Forums.Net Upgrade

[Mel *]

Basically, the general idea is that we want to upgrade the site to forums.net, which would most likely be done by adding a donation button where anyone can choose whether or not they wish to donate anything for it, and use that money to upgrade the site. Nothing is set in stone or anything, and we want to see if there's actually any interest in this before we do anything at all, BUT, for those of you who are curious as to what it means to upgrade the site, here's a list of some of the features that will come if the site gets upgraded:

White Label
No ads or other branding ever, not even for ourselves. Your members will never know that your forum is hosted unless you tell them.

Data Export
If you create a new Forums.net forum, you can export your forum's full database at any time. If you're transferring your data from ProBoards to Forums.net, you will be able to export your database after six months.

No PG-13 Restrictions
Your forum's content is entirely up to you. Any topics or themes may be discussed as long as they are not illegal or infringing any party's rights.

Custom Domain Name
With Forums.net you can use your own custom domain name at no extra cost.

InSite Forwarding™
Need more than just a custom domain? Let your forum live at any URL that you control with our unique InSite Forwarding™ system. Your forum can now contribute directly to your primary domain's SEO value.

SSL Secured
All traffic goes through SSL encryption by default. If you're using a custom domain, you'll need to provide an SSL certificate for that domain to enable full SSL encryption.

Integrated Login and Registration
Let visitors sign up and sign in even more quickly with new login and registration pages that are integrated directly into your forum.

Single Sign-on
Your forum can integrate seamlessly with your website's existing user base. Visitors to your website can log in to your forum without needing a separate account.

Unlimited Plugins and Keys
The only limit on plugins, keys, and super keys is your imagination.

Data Migration
Import your existing forum data from a number of other forum platforms including ProBoards. Our experienced operations team will work with you to ensure that the migration process goes smoothly.

Design Matching
Have an existing website? Let us help you match your forum to your website's existing design. The power and flexibility of ProBoards v5 means that we can make your forum reflect any design.

Best in Class Support
All Forums.net accounts come with private online ticketing support from our experienced and dedicated support staff. Some plans also include support over the phone.

Feel free to add any comments, ideas, opinions or questions below, and keep in mind that even though this gets a lot of FOR votes, it's merely an idea. It doesn't mean we necessarily will go through with it; This is just an interest check, nothing else.

IF this ever were to happen, the plan we'd most likely go with is the one that costs $9.99 PER MONTH, and around $119.88 PER YEAR.

[Heather Sutherland]

As I mentioned previously, I am a little unsure about this, simply because $120 a year is a decent chunk of money every year, especially if this is coming straight from donations, and if it ever got to the point where our member base was less active or we couldn't afford it for a period of time, downgrading would become an issue. Not necessarily against it, however I am a little speculative and not sure on where I cast my vote.