Is Ace membership worth the money? I started this project in January 2010 and posted for 1000 days and took some time off. I started up again on this page in January of 2015. I have been doing this 365 project for 2228 straight days. Since I have been back some of my old followers were still on and we still follow each other. I was thinking about an Ace membership but have not had any view, or very few views or comments, since coming back. Even after leaving comments on many people's photos. Do I need to purchase an Ace membership to get views? Is there some type of algorithm that stops people from looking at my photos since I am not an Ace member? Just wondering. I will be continuing this project until the end of the year and then need to evaluate an Ace membership or not.
@cirasj The value of an Ace membership is really something only you can answer. To me, I have maintained an Ace membership because, in my fourth year:
1. I still am learning from peers on the site who share information so willingly
2. I have literally thousands of models of different photographic styles and examples to inspire me
3. I have access to themes and challenges that help me through loss of photo-jo periods and are otherwise fun to do
4. I can maintain several albums if I want to, so have places for those extras here and there, or non-main album spots to put photos for a particular theme, to show people a setup who may have asked, to post and color and b&w of the same image for contrast, etc.
5. I have met fellow photographers now not only from my local area but around the world to spend time with on photowalks as well as email to "talk" photography so the site serves not only as a photo site but as a social network for photographers about photography
6. For the above benefits and more, $20.00 a year seems such a minimal fee for all that I am getting that I want to support the site financially. Ace membership seems unrelated to comments. When I started (and I would image, if I returned after a long absence), the number of comments grew as I commented on others's photos. It took quite a while but over time, it's fun as I think we all end up with a group of consistent 'friends' who respond to us and who we respond to on their albums. The more I interact, the more comments I have on my photos. I know I have a lot of followers now, but even then, comments directly relate to the number of comments I leave on others' photos.
As @Taffy says, whether the benefits are worth it is up to you. Personally, I still pay for Ace Membership as a way to support the site. Having seen the recent demise (ShutterCal) or near demise (Blipfoto) of other 'photo a day' sites, I'd like to do my bit to support Ross and the community he's built here.
what @humphreyhippo said... i don't think ACE gets you more views, but the cost seems like a comparatively small price to pay in support of a wonderful community... the extra albums and stats are a nice perk :)
I started in 2011 and while I'm very sporadic with my photos, I feel as though the entire dynamic of the site has just changed. I've never been good at commenting on others' photos (I fear that nothing I say will sound insightful or come across as I mean it) but in the beginning of my photo journey I would get about 30 views, now I'm lucky to get 5 views. I don't know if the site has gained more members over the years and that's why some people get looked over, or if there are less members and therefore less views/comments (in this regard I wonder as I feel as though the numbers needed to make PP are down from previous years).
As far as having Ace, I was ace for a short while years ago and I felt as though the only "benefit" was being able to use Picmonkey, but then again I see no difference between Picmonkey and the free Ribbet website, so I don't honestly see a benefit for ACE at all...Just my two cents.
This is my second year here. Last year I did not have an ACE. This year I decided to support the site and get a membership. I do like having more than one album so I can post whatever pic I want and still have the ability to post a different pic for a challenge or to ask for help on something. I also like the stats that I can see with the membership but thats just a bonus. I think the biggest benefit is extra albums and supporting the site. $20 is nothing its 5 cents a day I definitely get my moneys worth!!
I willingly - and quite happily - continue my Ace membership if for no other reason than those mentioned about - the support of probably the friendliest site on the internet. I would miss those friends I've met (even if only in cyberspace) through 365 and couldn't place a financial value on the help it's given my photography. The cost to help maintain it is so little compared to its value to me.
For the first three years I was not an ACE member, but this year I decided to become one and will probably continue to renew it only because it's a nominal fee and I would like to help keep the site going. However, that said, I personally don't see any added benefit to being an ACE member other than being able to have more than one album, and being able to view the trending page. Learning from one's peers, and all the various challenges and themes, etc., are available to everyone, regardless of whether you have an ACE membership or not.
I agree that most views are very slim at times even when I comment about the photo in my feed. I remind myself I am here for the learning and experiences of other fantastic photographers!
@taffy@humphreyhippo@northy@mej2011@dianen@milaniet@skstein@ribbet9 Thank you for your response. I do agree that this site is one of the better photo sites otherwise I would have not returned to it. I would like to support this site and almost did this year. I am trying to determine the feasibility of paying for the Ace membership. The extra albums would be nice and I do not care to much about the trending page. I have started my project to learn photography.
I' m new here, ( 1 month) but so far I love this site and am willing to pay to support it. No free rides.Plus now I have 3 albums :). Clearly a lot of work has been put in to developing and maintaining this site.
I'm new to the 365project, I can't see my images making the 'popular or trending' sites, but I am benefiting from the Discussion, tips and tricks etc . thanks to people willing to share their knowledge and links to all of us. I love looking at other images people post....thanks
For me, it's not so much the value of the membership, which is certainly there, it's the support I can provide in a small way to support the site and Ross the web master. These things don't happen for free as a few other great folks have already said. If you use it, support it.
I didn't have an ACE membership last year, but I paid for one this year so I could have the extra albums. I had about as many comments on my photos last year as I have had so far this year, so I don't think that being an ACE member is really a factor in that.
As far as comments, I remember seeing a rather recent thread or two on how people want to be part of this community, but don't have much time to comment ...Those usually turn into rather long threads, so I assume that a lot of people struggle with that.
For me the social aspect is just a bonus. If people comment on my pics, that's wonderful -- but if not, then I still have my fav photo from the day (which is my main purpose in doing 365Project).
Still, it seems that a good many people comment back to the people who have commented on their recent photos ...so if you want a lot of interaction, the best way is to just keep commenting on as many pics as you can while you establish some relationships. You could also notice in the comment threads who the other commenters are ...Those who are active in threads are the ones most likely to reciprocate comments that you leave on their pics. I hope that this helps!
I am happy to pay $20.00 a year to help support Ross and the site. For many people the extra albums and the stats are nice to have. I have been around for nearly 5 years, only use two albums and seldom look at my stats but that's not what I use the site for. I have gained so much knowledge just from interacting with other members. I also find that there are peaks and troughs when it comes to commenting.
I believe in paying for what I use and for showing appreciation to Ross and what he's given us by doing so. I now notice those who don't pay for their membership in this most amazing community, and frankly, I see them as less committed to a worthwhile undertaking. I love photography, I've learned, often with the help of others here, I keep my particular photos as a sort of journal, and my self esteem is not wrapped up in comments or lack of same nor how high my photos climb. Taffy @taffy said it perfectly, and the insights by @humphreyhippo@northy@dianen@milaniet@ribbet9@lisainstpete@365projectmaubrd@frankhymus@dsp2 all lent positive reasons for paying a small fee to purchase the Ace membership. Over the course of a day or two do you fritter away $20 and never take note? I'm known for being wordy, but I'm pretty passionate about this...right Kali @kali66 ? Glad you are, too!
I agree with all that's been said and would just like to add that you cannot put a price on the return you get from being a member of 365. I feel being an ace member is my way of making a small contribution to the wonderful work this site does.
I am more than happy to pay $20 to support this community. THe number of views is more connected to the number of followers and people you follow than to whether you are an ACE member or not - participating in challenges and discussions is also a way to get involved.
I have ACE membership for a variety of reasons, the most important being to support Ross and the site and to show that I value what he provides for us. If I could be bothered to work out the weekly contribution I know it would be minuscule.
I am also have an Ace membership and like most of the others I find this small annual fee worthwhile for the many reasons and benefits , and a small financial contribution to support Ross and the site and to feel as part of the community -- where would we be with out it !!
Sites like 365 cost time, effort and money to run, and I'm more than happy to pay the tiny annual fee to support Ross and the site. If we want to be sure the site continues, we should learn from the demise of ShutterCal and the near demise and still slightly precarious situation of Blip. And being part of a friendly and supportive community of like-minded people is very special.
@lisainstpete@365projectmaubrd@frankhymus@dsp2@kali66@salza@thistle@annied@quietpurplehaze@parisouailleurs@beryl@chrysanthemum Thank you for your input. I do understand the value of the site and how just a small investment keeps it going. This site has change over the last 6 years that I have been using it. I am in my seventh year and was monitoring it the time I was away. I keep getting ads to upgrade to Ace because it had other benefits. One benefit there was in the past, and I did not see, was that all my photos would be saved. When I returned my first few years of photos were missing. I am the type of person that will pay for a service January 1 so if I do decide to invest, it will be starting next year. @Weezilou Louise, your photos are wonderful and I enjoyed following you the first few years I did this project.
I can't say anything that hasn't already been said and said well, but to add ditto. The support and encouragement I've received here has helped me to step out in areas of photography that I never would have had it not been for being here. The $20 is well-spent in my opinion. As for commenting and such, again, I'm repeating others, but as they've said (and my father told me long ago) you get out what you put in. I'm not saying you didn't "put in" but it's true that there are some folks who comment more frequently on your shots if you comment more frequently on theirs. So whatever you decide to do, I'd encourage you to find a consistent group that encourages you and helps you to grow in whatever way you hope 365 will help you to do that. Don't worry about the PP or TP- no one has ever been able to figure them out!!
@cirasj hmm, @scrivna don't ace members get to keep photos on site as ACE members even if they drop off (but keep paying)? Joe, comments are really related to a huge effort on the part of the participants. I'm finishing my 3rd year and I comment very little. I am always surprised by y lovely friends here who will still comment on my photos from time to time even though I have not reciprocated. That makes me sad. But it is what it is. I like supporting the site as much as I can, and the friends I've made here are Forever Friends.
@olivetreeann I have commented on many photos over the years with different people with no return comments. I now respond once or twice a week to some and to the people who frequently comment on my photos more often. It used to be if you comment you received a response but that does not seem to be what has happened over the past year. I have made many friends on this site, even meet a few while traveling the country.
Hey guys, thanks for all the kind words about Ace membership and the community as a whole.
On the modern internet many people have expected services of all sorts to be provided for free, most people don't realise that companies like Google and Facebook make billions by selling your information, preferences and eyeballs to advertisers, this has greatly degraded the ecosystem for online companies where people don't see any value in paying for things they enjoy because they feel entitled to get it for free. 365 project is a tiny little company run in my part time on an absolute shoestring budget, it costs hundreds of dollars a month to run the site and store the millions of photos people have uploaded.
Ace membership is really the only way the site is funded, the ads shown make less than $50 a month and it just wouldn't be possible to keep the site running without the support of Ace members, it's so vital to keep the site running and I really appreciate that people like the site so much they are willing to keep it running.
I try to provide additional features and functionality to Ace members so you feel like you "get" something extra, let me know if there's anything I could do to make Ace more appealing as its really your support that keeps the site running.
Thanks!
I agree with what everyone else has said here. For me, the Ace perks are nice - the extra folders, stats, trending page, but it's more about just really loving the community and wanting to invest in something I see as worthwhile. $20 is such a small amount to pay for the time that I spend here. Someone said this was the friendliest place on the web and I have to agree with that. I'd like to do my part to see it stick around!
@cirasj Thanks for your nice comment, Joe. I pay my membership sometime in the early fall and when a year has passed, I get a note and I pay it again... It doesn't run January to January. @Scrivna Only if I'm incorrect, I'm sure Ross will set this straight. And Joe, the more you take part, the more you'll enjoy it. In many instances, "community" has become more like "family" . And it IS different than back in 2010. That era was awesome, to be sure, But everyone's pretty settled and comfortable here now, we take and post our pictures, chat/comment as time allows, and know one another well enough that we understand the need to balance our lives outside of 365. "Ace" to me is The Key to the Community and it's a joy to come and go as I please, always to be welcomed back. Looking forward to seeing you add "Ace" to your name, too, Joe!
@Weezilou@cirasj Just seconding what Louise has said.
Another observation...$20.00 for almost 6 years of participation is quite a good bargain! @Scrivna Thanks for all you've done to keep the site going...it's made a difference to so many of us!
@Scrivna I just tried to sign up for an Ace membership and realized why I have not done so. I do not want to use my PayPal to pay if at all possible, just my credit card. Is PayPal the only way to pay?
@Scrivna Bravo to you Ross for keeping a high standard and not going the way of so many other sites. I really love 365 and thoroughly enjoy what you've done here. Keep up the good work- it's awesome!
I'm an ace member because I support the site not because I want to gain more views and comments on my photos. In fact, I was an ace member last year without uploading anything for 365 days because I am on hiatus.
I think it is. It's relatively cheap for a years' membership. Just having full access to PicMonkey is worth it, even though I only use it on occasion. But, the #1 reason is more albums.
@Scrivna great job Ross on running the site. The ace fee is hardly a huge sum for the pleasure and fun that most people have got from 365. The extra perks that ace brings are a nice bonus too.
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1. I still am learning from peers on the site who share information so willingly
2. I have literally thousands of models of different photographic styles and examples to inspire me
3. I have access to themes and challenges that help me through loss of photo-jo periods and are otherwise fun to do
4. I can maintain several albums if I want to, so have places for those extras here and there, or non-main album spots to put photos for a particular theme, to show people a setup who may have asked, to post and color and b&w of the same image for contrast, etc.
5. I have met fellow photographers now not only from my local area but around the world to spend time with on photowalks as well as email to "talk" photography so the site serves not only as a photo site but as a social network for photographers about photography
6. For the above benefits and more, $20.00 a year seems such a minimal fee for all that I am getting that I want to support the site financially. Ace membership seems unrelated to comments. When I started (and I would image, if I returned after a long absence), the number of comments grew as I commented on others's photos. It took quite a while but over time, it's fun as I think we all end up with a group of consistent 'friends' who respond to us and who we respond to on their albums. The more I interact, the more comments I have on my photos. I know I have a lot of followers now, but even then, comments directly relate to the number of comments I leave on others' photos.
As far as having Ace, I was ace for a short while years ago and I felt as though the only "benefit" was being able to use Picmonkey, but then again I see no difference between Picmonkey and the free Ribbet website, so I don't honestly see a benefit for ACE at all...Just my two cents.
As far as comments, I remember seeing a rather recent thread or two on how people want to be part of this community, but don't have much time to comment ...Those usually turn into rather long threads, so I assume that a lot of people struggle with that.
For me the social aspect is just a bonus. If people comment on my pics, that's wonderful -- but if not, then I still have my fav photo from the day (which is my main purpose in doing 365Project).
Still, it seems that a good many people comment back to the people who have commented on their recent photos ...so if you want a lot of interaction, the best way is to just keep commenting on as many pics as you can while you establish some relationships. You could also notice in the comment threads who the other commenters are ...Those who are active in threads are the ones most likely to reciprocate comments that you leave on their pics. I hope that this helps!
On the modern internet many people have expected services of all sorts to be provided for free, most people don't realise that companies like Google and Facebook make billions by selling your information, preferences and eyeballs to advertisers, this has greatly degraded the ecosystem for online companies where people don't see any value in paying for things they enjoy because they feel entitled to get it for free. 365 project is a tiny little company run in my part time on an absolute shoestring budget, it costs hundreds of dollars a month to run the site and store the millions of photos people have uploaded.
Ace membership is really the only way the site is funded, the ads shown make less than $50 a month and it just wouldn't be possible to keep the site running without the support of Ace members, it's so vital to keep the site running and I really appreciate that people like the site so much they are willing to keep it running.
I try to provide additional features and functionality to Ace members so you feel like you "get" something extra, let me know if there's anything I could do to make Ace more appealing as its really your support that keeps the site running.
Thanks!
thank you.
Another observation...$20.00 for almost 6 years of participation is quite a good bargain!
@Scrivna Thanks for all you've done to keep the site going...it's made a difference to so many of us!