Although I already have ummm 1.5GB of space of my own and don't really fall into that bottom category, I still think it is a great idea for people who don't have any space for such things, and hate geocities with all the popups etc.

If you wanted it might not be impossible to charge a small fee for other graphic sets to use on a diary? Or make it part of the plus system that you get access to different sets? I know Musik and I could contribute a bunch of our older sets for other people to use.

Make it so that you can only use the 3 generic layouts as a standard member, but can make your own set, or use one of the many we could offer you if you become a plus member?

You could also add an option to just make a donation to DD, if people cannot afford the Plus option, they might feel inclined to chip in a couple of dollars here and there when they can?

Just some ideas :)

You can keep the sex thing to yourself ;)

Count me in.

Smile faces in front of each of the multiple diaries when a diarist is paying for one?

HEY! What about an annual writing contest? Everybody chips in an entry fee, part of the fee goes as prize money, and maybe part of it to a charity(?) and the rest goes to help support the site?

I was just wishing today that DD would have web hosting, since I'm shopping for a host. I'm going to keep paying for my Plus account, so I'd prefer to just pay you for the hosting, too, instead of splitting it up. I vote YES!

--Solo

All right.. I'll be completely honest. Right now, if I were to subscribe all I'd get that I actually would use would be a smiley face next to my name. As it stands I use Hotmail and AOL for e-mail. I store photos and other images on my AOL storage space, it's twenty MB for EACH screen name (you get seven), and I can make them last. I also use AOL's web page space to drop pictures into my entries etc and have a pretty large personal web page as well as two or three character pages on their web space.. Though I'm sure there are people that wouldn't mind getting free web space as part of the package..

If it came down to having to subscribe or the site would die I'd do it in a heart beat (I'd have to scrimp like a crazy person though). I know that sounds amazingly selfish, and forty dollars (US) doesn't SEEM like a ton.. But I considered subscribing a few times.. Each time I either did not have the funds in my account or, frankly, didn't feel it was worth it.

I feel bad for leeching off the service now that I've been here for a long while. At first it was just someplace to record my thoughts. Now I feel a certain obligation to toss in at least a little money.. But.. I also feel a certain obligation to the over six thousand dollar tuition, fee and book bill I'll have in July for my first semester then the next three semesters of similar amounts..

I have to pick and choose where I spend what. I have to decide between food or gas sometimes in the last week of my month. I really don't often have anything extra to spend, let alone forty dollars in one go and for services I won't even use..

I'm sorry. I know that sounds horrid, but it is the truth and you did ask.. Please don't get to peeved by my answer.. :-( I love the work you guys do. I know you work hard, and I hope you don't feel it's completely thankless. While I don't contribute financially I do feel nothing but love for you all. You work your butts off, and it IS appreciated.. Mentally at least.. Fat lot of cash it does you, I know.. But sometimes well wishes are all I've got.

I do plan on upgrading....I just haven't gotten to it yet.

I'm sure lots of people would have web sites if it was offered. There are lots of talented people on this site.

jen

I have been planning to upgrade and just haven't gotten around to it. Mostly my reason is becuase it requires paypal, which I know is a staple around the internet and tons of people use and like. But to make a long irrelevent story short: I can't log in, thier customer service sucks, and I've basically given up trying to buy anything from any site that uses it. So, thats my problem. I don't know if this is keeping others from registering or not. I suspect it is my own incompitance at remembering simple things like passwords and the phone number I used 3 years ago.

So, currently I can't sign up, and I'm not in a huge rush to get all that straitened out becuase I'm just not in need of any of the bonuses that plus members get that regular members don't, so the motivation is lacking. Besides a love of DD and a nagging sence of responsiblity, the actaul benefit that I am looking forward to when I upgrade is the end of popups on this site. I think you should advertize that feature of a plus account more, maybe even in a popup.

OK, so my comment is probably not helpful in the least. I just wanted to get my opinion in.

If you do web hosting I'll give you the 14 people I've got. We're getting out of the business as it really was a side thing and,and we always forgot to bill every them anyhow. I think offering web hosting, as a side business would be a good idea. It's almost no work at all except for the inital set up or moving of a domain--but otherwise very easy work.

I honestly don't know if you really can make a lot of money doing this, is Andrew of Diary land or the owners of live journal making it or barely maybe check out there place and see what they do? I know that Blogger who was bought by Google has a new free email thing too, and uploads and stores photos for free on their site. You could make DD a pay only site that way you'd concentrate only on the paying clientele that whine. ;) Sorry I wasn't much help, but if you're intrested I could send my clients your way.

First off, thank you for getting the full 24 listing up and running again. I really like the new format showing user name, diary name and entry title. It looks nice and will be much easier to read thru.


"And if you know of someone who uses DD and doesn't read this diary - poke them and get them to at least read this entry"

On this problem, I suggest you rename the News link Dear Diary 1 or Administrator and make it more prominent like it used to be. It did take me awhile to figure it out, but, then again, I am somewhat slow on the uptake some days. :)

The Plus membership is on my wish list...and Mother's Day is just around the corner. I plan on dropping some sizable hints on a certain butterfly's diary. :)

Don't loose heart Steve. You are doing a phenomenal job.

I have my friends only diary on a plus account. This one was a plus account as well until it expired a few weeks and right now with my life up in the air money and job wise I haven't renewed it.

Truthfully the only reason I ever signed up for the plus thing was because I have been here for so long and because I wanted to be able to use the picture storage space. I never use the email system here and I seem to always get pop-ups even when I am signed in. It doesn't bother me and I don't mind paying at all. I know that your not making much off this site. (Remember we chated about this before when I said it wasn't fair you made us pay to read adult diaries here)

Perhaps the web hosting thing would be a good idea. I don't know that I would use it because I don't know how to do all that stuff. However you know maybe you could do something for those of us who have more then one diary here like say if you make one a plus account then the others that you want to be plus get it at a discounted rate? Or make two at the same time and get half off of the second one. Reason I say this..Everyone loves a sale and if you have a sale that just is so great no one will be able to pass. I sale Avon and I find that the stuff that manages to get my sales up is the stuff that is on sale. People will buy two or three of the same thing because it is such a great sale. Make sense?

I doubt this is going to help you any..but I felt like leaving a comment anyway.. Perhaps I should have just said Hello?

Hugs and Luv

Oh Steve, I'm one of those who promised so today I'm gonna make good :) *cheesy grin*
and YES i'd love webpages
luv ya, and thanks from thubten

I've been shopping for a new web hosting site. If you should offer that service I would likely join up at the next pay day!
Alli

I ditto what : AeolianSolo said.....if dear Diary was a web host....number one choice. As it is, I have tried various web hosts and have dumped them in favour of Using Dear Diary. I consider what I pay as a plus user an absolute bargain and am constantly astonished that more people don't pay. People pay monthly for Typepad and such that isn't half as adaptable as dear Diary. Ok, Typepad has a few more bells and whistles in the shape of pretty quick search engine listing and categories...but imagine if Dear Diary could collar that as well, they could charge what they wanted.

Oh and just in case I didn't make it clear how wonderful Dear Diary is...as Salamander says...count me in for web hosting

im not that interested in web hosting but hey, i've been a plus member for a good while now and will continue doing so :))

if dd ends, i have nowhere else to go :( *sniff sniff*

I did subscribe for 2 years but when my subscription ran out a month or 2 ago I let it go cuz of the rate increase. Last year it was $25 (US) and now it's $40. I'd love to have the w.blogger for my 2 diaries but I can't afford $80 much less $40 at this point.

I know that you've had a lot of comments about how people can't afford the price. I've been around here forever and I'm pretty much in the same economic boat as I was years ago. I think when the subscription rate was $25 (a year?) US it was more reasonable. At least for us on this side of the ocean. For me $40 is like money I have to consider. And I'm in the same boat as January. It's like I don't use any of the perks that I would be getting. I'm not a photo person really. I have an established e-mail elsewhere. Yeah it would be cool to have a smiley face but it's a lot of money for a smiley. You know?

The no pop up thing is almost worth the money though. I think if you guys came up with some great perk like I'd finally be able to get into the adult diaries (not that I want to but you know). I don't know what that would be on a diary site but I'm sure there's some perk. The web blogger software is a good perk for the people that would use it. A free stationary set mailed to us would be kind of neat too. Toys are always cool.

I'm not helping I know.

I would definitely be interested in webspace on the DD server. Maybe you could make that a part of being a Plus user? Or a separate, smaller charged service?