Petition for Limited Search Function for AllFollow

Well, since I am not currently a paying member, I can't post in the forum for suggestions on the forum. The general off-topic forums didn't seem like the place for this*. Hence, I will post it here to an audience that actually needs a searh option.

The petition:

Reasons for the masses:
In order to lessen the clutter of having many posts discussing the same topic, we need to have a search function everyone can use. This will allow us to tell new people to use it to make sure their topic hasn't been discussed before. A less cluttered board is easier to navigate, and a search option helps bring back old threads that have new relevance. While not every new person would use it, there would be many that would. Additionally we'd be able to tell new people to use the search feature, something we can't do now.

Reasons for the Admins:

You want people to pay for the site, and giving them a limited searching ability on the forum would entice them to pay for a more advanced feature. You already use this philosophy with equipment searches. Also, with a less cluttered board the site is more attractive and helpful, encouraging a larger audience and hence more paying members. It's a win-win scenerio.

Conclusion:
I personally think a search feature that allowed you to search thread "Topics" only would be the ideal compromise for both parties.

Thoughts?

-Drachasor

*I was looking in the Asylum and that place really is crazy.

So you really think all/most of the people that browse the forums are going to do this? That is simply unrealistic. What you suggest is a solution for one person, not the community (especially new people that visit the site and post a question).

-Drachasor

I like the idea

Actually, the search function puts a pretty heavy load on the servers, which is why they didn't even implement it until they added new servers recently.

Paying member or not, you should be able to post in all forums. Did you get an error message when you tried to post there? Also, about what time was it when you tried? Please go try posting there again to see if the problem is repeatable or if it was just a one time thing.

I am behind the site's reason for giving certain features only for the paying members. In this day and age, nothing comes for free, there's the server cost and upkeep to keep the site running, they have enough free stuff for the casual browsers to find what they need to know already, if they're not willing to spend a little time looking through for something they want, I dont see any reason why they have to bend over their back just to make life easier for you.
Why not ask them to put up a freephone number so you can ring up and ask any questions? wouldnt that be even more convenient for everyone? ><

Perhaps a tiered subscription system could work, with free reading but not posting (to cut down on trolls and on constantly redundant threads); cheap posting and limited searching (subject searches but not content); full posting/searching/avatars/etc. (the current subscription level); and max everything with godlike powers and a million gil delivered to your moghouse each month (obscenely expensive, but I get it free because I suggested it. ^^)

thats the problem, you have to balance between making money and supporting the community. With no ffxi community here there's no site. While having a serchable forum would increase the usefullness of it, it might just not be financially possible.

A paid for search function is fine until one of the paying members (the arrogant one) posts in almost every other topic 'This has been discussed, use the search function' even though they know it's a payed for service.
Basically it has the possibility to give people an elitist attitude which can completely ruin the community feel of the site.