New server update

Ditto to TARogers5 comments. I got here the same way he did. This site is worth many times the small price we pay to have such a marvelous resource.

if you are getting the disabled message, go over to the right and sign in. that's what got me in last night.

I think the non-subscribers shouldn't be TOO limited in the plants databse. Maybe more restricted than subscribers, but I personally think they should ultimately have access to the full size photos and a gereral search function. If you limit them too much, they'll just think it's another useless web-based plant info site and move on...and you'd lose the potential for them becoming a member. Just my opinion...but I think it's the great info, photos and search function that makes the database appealing to anyone out there and if you can't find what you're looking for...what good is it? But...I definitely think it's a good idea to limit more powerful features to subscribers only if it's slowing things down for everyone. If I were a gardener searching the net for plant info, the 3 things I'd want access to on any given site are...
1. The ability to search, since many times you have no clue what plant you have and you need to find info about it or you'd like to find info on a plant you might buy.
2. Good photos...that means large photos. I hate those sites with tiny thumbnails where you can't even make out the plant. Absolutely worthless.
3. Info on the plant. I think everyone would always have access to that.

Anyway, that's just how I see it, if I were a non-DG person out there scanning the net for plant info. :) I think it's the good info here that draws people in to becoming paid subscribers.

TiG I did that last nite & got in OK. I didn't think I had to since I went from inside DG.. NO biggie since I got in :0)
Sugar

hczone: Re-read my messages above.

Dave

Right...I understand...but I was just saying...lol I guess it was more of a response to some of the other posts that call for an even more limited non-subscriber access and functionality. Like I said, I think if people had a taste of it, they might want even more and they might pay for a subscription which would ultimately be better for all of us.

:)

You could go to the PDB and check it out right now. Just make sure you are logged out and see what is available to you. It's still the same PDB, but just only a few features are no longer available.

I'm not planning on doing much more limiting than what I've already done. New features in the future, however, may be introduced as subscriber-only at first.

Dave

I agree with a lot of folks here about non paying people who visit the PDB. Every garden club I belong to as a paying member doesn't allow access to plant information or any of the forums until you join, I think that DG garden should do the same.
Why should I pay for something that I can get for free?
I think the only thing here that should be allowed to be view for free is our own journals and that's if we invite people to view it.

You have a point Wind, but the PDB is heavily contributed to by non subscribers and we would miss out on that input if it were blocked. By restricting some of the most draining features but not blocking everything they are encouraged to come in, look around, contribute and realize that as good as it is it could be much better with a subscription. Many of the sites that limit almost everything are going to find that many people like myself do not see enough to want to pull out the credit card and join.

I think Dave's approach of cutting things only as needed is a wise one and will pay off in the overall scheme of things.

I don't think limited them would put them off from joining the site. But, ideally we would not have to, it is only a matter of making the site run better, that would force limiting.

I have found some really strange comments that people post, who appear not to really know anything about plants. For example someone checked a negiative comment about a plant, but what they were really saying was in a bad mood and felt it was like an emotion icon. Someone also wrote, I don't grow these but I don't like them. There was no reason given for not liking them.

Bug_girl, those types of comments need to be "weeded out" so please report them as an error. Sometimes it results in a member being educated on what the purpose of the comments and ratings is; other times it's a mischief-maker that needs to be dealt with appropriately.

FWIW, I've looked at the PDB as a non-subscriber (I simply logged out, then snooped around to see what looked different.) The only real difference I found was that I couldn't link to the entire genera or family of a particular plant - I got the "reserved for subscribers" message when I tried.

I have no idea how often people actually use this feature, let alone understand the amount of data it pulls up for them. As an editor, I find it indispensable, but if I were a casual user, I probably wouldn't. So at this point, the limitations on non-subscribed members is (IMHO) negligible. We'll still field a few complaints from those who think the entire internet should be free of charge, but I don't think it will turn off the serious (or semi-serious) users. Might nudge 'em to subscribe, though...

...and you will get a few complaitns from those who MUST complain!

But most people will never know what they miss.

BUT it would be nice if they could get a popup or something
to tell visitors that there is much more available for a paltry sum.

I began to think about if I post a comment on a photo and that person is a non subscriber, can they read it? So, I did a search and I was surprised at some non subscribers had added huge numbers of photos. So, they are very important, but I wonder why they don't want the full benefits, after all the time and work it takes to add that many photos? No one else from San Francisco has subscribed either, I did a search by zone. We should figure out to make subscription more attractive. I wanted to subscribe right away, so I can't understand why more people don't subscribe. I really like to talk to local gardeners because we can complain about the heavy fog today, it is so wet, all the snails are out in full force.

Bug_Girl, why don't you write a couple of letters to the gardening editors of your local SF papers? One article like the one in that New Jersey paper could really boost local interest for you guys! :D

Dave, in my simple, humble opinion....I believe that it should have limitations that are accessible to subscribers only. Why buy the cow, when the milk is free???

"eyes"

Dave,I was looking for a member name,I'm sure you know the member lists are not listed in alphabetical order,they seem to be listed by subsciption dates?will it be put back to alphabetical in the future?if so thanks,hope you are restin up after all the headaches this site has given you,it sure is fast now.
Root

Yes, we'll get alpha sorting back sometime. Priorities. :)

dave

LOL!Shirley helped me find it,I never thought to run a search.

Gosh Eyes, you sound like my mother 30 years ago! LOL

or me further up! LOL!

It's a Texas thang.........kell....LOL.......but, you get the jest.

"eyes"

Not to mention getting the gist of it, too ;o)

I agree with the cow's milk(LOL), Zany and Ludger. I joined because I wanted to be part of a community of gardeners who share, swap and dispense information. Many times you go into a gardening or plant information site to get information, not participate in social give and take. We come here for the social as well as the informational content. If non-subscribers need information, there are many sites to go to in order to get it.

Maryan