# Why do we have to pay $6.50?



## vaqtea

This is just a question that has been running through my head. Why do we have to pay to post here? I am a member of several other boards  i.e tivoforums, atkinsforum, supraforums etc. This is the only board that charges me to post   I read in other threads that it was to keep "trolls" away. I understand this reasoning but why do we have to continue to pay yearly?


----------



## moda

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				vaqtea said:
			
		

> This is just a question that has been running through my head. Why do we have to pay to post here? I am a member of several other boards  i.e tivoforums, atkinsforum, supraforums etc. This is the only board that charges me to post   I read in other threads that it was to keep "trolls" away. I understand this reasoning but why do we have to continue to pay yearly?



Since when do 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 not have $5, I do not think that was the sole reason or if it played any part at all, because if so it didn't work   I really understand that there is a cost to running this board and the $5 does not bother me, I mean for a couple mere pennies a day I get all this entertainment 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 and all, priceless!!!!


----------



## JamericanGurl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Bandwidth, maintanence, and etc I don't mind because unlike some of the boards I frequent...This is not run by a big media corp. Plus IMO $5 isn't much to ask...JMO


----------



## notsomebody

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I think it started out as a means of keeping down on trolls.  Because most trols won't be interested enough to pay to troll a site.  The reason we have to continue paying is most likely to support the upkeep and maintenance under control.

So, I don't think it has to do with trolls, although it may have started that way.


----------



## vaqtea

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Im not complaining about the $5 because its not going to put me in the poor house    I'm just wondering what does the fee go towards? Like I stated before I visit many forums of all kinds and not all are sponsored by "big companies". And I get to post free of charge! These boards have the exact same appearance of this board with many (thousands) of more members. So the bandwith explanation goes in one ear and out the other .....   . I'm not trying to start any confusion or drama. I'm just wondering why the fee?


----------



## LondonDiva

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				JamericanGurl said:
			
		

> Bandwidth, maintanence, and etc I don't mind because unlike some of the boards I frequent...This is not run by a big media corp. Plus IMO $5 isn't much to ask...JMO


 
It agree it only works out be $0.013698630136986301 per day.  

$5 does not keep a troll away but, if they pay to start havoc and are banned, never given a refund, how many times do you think that person would want to pay to rejoin just to troll away again?


----------



## london honey

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

its a maintenance fee..some boards sell alot of stuff(products, vits etc) online as well so its easy for them to make enough to maintain their boards. this site has too many threads and posts that NEED to be maintained at a small fee of $5 for each posting member.


----------



## Country gal

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I suggest sending an e-mail to Bev. My understanding is that this board originally started as a hobby since another black hair care board either shut down or a fee associated with it. I don't think she expected to get the volume on the forum she got. The time, maintence, and other stuff does make it hard to continue the board without paying a fee. I could see if this was a business site for her but it isn't.


----------



## teenie

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				vaqtea said:
			
		

> Im not complaining about the $5 because its not going to put me in the poor house    I'm just wondering what does the fee go towards? Like I stated before I visit many forums of all kinds and not all are sponsored by "big companies". And I get to post free of charge! These boards have the exact same appearance of this board with many (thousands) of more members. So the bandwith explanation goes in one ear and out the other .....   . I'm not trying to start any confusion or drama. I'm just wondering why the fee?



I was wondering the same thing too now that the fee time is comming.  Of course $5 is not going to send me to the poor house either but I do like to understand what I'm spending my money on, because I'm sure the advertisers are covering all the operation fees.


----------



## Poohbear

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Here's one reason...



			
				beverly said:
			
		

> To make people aware, if the majority people dont rejoin, or new members dont come, the site will close, (refunds would be issued) nothing in life is free - its a fact.


----------



## Enchantmt

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Bev has to pay to have the site hosted. She has had to upgrade servers, software and and other things. If I recall correctly, she can tell you for sure, she was faced with the choice of shutting down/limiting the site or charging a fee. A lot of boards go out of business because the owner cannot handle the expense or devote time to it. Many members here were members of other boards that shut down. Some boards also limit the amounts of pictures you can display or the size, many delete posts after a certain time period and have other restrictions. This site is one of the better boards I have been on. It has very little down time and  is not sluggish. A lot of other boards with as few as 10 active members will take FOREVER to load. At any given time we have 200-300+ actively viewing and posting.  There are other hair boards I would visit more often but I'm not patient enough for the boards to load, and all the errors trying to view pages and posts. I have friends that run internet boards and the time and expense for the upkeep is no small thing. She is providing a service to us. I view it as a subscription. Other sites, such as dating sites etc folx pay 20-100.00 per year for the service.

 The women here are amazing, despite the lil arguments and disagreements here and there. Its like a big family, many people meet offline and have become friends and we encourage each other online.  There are other hair boards, other choices, but LHCF is IMO the best I've come across. It is VERY active, you dont have to wait 3-days to a week for a reply to a question, the topics and members are entertaining, and its is one of the most drama free boards I have ever been on.  I learn something new every day from the women on this board. LHCF IS THE GREATEST!!


----------



## MomofThreeBoys

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				vaqtea said:
			
		

> Im not complaining about the $5 because its not going to put me in the poor house    I'm just wondering what does the fee go towards? Like I stated before I visit many forums of all kinds an*d not all are sponsored by "big companies".* And I get to post free of charge! These boards have the exact same appearance of this board with many (thousands) of more members. So the bandwith explanation goes in one ear and out the other .....  . I'm not trying to start any confusion or drama. I'm just wondering why the fee?



Some people have it like that.   Their board is something that they are passionate about and they chose to come out of pocket for it.  Others, have enough corporate sponsers/advertisers to cover the entire cost.



			
				teenie said:
			
		

> I was wondering the same thing too now that the fee time is comming. Of course $5 is not going to send me to the poor house either but I do like to understand what I'm spending my money on,* because I'm sure the advertisers are covering all the operation fees*.



How do you know that?  Though advertisers do pay, there is no way to know they are covering the costs of this board without access to AP/AR records of this board.


----------



## thickness

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I frequent other hair boards but this one is by FAR the BEST!  The other board has too many problems with slow loading pages and constant down times.  I think the 5$ charge is EXTREMELY fair because I would not have the time or energy to maintain this message board.


----------



## deedabug

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				Enchantmt said:
			
		

> I view it as a subscription. Other sites, such as dating sites etc folx pay 20-100.00 per year for the service.



this is a good way to look at...if u r on dating sites subscribing how is it hurtin u..and they r gonna charge u $100 or more to communicate on there a year


----------



## teenie

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

How do you know that?  Though advertisers do pay, there is no way to know they are covering the costs of this board without access to AP/AR records of this board.[/QUOTE]

Right.  But I had a friend who ran a web site and he explained to me that they track the amount of hits a site gets and the ones that get a lot like this one does can charge a lot of money for adds because they have the evidence that they have high traffic


----------



## MomofThreeBoys

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				teenie said:
			
		

> Right. But I had a friend who ran a web site and he explained to me that they track the amount of hits a site gets and the ones that get a lot like this one does can charge a lot of money for adds because they have the evidence that they have high traffic



It is doubtful that one advertiser would cover the cost of an entire board.  So again, we have no idea how many advertisers it would take to cover the cost.  3?  10? 20?  We can't know unless we know the expenses and the revenues from each advertiser.  This is something we will never know since this board is privately owned.


----------



## CandiceC

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				Enchantmt said:
			
		

> Bev has to pay to have the site hosted. She has had to upgrade servers, software and and other things. If I recall correctly, she can tell you for sure, she was faced with the choice of shutting down/limiting the site or charging a fee. A lot of boards go out of business because the owner cannot handle the expense or devote time to it. Many members here were members of other boards that shut down. Some boards also limit the amounts of pictures you can display or the size, many delete posts after a certain time period and have other restrictions. This site is one of the better boards I have been on. It has very little down time and  is not sluggish. A lot of other boards with as few as 10 active members will take FOREVER to load. At any given time we have 200-300+ actively viewing and posting.  There are other hair boards I would visit more often but I'm not patient enough for the boards to load, and all the errors trying to view pages and posts. I have friends that run internet boards and the time and expense for the upkeep is no small thing. She is providing a service to us. I view it as a subscription. Other sites, such as dating sites etc folx pay 20-100.00 per year for the service.
> 
> The women here are amazing, despite the lil arguments and disagreements here and there. Its like a big family, many people meet offline and have become friends and we encourage each other online.  There are other hair boards, other choices, but LHCF is IMO the best I've come across. It is VERY active, you dont have to wait 3-days to a week for a reply to a question, the topics and members are entertaining, and its is one of the most drama free boards I have ever been on.  I learn something new every day from the women on this board. LHCF IS THE GREATEST!!



I totally agree! Just think about all the other money you spend on other things that don't even give you a year's worth of enjoyment.

The $5 fee keeps some people away who randomly find the forum and want to post garbage and disappear. Who wants to sift through all of that stuff? 
I like that not everyone who views this site can see all of the forums making them a little more private. I like to see the same posters on here instead of random people popping in and out. I like the sense of familiarity. I also like that people respond rather quickly to posts. I've been on other forums discussing a serious matter and I had to wait days for a response.

Even if the advertisers are paying for the upkeep someone has to oversee the site to acquire more advertisers and to make that they actually pay. Someone has to make sure that members have paid and that the new ones are set up correctly. Someone has to be there to answer techical questions  and suggestions. Someone also has to make sure all the other techinical stuff is taken care of so the site just doesn't explode. 

Try running a board that runs as smoothly as this year after year. I know I couldn't- wouldn't want to do it.


----------



## JamericanGurl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*





*Riddle me this?

How can a site that has well over a thousand particpates each day and 3 thousand plus vistors a day survive without a nominal fee. The site is not run by ezboard or other free hosts. This site offers journals and other features as well. Since this is no longer a hobby. It has become a business and there are fees that are incurred...Why not charge? Even if the site was for profit...I wouldn't care, because $5 bucks is a small fees for us to crack on celebs and each other.

The sponsors are charged a fee, but the fees can no way cover the complete cost of the site operation. While I think the site owners are nice people...I never viewed them as a charity organazation.

So, while it may seem like I'm getting snippy....I'm not understanding the qualms? Now if someone is hard pressed for cash...Anybody that I like that is   I have $20 to pay 4 peoples 5 bucks.... PM me and Limit your request to 50 words or less and tell me how broke you are...School etc.  Cuz I don't wanna anybody not return because of $5 bucks. I'd much rather have you take care of tuition and etc, than incur any extra costs.

*Please note*
The JG Grant will be issued in the order received and once my $20 is gone it's a wrap!  *


----------



## teenie

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				natalied said:
			
		

> It is doubtful that one advertiser would cover the cost of an entire board.  So again, we have no idea how many advertisers it would take to cover the cost.  3?  10? 20?  We can't know unless we know the expenses and the revenues from each advertiser.  This is something we will never know since this board is privately owned.



Well this site has at least 2 advertisers....yes!  Some things we will never know


----------



## LondonDiva

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				JamericanGurl said:
			
		

> *Riddle me this?*
> 
> *How can a site that has well over a thousand particpates each day and 3 thousand plus vistors a day survive without a nominal fee. The site is not run by ezboard or other free hosts. This site offers journals and other features as well. Since this is no longer a hobby. It has become a business and there are fees that are incurred...Why not charge? Even if the site was for profit...I wouldn't care, because $5 bucks is a small fees for us to crack on celebs and each other.*
> 
> *The sponsors are charged a fee, but the fees can no way cover the complete cost of the site operation. While I think the site owners are nice people...I never viewed them as a charity organazation.*
> 
> *So, while it may seem like I'm getting snippy....I'm not understanding the qualms? Now if someone is hard pressed for cash...Anybody that I like that is  I have $20 to pay 4 peoples 5 bucks.... PM me and Limit your request to 50 words or less and tell me how broke you are...School etc. Cuz I don't wanna anybody not return because of $5 bucks. I'd much rather have you take care of tuition and etc, than incur any extra costs.*
> 
> **Please note**
> *The JG Grant will be issued in the order received and once my $20 is gone it's a wrap!  *


 
Ummm I am in school,.....I am on government cheese for breakfast lunch and dinner.  I have to break into internet cafes just to log onto this site in order to post...um....I don't even have a house just a cardboard box...I have to got to local farms to steal my MTG supplies....and borrow someone's bathroom every 4 months for a relaxer touch up cause even if we sistahs are homeless we still gotta have our **beep** together   Do I qualify JG????


----------



## WhipEffectz1

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*


That's too funny! Since it looks like everyone has fallen on hard times, you should receive myriad responses.


----------



## CandiceC

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				LondonDiva said:
			
		

> Ummm I am in school,.....I am on government cheese for breakfast lunch and dinner.  I have to break into internet cafes just to log onto this site in order to post...um....I don't even have a house just a cardboard box...I have to got to local farms to steal my MTG supplies....and borrow someone's bathroom every 4 months for a relaxer touch up cause even if we sistahs are homeless we still gotta have our **beep** together   Do I qualify JG????



Ain't dat da truf, LD! Gotta impress da homeless black men out der!


----------



## JamericanGurl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				LondonDiva said:
			
		

> Ummm I am in school,.....I am on government cheese for breakfast lunch and dinner.  I have to break into internet cafes just to log onto this site in order to post...um....I don't even have a house just a cardboard box...I have to got to local farms to steal my MTG supplies....and borrow someone's bathroom every 4 months for a relaxer touch up cause even if we sistahs are homeless we still gotta have our **beep** together   Do I qualify JG????



But you'll always have the National Health Program 

While I'm joking maybe some folx just don't have i right now? I dunno?
If you really do need the $5 PM me and it will be confidential...Except for however we work it out to have your account credited. Other than that I won't devulged your UID.


----------



## chestnutblonde

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I just joined in June 2005 and paid $5.  Would I have to pay again this year?????


----------



## VelvetRain

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I don't see the big deal. Five bucks is five bucks. Cmon we all spend more than that on hair products.


----------



## Sweet_Ambrosia

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				chestnutblonde said:
			
		

> I just joined in June 2005 and paid $5.  Would I have to pay again this year?????




*No. June 2006 would be your annual renewal date, thats if you wanna renew it.*


----------



## vaqtea

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I guess my question is not clear enough. Let me break it down   *ITs NOT ABOUT THE $5 DOLLARS! *I love coming to this board. I would pay $5 and maybe a little more if I had to. I was wondering what is the purpose of the $5?
To keep away the trolls? To breed famiiarity? The reason I ask this question is because I visit many other forums* NOT OTHER HAIR FORUMS. I kNOW THIS 1 IS THE BEST! *
but other forums and I have never been charged to post or anything. This is something all new to me which brings the question to mind whats so different about this one?


----------



## Cichelle

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I don't mind paying the five dollars. It's worth it because in the month or so that I've been a subscriber, I've learned a lot. And I understand that a site like this is hard work. But I do have to say, this is the first forum I've ever seen ask for money. I am on other VERY ACTIVE forums with thousands of members and I have never paid anything. I am not talking about hair forums, either. But I suppose they have other ways of paying for the site.


----------



## notsomebody

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I don't think the question is about having a problem paying the money.  I think she just wants to know what the money is used for.  I still think that it is a part of keeping up maintenance.  I mean (and correct me if I am wrong) Beverly is probably paying AT LEAST one salary in order to maintain the professional quality of the site.


----------



## VelvetRain

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Actually there is another board somewhat similar to this one that is asking for 10 bucks instead of 5 and I have not seen any thread there where people were asking why they had to pay. Nothing in this life in free. I personally don't care what the five bucks goes to. I come here and enjoy the threads and leave as I want to go to other sites where I don't have to pay.


----------



## beverly

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:

I paid recently to have this website redesigned.

Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.

The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.

This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here. 

I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.

I purchased graphics software.

The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.

The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.

MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable. 

This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm.


----------



## Shatani

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm.


all that from a measly five bucks?!?!  

i wish to be an LLC some day....


----------



## VelvetRain

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Shatani you have big aspirations girl.


----------



## qtgirl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I'm sure advertising monies do cover a bit, but admitidly(sp?) this is a huge site with a huge number of members and it takes money to run the software, etc.



			
				teenie said:
			
		

> I was wondering the same thing too now that the fee time is comming.  Of course $5 is not going to send me to the poor house either but I do like to understand what I'm spending my money on, because *I'm sure the advertisers are covering all the operation fees.*


----------



## Shatani

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				michelle3147 said:
			
		

> Shatani you have big aspirations girl.


i surely do!!!  im gunnin for that tax break!!!  much better than sole proprietor.


----------



## vaqtea

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm.




Thanks for responding to my post. I was like dang she about to give an itemized list for pencils and errything  Seriously though, Thank you.


----------



## london honey

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Thanks bev, hopefully this will end the debate, i really couldnt care if the $5 was not even used for maintenance. i believe everyone who comes up with a good, working idea needs to be rewarded in someway




			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm..


----------



## bludacious

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

So, I am getting more than what I actually paid for!

Thanks Beverly such running such an awesome site!




			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm.


----------



## hopeful

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				london honey said:
			
		

> Thanks bev, hopefully this will end the debate, i really couldnt care if the $5 was not even used for maintenance. i believe everyone who comes up with a good, working idea needs to be rewarded in someway


 
ITA. I'd pay it if it went straight to her pocket to get her hair did and stuff. I spent $5 for a shake today at the Cheesecake Factory. I've spent $5 on stuffed animals for my kids that they don't want the next day, on sunglasses, on a new conditioner...


----------



## sky_blu

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Good question Vacqueta (sorry I jacked the name up). After reading the first 3 pages I was like dang all that and nobody still didnt answer her question. Even I got it on the first go round. IMO it dont matter how much money you pay if any money coming out of my pocket I deserve a right to know what the money going for. When I paid my $5 I already knew basically what it was going for because Im a member of another board thats like this (though its free) I know what the webmaster is paying for because its discussed like the bandwidth, etc. I was a little thrown that I had to pay to post but its not biggie if it was a little more I probaly still would have paid because this a pretty nice site.


----------



## longlegz

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Beverly, Thank you for taking the time to respond.​ 
I personally don't think you needed to because of what I have personally gained from this site. $5.00 is a bargain for what we get for this wonderful site! Thank you for your vision and this wonderful website  




			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm..


----------



## Dolapo

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

thanks beverly for your response? i never wondered why we have to pay $5 but im sure you let us know how you maintain the site and stuff.


----------



## Allandra

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to  sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm.


Beverly,

Thanks for REALLY breaking down the answers for the person that asked.


----------



## beverly

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Thanks to everyone who had nice things to say in this thread. Bev


----------



## notsomebody

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



> Thanks bev, hopefully this will end the debate, i really couldnt care if the $5 was not even used for maintenance. i believe everyone who comes up with a good, working idea needs to be rewarded in someway



This is funny to me.  Because there was no debate.  No one was having a problem with paying the money or even asking Bev to justify it.  The poster was just curious as to what the money went to.  I know a lot of people jumped in on the defensive, but if you read her original question and her clarification later in the thread, you will see there wasn't any argument or even any negativity.  She was just curious.

Which is why it's awesome that Beverly was able to give a general breakdown.


----------



## Bublnbrnsuga

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I agree with Ashee- can this PLEASE be a sticky?


----------



## amy1234

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I will gladly pay the $5 to support this site, tnankyou beverly for creating this forum!


----------



## Country gal

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				notsomebody said:
			
		

> This is funny to me.  Because there was no debate.  No one was having a problem with paying the money or even asking Bev to justify it.  The poster was just curious as to what the money went to.  I know a lot of people jumped in on the defensive, but if you read her original question and her clarification later in the thread, you will see there wasn't any argument or even any negativity.  She was just curious.
> 
> Which is why it's awesome that Beverly was able to give a general breakdown.




I agree that Vaq was not really trying to start anything or being slick about her question. The problem is there is an undercurrent of that on the board. Unfortunatly people are sick of it and may have taken her question the wrong way.


----------



## firecracker

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

  SOME THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE.  ALL YA'LL DANG OPINIONS AND MINE!! NOW TAKE THAT, TAKE THAT!!!  I came here for laughs and a lil hair assistance that made my hair fall the helz out!!  Now someone help me get my hair back dang it!!  Stop crying and pay 5 extra bucks fo my po arse! You guys are crazy cool!


----------



## MissJ

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				vaqtea said:
			
		

> Im not complaining about the $5 because its not going to put me in the poor house    I'm just wondering what does the fee go towards? Like I stated before I visit many forums of all kinds and not all are sponsored by "big companies". And I get to post free of charge! These boards have the exact same appearance of this board with many (thousands) of more members. So the bandwith explanation goes in one ear and out the other .....   . I'm not trying to start any confusion or drama. I'm just wondering why the fee?


They probably have advertisers there that pay really big bucks!


----------



## JamericanGurl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				longlegz said:
			
		

> Beverly, Thank you for taking the time to respond.​
> I personally don't think you needed to because of what I have personally gained from this site. $5.00 is a bargain for what we get for this wonderful site! Thank you for your vision and this wonderful website


What she said!


----------



## Vitality

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				Enchantmt said:
			
		

> Bev has to pay to have the site hosted. She has had to upgrade servers, software and and other things. If I recall correctly, she can tell you for sure, she was faced with the choice of shutting down/limiting the site or charging a fee. A lot of boards go out of business because the owner cannot handle the expense or devote time to it. Many members here were members of other boards that shut down. Some boards also limit the amounts of pictures you can display or the size, many delete posts after a certain time period and have other restrictions. This site is one of the better boards I have been on. It has very little down time and is not sluggish. A lot of other boards with as few as 10 active members will take FOREVER to load. At any given time we have 200-300+ actively viewing and posting. There are other hair boards I would visit more often but I'm not patient enough for the boards to load, and all the errors trying to view pages and posts. I have friends that run internet boards and the time and expense for the upkeep is no small thing. She is providing a service to us. I view it as a subscription. Other sites, such as dating sites etc folx pay 20-100.00 per year for the service.
> 
> The women here are amazing, despite the lil arguments and disagreements here and there. Its like a big family, many people meet offline and have become friends and we encourage each other online. There are other hair boards, other choices, but LHCF is IMO the best I've come across. It is VERY active, you dont have to wait 3-days to a week for a reply to a question, the topics and members are entertaining, and its is one of the most drama free boards I have ever been on. I learn something new every day from the women on this board. LHCF IS THE GREATEST!!


 
Well said...  Thanks..


----------



## dimopoulos

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

On a techie side:

Some statistics you might find interesting - this might also help you understand the background and whoever is curious can ask around on the actual cost of these services:

We are hosted on a quad 2.6GHz processor machine with 2Gb of RAM and 80Gb hard drive. Although the server is not ours - it is a shared solution we do occupy half of the resources (the other half come from the other site). The server also enjoys multiple T3 connections to the internet and is directly connected to the 155Gb backbone of California.

Traffic? Well we get some lol. In April for instance this year:

Total Hits: 22,213,614
Total Files: 9,278,181
Total Pages: 318,608
Total Visits: 94,909
*Total KBytes: 89,038,468*
Hits per Hour (avg): 30,852
Hits per Day (avg): 740,453
Files per Day (avg): 309,272
Pages per Day (avg): 10,620
Visits per Day (avg): 3,163
*KBytes per Day (avg): 2,967,949*

The above info is for your reference. If you want go and shop around and ask how much this costs to have on a monthly basis. I know that most ladies here didn't bother with the subscription fee but if anyone has any doubts feel free to investigate. I can tell you this though: for my own server to host my own sites and clients I was quoted for a single processor, 512Mb RAM 200 USD per month.

Many of you remember the time that I joined the board. At the time the board was hosted in a very unreliable host so we had to move it. Then we moved it (I think it was Jan 2002 or 2003 - gosh I am getting old ) and the hosting company shut the board down after a month because we had too much traffic. Then we moved again (feeling like gypsies) to our current hosting company who even later on moved our boards to a different server since we were growing too fast both in traffic and space.

A few weeks back the same scenario happened. The board had to be moved to a more powerful box to ensure that it runs and it loads fast. Many of you remember that the board was unavailable for one day (and I do remember the 10,750 emails I got notifying me that the board was down). Our database is 1.2Gb and we have 1.1 million posts roughly. Heck we could write an Encyclopedia with all this knowledge contained here. 

All this is because of all of you and Beverly's hobby. I am just a passenger here doing the techie stuff. 

Thank you all for the kind words and I hope that my post sheds a bit more light from a technical point of view.


----------



## webby

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				dimopoulos said:
			
		

> Thank you all for the kind words and I hope that my post sheds a bit more light from a technical point of view.


Nikos, I know you're really somewhere on a beach, with bluetooth, waiting for a piña colada (with an umbrella) to be delivered to you, while you count the fortune you've made off of working on this site


----------



## JamericanGurl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				dimopoulos said:
			
		

> On a techie side:
> 
> Some statistics you might find interesting - this might also help you understand the background and whoever is curious can ask around on the actual cost of these services:
> 
> We are hosted on a quad 2.6GHz processor machine with 2Gb of RAM and 80Gb hard drive. Although the server is not ours - it is a shared solution we do occupy half of the resources (the other half come from the other site). The server also enjoys multiple T3 connections to the internet and is directly connected to the 155Gb backbone of California.
> 
> Traffic? Well we get some lol. In April for instance this year:
> 
> Total Hits: 22,213,614
> Total Files: 9,278,181
> Total Pages: 318,608
> Total Visits: 94,909
> *Total KBytes: 89,038,468*
> Hits per Hour (avg): 30,852
> Hits per Day (avg): 740,453
> Files per Day (avg): 309,272
> Pages per Day (avg): 10,620
> Visits per Day (avg): 3,163
> *KBytes per Day (avg): 2,967,949*
> 
> The above info is for your reference. If you want go and shop around and ask how much this costs to have on a monthly basis. I know that most ladies here didn't bother with the subscription fee but if anyone has any doubts feel free to investigate. I can tell you this though: for my own server to host my own sites and clients I was quoted for a single processor, 512Mb RAM 200 USD per month.
> 
> Many of you remember the time that I joined the board. At the time the board was hosted in a very unreliable host so we had to move it. Then we moved it (I think it was Jan 2002 or 2003 - gosh I am getting old ) and the hosting company shut the board down after a month because we had too much traffic. Then we moved again (feeling like gypsies) to our current hosting company who even later on moved our boards to a different server since we were growing too fast both in traffic and space.
> 
> A few weeks back the same scenario happened. The board had to be moved to a more powerful box to ensure that it runs and it loads fast. Many of you remember that the board was unavailable for one day (and I do remember the 10,750 emails I got notifying me that the board was down). Our database is 1.2Gb and we have 1.1 million posts roughly. Heck we could write an Encyclopedia with all this knowledge contained here.
> 
> All this is because of all of you and Beverly's hobby. I am just a passenger here doing the techie stuff.
> 
> Thank you all for the kind words and I hope that my post sheds a bit more light from a technical point of view.



Quit playing you know your running and offshore account in the Grand Caymans    You know this board supports itself freely....Absoulutely no cost involved with bandwidth, maintenece and etc....Good Try


----------



## dimopoulos

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				webby said:
			
		

> Nikos, I know you're really somewhere on a beach, with bluetooth, waiting for a piña colada (with an umbrella) to be delivered to you, while you count the fortune you've made off of working on this site



LOL I wish this was true. The only thing that I can relate to this scenario is the soaring heat in my room. As you can see from the image, it is 30.3C ~ 92.0F

Other than that I am typing away....


----------



## webby

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				dimopoulos said:
			
		

> LOL I wish this was true. The only thing that I can relate to this scenario is the soaring heat in my room. As you can see from the image, it is 30.3C ~ 92.0F
> 
> Other than that I am typing away....


Poor Nikos! 
You must be miserable.


----------



## beverly

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Bumped, edited, and updated with real costs to operate this forum for Sassy.

Also wanted to add, that we currently we do not have any sponsors.


----------



## Radianthealth

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I don't care $5 is chump change for all the stuff this board provides.  If someone is making money off of it SO WHAT??? 

They deserve it, this is the best hairboard on the internet 

Man a bottle of Nexxus Humectress cost $28!!!!!!!!!


----------



## firecracker

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				trimbride said:
			
		

> I don't care $5 is chump change for all the stuff this board provides. If someone is making money off of it SO WHAT???
> 
> They deserve it, this is the best hairboard on the internet
> 
> *Man a bottle of Nexxus Humectress cost $28!!!!!!!!![/*quote]
> 
> Whoa I pay only 14.99 for Humectress chica.


----------



## Radianthealth

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				firecracker said:
			
		

> trimbride said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't care $5 is chump change for all the stuff this board provides. If someone is making money off of it SO WHAT???
> 
> They deserve it, this is the best hairboard on the internet
> 
> *Man a bottle of Nexxus Humectress cost $28!!!!!!!!![/*quote]
> 
> Whoa I pay only 14.99 for Humectress chica.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 33 Ounce bottle at Target is $26.99.  I picked it up yesterday and had to put it down quick
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Nexxus Humectress Conditioner - 33.8 oz.
> *
> *$26.99*
Click to expand...


----------



## Mommy's girls

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				beverly said:
			
		

> I hope this answers your questions - Its used for:
> 
> I paid recently to have this website redesigned.
> 
> Paying for server space - $423 a month - dedicated server for over 1 year.
> 
> The Paypal subscription software, which is automated - and future upgrades to it.
> 
> This site can not run properly without Nikos, I pay him consulting fees as needed to fix things around here.
> 
> I paid several hundred dollars for the forum software, and when new version come out, (patches/fixes) I purchases those also.
> 
> I purchased graphics software.
> 
> The ticket system functionality, when you have account issues, they are tracked thru there.
> 
> The chat software - cost several hundred dollars.
> 
> MY TIME to manage the site - invaluable.
> 
> This site is owned independent by an individual - me .
> I am not a large company. I have a full time job. Its just named an LLC company in case someone wants to try to sue me and my personal assets they can not now. For example - because someone tried something on the hair board that caused them harm.


 
Beverly, I have often wondered whose the founder of this site.  This site was a blessing to me when I was struggling with hair woes.  To me this site is priceless.  

I am proud of you for turning something that you love into a business.  A much needed business I might add.    Thank you so much- you make me proud to call myself woman.


----------



## asummertyme

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

i remember when i joined yrs ago we used to have trolls here, that would just get on everyone's nerve...lol..i think the 5 bucks have helped with keeping them da hellzz out!


----------



## firecracker

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				asummertyme said:
			
		

> i remember when i joined yrs ago we used to have trolls here, that would just get on everyone's nerve...lol..i think the 5 bucks have helped with keeping them da hellzz out!


 
  I don't know about that one cuz it seems the modern day trolls don't mind paying 5 bucks, getting banned and paying again under a psuedo.  Its like a game to em gurl.


----------



## asummertyme

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				firecracker said:
			
		

> I don't know about that one cuz it seems the modern day trolls don't mind paying 5 bucks, getting banned and paying again under a psuedo. Its like a game to em gurl.


 
U got a good point ...


----------



## baby42

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

I AM HAPPY TO PAY MY $5 CAUSE I AM  LEARNIG A LOT REALLY WHAT IS $5 TO SPEND ON SOMETHING THAT HELPS YOU


----------



## Summer_Rain

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Hell, I'd pay $10 if it meant the entire board, including the main hair forum could be accessible only to paying members.


----------



## SparklingFlame

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Shoot when I joined I thought $5 wasnt enough to pay for all the info I got just for being a lurker. Not to mention the perks for joining (all the other great forums.)
Bev - Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!


----------



## naturallylovely

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

i don't really mind the 5 dollars either...but now that we have all of these different advertisements at the top of the forum, how does that play a role in helping to pay what it costs to maintain the board???


----------



## beverly

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

hi - the ads are google ads, and they are just copied and pasted code. they are not "real" sponsors per say, who have a contract with us, meaning they have pay me a certain fee per month for the banner ad to be there. Any one can go to google, register an account with them, and put a google ad on their personal website.  But to answer your question, any monies recieved goes in support of the site. Just like when you buy books from the book link (by way of amazon.com), its paid based on the referral I give them, which is not very much.


----------



## cabellera

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

From what you get in the way of information for hair, health, etc. at this site in comparison to others, the $5 bucks paid ANNUALLY is a nominal fee.


----------



## Much2much41

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Bev could make 10 Lexus payments with it for all I care.  This board is the best thing since fried chicken


----------



## firecracker

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



			
				Much2much41 said:
			
		

> Bev could make 10 Lexus payments with it for all I care. This board is the best thing since fried chicken


 
Alllll man! Why you gotta bring up FRIED CHICK'UM? I'm hungry now ****


----------



## TCT

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Poohbear said:


> Here's one reason...


 


the explanation above is exactly plausible. while i do not like to waiste money either, i do understand that any organization has to recieve fees and donations in order to keep afloat. this is a multifaceted site which approches its members needs on different levels. there is support, information, comradery, vent capability,  and 24 hr access ,ect.... i do not feel blindsided by the 5 dollar fee, all though most of us(myself included) love  getting free stuff. we have to get out of the frame of mind that things should just be costless. while all the ladies here offer each other information as to how to reach goals(not just the administrators of the site) we still need to realize the enormous undertaking this equals out to. running a site like this is not devoid of challenges.

  now having said that , does someone think they can hit me back and let me know how in the heck to post a new thread. i am cluless on where to go and what to click on(im the official website illiterate)erplexed.

 i have so many questions about things that i have not found the answer to , i dont wanna go into ppl's threads and start changing the subject all over the place(kinda like i just did here),and i dont know how to post a thread  of my own to get the answers either.


so can somebody help a sister out??????   pleeease?

        see ya'll on the boards.


----------



## Allandra

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



TCT said:


> the explanation above is exactly plausible. while i do not like to waiste money either, i do understand that any organization has to recieve fees and donations in order to keep afloat. this is a multifaceted site which approches its members needs on different levels. there is support, information, comradery, vent capability,  and 24 hr access ,ect.... i do not feel blindsided by the 5 dollar fee, all though most of us(myself included) love  getting free stuff. we have to get out of the frame of mind that things should just be costless. while all the ladies here offer each other information as to how to reach goals(not just the administrators of the site) we still need to realize the enormous undertaking this equals out to. running a site like this is not devoid of challenges.
> 
> now having said that , *does someone think they can hit me back and let me know how in the heck to post a new thread*. i am cluless on where to go and what to click on(im the official website illiterate)erplexed.
> 
> i have so many questions about things that i have not found the answer to , i dont wanna go into ppl's threads and start changing the subject all over the place(kinda like i just did here),and i dont know how to post a thread  of my own to get the answers either.
> 
> 
> so can somebody help a sister out??????   pleeease?
> 
> see ya'll on the boards.


Click on the forum you want to post the thread in, and click on 'new thread', now you're ready to start you thread.


----------



## TCT

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Allandra said:


> Click on the forum you want to post the thread in, and click on 'new thread', now you're ready to start you thread.


 


thankyou soo much!



   wait, wait ,wait ...............    where is the new thread option located?


----------



## ellebelle88

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Love this board. The question isn't why do we have to pay, but why not? We get so much valuable and useful information on here, that I actually _want_ to give back to the person who runs this site. I'm sure many others feel the same way.


----------



## Lucky's Mom

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

LCHF is AWESOME.
I appreciate the fee, because - even for 5 dollars, the caliber of members here is quite high. Most everyone is helpful, kind, and provide useful information, staying on topic. I was a member and a moderator for another fourm, that had NOTHING but trouble becaseu of trolls, and a lack of proper maintenence.

This is a Godsend.

LOVE IT.

Thanks to all who work hard for this site to be great. Five dollars is nothing!


----------



## scorpian

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

$5.00 is a  drop in the bucket for all of the valuable info that I get from here
Nappturality is charging a $20 annual fee to view most of their forum


----------



## Connie

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



scorpian said:


> $5.00 is a  drop in the bucket for all of the valuable info that I get from here
> Nappturality is charging a $20 annual fee to view most of their forum



WHAT?!  Is it mandatory now?  Because the last time I was there it was voluntary, and the owner was b*tching because only a fraction of the membership was paying anything.


----------



## Blossssom

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Connie said:


> WHAT?!  Is it mandatory now?  Because the last time I was there it was voluntary, and the owner was *b*tching *because only a fraction of the membership was paying anything.



LOLOL!  

Well, no one HAS to pay anything.  It's voluntary to join this site.


----------



## AmyInAtl

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

like maybelline says, your worth it


----------



## Connie

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Blossssom said:


> LOLOL!
> 
> Well, no one HAS to pay anything.  It's voluntary to join this site.




I was referring to the Nappturality site.  The poster said they charge $20 for a yearly membership.  I wondered if it was voluntary or if the owner was getting stricter with it because it has a huge membership base but not a lot of people were 'donating' to it.


----------



## SparklingFlame

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Connie said:


> I was referring to the Nappturality site.  The poster said they charge $20 for a yearly membership.  I wondered if it was voluntary or if the owner was getting stricter with it because* it has a huge membership base but not a lot of people were 'donating' to it.*


I think you are correct!


----------



## Blossssom

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



SophiaRose said:


> like maybelline says, your worth it



I thought that was L'Oreal


----------



## Blossssom

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Connie said:


> I was referring to the Nappturality site.  The poster said they charge $20 for a yearly membership.  I wondered if it was voluntary or if the owner was getting stricter with it because it has a huge membership base but not a lot of people were 'donating' to it.



Oh, sorry, I thought you was talking about Bev


----------



## LynnieB

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Connie said:


> I was referring to the Nappturality site.  The poster said they charge $20 for a yearly membership.  I wondered if it was voluntary or if the owner was getting stricter with it because it has a huge membership base but not a lot of people were 'donating' to it.



it costs money to run a website.  sometimes outside advertisers, ads and sponsers can help defray the costs but if the website has heavy traffic, many members, the board has alot of functionality and user perks as well as hosts it's members graphics, dedicated servers, domain registrations,  etc.,  the cost can become huge rather quickly.  i don't know much about the IT end of bulletin boards but i'd assume you'd also have to pay for an IT person to do your software installations and updating, bug checks, etc. although it may be included in your package deal.  i dunno.

some companies are nice enough to have a price/function list online:
http://www.futurepoint.com/hosting.php
http://dedicated.westhost.com/

others just tell you to call or email them to "discuss" pricing and options.

you could probably create a room full of servers in a spare bedroom of your home but your cable company would want you to pay a fortune to run a heavily trafficked, multifunctional messageboard along with the cost of rewiring your house to house the equipment, back up power supplies, IT, air conditioning, the servers and other equipment, software, etc.  

donations are good but many times it's not enough to keep things running so what you do is offer the forums which help the most people as free forums and the play and romper room forums as perks for donating members only.  Doing it like that keeps the hair forums open to help those who need support without penalizing them but if you want to play in the additional forums (all non hair related), you gotta pay.


----------



## Zeal

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Poohbear said:


> Here's one reason...


 
Preach Pooh, Preach!!


----------



## emerald06

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



Connie said:


> I was referring to the Nappturality site.  The poster said they charge $20 for a yearly membership.  I wondered if it was voluntary or if the owner was getting stricter with it because it has a huge membership base but not a lot of people were 'donating' to it.



I'm a member of both sites.  Dee does what she has to do over there and Bev does what she does over here.  I don't know if many people, myself included, really know what it means to devote so much time and investment to such a work of love.  I have heard people insuate -- not here, necessarily -- that the owner may be pocketing the money and making a mint.    It takes a lot of $$$ to have a site as nice as this one and NP.  I'll happily give the money to have a sancturary with intelligent women without the nonsense.  There are sites that are truly off the chain with "members" who cut each other down, curse each other, make profane, insensitive and racist posts.  I may not agree with all of the decisions made, but I respect them.  Thank you Bev, Nikos, and all of the mods for work you do!


----------



## hunnyhun921

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

Hello everyone,

I just joined and I paid $6.50. I guess the fees have gone up....not complaining. Very great information I have been receiveing thus far and think it is well worth my $6.50. I'll just cut back on one product this month to cover the costs! Great day everyone!


----------



## Allandra

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*



hunnyhun921 said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> I just joined and I paid $6.50. I guess the fees have gone up....not complaining. Very great information I have been receiveing thus far and think it is well worth my $6.50. I'll just cut back on one product this month to cover the costs! Great day everyone!


This is an old thread.  Yes, the fee has gone up to $6.50.


----------



## DaDragonPrincess

I don't mind paying the 6 bucks, thats just the price of a lunch from Sonic


----------



## melodies815

It's funny...I paid for 2 years at once because I already know I will need this info for a lifetime...or at least as long as I am still growing hair.  I don't post a lot, but I read like crazy, and the few changes I have made in nearly a month (my profile says I have been here since 2007, but I have really only been here since around Aug 20th or so, 2008) have made a significant difference in my texture, breakage, and growth.

There is no way that I could care about $13 for two years of insightful information when I BLOW $13 on meaningless stuff (Subway, ice cream, french fries, chewing gum, etc.) every week or day!

I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS SITE!!!

Even if I had never found out what the money was used for, I know that web hosting costs. Moderating a site with 1 million+ posts costs.  Resolving tickets costs money.  I just assumed this was Bev's full time job.

LOL

Regardless of all of this, I am remarkably blessed just to be on a site like this, and I think the original poster was misunderstood.  I do hope that, while this remains a sticky, that no one else ever questions Bev's integrity or business sense.  I hope that this sticky simply stands as a reminder and no longer an active post...though no one of us can determine wht others will do.  I can only hope that this will die now.  I can only hope that Beverly deserves more out of us.  ("YES WE CAN!!!"  *giggling*)

It must be like a slap in her face to read some of the questions or comments and to feel completely unappreciated...though I am sure she is not that thin-skinned.  Still, just imagine if you were Bev....how would you feel?

Bev...we who are growing are with you....we appreciate you and do not question your judgment...especially when just a little google research will tell us that you can't be making billions off this site...and even if you were, it would be warranted.   

Thanks for all you do!

Love in Christ,
Christi and the women of LHCF

:notworthy


----------



## LisaLisa1908

I'm so certain people have paid ten times as much for the stuff that led them to this board in the first place...running a board costs money and I'm sure if Bev gave ANY of us the reins for ONE DAY, we'd charge $100.  Thank you LHCF for existing.


----------



## AtlantaJJ

Well the real answer is you don't have to pay $6.50. No one forced anyone to pay for a membership here... 

And no I haven't read the thread in case this was already posted


----------



## lilmsjanet

i think we pay that much because usually trolls like 2 go to forums like this and run a muck in them and make up all kinds of lies and hair concoctions that would probably make are hair fall out,but because theres a price to this forum it keeps the trolls at bay and under control


----------



## ShaniKeys

LisaLisa1908 said:


> I'm so certain people have paid ten times as much for the stuff that led them to this board in the first place...


 
 So true


----------



## BostonMaria

Maybe we can have a lay-a-way plan LOL


----------



## awhyley

Don't complain about the $6.50
It's the best money you'll ever spend.  Trust me.


----------



## calmsensual1

awhyley said:


> Don't complain about the $6.50
> It's the best money you'll ever spend.  Trust me.



yeah besides the hundreds of dollars you'll spend on hair products


----------



## melodies815

Quick update:  My daughter is 11.

She has waist length hair.

In that hair is tiny bit of 3a (bottom back), lots of 3b (middle back), lots of 4a (top), 4b (random spots), and a teeny tiny bit of 4z that breaks when I sneeze in its general direction.  erplexed 

My issue has been that while her hair is easy to handle when wet, she is 

(1) tenderheaded
(2) fuzzy and almost impossible to manage when dry
(3) fuzzy after being styled for a day.

Two weeks ago, I found her hair twin (an adult) on this site, and for the first time in her life, my sweet little one has been able to wear her hair down and not in the dreaded braids that keep her hair halfway manageable. I watched her self esteem shoot through the roof.  I know it seems little, but for her - a girl on the verge of young womanhood with budding BB's and a wannabe shape - it means the world.

Thanks again, Beverly, for creating this, and thanks to the ladies who give so much of their time to help us mothers, wives, sisters, daughters... women of color...figure out how to best take care of their hair.  I almost cried when she came home from school without puffy hair.

I only wish I had known of this site in time for her school pictures.  This weeks hair photos for her are on my Fotki if it will help anyone.

Love,
CJ


----------



## soulie

melodies815 said:


> Quick update: My daughter is 11.
> 
> She has waist length hair.
> 
> In that hair is tiny bit of 3a (bottom back), lots of 3b (middle back), lots of 4a (top), 4b (random spots), and a teeny tiny bit of 4z that breaks when I sneeze in its general direction. erplexed
> 
> My issue has been that while her hair is easy to handle when wet, she is
> 
> (1) tenderheaded
> (2) fuzzy and almost impossible to manage when dry
> (3) fuzzy after being styled for a day.
> 
> Two weeks ago, I found her hair twin (an adult) on this site, and for the first time in her life, my sweet little one has been able to wear her hair down and not in the dreaded braids that keep her hair halfway manageable. I watched her self esteem shoot through the roof. I know it seems little, but for her - a girl on the verge of young womanhood with budding BB's and a wannabe shape - it means the world.
> 
> Thanks again, Beverly, for creating this, and thanks to the ladies who give so much of their time to help us mothers, wives, sisters, daughters... women of color...figure out how to best take care of their hair. I almost cried when she came home from school without puffy hair.
> 
> I only wish I had known of this site in time for her school pictures. This weeks hair photos for her are on my Fotki if it will help anyone.
> 
> Love,
> CJ


 
She looks beautiful with her twisties.


----------



## QueenLexy

calmsensual1 said:


> yeah besides the hundreds of dollars you'll spend on hair products


Lmao so true. I havent been on this site long and I already have spent over 200 dollars in hair products and appliances.


----------



## SerenavanderWoodsen

How did the title of this thread change to $6.50? It was 5 dollars in 2005....


----------



## beverly

We edited the title to reflect the current price. Its the same topic.


----------



## darlingdiva

melodies815 said:


> It's funny...*I paid for 2 years at once because I already know I will need this info for a lifetime*...or at least as long as I am still growing hair. I don't post a lot, but I read like crazy, and the few changes I have made in nearly a month (my profile says I have been here since 2007, but I have really only been here since around Aug 20th or so, 2008) have made a significant difference in my texture, breakage, and growth.
> 
> There is no way that I could care about $13 for two years of insightful information when I BLOW $13 on meaningless stuff (Subway, ice cream, french fries, chewing gum, etc.) every week or day!
> 
> I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS SITE!!!
> 
> Even if I had never found out what the money was used for, I know that web hosting costs. Moderating a site with 1 million+ posts costs. Resolving tickets costs money. I just assumed this was Bev's full time job.
> 
> LOL
> 
> Regardless of all of this, I am remarkably blessed just to be on a site like this, and I think the original poster was misunderstood. I do hope that, while this remains a sticky, that no one else ever questions Bev's integrity or business sense. I hope that this sticky simply stands as a reminder and no longer an active post...though no one of us can determine wht others will do. I can only hope that this will die now. I can only hope that Beverly deserves more out of us. ("YES WE CAN!!!" *giggling*)
> 
> It must be like a slap in her face to read some of the questions or comments and to feel completely unappreciated...though I am sure she is not that thin-skinned. Still, just imagine if you were Bev....how would you feel?
> 
> Bev...we who are growing are with you....we appreciate you and do not question your judgment...especially when just a little google research will tell us that you can't be making billions off this site...and even if you were, it would be warranted.
> 
> Thanks for all you do!
> 
> Love in Christ,
> Christi and the women of LHCF
> 
> :notworthy


 
I thought I was the only one who paid for the two years at once.  Before I came, I used to lurk on this site ALL THE TIME.  I literally spent hours on this site each day.  I'm not at work today because I'm sick, but I'm on this site--GO FIGURE!!!!

I don't mind paying the fee.  Paying $6.50 or, in my case, $13.50, is a small price to pay considering all the wonderful tips and inspiration that I receive.

Like melodies815, I will need this information for a lifetime.  That's why I look at the fee I pay as an investment towards long, beautiful, healthy hair.


----------



## LatterGlory

^^^^


----------



## SerenavanderWoodsen

beverly said:


> We edited the title to reflect the current price. Its the same topic.


LOL, okay I kinda thought that, I was confused though because I know we cant edit our own titles


----------



## msbettyboop

Acarson91 said:


> Lmao so true. I havent been on this site long and I already have spent over 200 dollars in hair products and appliances.



I'm afraid to calculate how much I've spent on hair products since I joined this website for fear I'll pass out but I'm sure it's more than $200erplexed! Passing out right now!


----------



## Aspire

melodies815 said:


> Bev...we who are growing are with you....we appreciate you and do not question your judgment...especially when just a little google research will tell us that you can't be making billions off this site...*and even if you were, it would be warranted*.
> 
> Thanks for all you do!
> 
> Love in Christ,
> Christi and the women of LHCF
> 
> :notworthy



All I can say is this . . . .

I paid $9.99 for one month to join a hair board that was $90 or $99 for the year (cant remember which).  Was I incredibly pissed when everything on her board was already available on this one?  Plus this board has more!!

I am incredibly grateful for LHCF.  Granted my PJism has caused me to spend more since joining, but now I am starting to minimize my purchases as my regimen gets more solid.  My hair is healthier than it has ever been before, and I get compliments all the time.  $6.50 a year is nothing, and I would gladly pay more for an annual membership. I think it would be awesome if Bev could make this a profitable venture so that she had the option of not working an additional job if that was her choice. 

notworthy:notworthy​


----------



## Demi27

Aspire said:


> All I can say is this . . . .
> 
> I paid $9.99 for one month to join a hair board that was $90 or $99 for the year (cant remember which). Was I incredibly pissed when everything on her board was already available on this one? Plus this board has more!!
> 
> I am incredibly grateful for LHCF. Granted my PJism has caused me to spend more since joining, but now I am starting to minimize my purchases as my regimen gets more solid. My hair is healthier than it has ever been before, and I get compliments all the time. $6.50 a year is nothing, and I would gladly pay more for an annual membership. I think it would be awesome if Bev could make this a profitable venture so that she had the option of not working an additional job if that was her choice.
> 
> notworthy:notworthy​


 
Especially since (and I'm pretty sure I'm thinking of the same person), they used to be an active member on this site before they started theirs.

I'll take the $6.50.


----------



## firecracker

Can ya'll donate a wig please?


----------



## MissYocairis

^^^   

I knew when I saw that you had posted, it was going to be some .


----------



## Aspire

Demi 1974 said:


> Especially since (and I'm pretty sure I'm thinking of the same person), they used to be an active member on this site before they started theirs.
> 
> I'll take the $6.50.



Umm, I had heard that, but was not sure.  The info is just not worth $100/year IMO.  Maybe 20-30/year, but I was pissed to pay the 10/month when I saw what was on there.


----------



## melodies815

firecracker said:


> Can ya'll donate a wig please?


----------



## melodies815

Even with Youtube, this site is invaluable as a community of like-minded people who desire to know how to take care of ethnic hair.

The price is fair and I'm more than happy to pay.  If it were monthly...I probably would only join for a little while and then cancel.  The way Beverly has it designed, people come and they stay...and the community grows.  I only wish others had been so smart about their business...but oh well. The fewer websites I have to go to for my hair needs, the better!

She's doing it the smart way for the very long term.  I appreciate that, and can see myself being a subscriber for life unless something drastically changes. 

It seems clear that other people have started their subscriptions without a lot of value and without an eye for the very long term....so glad I never wasted money elsewhere...


cj


----------



## KellyDee

New to this site - not sure how to post questions.  But wanted to know if anyone uses Alter Ego hair care products?


----------



## NeeSee

KellyDee said:


> New to this site - not sure how to post questions.  But wanted to know if anyone uses Alter Ego hair care products?



_Hi and welcome to the board. Don't know if you have been pointed in the right direction yet but if not, try posting this in the haircare forum. If you don't mind me saying, though, it may be best that you do a search before starting a thread. Just about any and every product on the face of this earth has been used by someone here at least once. There are plenty members here who use Alter Ego products. If, with the search, you turn up empty handed or your questions aren't answered in any of the previous threads then it will be a good idea to start a new thread inquiring about whatever it is your looking for. Hope this helps and hope you enjoy the forum._


----------



## kellyshair

It's actually GOOD to pay the fee.. A lot of ther boards that are free get a whole lot of uneccesary crap from people just signing up to be rude exc..pick fun ... (you would be surprised) i think indeirectly the fee insists you really want to be here and contrubute. I just joined yesterday and so far thats been the difference btween here and other boards..


----------



## Millyj

Hmmm...I guess it really doesn't bother me.  $6.95 a year is not bad considering I paid $9.99 a month for one site and this one gives me MUCH more useful information.


----------



## KINISE

Hooray!!! Today is my first week as an official "paying" member.  Previously, I would just "google" questions I had about my hair-- and the search always led me to LHCF.
Last Saturday, I decided to treat "ME" better- and I joined so I could really explore ways to achieve my new goals.  I signed up for two years- I wanted to commit to a better way of doing things and I felt signing up for two years meant that for the next two years- at least- I would be focusing on my hair care.  Now I have found that every subject one could imagine is addressed right here.  I even spent time searching with my 20 year old daughter who was home for spring break-- and we enjoyed "oooing" and "awwwing" at all the beautiful hair.  She has decided to go natural- now instead of asking me thousands of questions, I can tell her  check out LHCF!!! 
I hope and pray that the owner of this forum is compensated ins some way for this huge effort- think of how many lives she touches on a daily basis- the law of reciprocity says she should "receive" also!


----------



## dafnie

i'm not sure why but i do appreciate the fact that we're not bombarded by advertisements...


----------



## CherryCherryBoomBoom

This site, and a student forum website are the two main forums that I frequent. LHCF has a fee to be able to post, whereas its free in the student forum, and I can completely see the differences. There seems to be at least one or two new trolls on the other forum everyday, flaming threads and admittedly giving us a bit of a laugh. Whereas on this one, it's fairly more civil and serious, but still friendly, and I like it . The $6.50 is definitely worth the year, cos it's not too much if you think about it


----------



## jas4xj

vaqtea said:


> This is just a question that has been running through my head. Why do we have to pay to post here? I am a member of several other boards  i.e tivoforums, atkinsforum, supraforums etc. This is the only board that charges me to post   I read in other threads that it was to keep "trolls" away. I understand this reasoning but why do we have to continue to pay yearly?



Why can't we be happy when someone is an entrepreneur when we are enjoying their services?  I like this forum and it gives a lot of useful information to the otherwise uninformed....for free...you just have to pay to post...and I am all for limiting bored 13 year olds from saying something idiotic.  I don't care what it goes to for this simple reason, I am not paying to maintain it, and I get a great utility from it and the cost is negligible.  For the cost of a chicken sandwich combo at McDonald's annually I am able to gain knowledge from people who share my goal.  I am of the school of thought that people should stop feeling entitled and expecting something for nothing.  Instead, congratulate someone for having the wherewithal to start a long hair care forum and support them by paying bc they are providing a service.  I'm all for entrepreneurship and am soooooo waiting for welfare reform.  I say that because just as in welfare, something for nothing never helped anyone....it just makes people feel like they should get even more for nothing.  The site creator turned a hobby into a business.  Kudos.  I just hope that many of us are fortunate enough to do the same.  And let's face it, it isn't much at all.

And I see that you have mentioned several boards.....if those free boards serve your interests better, opt out of paying to post.  Doesn't that resolve the issue?  Or create your own free board for the same purpose so you can see how it works from the other side of things.  No drama intended..just calling it how I see it.


----------



## brooklyngal73

The post you're answering is *5 years old*.  I'm sure that she's gotten over the fact that there's a yearly fee. 



jas4xj said:


> Why can't we be happy when someone is an entrepreneur when we are enjoying their services?  I like this forum and it gives a lot of useful information to the otherwise uninformed....for free...you just have to pay to post...and I am all for limiting bored 13 year olds from saying something idiotic.  I don't care what it goes to for this simple reason, I am not paying to maintain it, and I get a great utility from it and the cost is negligible.  For the cost of a chicken sandwich combo at McDonald's annually I am able to gain knowledge from people who share my goal.  I am of the school of thought that people should stop feeling entitled and expecting something for nothing.  Instead, congratulate someone for having the wherewithal to start a long hair care forum and support them by paying bc they are providing a service.  I'm all for entrepreneurship and am soooooo waiting for welfare reform.  I say that because just as in welfare, something for nothing never helped anyone....it just makes people feel like they should get even more for nothing.  The site creator turned a hobby into a business.  Kudos.  I just hope that many of us are fortunate enough to do the same.  And let's face it, it isn't much at all.
> *
> And I see that you have mentioned several boards.....if those free boards serve your interests better, opt out of paying to post.  Doesn't that resolve the issue?  Or create your own free board for the same purpose so you can see how it works from the other side of things.  No drama intended..just calling it how I see it.*


----------



## CocoBunny

brooklyngal73 said:


> The post you're answering is *5 years old*. *I'm sure that she's gotten over the fact that there's a yearly fee*.


 
Maybe she has.  Maybe she hasn't.


----------



## Mari-Cris

jas4xj said:


> Why can't we be happy when someone is an entrepreneur when we are enjoying their services?  I like this forum and it gives a lot of useful information to the otherwise uninformed....for free...you just have to pay to post...and I am all for limiting bored 13 year olds from saying something idiotic.  I don't care what it goes to for this simple reason, I am not paying to maintain it, and I get a great utility from it and the cost is negligible.  For the cost of a chicken sandwich combo at McDonald's annually I am able to gain knowledge from people who share my goal.  I am of the school of thought that people should stop feeling entitled and expecting something for nothing.  Instead, congratulate someone for having the wherewithal to start a long hair care forum and support them by paying bc they are providing a service.  I'm all for entrepreneurship and am soooooo waiting for welfare reform.  I say that because just as in welfare, something for nothing never helped anyone....it just makes people feel like they should get even more for nothing.  The site creator turned a hobby into a business.  Kudos.  I just hope that many of us are fortunate enough to do the same.  And let's face it, it isn't much at all.
> 
> And I see that you have mentioned several boards.....if those free boards serve your interests better, opt out of paying to post.  Doesn't that resolve the issue?  Or create your own free board for the same purpose so you can see how it works from the other side of things.  No drama intended..just calling it how I see it.



Co-Sign 1000%. I am so grateful that someone thought of this idea and created this site. I just joined and, quite honestly, I would have paid 5X as much for the knowledge I am able to gain from this site. I happily paid two years up front after scanning around for a couple of days.


----------



## genieblair

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

okay, I though 6.50 was a good deal considering all the valuable info and blogs that can help me with my hair journey...i'm just saying....keep doing what you do, this site is great.


----------



## melodies815

*Re: Why do we have to pay $5?*

This thread is still open?   I thought everyone understood and loved it by now.  Shoot...someone less concerned and a whole lot of crazy might charge us $40 a year.  I would pay $10 for the entire year, but I wouldn't pay $11.  Just kidding.  

I love this place.  Always will...


Christi Johnson


----------



## tdc1978

Personally I didn't care about paying the money because it was my way of showing I was serious about my hair care. I am a member of several other hair care sites and for the most part all those involved are serious about hair care, but I think on those sites people tend to go off topic more. Also here there are no advertisements, unlike the other sites I have joined. If someone doesn't want to pay, they can still get most of the information, they just can't post.


----------

