Seriously?

I'm new here and I'm surprised to see that all the forums require a membership to view them. Pretty disappointing...im sure the server costs could be covered by donations alone and the adds could serve as healthy profit for DG.

I've never seen a site where it requires you to pay to post in a forum let alone view it. I think DG would be better off to just require people pay to join rather than insult our intelligence by telling us "...over half our forums are completely open to all members." every time we try to read one. I'd say more like 1 in 50 forums are open to me, not 50%. And of the ones that are visible, most have a block on posting messages.

I mean...come on... i only have access to the basket weaving forum. No wait, there's also a home improvement plumbing forum....huh? plumbing? ... just what I was looking for on a gardening site.

I really thought this was all about the love of gardening, but now i'm left feeling this is just about making money. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with making money, but to me gardening is the antithesis of work. It is my escape.

DG if you really are a site "for gardeners, by gardeners" you should seriously consider paying server costs by donations. When you do, I'll be the first to send you twenty bucks.

Each one of the links with (*) next to it are the one's I can't access. If they are visible, 1/2 of them won't let you post unless youre a member.




General Gardening:

Accessible Gardening (*)
Annuals (*)
Bird Identification
BirdFiles Pictures
Bonsai (*)
BugFiles Pictures
Bulbs (*)
Classic Threads (*)
Community Gardens (*)
Container Gardening (*)
Cool Climate Gardening (*)
Cottage Gardening (*)
Cut Flowers and Floral Design
Foliage Plants (*)
Fragrant Gardening (*)
Garden Art (*)
Garden Design (*)
Garden Pests and Diseases (*)
Garden Products (*)
Garden Talk (*)
Garden Tours
Gardening by the Moon (*)
Greenhouse (*)
Heirloom Vegetables (*)
Herbs (*)
Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening (*)
Hybridizers
Hydroponic Gardening (*)
Indoor Gardening and Houseplants (*)
Insect and Spider Identification
Invasive Plants (*)
Irrigation Systems
Market Growers (*)
Master Gardeners (*)
Native Plants and Wild Plants (*)
Organic Gardening (*)
Perennials (*)
Plant and Tree Identification
PlantFiles Pictures
Propagation (*)
Public Gardens (*)
Rock and Alpine Gardening (*)
Saving Seeds (*)
Seed Germination
Self-contained Box Gardens
Shady Gardens (*)
Soil and Composting (*)
Strawbale Gardening (*)
Terrarium Gardening (*)
Tiny Gardens (*)
Trees, Shrubs and Conifers (*)
Tropical Plants (*)
Vegetable Gardening (*)
Vermicomposting
Vines and Climbers (*)
Water Gardens (*)
Wildlife Gardening
Winter Sowing (*)
Xeriscape Gardening (*)

Country Living:

Beekeeping
Equine Forum (*)
Farm Life (*)
Homesteading
Poultry and Livestock (*)

Specific Kinds of Plants:

African Violets and Gesneriads (*)
Agastaches and Salvias (*)
Amaryllis and Hippeastrums (*)
Aroids (*)
Begonias (*)
Bromeliads (*)
Brugmansias (*)
Cacti and Succulents (*)
Cannas (*)
Carnivorous Plants (*)
Caudiciforms (*)
Clematis (*)
Coleus (*)
Coneflowers (*)
Dahlias (*)
Daturas (*)
Daylilies (*)
Dianthus (*)
Ferns, Fungi and Mosses (*)
Fruits and Nuts (*)
Fuchsias (*)
Geraniums, Pelargoniums and Erodiums (*)
Gingers (*)
Gladiolas (*)
Grass and Bamboo (*)
Heucheras and Friends (*)
Hibiscus (*)
Hostas (*)
Hoyas (*)
Hydrangeas (*)
Irises (*)
Japanese Maples (*)
Lilies (*)
Morning Glories (*)
Mums and Asters (*)
Oleanders (*)
Orchid Cactus (*)
Orchids (*)
Ornamental Gourds (*)
Palms and Cycads (*)
Passifloras (*)
Peonies (*)
Peppers (*)
Plumerias (*)
Poppies (*)
Rhododendrons and Relatives (*)
Roses (*)
Tomatoes (*)
Tropical Fruits (*)
Violas and Violettas (*)

Cooking and Entertaining:

Brewing and Fermenting
Canning, Freezing and Drying (*)
Cooking
Entertaining
Holidays and Special Events
Outdoor Grilling and Cooking
Recipes (*)

Plant and Seed Trading:

Group Trades, Swaps and Round Robins (*)
International Trading (*)
Plant Trading (*)
Seed Trading (*)

Crafts:

Artisans
Basket Weaving
Computer Crafts
Crafts and Decorating (*)
Mosaics and Stained Glass
Needle Arts
Pottery, Clay and Ceramics
Scrapbooking and Paper Crafts
Sewing and Quilting
Soap and Candle-making
Trash to Treasure
Woodworking

US Regional Gardening Forums:

California Gardening (*)
Carolina Gardening (*)
Central Midwest Gardening (*)
Florida Gardening (*)
Georgia Gardening (*)
Michigan Gardening (*)
Mid-Atlantic Gardening (*)
Mid-South Gardening (*)
Northeast Gardening (*)
Ohio River Valley Gardening (*)
Pacific Northwest Gardening (*)
Rocky Mountain Gardening (*)
Southwest Gardening (*)
Texas Gardening (*)
Upper Midwest Gardening (*)

Many of us have paid for many years. When you view the forums & posts as a subscriber, there are no ads of any kind to put up with.
If you need free sites, there are plenty with millions of people chiming in.
Let's hope this does not become like others on the web.
Join now & start making real "friends".
Bernie

Hi Bernie,

Please know that was my intent. I wanted to share with everyone here, seeds, cuttings, lessons learned, and learn from my elders, mentors and people I respect. I absolutely do respect all of the gardeners here. I was very surprised by what happened to me this morning as I've never seen a site that charges you like this; it just seemed strange and dirty. I did a bit of searching and found that Dave isn't a guy; he's a made up marketing character. Turns out this site is owned by Internet Brands, which wouldn't be a big deal except they are charging you for something that is normally free. Not to mention you guys are doing all the work on their site. You post all the content; you may even have volunteers for moderators. You make this place what it is. It's a great site- but only because of the people.

544,487 members x 20 =$10,889,740.00 in dues paid YEARLY!? Plus adds?

I say all this, but in the end, I'll probably join for the people.

Anyway, my Wild Thing Autumn sage and Sheffield Pink Mums are in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous their first year in the ground. Both are planted on a severe slope and we had a very dry Fall. I have to say I'm impressed with both.

If you go to member page you can find how many are subscribers. (Paid).
For example under name beginning with "A", 27,112 members, 283 are paid.

Dave is a person. He started the site in 2001. After many years he was offered big bucks for it. He sold & continued on as manager. Company he sold to then sold to Internet Brands. Dave's employment ended at that time.

There is more to this than the forums. People here go out of their way to help people they have never met in person. There are get together's during the year all over the USA . They are called Round Up's. Big picnic & then plant trading. I personally have well over half my plants as a result of trading.

Join, search the forums & learn lots about us!

Sorry to have to give my opinion BUT , to me personally , it IS a paid membership site ,which I totally agree with and unpaid members are invited to join in Some of the forums . Just my opinion .You don't find the nasties talking here , the administrators take care of that pronto .
Just join and you will benefit from all the forums . And if your water pipes ever break and you have a question , just think , you could have gotten expert information for free .

Many of the people who are members here post on other sites, so you CAN get the info thats out there, but you also have to endure pop up ads and other junk. Or you can choose to pay a nominal fee and get no BS.
Lisa

I'm thrilled with all the free information I've found on DG, but I'm way too much of a cheapskate to pay a membership. There are a lot of forums I would love to be a part of, but not at a charge.

For my $20.00 membership i have made some really great new friends that i can talk to about gardening and whatever else we want to talk about, learned more than i ever could have imagined, gotten help/advice with all my gardening issues, have plants identified, ditto bugs and birds, have gotten hundreds of dollars worth of seeds, cuttings etc just for postage or trading what i have. For an old person on SS, this has been the best site Ihave ever used. Gererous members have helped me more than i can say. I have tried some of the other free sites but this one is the best and to me, well worth the money. there is always that old school saying:you get what you pay for.

Yep ! Hand out , palm up . LOL

I totally agree with sherman99. Well said!

" old school saying:you get what you pay for." Hey I'm not near SS age but I still agree. That thought is timeless and ageless

You'll not find another site on the internet that will provide you with a plant database as extensive as this one, a range of expertise and opinions that are not being micro-managed by self-proclaimed experts, and a way to connect with people in forums and in private mail for whom you might share common ground. Your post is not only critical of DG, but also the people who have paid to join. The responses you have received are an example of the civility and camaraderie found here. We are, as a whole, very loyal with reason. Though DG was wonderful when Dave was here it still has the same people who seemingly administrate tirelessly and members who support each other. There are no volunteers for moderators because there are no moderators. Everyone has an equal voice as long as they aren't shrill and don't shout and DG members who can help a fellow DGer do so graciously whether in or out of the garden. That is the most valuable part of membership.
Laurel

WatchEmGrow, you said, "I'm new here and I'm surprised to see that all the forums require a membership to view them."

It cost nothing to be a "member". Just sign up (as you did) and that's it. It does cost to be a "subscriber", and the subscribership gives you more options and choices while you're here. And yes, there is a "real Dave", as Bernie said, but he is no longer a part of this garden. (If he had the choice I bet he would be though.) Your confusion of members vs subscribers is throwing your above-posted formula off, by the way.

Since you're new here you should cruise around the sight, start with the tour and see what is available whether it is a charge service or one of the many no-charge services.

See you around the sight! Will be looking forward to your sharing.
Shoe

Shoe
Since the new farmers market opened in Hillsborough -- it doesn't feel the same. Where did all the folks go that used to be in that little lot?

Did everyone go to the market in Carrboro? Someone told me that it moved to Walmart - I went there but there is a government services building in Walmart downtown. (Sorry, Watchem_G, I know this isn't the discussion thread for that --but I had not seen Shoe post for quite a while until now and I knew he was at the old farmers market that I am missing. ) (I'm glad your plants have done well -- this is a banner year for my sage too.)

This message was edited Oct 30, 2010 4:01 PM

Shoe, you're the person! lol

Watchem, Shoe is another great reason to be a DG member that I failed to list (unless you feel the same way about collards as you do about plumbing). Mea culpa.

Ya, if he don't come to KY RU one of these years, I'm going to have go to his farm.

Watchem_Grow, earlier this summer a lady from Nebraska posted she had Iris to give away for postage. I took her up on it & now have some new ones to bloom in the spring.
Some are very expensive if you were to buy them.

Bernie! I try (and wish) to get to the KY Round Up each year, I really do. Unfortunately life's duties come before the things I'd choose to do so have been watching that yearly round up from the sidelines for several years now, dagnabbit!

Maypop...too funny! Hope you get to try those collards soon. And WatchEm, we'll get you hooked on 'em, too.

Howdy, Rosie...I'll Dmail you w/info regarding the mkt. (Besides, we have free pumpkins for the kids tomorrow so you might want to grab a child or grandchild!)

Shoe (chock full of baked spicy wings and leftover veggie soup. *burp)

One of the other great things about DG is how great they take care of the site....for instance having seen that you've posted this on more than one forum I find it just spam and disruptive. I can report that if I want to and have the disruptions removed. I find that a great service well worth paying for. See the types of things paying keeps out....as I mentioned in answer to the other thread you put up that said EXACTLY THE SAME THING. Get over it or get on with it. Doing this isn't going to change anything...and yeah, isn't this supposed to be about fun and gardening??? What WAS your point again?????

As Horseshoe stated:
"Since you're new here you should cruise around the sight, start with the tour and see what is available whether it is a charge service or one of the many no-charge services"

Before sending such a unwarranted "review", well, your opinion, really you might have spent your time doing as Horseshoe said. You would have found a lot of fine people here with a vast amount of knowledge on several things. I personally have gleamed so much more than the $20 'fee' could possibly cover. I get the feeling that the folks at DG really care and feel I've met some terrific people. I'm a relatively new member, and have been helped, guided, and supported. in so many ways. I know nothing about gardening, but I'm learning thanks to DG. I started a compost bin with a lot of help from DG. One of my cats is ill, DGers gave me support and she goes to the vet tomorrow. There is so much to learn here, and so many wonderful people; I'm grateful I found this site and have recommended to many.

If it's a matter of monetary assistance, DG provides that also, although I don;'t know how it's done. .

This message was edited Oct 31, 2010 10:07 PM

It's easy to spend $20 or more on eating out, going to a movie, buying something frivolous, a nice perennial, a garden tool, etc. So for less than $2 a month, DG is a worthwhile subscription for me.

Gardening magazines aren't cheap and are full of ads but I still buy quite a few each year. Fine Gardening is $6.99 an issue at the magazine stand for example or $29.95 for six issues if you subscribe for a year. Often I am disappointed by some of the articles in magazines and if I continue to be disappointed for several issues then I quit buying them. The same principle applies to everything in life. Over the years I have boycotted or avoided certain stores due to poor service or products.

A lot of free "gardening sites" are skimpy in pictures and information and the interaction can be dormant for weeks or months. Free doesn't always equal great.

You can buy a two month trial subscription at DG for $5 and decide at the end of that period if you want to sign up for a year or not.

Well stated!
Talk about administrators, I met Terry at a KY RU. She is a super person. Melody sets up the KY RU & her & her husband have become good friends with my wife & I.
Also met Joan from No. Dakota. She is a plant files administrator. Another great person.
All in all I have personally met upwards of 100 DG members & have yet to meet a sour apple.

Of course not , this is D G

Personally, I have gotten way above 20.00 worth of seeds and plants annually (blame Podster for that) whether I needed them or not. HEHE. That doesn't count the priceless friends that I've made and the advice/help that I've gotten and its all just a click away.

My 20 bucks is money well spent. I believe that small amount keeps the sour pusses away. Gardeners as a rule are a great bunch of people. I see that reflected daily on this site. Civility rules and for that I am so grateful.

watchem.... Just what are you actually looking for? I found Daves a few months ago and love it. the the layout is so much easier to keep up with the threads or categories your watching than the other sites i've seen. the only reason i'm not a subscriber at this time is that after taking care of the job, house, family and garden i barely have time to keep up with the free sites, and in the meantime, i'm sure if i have a problem, i can find somebody on here somewhere who is more than happy to help. i would gladly pay 20 bucks for the free stuff. oh and by the way, a little plumbing knowledge has made watering my garden a lot easier than it used to be. this also seems to be an appropriate time to say thank you to DG and all of the members who post their successes, failures and mishaps. it is an entertaining and educating experience and i am very happy to be "getting to know" you all. thanks again. susie

People like you susie make Daves . Hope you'll have more time for us in the future and get your subscription in .

Watchem_Grow...Dave is a real guy, he just isn't here any longer. He is not a made up marketing character. He is the one who originally created DAVESgarden way back when...then he sold it for (oh, God forbid) lots of money. Why do you even care how much money this site is generating, or who is making that money?

We do make this place what it is and we are very happy with it...that is why we continue to pay for it. If you cannot understand that, that is fine...but you do not need to be disruptive on multiple forums. You are welcome here as a member or subscriber....but not just to be disruptive or disrespectful.

OK what other forums? Just had to ask.
Lisa

one more thought-if you buy any type of seed/plant whatever on line, the garden watchdog is invaluable. reading the reviews has saved me from a few costly errors.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8182572

I'm just going to hazard a guess that it's the only forums s/he actually participates in. Just take a moment and look at the huge list of threads Watchem_grow has started (that's sarcasm if no one picked up on it....the ONLY threads listed for him/her are the two threads entitled "Seriously" which are exactly the same)

I love all the folks here at DG...and I'm sorry for my attitude here...but I have no time for this bs....and I see no reason to sweet talk this person into staying or becoming a subscriber. I see someone who purposely came her to cause trouble which we can do without....one of the many services I pay for at DG (and why I avoid GW and other sites as well)....and now I'm going back to that safe haven or to helping folks who are actually looking for help and not looking to stir up (an OLD) bee's nest. ;-)

Have a great day all....hope you're enjoying your garden in your little part of the world!!!

I think she/he should just go away. Take their marbles and go. I doh;t wish to make anyone feel dirty. They already have a bad attitude, and I feel they are just a waste of time.

While I understand wanting to help them understand the concept of DG, I don't believe we have to beg any one to join us in our quest for knowledge, help, hugs, and cheers. DG stands for Dave's Greatest.

I would like to say I won't hold a grudge if she/he joins, but if it were me, I'd change my name. hehehe

I hate it because it's a valid question , BUT if you understand D G is a unique website and if you see forums you are interested in , remember these people are entitled to charge for a service that goes beyond the usual subscriber . If you go to a large nursery and ask a question that the answer is unknown , ask if they have access to Dave's Garden and if they will check on an answer from them . Without exception , they know about D G and use the services often . Turners in Corpus Christi went straight to the computer and showed me the correct information I was looking for . You don't have one Master Gardener , you have access to hundreds of them .
Subscribers have defended this website without exception so you must have realized by now , it's more than the cost of a years membership , heck spend 20.00 dollars and if you think you haven't received your moneys worth at the end of a year, Dmail me and I will personally refund it . Catch the wave and enjoy .
They , in simple answer to you is , good question , try us , you'll like us .Happy gardening , digger

Keeping , changing the user name would be a good idea . She or he really didn't understand how we were so unique .If they join , they will in a short time .

Where did this person go ?
No response since the 3rd post. No response at all on the other thread they started.

I guess the hornets nest scared them off . Way more answers to the question than anticipated Very loyal members here .

Perhaps, they are simply busy on the weekends or it was the attitudes. I wouldn't have come back either, if I had gotten the sort of responses I have seen.

I get the impression that Whatchem was looking around the NET and landed on DG - just like I did several years ago. Watchem said that he/she was new to DG, maybe that is the reason why there aren't more than the two threads that were started. Perhaps when looking for info and seeing all the wonderful discussions and threads and forums and realizing she/he could not post without subscribing frustrated Watchem and precipitated the tone of the post. Learning the 'ins and outs' and the way around DG and all the wonderful things to do and see on the site that are available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike still had to be discovered. I don't think that there was intent to be unpleasant or to trash DG -- just venting the disappointment and likely a knee jerk reaction.
Educating Watchem without negativity would demonstrate the true spirt of DG.
Watchem's response to Bernie expressed a desire to be mentored and learning from 'elders' - maybe Watchem is just a kid. Kids tend to get excited and 'outraged' at what they perceive to be injustices -- and learning to temper those feelings and to control the knee jerk reactions is learned and comes with age. I just don't get the impression that there was any malicious intent here in the original post.
I welcome Watchem to DG - as a member or subscriber - and I hope that he/she will learn much from the DG community about gardening and about productive communication.



This message was edited Oct 31, 2010 12:11 AM

i don't know. when i found Daves and saw the terms, i jumped into the free "samples" to see if it was something i wanted to pay for. in my case i guess i'm kind of glad i don't have access to everything yet. i'm a self employed seamstress from home and it's way to easy to get off track. i know i spend more time here now than i should, which brings me to my point. watchem took the time to research the site history and look for negatives but not to actually look at what is available and see the heart of what is here. if he/she had spent that time reading some of the forums they'd realize like i did that not being a subscriber really doesn't stop you from being able to enjoy and spend a lot of time here. other than work related stuff, this is the only other thing i have time to use my pc for and there's still a lot of free stuff that i just haven't had the the time to fully explore. i loved it the day i found it, and the more i "find" the more i love it.

A general rule for web etiquette for first time posters on any site should be approached slowly and with a positive attitude. Advice for newcomers is to observe the comments for a few days before jumping into the fray (unless they are an expert at the subject matter but still keep it friendly). It is hard to remove one's foot from one's mouth on line unless there is a way to remove/edit the comments (which DG allows but often leaves the thread confusing when this happens).

Instead of venting that things are wrong, the right way to go about it should be "What can I learn/take away from subscribing to this site? Is the cost worthwhile?" The responses would be very positive.