Saving KITG

[KingMe]

I didn't know weather to make this a blog or a discussion so I just went with a discussion, maybe it will generate some feed back.

I see some people have a problem with the KITG becoming a subscription site, and we will probably lose some good contributors because of It. That being said, I think it is a great idea. Some seem to think that paying 20 bucks is a rip off , especially for a site that isn't constantly updated with a plethora of videos or whatever some people are looking for. I never really thought that was the purpose of this site though. KITG always seemed like a place where people can go to connected with others with similar interest, on a topic that is judged and ridiculed, or considered taboo or what not. This is a place where people can talk about this kind of shit and not worry about being judged for it, or be uncomfortable with that part of their own personality. If you want something to just get off to, there are plenty of other sites out there, all you have to do is google it.

I think making this site a subscription site is an opportunity to improve the over all quality of our site, as it will cut a lot of the bullshit profiles, trolls, and lurkers. Some of the stuff on this site varies from causal, strange, to down right fucking crazy, this is a ADULT site, so it will deter under age individuals from trying to sign up.

Out of the 6086 members there is only roughly a hundred or so that donate, and actually contribute to the site, and I know those people are worried that KITG will become a ghost town. That can only happen if YOU, the contributors, stop coming to the site. A community can never thrive and grow if there is no one to support it, same implies for KITG. This is your site as much as it is Mallory's and Dvhour's. What would be he point other wise?

20 bucks a year is nothing. That makes it what, $1.67 a month? I can find that in my couch most of the time. I think that we should be more focused on how we can make the site better from here on out, and come up with new ideas to improve the quality of our site.

[KingMe]

I would like to take this time to thank Dvhour and Mallory and everyone who has made this site a possibility. Even though things are changing, I have to honestly say that you have created something great here. Thanks for creating a site that i would be comfortable asking my wife to join, because I would never suggest any of those other BB site to the woman I love or to any other female for that matter, they are too raunchy.

[Exotic Ebony Ballbusting]

To be honest I wish this site the best but I have a feeling this is the beginning of the end of this site. 

[Candy]

I considered donating even tho I just recently joined the site.  Then I didn't see a clear tally of money being donated to reach the goal, or what the goal even is. Admittedly I didn't look for one, but I think something of the sort should be more prominent than a list of people who have donated. I'm a single mother so I cant just go donating willy nilly.   I'd be especially peeved if I HAD donated then the site turned into a paid site anyhow.  

My favorite part of the site are the real stories.  Which I read through in a few hours, and they rarely get updated.  I also enjoy some of the forum discussions, which do generate a bit more responses, but once again it takes very little time to read through them.  I do not like the chat feature much.  Possibly because I am pretty obviously a woman I feel like every time I log into chat, EVERYONE messages me.  I end up losing what I've written to people I was already talking to because someone else messages me and if i don't answer THEY KEEP MESSAGING ME. If I were here to make friends with everyone around the world that'd be fine.  However, I'm only really interested in talking to men within a 2hour radius of me (Philadelphia) between the ages of 21-40, preferably single- i feel like its a bit "cheater-ish to speak to another woman about something having to do with private parts.  I do engage in those conversations and enjoy them however, hopefully I have even made a few friends. So therefore I wish there had been an option to allow "only friends" to message me or something. Or just go on messenger without the chat open.  I've had to create a separate "secret" email address just to correspond with people I've connected with.  To me, there just isn't enough activity in the areas I'm interested, for me to justify spending 20 dollars.  

[Candy]

a question- how did it go from 2 years of asking for 1 dollar donations to, 3 dollar donations in 2012 to- 20dollar subscription fee?  Why such a jump?  Why not make it a 3 dollar subscription fee or 5dollars etc.  I'd most likely pay that.  I think most people who like the site would, probably would still get some new members too.  

[dvhour (Site Owner)]

Our first year as a site they imposed a fee on us and we didn't know what to do. We had over 3000 members at the time so our thought was hey guys if each one of us gives a dollar for this site then we will be fine. Only 100 people donated that year. We did the same the second year.. Still only 100 people donated. Then Ning upped the price the 3rd year then the 4th which is now and we are left paying $850. 

NOthing is set in Stone Candy We are not greedy people we are hardworking just like everyone else. We never tried this before so we have no idea what we can do yet. Once we get a feel for everything we will adjust accordingly. People really need to have patience with this cause all we are doing is the best we can to provide a safe PG-Rated community for folks. 

[Candy]

I wasn't trying to make you feel as though I thought you were greedy. I figured you had a valid explanation. I was just inquiring because I figure others probably would have the same question and may jump to negative conclusions.

[Satsuki Yamaguchi]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure to meet you all and that I was happy I was able to find lots of like-minded people on this site! Alas, it seems it's time for me to say goodbye - I'm not sure what will happen to my non-donation account as of tomorrow or the day after that. I have thought about it, but in the end, I've decided not to donate - a "strongly encouraged" donation each year really isn't that much different from an annual paid subscription site, after all. I apologize if I never got a chance to see or reply to your messages, but I hope we can see each other around sometime, maybe at Ballbusting Social? Thank you for all the fun times, interesting chats, and crushed nuts and goodbye! ;)

~Satsuki-chan

[comrade]

I joined ballbusting social a while but can't say I like it as much as this one. the atmosphere here wasn't like other sites. ballbusting social at this point is mostly a buncha guys posting their genitals over and over.

see you around comrade!

[playfight]

It was the best bb site

[Knave!]

Wow...finally read through this whole thread. There are some great suggestions, some truly heinous responses and some heartfelt thanks. It boggles the mind.

I'm an old man in this whole BB scene. I wasn't even a teenager when I first found Marc's old forum and learned I wasn't alone in this kink. It was early days then and they would help to cement what the BB culture would become over the next decade. The landscape was not pretty. It was lurkery, trolly, violently chauvinist and confusingly misogynistic. I left one forum after another because I couldn't take the vitriolic atmosphere. Every guy made it into a pissing contest, or a soap box, or a wack fest. It was never a community and it NEVER appealed to women. Ever.

That was until KITG. Honestly, you young bloods have no idea how good it is here. It's safe here. It's friendly here. It's diverse here. That doesn't happen when a forum of BB guys is left to its own devices. When BB guys are left alone to fend for themselves, they basically ruin everything they touch. I'm a BB guy and I'm saying that. I've seen it happen again and again and again and it's sad. KITG is the community it is ONLY because of the work of the moderators. DV and Mal are the sole reason this place is filled with the great people it is. They're the police force. They're the department of public works. They're the fire, the hospital and the schools of this little city. Everyone else brings their art, their ideas, their stories, their life and love to the community but the basic services that allow them to do so, that allows ME to do so, is all Mal and DV. To sit here and see so many bite the hand that gave them that safe place, is really depressing.

Let me add my voice and say Thank You Mallory and DV for making this place the BEST community for BB and CB on the WHOLE internet, hands down. No contest. The next runner up isn't even in the same LEAGUE.

I know what it's like to ask people for money. It's hard as hell. I ask for a lot from my friends in the BB world and I'm lucky to get every cent I do for the comics I draw. I KNOW I'm a lucky man. Nothing in this world is a given and it's a miracle that I can draw dirty cartoons and people will buy them. That's huge. But I know first hand what it feels like to pour sweat into a project and to see no return for it. I know how it feels to have hundreds of thousands of people follow my blog, and to get only a handful of people willing to actually donate a few bucks for a comic. So my heart goes out to DV and Mallory. In this world, this internet, the anonymity allows people to sometimes put their worst foot forward, whether they mean to or not. They're not accountable anymore for what they say and do, so it's easy to take and take and take and complain when it's not enough, or you don't like what you get. We can't focus on those people. We need to focus on the people that stand up for us. The people that appreciate what we do and applaud us. We need their constructive criticism, their help and their generosity or the good gets drowned out by the bad.

If KITG becomes subscription, I'm not worried. I'll subscribe. Hell, I'll subscribe even if I'm rarely here! Because the quality of the service they're helping to provide is worth it. I owe them a lot. I owe them for finally putting in the effort to keep a BB forum free from the kind of people that bring this kind of community to its knees.

Okay, rant drawing to a close. Sorry for the length of it. I'll conclude by saying that all the wonderful people I've met here have made my life better and I owe DV and Mal for that. I've got your backs guys, through thick and thin. Thanks for everything you do. 

Haters gonna hate.

-K ♥♥♥

[balzac]

Wow! I started to read this discussion but had to give up - while there were some positive, constructive comments & complaints, there was just so much damn negativity!

I still remember the first time they asked for donations - it was such a no-brainer; a website that so beautifully catered to our obscure little pleasure in a way that actually made me feel like I was a part of this community - a community that this site actually helped to create. How could people not want to donate a buck or two????

I also remember the first time they let us know how few people actually donated - surely there must have been some with valid reasons that didn't allow them to contribute. But I still don't get the reluctance to help out, even after reading the explanations in this thread.

[Ballistic]

Have you thought about allowing people to sponsor others? I for one would likely be willing to contribute to keep some of the female users of the site able to continue contributing.

Just an idea!