of the site. And I remember Red once saying "Blip brings out the best in us." And if this continues to be the case, paying for the membership is quite reasonable.

P.S. £25 would be near about Rs. 2000/- which isn't exactly a small amount.
~ farsidehues
If I can pay with Visa or Mastercard then I am with. Splendid idea especially, if the Blipfoto future is thretened.
~ moln
I haven't decided personally, its a lot to ask in these times I also see this as a very hard prospect for those on low incomes over the world. It reminds me of Nikonians site who seem to have set up a similar set up, I don't buy into these hierarchy memberships. I get access to the forums and that's sufficient.

Joe et al may have a hard core of people here who have been in it a lot longer so will be reluctant not to pay up but there's too many alternative sites that could do it for nothing so I think attracting new people will be hard. If I had to pay initially to join I wouldn't have so I guess its a tough one for them to make but the price seems very steep.

I am not interested in badges etc, kinda left those behind at school and I am not sure I need bits of card either, I feel a bit disappointed to be honest.

I guess I am with Shin on my thoughts on this.
~ SimonC
Its close to Christmas so I have some wishes....

that Blip will continue with the lovely blippers as today creating together the special atmosphere that I cant find elsewhere,
a mix with emplyees, students, unemployed, artists, prof photografers, amateurs... when blipping this is so irrelevant in the joy of sharing and expressing,

that no one has to quit because of a too high fee,

that Joe still will have something in return for all his work,

that a lower fee of £15 is enough. Lower means more members and ...

~ birgittalu
If it had been a simple fee, to cover costs, say £15 as for Flickr, then I could have understood, but all this malarky about those who have features and those who haven't and special signs to say look how dedicated each person is to the site, wow, what went wrong?
This is wrong on every level apart from covering costs of maintaining ever increasing server and support cost.
A blanket lower fixed cost, no frills, no favouritism, no gimmicks is my opinion.
I'm disillusioned, and athough have very much enjoyed being a part of this community, and appreciated everything and everyone, but count me out of this mad hierarchical system and idealology. The place was far better when it was kept simple, the purity was its attraction to me, a humble place where everyone could be equal.
~ Bisk
You have funded our social life far too long, Joe.

Yes we must contribute, but I agree with Flick and the Founding member comment. Elitism is damaging and segregating.
We are all of differing abilities, social and financial backgrounds, with young and old contributing to a fantastic worldwide community. I feel it would be terribly sad to lose any of them through this, so bring on the free level and let us know all about it as soon as possible, to prevent any bad feeling," rot ", setting in
I will gladly pay for the many hours of fun I have every week from Blip. We are all privelaged to be part of it and I thank you Joe.
~ sheilaM
Sounds like there are a lot of people here thinking that you´ll have to pay if you have a journal here, but you say there will still be a free version so students and other people who can´t or don´t want to pay still can be blippers. Have I understood you right?

I´m gonna pay as I wrote earlier.
~ MissRAble
Pertinently quoted, MissRAble. People don't seem to be reading that bit at all.
There's also "That's probably six months away"; it's not as if we're being commanded to cough up £25 by noon tomorrow or our entire account gets deleted.

Remember also that Flickr's fees benefit from the economies of a much larger scale and that it must also make a fair bit from kickbacks from Moo, Blurband so on.

"...and what we've created is quite unique"... definitely worth paying to help keep it so.
~ wingpig
I'm guessing that Joe wrote and rewrote his copy a number of times, fretted and wondered and felt rather lowly and unsure when he finally hit submit.

Blippers are always asking themselves whether to blip every day or not to blip every day, worrying that it's taking over their lives....here's the answer then. If you've made a commitment to blip every day and keep that level of contact with the other blippers, it shouldn't be free. If you can't afford to pay a subscription, then post once a week or whatever the free blip version will allow you.

None of the ways you share information and keep in touch are free. Your Internet, telephone and mail delivery services aren't free. We can't expect Joe and Blipcentral to keep doing this for free, it's not right, given the cost of equipment and their investment of time.
It doesn't matter if they just want to break even or make money. A person's time shouldn't be free, especially if it takes up a huge portion of their lives. Bottom line is, it shouldn't cost just one or two people money to run a free site that is enjoyed by hundreds, perhaps thousands of individuals.

I hear and understand the concerns of creating a tier system and cutting off blippers who bring enormous insight into other parts of the world and that is the part that makes me sad...
Of one thing I'm sure...that is that the new system will be fairly structured, well thought out and explained and will offer new features and options to suit all and won't exclude anyone.

PS.
Don't beat Joe up over the significance or insignificance of the badge and cards...that's almost as bad as opening a present and saying...ew, this is crap! They are simply tokens of appreciation, not meant to sway you one way or the other.

~ fiori
A charging policy was inevitable - that's the accountant in me speaking.
I don't want Blipfoto to go bankrupt. Remember, Blipfoto is a limited company incorporated in Scotland with company number SC327482.

I'm in.

50p a week is nothing at all nowadays. What does it buy - a Mars Bar or a packet of crisps?
Mind you, I'm not into pin badges or cards, or whatever but hey everyone is different.

~ Cradlehall
Fiori, you have expressed it well. Thank you! I said before that I will definitely sign on. This is the best of all the photo sites I have checked out, but Blip is more than a photo website, it is a caring, fascinating, and diverse community. I would be happy to see Blip continue as it is with a somewhat lower fee than you are suggesting so that everyone who currently is part of this community can continue to participate. The strength of Blip is its diversity, and I would hate to lose any of that. I have learned so much through Blip, and a lot of what I have learned isn't directly related to photography. As for the perks of the founder membership, I appreciate that you are offering them and I don't find them off-putting, but I don't think they are essential to the Blip experience...with one exception: the blipcards are a great idea. It sounds as if some people are imagining them to be a membership card or some sort of distinction. I'm imagining them to be a good way to introduce my non-blipping friends to this great community. I'd love to be able to do that. They would be helpful to us blippers and helpful to Blip Central in attracting new members. Last comment (for now), I think the family membership is an intriguing suggestion, even if I am the only blipper in my family.
~ Skip
Understand that keeping the site running costs money.

Do not understand that people should be marked as special people for being a true and honest blipper. All that other stuff costs money too and is completely unimportant.

Will be the end of the community as we know it.

I have no idea what I will do.
~ aaronvanvalen
I am in the "count me in" camp...

My tuppence...

Like Mack, I've had 2 1/2 years of free blip. I dread to think how much time I've spent on this site but it's certainly up there with TV, films, newspapers, books, music, eating out etc etc. I pay for these - so I don't really expect to get blip for free indefinitely either.

I am actually pleased to have the opportunity be able to support the site. Blip is such an important part of my life that I would actually worry if it did continue to be free. The 2 days without blip a while ago was a real wake up call as to what life would be like if one day i cliicked and there was nobody there...

But I don't expect others to necessarily think the same way as me. I think that the free site will probably be pretty similar to to the current site. So all those that can't pay / won't pay can continue blipping.

As for elitism / hierarchies. From an icon? Really? :-0 It's all in the eye of the beholder I think and I genuinely fail to see how an icon it spells the end of a community. You could just as easily see it as a token of thanks for supporting the site and helping build this unique wee corner of the internet.

As for the badges. Well the Beano would be proud... :)

Thanks to Joe and Blipcentral for everything. Looking forward to seeing how this develops.
~ Anonymoose
I completely understand this decision and could not respect it more, however much I may disagree with it. Overloaded with feedback, I'm sure I'de, like to make a quick comment and ask a brief question.

comment: Blipfoto is so great now because it is open to all.
No boundaries to entry.

question: will non premium membership be available?
~ nir
Wow - what an overwhelming response. Thanks for taking so much time to share your thoughts in so much detail.

Before I answer some of the questions above, I just wanted to stress that we've spent a lot of time looking at all the different ways of covering some of our costs and putting a financial framework in place which allows Blipfoto to continue growing. It would be negligent not to have done that and the result of inaction would quite simply be no Blipfoto sometime not so far in the future. Luckily none of us want that.

In no specific order:

- You will still be able to use Blipfoto completely free of charge. The basic premise is simple: those who choose to pay will get more stuff and most (if not all) of that stuff will be new things that nobody gets now.

- To work in the long term, paying for Blipfoto will have to be a positive experience for everyone concerned.

- We don't plan to get rid of anyone who chooses not to pay.

- There will only be one Blipfoto, with free and paid members co-existing in perfect harmony.

- Those who do take out a Founding Membership in January or February will be giving us a much-appreciated boost in the right direction. Any recognition those people receive is well deserved.

- If you don't want the things the founding membership offers (including that nice warm feeling in your tummy), you can continue using Blipfoto completely free until we announce the full details of the membership package then decide whether to sign up or not. Then, if it's not for you, you can continue using Blipfoto completely free of charge.

- For the time being, all payments will be in UK Pounds via PayPal. As at least one person has pointed out, our great nation's currency is not what it was six months ago, so if you're outside the UK there's never been a better time to buy! Overseas shipping of your badge (and Blipcards if you choose them) is factored into the cost.

- Instalments, gift and family memberships are likely to play an important part of our membership package.

- You will still be able to use Blipfoto completely free of charge.

- Unlike a lot of other websites (at least the ones I know about) which provide a platform for you to upload your own material, we put a huge amount of time and effort into moderation and support. That goes unnoticed by most people (which is exactly the way it should be and probably means we're doing an OK job) but is very visible in what you don't see on Blipfoto - this is one of the reasons Blipfoto 'brings out the best in us'.

- Did I mention you will still be able to use Blipfoto completely free of charge?

Thanks again for all the feedback. I will keep reading and responding as appropriate...
~ Joe
I am so in Joe!! You know how much I love this sight and how much I wanted those Blipcards too:)
Will you take a cheque??
~ cew
Hmm, 'founding member'.....aren't these the founding members?

I have no problem almost everything you've said in the Blipblog blurb Joe, I've wondered for a long time how you've made this pay, but paying to be a 'founding member' just seems wrong.

I'm more than happy to pay my £25 a year, in fact, I'm more than happy to pay £40 on 1st January......

.....as long as I don't have to have a 'founding member' icon.

I'm happy with my gold one, thanks.
~ Chris
"You will still be able to use Blipfoto completely free of charge."
Joe said.
O.K.
Why all this hassle?
Why didn't you just put your hand out asking: Can you pay something for using blip, now, or every year (because keeping it up takes lots of time and effort)?
Why all law stuff lately, the contract we (all) signed, maybe not reading it carefully?
Was it preparing for the next step?
Somebody (maybe Bisk) said that something has gone sour. Maybe. I feel terribly bad about it.
It's less than a year ago when I asked blip staff if
they could sell their software to some Finnish organization (promoting the wellbeing of unemployed, old, sick), they said yes. In spite of my efforts (public, which brought lots of new Finnish blippers) this has not brought anything to blip central. Even so, I still think, you could sell the concept and software to not English speaking countries. O.K. photos talk (and that's the main point), but having the site also as a verbal diary or a message board for friends you need your language. It's a shame that blip concept has not made money, because big money would take care of minor problems - us.

~ valo
For a rare occasion in my life, I am SO RELIEVED to hear that we're going pay.

1. I hate ads. I use firefox and never see them anyways, so

2. this is SO much better than y'all going under.

I wondered monthly since I joined here in November of 2006 when you were gonna fall down, put ads (puke), or charge. was hoping for a charge all along, I am so glad nothing will happen to my beloved blip!
~ disconbobulate
As already said by several other long-established blippers - I am happy to contribute for all the time I have already enjoyed on blip and to give something back would be a pleasure. There is no other website that has come close to this one in terms of addiction(!), viewing pleasure, contribution and inspiration to take photographs, and I am eternally grateful for that.

However, that is just my opinion as one of the 'oldies' and is completely separate from my thoughts about you developing a paying blip site, which is a whole new kettle of slippery eels. I will try and write my thoughts down about that when I have some more time, but I am certainly not disapproving of a payment scheme.

I think from a business perspective - some market research might be a good idea. I guess this post and comments are serving that purpose, but this is an already captive audience. The thoughts of potential future blippers and their opinions on price and what they want for their money is as important now.

Clearly, a lot of people have signed up as it is just now, so the concept is obviously very popular.

Throw in a chargeable element at the start though and you need to know what effect that will have on potential uptake and customer retention. How you find that out is beyond me, but I'm sure some market research experts could give some advice.

I have lots of other thoughts and agree with some of the concerns people have stated above, but I have no doubt that you(Joe) and team will handle these issues as sensitively as you have developed the site.

I have lost my Gnasher's fan-club hairy membership badge by the way - has anyone seen it?
~ treegonk
Great job, well done and congratulations!

Finaly I am able to contribute to a community that has been good to me from the day I first stumbled uppon it.

If a small contribution makes it possible for others to have a free membership then this -to me- is exactly what blipfoto is all about.
~ Elmer
Hmmmm. Some interesting comments. I had better make a rare one of my own.

I kind of expected this and I can't blame you for doing it. You have invested in and built up a very unique product. Good on you for wanting a return.

Yes, count me in. My wife will kill my ass for spending $100 but never mind. I will do this for no other reason than I like the idea of being a founding member. I don't really use any of the extra facilities on blipfoto and probably won't use the new extras. Hell I don't even comment much anymore but like everyone else, I get out what I put in.

Might I suggest a few things. Just suggestions mind you.

1. Get a secure credit card facility onsite for membership. I absolutely hate Paypal.
2. I hate to say this but £25pa might be a bit exessive. It won't deter me but I had to say it.
3.Um...that was it.

Oh and did someone mention a founding member icon? Possibly next to the current one. I like that.

Good luck with it.
~ myangle
after almost 1 1/2 year of free membership, I'm more than glad to show my appreciation for everything blipfoto has done so far....I'm in for the 18 months full membership....but
no need a members icon/badge though!!!
~ Orchid
Odd how the concerns of Bisk et al are not really addressed by Joe here. If the approach was less gimmicky/manipulative I would have no problem with the forty quid even - god knows its a great site - but the perks and special badges just push me away...
~ worry_pas
I for one am in on the founding membership. For me, it's the cards I want. This site has been the best and I am all for supporting it in anyway I can. I'll be waiting to find out where to send the $$.
~ bugsman
Interesting pic - but a f-f-f-f-flippin' terrible stammer you have there.

Membership, eh? Ooooh - will I? Won't I? Will I? Won't I?

Ah, who am I fooling.

I am simultaneously horrified and thrilled at the idea of a "founding member" icon. That probably means it's a good idea. I am laughing like a drain at the fact Joe's clearly said "you can still have it for free if you want" and we're all falling over ourselves to cough up, or getting our knickers in a twist. I love that.

And I'm no maths whiz, but isn't £40 for 18 months pretty much the same as £25 a year?

One request: can I be a floundering member instead?
~ Red
2,50 less Red - that´s 6,25%... or full price the first half year and then 10% of the year fee.

But you also get:
- an exclusive founding member's icon, which will stay with you forever
- a specially produced founding member's enamel badge
- 10% discount on all future Blipfoto purchases, including membership fees
~ MissRAble
Are you working for Joe, MissRable? ;-)
~ Red
My heart belongs to blip even though I've been absent for a few months.

Can you find a way to offer business cards/bookmarks/postcards with specially chosen photographs from blippers who give a minimal use for that as long as they are credited or something? I'm thinking of moo.com cards. I haven't a clue how you safeguard photographs but there are many photographs I love and would love to share on a business card, etc.

I'm thinking of Goodbye's art, his brother's, and the other blippers who do such fantastic work. Have contests to enter a particular category.

Water picture sets
Animal picture sets
Scenery picture sets

Well, I'm in just to say thanks for all the freeloading of the past. ; )

~ huck
I think that to be a founding member, there should be some rules and some benefits.

To expand.... Founding members should

1.Have the right to blip Bella once a year.
2. Be banned from bliping their own eye, their computer keyboard and other blippers who don't want to be blipped!!!
3.Be obliged to blip at least 4 sunsets a month.
4. Wear their badge in all SPs with or without clothing. ( preferably with )
5. Always have a flower on standby, for that blip hiatus.

This may be a serious topic, but I do think we can take it too seriously!
~ sheilaM
"4. Wear their badge in all SPs with or without clothing. ( preferably with )"

depends on how good looking they are ;)
~ Shin
Oooh, thats caused a lot of discussion. To run and maintain such a thing as blip in the size it has become must be costing a lot in people hours? So too right we should pay for it! We've had the dream of free perfectly crafted photo-blog for long enough (and £2.08 a month is nothing really). Cut out that bag of crisps or take-out cappucino to pay for your blip and we will all be healthier too ;)
I don't get why people are throwing accusations of elitism and excluding those who can't afford it. As Joe said a free version will be available and if (as Elmer says) some of us paying keeps it free for those who can't is a pretty good thing.
And the founder member ... its a bit of fun, if your going to be grumpy about it don't do it!
+SO HAPPY it will remain advert free, I HATE advert loaded sites.
~ dailydoobs
Being able to see a photo of my Dad's life every day and my cousin's amazing pictures, and for my family to see what I've been up to (not to mention all my friends from far and wide who drop by) - it's a price worth paying. Count me in, too.

~ squirk
There are some interesting opinions here that have made me re-think my initial response to having read the post earlier this afternoon. This is a really important step that is being proposed and whilst I have no doubt at all that the proposals were indeed well thought out there are some parts that merit further comment and discussion.

I for one have no problem at all paying for further blippage. At £25 p.a this site offers good value for money. A lot of this value is intangible. To take a photo a day forces me to have a creative thought every day. Some days that search for inspiration is harder than others and some days my posted photos are a reflection of that. But over all and over the last 8 months or so that I have been posting on blip, I reckon that there has been an improvement in my photography. That in itself is worth paying for.

As part of that exercise, I have been persuaded to get out and explore places I would otherwise not have bothered to go and see. That too is worth the money for me.

I know I don't have to blip every day, but having set myself the personal challenge to do so - and succeeded so far - then I have a lot for which this site makes me grateful. That's worth a return from me.

So, blip - you can count on my subscription.

You can also count on my upfront £40 - that sounds like a good deal. And the return I'll get from that is fine by me - cards, badge, discounts all cool and groovy.

I do, however share some concerns about the "founder's icon". I'm not a founder - far from it - this site had been going for more than a year before I joined and I think there would be a 2 tier hierarchy created if I were to be able to buy founder status for myself. If people want to know how long I've been blipping then they just need to look at my profile. I reckon this one aspect of the proposal needs to be kicked around the pub once more.

That way, nobody needs to know I've paid £40 rather than £25. That way nobody looks up or down at me.

Keep up the good work, Joe et al.
~ mobilevirgin
Not knowing about this yesterday, I made some "blip-cards". This is not to the point.
We remember still this:
"Welcome to blipfoto ? the zero-fuss, free website that lets anyone join in and publish one photo a day.

Record your life in pictures, improve your photography skills, or just keep in touch with your family and friends."

~ valo
Looking forward to helping out, and what's to come :)
~ Jonny
While I'm not so sure about the founder's icon bit (maybe just a note in the profile page?), count me in for the £40 (currently costs $60, but with the weakening sterling, who knows how that'll be in 6 mo?).
~ josh
Can I get the icon in cornflower blue?

I am relieved it will be just extra stuff people will need to pay for. I didn't get it at first but I think I do now.

However, I do still think it will change the site in a bad way.

But as we say here in the big Nippon, shoganai - t can't be helped.

I am really surprised people dig the special icons though. I really could not care about having one.

I think it would be helpful to set up a way for people to donate. I would not want to sign up for a yearly installment cos I just don't like having those. But blipfoto has helped me develop my skills and helped put my goals in perspective, for which I am really grateful (as gay as that may sound). I would love to make a donation, but don't need any of the gadgets that go with it, like Chris said above.

To me that's just not what blip is about.
~ aaronvanvalen
I think this one should be the "blip of the week" :-)
~ Adda
I second myangle's idea to set up a credit card payment facility instead of Paypal.
Other than that I don't really see people's problems here; there will still be a free blipfoto site for people who do not want to pay and if you do not want the blipcards and stuff just say so on your application/with your payment.. I am sure blipcentral will not mind not having to send them. Maybe the term 'founding member' should be rephrased to get rid of some of the issues with this membership..
~ stephanie
It's a great testament to how good Blipfoto is that changes spark such a huge debate!

a few thoughts

- I'm really glad that non-paying and paying blippers will carry posting photos and commenting in the same arena, as that means if any kind of hierarchy develops (as some are clearly concerned about) it will be our own fault. Does that make sense?

- Ditto lots of people: excited about being able to help launch this next phase as a founding member, but really not fussed about a little badge!

- maybe this is a good moment to say to Joe and all at blipcentral that we thoroughly appreciate all the time and effort you've been putting in for free up until now! It really is a lovely community.
~ shadowlight
Merde! Just spent ages on a comment and somehow logged myself out before posting it. Here's a mini version:

I love the Blip site and appreciate that I phenomenal amount of work goes into it. Count me (and my student overdraft) in to contribute. I think it's easy to feel this way when you have been enjoying the blip community for a while but maybe the fee would be a deterrent to potential newbie blippers? Maybe they could try the site free for a while as we have all done? Different versions of the site sounds a tad complicated but I guess offers something for everyone?

Anyway, thanks for such a great site.
~ Laurinha
I too was expecting something like this happening and
don't have a problem with having to pay a small fee.
However, it's the gimmicks that I don't like, this
founding members crap for instance! There is only one
founding member and that's Joe, or possibly the 15
he invited to join when blip was opened up for communal
use. No one else can claim to be a founding member
no matter how many little cards or tin badges you have
to wave about! Im glad the free option will still be
available for the less well off blippers around the world
but I also don't want to see a two tier site for the haves
and have nots, all are equal in this great community!
~ martrex
Thank you Joe for putting my mind to rest over a few issues, especially the fact that I could continue with a simple account for free until things here ease financially. Also to the fact that there will be options for installments and family membership deals. Like someone said here, paying just over £2.00 a month is the equivalent to a weekly mars bar, it's just when you have to pay for a year's worth of mars bars in one go that it seems suddenly gargantuan! I'm sad and sorry that I am not in a position to become a founding member and to help get the site going from the offset.
~ marypot70
Joe, thanks so much for clarifying further up in the thread -- you've allayed my major concerns -- losing people and turning away potential blippers. you can still count me in; i'm happy to pay for something i've gained tremendously from.

I want to add, though, that i agree 100% with what mobilvirgin posted, in particular the idea about finding another way to acknowledge founding members -- even better defining 'founding member' as I, too, would consider those first 15 to be the original founders -- not me or others who paid to have that title.

thanks for all you do, and thanks for keeping this site ad free.
~ distractedhausfrau
I'm in.
~ Fi
1) I have enjoyed last two years of blipping and a lot of memories associated with it.

2) At the moment, I am undecided over the issue of paying or not. Anyways being "lazy guy", I don't have to decide till the last day ;-)
~ faizan615
Thinking out loud here and I've read some of the comments too!

1)there will still be a free site with much the same features as now?
2) There will be an enhanced blipfoto that you can join with much more in the way of features?

If yes to both, then it all sounds fair ;-))
~ loganspix
Now that it's been clarified that the "free version" will be the site as it currently stands and the membership version will be for "new stuff", some of my concerns are allayed.

What I would like to highlight is something that many people have mentioned but not explicitly addressed. What is so good about this site is not the software or the hosting or the "service" provided by Blip HQ. What is so good about this site is the contributions, community and creativity brought to it by the users. Of course the Blipmeisters enable that to happen, but what is so important about this (and many other user generated sites) is US. Many people have already said it is the Blip community that brings them here every day. Without US there is no Blipfoto.

This is one of the reasons that I don't like the paid membership approach - we are not "buying a service" from Blipfoto, we are bringing our own content that builds into a blip community.

Believe me, as the (totally unpaid) director of a major youth sports club I do thoroughly appreciate the practical necessities of operating an organisation run on volunteer time, goodwill and good luck. But as I said in my previous post, continuing to look at this collective creation in terms of paying a subscription to purchase a service is the wrong model and I think it both vastly underestimates the value created by the users and limits the potential for the future.

~ deleted
well, joe, i'm feeling better after reading that the free version will be pretty much what we have now, tho the two-tier nature of the site feels divisive in what is a very inclusive community. i see the point of paying, but equally some targeted ads could cushion the site financially. there are ways of doing it that aren't obtrusive (non-flashing strip ads on the homepage?).

on the founder member thing - i'm with those who believe your original gang are the founders, how about another term for those who want to pay the extra? Blip: The Next Generation?

i'm sure you've thought about it, but one of my reasons for signing up was that it was free, as well as the concept. you might want to think about offering newbies maybe a month of bells and whistles to see whether they want to pay for the full monty or are happy to stick with the free n simple version.

i'm with countryfile, £25 isn't much divided into 365 blips a year, but in one go it's a fair whack for those already stretched (i bet there's more than me facing redundancy in the not too distant). oh, and paypal is v annoying! how about an envelope of crisp fivers option for those living in edinburgh... ;-)

~ astudyinscarlet
I'm in and something had to happen to keep this fantastic site going. Huge NO to ads that's for sure. It does seem odd to call us the founders, I came in May 2008 so would feel wrong calling myself a founder, astudyinscarlet may have a good name in The Next Generation, like that. No bothered about a pin and feel a bit uneasy about a two-tier system but you have obviously thought about this a shedload and also have to be the ones who run it so you must go with what you think will work after all, if it wasn't for you none of us would be here. Thanks and Paypal's good for me.
~ annekingston
After reading each and every comment above, all I can say is -
I love Blipfoto! All of you rock, no matter what your opinion is.
~ happyyoga
Hello and thanks again for all the comments - it's nice to know you care so much.

There are a few additional points I want to address, after which we can hopefully round this off and not start going in circles.

- It might help to think of the founding membership this way: up until now we've had lots of 'contributors', all of whom have used the site completely free of charge. By definition, a Blipfoto 'member' will be someone who pays for a membership and receives additional benefits for doing so. The founding members will be the first tranche of people who choose to support Blipfoto financially.

- This is a place we all (hopefully) come to enjoy ourselves. The 'extras' which come with a founding membership should be taken in that spirit - if they don't interest you, you don't have to be affected by them at all and you can defer helping us out until we introduce the normal paid membership next year. The important thing is that people care about Blipfoto and see enough value in using the site to pay a small optional amount. If they do, we have a future.

- Having two types of account - one free and one paid for - is a very common, tried and tested approach. It works because there are no barriers to entry, new people can take part without committing to anything, those who can't / won't pay still get to enjoy the site, while those who want a bit more and are willing to pay have a way of doing so. I genuinely struggle to see the losers in that approach.

Two years ago, we didn't just build a website people could throw pictures into, sit back and find ourselves where we do now. Blipfoto is here now in its current form because every day since, me and the others who help run the site have been faced with and agonised over many decisions. Lots and lots and lots of decisions. Some (like this one) are big, some are small, but we never, ever take those decisions blindly, lightly, in haste, or in the best interests of anything other than Blipfoto as a whole.

All the people involved in the decision making are, first and foremost, Blippers.

Just because this website is going to be underpinned by a business, that principle can't, won't and isn't going to change one little bit. If anything, it's only going to get stronger.
~ Joe
What a reaction. My immediate response was at the top of the page. It hasn't changed although I can see everyone's perspective on this. I'm happy to pay the £40 start up membership - not for the badge, cards or whatever, but because it will, if a few of us do it, give Joe and team the financial kick start needed to maintain Blip and develop it further.

If this is the price we pay for no adverts...I'm all for it. And I hope that people don't drop off the blip-scape as a result, because THAT is the bit that will change the community for the worse.

Blip is great, money is evil, but it is necessary to continue to provide something that all of us contribute to and benefit from in one way or another. Where else would I be able to rant away like I do????
~ hebsjournal
I was amazed blipfoto was free when i started & i would pay to be a member, as i see it have had quite a few free months. if i can afford the £40 then count me in if not i will become a momber. i just hope i dont lose to many blip-friends with the changes. Good on you for all your hard work this must have been a tuff desision :0)
~ Shona
Joe i have to say a massive congratulation to you and your team for creating an amazing concept, a fantastic website and an astonishing community. I have often wondered how you could continue to provide the service (and server space!) free of charge.

I am in full support of the decision to charge, so many sites are ruined by advertising and we all have to realise that even Blip exists in the real world and costs money to keep it alive.

To provide something as remarkable as blip for less than the cost of a frothy coffee each month is, to me, still an amazing achievement.
~ smithski
I don't know if there's an equivalent outside the UK but here we have the concept of the Television License Fee: the BBC is a publicly-funded public service and (whether you watch or listen to it or not) if you have the means to access it you are requested to contribute to it so that programmes and content of merit may be commissioned and made with the interests of the minds of the public in mind; the alternative is entirely commercial television and radio which is almost universally shite in comparison (except when Channel 4 is in an intelligent mood).

Similarly the option to contribute here could ensure a far more beneficial photoblogger-directed service than might be available if advertising was employed which only ever aims to serve the pockets of the suppliers of the advertised products and services rather than the mental stimulation of the contributors.

The BBC doesn't offer merchandise for early-adopters but the underlying principle is the same; in a world where things cost money to run, host and enbandwidthificate quality can be assured by contribution.
~ wingpig
This is not for me, but the best of luck to you.
~ portobelloman
I think the idea is good but like so many people mentioned above there are a few fundemental issues with it. It's kind of like DeviantArt before. I joined it not too long after it started but was already getting pretty big. But then they started doing the membership thing and it seemed to define a clear line of distinction cause if you wanted to do a lot of the 'fancy' stuff you needed to pay, and people who didn't pay seemed to see no improvements in say loading times and general speed of the website that remained pretty crappy even though they were raking in the money.

I think 'Founding Members' is not the right name for those who decide to pay. Not sure of a name really but founding members are those who kicked it off at the beginning rather than those who pay. I can't think of anything at this point that doesn't draw a clear line of distinction between paying members and non paying ones.

Another approach could be used aswell. Possibly similar to what Wiki does. They say to do whatever for it they'll need £x and work on donations. Give it a date you need it by and hope that works. Open up a store for say tshirts, the cards you mentioned and what not. Get your favourite blip on a tshirt for some money. Etc. Those ideas could work aswell. I don't know how many members there are but if everyone can manage to send off £1 or £2 that works too.

I remember of a shell hosting company that if you wanted to join you just had to send them a postcard with like $2 worth of stamps or if you were from say Poland, $2 worth of money with the card. Something like that too. Anyway that's just an idea and a half.
~ rx20a
I will be paying you £40.00 with no questions asked Joe, you are so great and you have given me so much pleasure, all this for under a £1.00 a week, that sounds good to me.

Count me in.

Thankyou again Joe and the rest of the blip crew.
~ traceyflowerpot
One of the points I was trying to make above is that this is not an idea, it's a decision which has already been made - we're going ahead with it in exactly the form described.

If anyone has a new question I haven't already answered, by all means add it here. However, if you want to discuss everything else surrounding this decision,
bikerjim has already started a thread in the forums for exactly that - please use that instead.
~ Joe
I'm in Joe, more than happy to pay the £40

~ Jaxter46
Count me in. I am very excited to become a member of such a great "club".
~ MAiT
mmmm. can't afford it.

i mean, i'm 14. like i'll have a decent job that allows me to spend 100 dollars a year on a website.

eh.

i don't really care... i just think it might break the community up into elite groups and such.

but do what's necessary.
~ cara
Money is needed for blip now, we all understand that and would like to help. But like rx20a says, could it be like a donation, rather than a fixed amount? Then the contributions could come from a much larger number of blippers and finally it is the total amount that counts, isn't it? And it also makes the upper limit flexible, which would lead at least a few to contribute even more.

~ farsidehues
I have to admit, I have wondered many times how this service is managed without any adverts or options to donate. £25 is a bit on the steep side though but I suppose it depends on what other features will be offered for the money. Other similar sites offer an advert free space if you pay just $2 per month which is a lot less.

I currently pay approximately £15 per year for Flickr but that permits me to upload all my photos for safe keeping so that has always been a bargain in my eyes.

~ middleoftheroad
Hmm. i haven't read all the comments, and maybe the forum has something in it also... but what about the EULA? It's kinda restricitve but with good reason for a free site. But when one becomes member there might be something to say for a differend EULA...
~ nh
While I very much appreciate your free service so far....it would be around $55 for me to join at the lowest level. We are a single income family (3 small kids!) so we have to put things into perspective. I'm a little bit sad at the moment and wish we were being paid in the pound!
~ kyliec
Are all the "F's" for Fanfare, Financial Decision, Founding Membership, Fun, Frolics, Friends, Family, Frenetic or another F that I can't type here :-)

Maybe its an alliterated sentence, although I can't think of a good one at the moment...
~ 42
blimey - I'm late to the discussion!

About time - I previously paid in Jelly Beans but you can have my cash instead :-)
~ dailypost
I'm a recent joiner and had actually been getting more and more uneasy that this was being provided for free and that I was effectively "exploiting" someone's generosity, with no easy way to contribute :-) Hopefully I'll be able to give the 40quid to help out with the boost/comfort zone which may be needed.
~ cookingisgood
Joe, you mentioned it in your first response, but not since: A few people have questioned if it's at all possible to introduce a secure online payment method using Visa in addition to Paypal? There's something decidedly fishy about Paypal and I'd much rather pay direct, especially from 3000km away :)
~ David77
David - yes, we will be looking at that. Developing our own payment platform is a more desirable route for all concerned, but presents significantly higher up-front costs.

In the meantime, please don't worry about using PayPal. I've used it for many years and never had a problem.

To reply to a couple of other comments, at today's rates, the £25 per year membership fee translates to less than 38 USD.
~ Joe
Is that about 23 euros now?
~ valo
@valo: according to google 25 pounds is approx 27 euros, 40 pounds approx 43 euros (just google "25 pounds in euros" and it calculates it for you)
~ stephanie
let me put it this way:
I don't smoke, I rarely drink, I don't do drugs ...

YET I am addicted to something ...which had been free for about 2 years now ... It's time to give back to blipfoto ...
Even though my blips are not that regular I hope 2009 wiil bring that as wel, so sign me up for the - most likely - cool icon, cards, membership advantages ... and not least .. the honour ...

Can't wait ...
~ Pixelmeier
I hate paypal - I have had my account corrupted recently and two amounts of £35 taken out within days of each other, very hard to prove it wasn't me, have cancelled my account, so if I do decide to become a member an alternative payment would be very much appreciated.
~ caffeine
caffeine - you don't need a PayPal account if you want to pay by credit card. You can make a one-off credit (or debit) card payment without registering.
~ Joe
What was the question again?
~ hiraeth
I hope there is much more consideration, before this decision is finalized.

I'll probably remain a member, but I'm not sure yet because in US dollars, with how our economy is, that is a lot of money that I could use elsewhere.

It's upsetting that many will face the hard decision to stay and pay or leave this wonderful community.

And if these are the final numbers you choose, it will also be sad to see the less fortunate across the globe end their membership here.

One main reason I joined is because this community is SO diverse - rich and poor, the haves and have nots...all creating beautiful art.

I and I'm sure many other would prefer ads, please consider ads.
~ dailydose
Daily - There will always be a free version just like now. If you read Joe's posting you'll see that he makes this perfectly clear.
~ G
Hi Joe,

I'm relativly new here, and have enjoyed your
site, ta!, anyhoo, what servers etc cost money?? ..
but the internet is free?!! ( don't ask a salesman
once said it...) oh yes, I know having spent too much time
in server centres, like the ones run by these people.

I just hope you are ready for the world of pain that
having a paid for (with free section) site can bring
the support calls take on an edge, outages become
unacceptable, blah blah blah

I just hope you haven't dismissed the donation model
out of hand, it works well for others (including the grand daddy
/ gorilla that is wikipedia) and doesn't change
the good will that the site has from it's users, which in
blipfoto's case makes it what it is. Also with the wealth
of art on display at blipfoto, there are other revenue
models (with consent) available to it.

Well I'm starting to ramble, so in closing, I hope it goes
well for you with your site, what ever direction you choose
to take it. Good luck!

Have a good festive season.
~ rml
I really appreciate the work that goes into the running of this site and would be more than happy to pay a fee. Thank you for your dedication - from a very satisfied member!
~ Happyframe
I can't see there being anything to persuade me to move to move to a paid membership.

How would the free version work? Would it be the same as now? Adverts? a cut back version of the current site?

I understand that bandwidth and hosting have to be paid for but I just can't see myself parting with £25pa to blip. Don't get me wrong I love blipping but I think donations or adverts are the way to go. I'd be far more likely to donate £5 - £10 for an icon next to my name.

I'd love to join the 'this is a brilliant idea sign me up for £40' crowd but personally I just can't justify it.

Obviously the site has to be paid for in some way and I wish you all the best with this.
~ wlb
I have always felt that blopfoto is a brilliant idea beautifully executed made with love and drive - but . . .(you knew there was going to be a 'but') one of the things that has never worked for me is that one the one hand you have the cuddly idea of blip being a family and on the other - inovations just come to the family from above, a sort of patriarcy.
I know why you are doing the paid membership thing but I think innovation on the web can evolve from asking the family for notions and ideas and from the decisions being shared (a vote?)
It's your baby, Joe, but the family is actually quite grown up and needs to be included before the fait accomplete. (sp?).
Blip has to be paid for. The way that happens will change all of our relationship to blip and to each other - that includes blipcentral.
I notice that there is no suggestion of buying shares or having a membership that has a say.
Isn't it time for blip to go democratic? Hmm? The blip cooperative maybe?
~ chrism
Rights and Responsibilities of Blip membership - much more interesting to think about than the goody bag of special icons, discounts etc.
I can certainly think of ways for blip to make money and have the members contribute so I am sure that lots of blipper will have thoughts on the matter.

~ chrism
A final word from me:

It's taken us the best part of a year to reach this decision - we've investigated, considered and pondered every possible way of Blipfoto paying for itself in considerable detail. This includes all of those suggested above, and many more besides. During that period, we've also consulted with dozens of people, including many blippers.

That gives me complete confidence that the Blipfoto of the future will remain as simple and engaging as it has until now. Contributors who can afford it and want a bit more from the site making a small payment in return for that extra service is about as simple and up-front a transaction as you can get. If the price is too high or what's on offer is unattractive, you have the option to remain unaffected.

Some of the alternatives suggested above pose a much greater risk of turning Blipfoto into something unrecognisable than anything we're planning to introduce.

Blipfoto is a place to come and share a moment of your daily life, and immerse yourself in the moments of others. It's not a society set up to debate its own existence, which I fear is starting to happen right here in these comments.

If you want to continue this discussion, please do so in the forum.

Over and out.
~ Joe

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Friday 19 December 2008: Blipfoto - the past, present and future

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