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Pastimes : Discuss Go2Net's acquisition of our beloved SI -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Scott Pedigo who wrote (7)	4/23/1998 9:45:00 AM
From: jgideon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 446

I can second most of your comments, but banner ads are probably on the way -- something to accept and ignore. You can't run a profitable net business without an income stream. New lifetime subscriptions won't do it forever. I'd rather have some banner ads to ignore than monthly or yearly fees. jg

To: Scott Pedigo who wrote (7)	4/23/1998 9:49:00 AM
From: Wade Spencer Graves	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 446

IMHO the lifetime memberships are hisstoree. for GNET the strategy may be good but IMHO I don't see the price at these high levels for long

To: Scott Pedigo who wrote (7)	4/23/1998 9:54:00 AM
From: SI Brad	1 Recommendation Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 446

Scott, your concerns are appropriate and I know it's going to take a while for us to prove our resolve, but this acquisition will not change the spirit of SI as a member-driven site. (1) the SI interface will not change significantly...we're of course going to keep making improvements, as we have in the past. We're still going to get the majority of our ideas for these changes from member feedback. (2) We may convert to a recurring subscription plan and eliminate the lifetime fee for new members at some point, but we're certainly going honor the existing lifetime memberships. (3) We will not bombard you with banner advertising or other forms of solicitation. Specifically, banner ads will not be placed in the message boards for members (If we do, you will have the ability to turn them off). If you have any other questions, please ask. Brad Dryer Silicon Investor

To: Scott Pedigo who wrote (7)	4/23/1998 2:31:00 PM
From: freeus	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 446

Oh Scott you are a tough one! I agree that lifetime subscriptions should be honored (and I saw that they will be.) However advertising is not a big deal and I want SI and GNET to succeed. Besides some of the advertisements are fun and some lead to good deals for people that want that product. Probably eventually there would have to be yearly fees. (And on the side I LOVE Datek's new features. I dont know how to use them all yet but the ones I've used are excellent.) I'm sure I will equally enjoy whatever new features SI brings to us. Jeff and Brad, you are going to keep running it right? Freeus

To: Scott Pedigo who wrote (7)	4/23/1998 7:14:00 PM
From: MENSO	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 446

>>> If GO2NET tries to milk the subscribers on SI <<< What do you mean by "if"? IMO it is INEVITABLE. Otherwise why buy the outfit to begin with? Certainly not for publicity purposes, wouldn't you say?... By the way, check-out STVI. This unknown little company is exploding onto Wall Street with a vengeance!

To: Scott Pedigo who wrote (7)	4/24/1998 12:34:00 PM
From: Ally	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 446

Scott, I've e-mailed Brad sharing my past experience of a public company that took over a large 20,000 membership bbs (those were the days just when internet was coming into being) that had links world-wide with other bbs. When this particular public took over the bbs membership, their main intention was to convert the membership base to buy their internet service. They were haughty and showed little respect for the history and the culture of the membership community. It took them just a year to destroy the cyber community, and another year to get into financial difficulties and their own demise. I hope this does not happen when the new management comes on board on SI. I suggest that the new management: 1) recognize the unique culture of the SI community and maintain it as it is. 2) not try and impose new fees to the people who are already members 3) make improvements, but only related to technical aspects of the SI web, and not on any cultural aspects. Of course, we must be realistic, and GO2NET will want returns for their acquisition. However, the returns should come in other ways than from the existing members. Like other internet companies, the returns should come from corporate advertisers, internet commerce, and commercial sponsors. GO2NET should always bear in mind that we are the substance and the life to SI. We are the "performers". Without our active participation on the threads, there is no show. We breathe life to the board and create the value of what it is today.