The Idea Itself  
I spent last weekend coming up with the idea and figuring out how to make it work. Then I worked all week on the coding as it is rather complex and integrated all over LiveWire.

Why I deemed it absolutely vital to ask everyone to refer friends  
Because you guys don't do it without encouragement. The advertising manager knows, he's seen the numbers, new membership has been declining since February. We have a wonderful thing going here, but you can't place the entire burden of finding new members on me all the time. We must continue to replace members who leave or become inactive to maintain the current level of activity that you are accustomed to on LiveWire. Furthermore, I feel that having more members online at a time creates a better atmosphere.  

I am inspired when I sign in and see many new topics appearing in Fresh Topics, when I see forums bustling with activity, and the active members list above 200!

However, when I sign-in during low-key hours around 3am and see 47 members online my topics don't get replies and I feel a lack of energy on the site that makes me want to sign-out.

If those are selfish reasons for trying to get you guys pumped about referring LiveWire to friends then continue sending me your hate mail.

The Numbers
New Members in February: 616
New Members Last Month: 310

(Many more members signed up, but those are how many we retained and who have become regular posters.)

David is greedy  
People keep telling me that I'm out to make more money by "forcing" people to advertise "my" website which is completely wrong. First, we as a community own LiveWire. Legally speaking I work for LiveWire and for you. So it's OUR website. Second, I don't see a cent more in my pocket whether we make $100 more next month or $200 less. A board of directors, made of LiveWire members like you, decide how much I am paid. That amount remains fixed unless they decide to change it.

David Hates America and Democracy
"You didn't let us vote on whether we wanted this change! Get out of the country you democracy hating whore!"

LiveWire isn't actually a democracy, so sorry to burst your beautiful ideals. Voting for new features isn't a tradition on LiveWire. There have been a few votes for changes that didn't go over well, but in general I think getting every change approved by the majority of whoever was online at the time would really be the pits for development on LiveWire. I would never be able to surprise you, and then I would have to spend 20% of my time writing proposals and campaigning for changes instead of working on them.

Post edited at 2:02 am on Nov. 10, 2006 by davjs

-------
Currently traveling in France

I don't mind this checklist. Just the hassle of getting them to verify - which I have already stated.

But I don't really need to worry. I've done it.

There's not one change I haven't agreed with.

I still have my sidebar on the left.

In the end it will be better. And decreasing by how much since February?

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

But I do think when you see a pretty red ball roll across the road, you probably run out in front of traffic.

just for fun, here's part of a PM from an SL with over 12k points.  hopefully they won't kill me for posting it.

---

 You should use AIM or MSN! I'm starting to wonder if I can really be bothered with David's asshattery.

---

when changes annoy more long term members of the community than they create, they are bad.  how many real referrals do you think you will actually get out of this?

want more active members? great. offer incentives for recruiting.  give people $1 of donations for every 100 posts a referral results in.  etc.  

stop being enchanted by every minor shining ball gimmick you can think of.  you moderate a forum of teenagers, you should have realized that by now.  start putting meaningful effort forth; all the little changes like this you do do very little for the health of livewire.  sure, plenty of your changes are flashy and I'm sure take plenty of time to code - but when it comes to it, they are all pretty useless.

Post edited at 2:11 am on Nov. 10, 2006 by gro

-------
so where do you draw the line and tell yourself no more,
is it when your back's against the wall or you're crawlin on the floor?

---

Why I deemed it absolutely vital to ask everyone to refer friends  
Because you guys don't do it without encouragement. The advertising manager knows, he's seen the numbers, new membership has been declining since February. We have a wonderful thing going here, but you can't place the entire burden of finding new members on me all the time. We must continue to replace members who leave or become inactive to maintain the current level of activity that you are accustomed to on LiveWire. Furthermore, I feel that having more members online at a time creates a better atmosphere.  

---

Actually, I got lots of friends of mine to join LiveWire WITHOUT any encouragment and I didn't get any sort of reward.  LiveWire seems to get lots of members without people having to send them email links and stuff.

-------
WYBMADIITY "The earlier I get up, the more day I have to live" Presmil
Armie of Angels Elder-Golden Wings
~I fall in love with a person, not a gender~

---

Encourage by offering point rewards or some other privilege. Don't take away existing privileges and then ask people to earn them back.

---

i really agree with this.... ur reason for wanting us to refer people are very understandable.. and dave i respect you for what you are trying to do... but PLZ cant you go about it a different way... its just, many people dont want friends on here reading their posts... i cant possibly imagine having some of my personal friends on here, i wouldnt feel i could post as myself!

-------
RIP MUM (3/7/57-15/2/07) I will love you always!!! I miss you so bad!

---

Its the photo thing I don't want to do. I can find friends, but I don't want to put photos on LW. I just don't want to and I don't think its fair to make me.

---

You can upload any picture.  It doesn't have to be a photo of yourself.

Notice again that when he can not come up with an argument, for the second time he leaves us without saying anything. This deliberate avoidance is getting annoying.

-------
I happen to think you're pretty dandy.

Actually, I got lots of friends of mine to join LiveWire WITHOUT any encouragment and I didn't get any sort of reward.  LiveWire seems to ge

ture... but not in hells change am i getting my firends to join... i would rather die... i have friends... and then  i have LW.... LW + friends= death and we cant have that now can we

-------
My YearBook
Twitter