Re: A2central.com, can we try before we buy?

[a_specto@alcor.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector)]

aiiadict@hotmail.com (Rich J.) wrote:

>A2central is a subscription based service.  
>
>With magazines you can get a sample issue.  You can also go to their
>website and check it out.
>
>With a2central, we (non subscribers)can see the front end of their 
>place.  It's like going by a museum with a big sign that says "we've
>got neat old stuff" but you can't see a sample of what they've got.

    Before it officially opened for business January 1st, 2001, people
were invited to try the service out free of charge during the month of
December. Basically a public open beta-test of the service.

    It was a nice preview if you happened to catch it, though it
doesn't help people who just now are learning about A2Central. 
If you want a rough idea about the kinds of discussions that go
on at A2Central, you may want to read through recent issues
of 'The Lamp!' (February 2001 and onwards) over at this URL:

http://lamp.sheppyware.net/backissues/

    The service is text-based and only accessibly through telnet. 
At some point a graphical web-based interface will be added for 
those who prefer it over text.

>Can A2central.com offer 1 week trial memberships?  1 Week to check 
>out their message board, browse their file library (not download, just
>check what they've got), and get a taste of what they've got to offer?
>
>It's subscription cost pays to keep the server running I think.  If I knew
>that my money would be going to a worthwhile service, I'd buy a subscription.
>It's probably a neat spot.
>
>Why not put a hook at the end of a line and reel us in?

    I was always of the opinion the message area should be freely
accessible, with premium services (i.e. live chat, file downloads,
web space, telnet access) available only to paying members. At
least this would help promote the service, attract new customers
and be inclusive to _all_ users of the Apple II. As it stands now, 
it feels more like a private club than a true part of the Apple II
community. I don't dispute its value nor is it my place to tell anyone
how to run the service, though I just think at this point in time we
need to pool our resources rather than spread them out.

>How many subscribers do you have A2central?

    Probably somewhere between 25 and 50, though this is only
a rough guess.

Mitchell Spector
a_specto@alcor.concordia.ca