Add all of these features! ...and then charge a lifetime $5 membership for the works
So here's the thing...we love FutureMe. And would really like to work on adding all of these features...
...but after some of the novelty wears off of having a cool site that people like...we just kinda wonder whether it's worth our time to keep doing stuff.
I mean, don't get me wrong - totaly love you guys - thanks for using us to be all Future-y...but every now and then it's nice to get paid a little something for doing work...and we don't make much on ads or donations...so what do you tihnk? If we go nuts and add all this stuff (pictures, Facebook integration, comments, iPhone app, unlimited letters, etc...) would you ever consider paying us? What about the "real snail mail letter" - would you pay for that?
Be honest, please!
We’ve added the ability to contribute to FutureMe w/ a $5 annual membership – thanks to all of you who have already done so!
-
Entish commented
I think I'd pay for the real letters - because stamps do cost money. However I agree with what everyone else has said, that all of us kids can't do online paying (no visa card) so would be unlikely.
-
ZH commented
I'm a highschooler and haven't run into the lack of ability to pay thing. I would totally pay to support and have donated before. What about setting up a limit where the cost is $1/letter. That applies to all letters. If you cannot pay, there will be a donation pond to cover users without a debit card or whatever. Some of these features sound cool, but really only one or two would really be essential (having a backup address, for one). So, keep up the good work and know that I, for one, support the idea and implementation of FutureMe. I rarely pay for things online, but this is a crazily special connection when you have this ability to talk to yourself. So, I'd support if you offered a paid plan. Keep up the good work!
-
Camila commented
I'd love to but I don't have a credit card or anything and I don't use dollars either...
-
Jennifer commented
I would not be interested in the snail mail, but if there was a lifetime membership fee to use the service, I'd pay up to $50 for that. Though I don't care about all the bells and whistles. I mean it would be nice to have them available for people who want them, but I hope I would be able to keep mine just as plain and simple as it is now. Hmm, except for maybe text formatting.
-
Seataste commented
Seriously I don't want FutureMe to be too complicated. To me its simplicity makes the idea or the purpose or the focus of this site stands out. Especially features like link to Facebook etc are the last thing I want to pay for. I mean, maybe I'm the only one, but FutureMe is so private and myself is the very last and solid support to myself and I really don't want it to have anything to do with my "displayed side" such as my Facebook, in any way.
As I indicated above (probably not obvious but...), I would be willing to pay if you guys are determined to keep working on this amazing site. $5 for a lifetime membership sounds pretty good for me. That separate free users and paid users is probably very applicable, but I do prefer $5 for as long as you run idea. Besides such small fees may make users value their accounts more. I don't know others but I abandon accounts sort of often... Usually just because I want a different username etc... Btw, how can I change my account email? Didn't find the button to change it and that's why I got this new account using a new email address.
I don't like the idea of physical letter and I'm not likely to pay for it. Seriously, people move and travel... I mean... Yes maybe you can change the sending address before the letter is sent just like you can change the email address. But what if you send a letter to 10 years later? I bet most of the ppl would forget they have sent such thing and won't change the address say in the 8th year...
-
Juanita commented
I would def pay $5 for all those cool features. And kids under 18 should still get it for free (but if they want a letter sent to them when they're 21, they should pay up). Perhaps "futureme lite" is free, features cost $5 lifetime...
-
Anonymous commented
I would be very willing to pay but since I'm a high school student that's just not possible. I think this might be a trend -- I don't know if we are the majority, but I do know that LOTS of teens (without credit cards!) use futureme, and it would be really a bummer for them if they couldn't pay. It'd be different if it were physically handing over a five dollar bill, but since it's the internet, age complicates stuff.
-
Amy Brown commented
The thing is..
You will lose a lot of customers because not everyone has a credit card
I am only 18 in high school and do not have a credit card. When websites cost money, I just can't use it. -
Anonymous commented
People do get funny about paying for stuff online when they don't get something physical from it so yeh, it would probably work well with actual letters... Imagine getting a 50th Birthday card from your 25 year old self...that would be immense. Except I'd probably remember that I did it and be really disappointed that I waited 25 years for a surprise that I remembered. I'd still pay for that though. Like, £3 for a printed letter....maybe you could also do cards (webcam photo cards?!) for a higher amount.
-
Patrick Kennedy commented
Five bucks to be able to ensure I can talk to my future self? That sounds like a steal. I'd be more than happy to buy you a cup of coffee for the opportunity you've given me.
What about a letter limit for unpaid users? Like 5 letters? If people reach that limit then they obvious are invested in the idea.
Although. I just went to see if you have a donation button and I -do- like the "$1/year a letter is sent into the future" idea. I don't necessarily think enforcing that is a good idea, but certainly throwing that BuySimple widget onto some page after you submit a letter with that $1/year amount.
-
Polaris commented
I probably wouldn't pay for online features. If you decided to send physical mail, you could charge for that very reasonably. $1 per letter would make you a decent profit, since it's not too much to deter people who want it, and not so little that you don't make anything. You could probably go up to like $5 and people would still be ok with that. Lifetime for $5 sounds nice but I've done a lot of things that were supposed to be "lifetime" stuff and instead ended up being "a few years before we sold out to someone who wants money" stuff. It sucks. No amount of promising will make me believe you.
-
Melky commented
Maybe you could have some features that are just for the ones who paid the membership, and keep the other ones with the normal features. For example, people with paid membership can comment on other people e-mail, can see letters they've written and everything, and the other members just have the features there are now.
But yes, I agree, it's fair to ask for a little paiment for such a good work.