Any way I can get my subscription extended to the same day as the longest current subscriber?

[Viper GTS]

I understand you're going to discontinue the service once the last subscription expires, & I'm not asking you to change that. I simply want to pay (the full year's price) to extend my subscription until the date of the last subscription you currently have.

If you're going to have the servers there & running anyway you might as well have my money for it.

Plus I can't get to the regular forums at work, so this is to protect my sanity.



Viper GTS

 

[Jason Clark]

Why can't you get to the regular forums? Shouldn't be any issues there.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Zuni
Why can't you get to the regular forums? Shouldn't be any issues there.

Often, the internet content filtering boxes that many workplaces use block anything with "forum" or "forums" in the URL. I'm going to wager a guess that this is why ViperGTS wants to be able to stay on the subscriber servers for as long as possible.

OTOH, I wonder if it would be possible, after all the subscriptions have ended, to use a seemingly simple DNS configuration change to redirect the subscriber server subdomain to the forums subdomain IP address; this should allow people to continue to use the old URL to access the regular forums. Of course, I could understand you not wanting to do this, but it would seem to help some people (*ahem*) maintain their sanity at work even after the last subscriber's subscription runs out.

 

[Jason Clark]

Ahh, well one thing you could do is edit your hosts file and make an entry for subscriber.anandtech.com and point it at 168.143.107.163? That might do it.

 

[Viper GTS]

jliechty is dead on, the filtering software mandated by corporate blocks the regular forums but doesn't hit the subscriber forums.

My management doesn't care if I browse the forums, but they can't override the filtering software.

I can try modifying my hosts file, but wouldn't the links in the pages still be going to forums.anandtech.com?

Viper GTS

 

[Jason Clark]

Yes they would. Can't really help you on this one That's pretty silly filtering software in my humble opinion.

We cant extend anyones subscriber service it' gone for good, ecomm and all.

 

[Viper GTS]

You're seriously willing to keep the servers in place & running for that one last person, yet you won't take my money to modify my account to the same date?

I'll mail the check to Anand himself if necessary.

Viper GTS

 

[Jason Clark]

Uhh it is more than one person, and as said they are no longer available for purchase.

Thanks.

 

[GeoffS]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS
You're seriously willing to keep the servers in place & running for that one last person, yet you won't take my money to modify my account to the same date?

I'll mail the check to Anand himself if necessary.

Viper GTS

Viper's not the only one! I'd send a check too... cash even... booze... girls... whatever!!! What's your address Zuni?

 

[mastertech01]

LOL, give it up Geoff.. In 3 days we are going to hear a great big SUCKING sound as the bulk of the subscribers get vacuumed back to the old days. I highly recommend everyone who is a subscriber to export your PMS!

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Zuni
Uhh it is more than one person, and as said they are no longer available for purchase.

Thanks.

There was one person that purchased a subscription when you accidentally restored the purchasing page, I'd say that will be the last one to drop off.

One way or another, the number of people who will be expiring in the next few days is enormous, whereas the number expiring in the ~11 month mark is relatively small.

Basically by taking this stance you're screwing the people who made this work. Those of us who bought it the day it became available, & renewed the day it expired are going to get a giant shaft on Monday.

Viper GTS

 

[bockchow]

hay he said that you can't subscribe anymore so let the man be.

now lets just say that maybe i "accidentally" ship a couple of cases of booze to zuni's house and he "accidentally" changes a 3 to 4 and i'm good until next year. nobody get's hurt and everybodys happy just LMK bro

 

[RossMAN]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: Zuni
Uhh it is more than one person, and as said they are no longer available for purchase.

Thanks.

There was one person that purchased a subscription when you accidentally restored the purchasing page, I'd say that will be the last one to drop off.

One way or another, the number of people who will be expiring in the next few days is enormous, whereas the number expiring in the ~11 month mark is relatively small.

Basically by taking this stance you're screwing the people who made this work. Those of us who bought it the day it became available, & renewed the day it expired are going to get a giant shaft on Monday.

Viper GTS

Confirmed

 

[BG4533]

I dread November 18. For the love of god please...

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Zuni, has Anand read these posts? From past posts, it seems like he keeps as an eye on the forums from time to time, kind of like its what gives him feedback about what users think will happen in the technology world and the quality of the site in itself, but we need a better reason why they can't extend the subscription. I'm not a subscriber, but I will support those who are/were because if you've noticed, ever since all this subscriber trouble, there's been more demand for subscriptions. If there is some kind of problem regarding accepting payments, I'm sure you guys can get something worked out with help from one of the many forum users if you guys can't handle it.

Why don't you all allow extending them and/or allowing new subscriptions to the end of that date? If somehow you guys get enough subscribers, the subscription idea may be able to live for a much longer time as well.

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: jliechty

Originally posted by: Zuni
Why can't you get to the regular forums? Shouldn't be any issues there.

Often, the internet content filtering boxes that many workplaces use block anything with "forum" or "forums" in the URL. I'm going to wager a guess that this is why ViperGTS wants to be able to stay on the subscriber servers for as long as possible.

OTOH, I wonder if it would be possible, after all the subscriptions have ended, to use a seemingly simple DNS configuration change to redirect the subscriber server subdomain to the forums subdomain IP address; this should allow people to continue to use the old URL to access the regular forums. Of course, I could understand you not wanting to do this, but it would seem to help some people (*ahem*) maintain their sanity at work even after the last subscriber's subscription runs out.

Ditto here

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Sundog

Originally posted by: jliechty

Originally posted by: Zuni
Why can't you get to the regular forums? Shouldn't be any issues there.

Often, the internet content filtering boxes that many workplaces use block anything with "forum" or "forums" in the URL. I'm going to wager a guess that this is why ViperGTS wants to be able to stay on the subscriber servers for as long as possible.

OTOH, I wonder if it would be possible, after all the subscriptions have ended, to use a seemingly simple DNS configuration change to redirect the subscriber server subdomain to the forums subdomain IP address; this should allow people to continue to use the old URL to access the regular forums. Of course, I could understand you not wanting to do this, but it would seem to help some people (*ahem*) maintain their sanity at work even after the last subscriber's subscription runs out.

Ditto here

They may not want to do this in fear of getting in trouble from another company for helping users here find a way around the security of a work enviroment. What they could do though is create URL's for the purpose of making coming to these forums easier, like atmb.com (Anandtech Message Board), or atdiscuss.com (Anandtech discussions) which basically are these same forums only with a different URL.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

My guesses:

They are making more than enough from the advertisements on forums.
They can't justify spending the time to extend subscriptions for X number of subscribers versus the money they'd get from it.

 

[olds]

I was a subscriber when it first came out. I let it expire after the first year because of what I felt was lack of respect/support for the subscribers. I am on cable but I saw no difference in forum speed. Also, with it being easy to block the ads, why bother with a subscription?
EDIT
Forgot about search, I do miss that but it really hasn't been too big of an issue.

 

[GtPrOjEcTX]

yep, search. I've missed that a few times. and also with the 100 pm limit I constantly find myself searching for deletable messages.

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
I was a subscriber when it first came out. I let it expire after the first year because of what I felt was lack of respect/support for the subscribers. I am on cable but I saw no difference in forum speed. Also, with it being easy to block the ads, why bother with a subscription?
EDIT
Forgot about search, I do miss that but it really hasn't been too big of an issue.

I'm sure thats the main reason the service is ending. It doesnt really offer anything at all. Thats unfortunate.