It is not a if it is a when and I'm out
Looking forward:
With over 36,000 members on SnoWest, we know that there will be some, for whatever reason, who will choose not to join with us and support the forum as it moves forward. For those members who choose not to participate with a full membership, all is not lost. While they will not be able to fully enjoy all of the coming upgrades and enhancements, neither will they be locked out.
SnoWest will have 3 categories of members in 2010.
Guest:
* Will have the ability to see all the forums and read a portion of all the threads
* Will be able to READ SwapMeet Forum
* Will be able to READ the SnowSafety Forum
* Will be able to READ the SnowMembers Forum
Basic Member:
This level will be completely free. Members here will have all of the privileges of a guest, but will also get:
* Full posting ability in the SwapMeet forum, the SnowSafety forum, and the SnowMembers forum
* Limited posting ability in the other forums
* Limited ability to read other topics and forums
* Private Message Capabilities with limited storage
Premium Member:
All of the above privileges, plus:
* Unlimited viewing and posting privileges across the forums
* Unrestricted private-message capability
* Unrestricted access to all of the new features (chat rooms, treadmill, live-topic, etc.)
* Instant-Messenger
* Personal Blog
* Photo Albums
* "My Garage"
* Polls
* Enhanced Search Engine
* Social Groups
* Invitations to meetups and group rides
* ... And MUCH MUCH more!!!
A Few More Goodies
In order to attract high-quality members who are as passionate about snowmobiling as we are, SnoWest Magazine has agreed to run ½ and full page ad in most of the print issues They have also agreed to let us run contests for articles to be published in the magazine from our forum members, and we might even begin to see some of the best photos from our forum members appearing in futures issues of the magazine!
From time to time we’ll be seeing the editorial and publishing staff drop in on threads here and there, or show up at one of our forthcoming SnoWest member's rides.
We are also exploring the idea of a “one paid membership per household” policy. That means we would offer your spouse and your children free memberships to the forums as long as you stay current. We haven’t finalized any details around this yet, but we’d like to make a serious effort to reach out to lady riders and the upcoming generation (our kids). Getting our wives, sisters, daughters and girlfriends out on a sled next to us would likely do more for this sport than anything else. And, quite frankly, we need to start growing this sport again!
You can also look forward to SnoWest Forums taking on a greater role in becoming an advocate on the core issues affecting our sport, such as Avalanche Education and Land Closures.
So What’s The Cost?
A 12-month membership to the SnoWest Online Forums will cost $29.95. However, we recognize times are tough for a lot of people right now, so we’ll be doing a few things to keep the subscription affordable:
All Current SnoWest Forum Members:
·1 Year Forum Subscription: $14.95/yr, 50% off (thats just 4 cents a day)
·2 Year Forum Subscription: $12.50/yr, 58% off
·3 Year Forum Subscription: $9.99/yr, 66% off (Only 3 cents a day!)
AND with any paid forum membership you qualify for either a SnoWest or SledHeads magazine subscription for only $14.95!
Free Membership Extensions:
For every person you refer to SnoWest that enters your user name when they join, your account will be credited with 3 months free membership. Recruit 4 members a year, and you will pay nothing for your next year's subscription!
Now, before you go running off into the woods howling at the moon, gnashing your teeth and wrenting your clothes over this, you should know that we intend to put the subscription revenue to extremely good use.
Supporting Snowmobiling:
A portion of every membership fee received at SnoWest will be set apart to create a fund from which donations will be made to organizations that are dedicated to supporting the sport of Snowmobiling. Organizations such as SAWS, Blue Ribbon Coalition, ARRA, American Avalanche Association, ect.. will all be available for you to choose from as a recipient of your contribution.