user response on keeping tribe alive

we have received some great supportive comments regarding ways to keep tribe alive. i wanted to repost one here from shannon

Hi Mark, I don't know how closely you follow tribe, or if you have enough to hang out there. But you have a very dedicated user base. Last year at this time, we were willing to put up money to maintain our community, and we followed through. We are just as dedicated, and just as willing to see things continue. It seems as if, from Darren's various posts, that tribe was at least self-sustaining if not profitable, between user subscriptions and ad revenue. Tribe has growth potential. There's still huge word-of-mouth interest, and it has a serious following. It's not going to become the next Facebook--nor should it be. Your users are on average older, more intelligent, and more independent-minded than the average social network user. People are buying, selling, trading, looking for and finding jobs, developing professional communities of scholars, writers and artists--all pretty much on their own. It is working. But it needs technical support--not a huge team, just a couple of people with the time and expertise to maintain and upgrade it. Many users have volunteered to help. My suggestion? Actively solicit the assistance that's being offered. Make an announcement, run an ad, whatever it takes. You _will_ get a response, and tribe _can_ thrive. But please don't just let it go to hell. It's too important to too many of us. Best, -Shannon

Comments

[DaBomb]

I agree with Shannon that Tribe is an amazing network. It is why when Tribe put out the call for premium memberships, I signed up immediately and plunked down $60.00 for a year.

However, in that simple transaction many things changed. I went from being a user to a customer. In that shift I had expectations I didn't have before. I expected to have the promises offered by Tribe when I paid for my premium membership to be fulfilled. And now I want a pwnie!! ;)

Shannon's suggestion is right out of the Burning Man playbook. Unfortunately, asking for volunteers in addition asking them to fork over money is getting old. Tribe is neither a charity nor a not-for-profit. :\ If it were, than putting a hat out for a donation would have been better than asking users to become premium members.

You told me in a recent email that Tribe is not profitable. I'm truly sorry to hear that. I wish it were. I would think that with the Google AdSense alone it would be. Add in the memberships and there you go! As a businesswoman myself, I want nothing more than to see it succeed.

You also told me that Tribe is not a business. I feel that this statement is disingenuous. Doesn’t Tribe Networks, Inc own Tribe? The site claims Utah Street Networks, so it’s a bit confusing. Nonetheless, Tribe smells like a duck and it quacks like a duck.

Practically everyone I know on Tribe is wondering: would it take to make Tribe continue to flourish to grow? In my own small ways, I've promoted Tribe through word of mouth and even through podcasts. I also paid a premium. More than anything I believe in Tribe, I value it highly and I hope you can figure out a way to make it work. But please decide if Tribe is a business that serves its customers, or a personal project that requires the volunteer efforts of its users to continue. Bottom line: for me to continue contributing Tribe -- whether by volunteering or making donations -- you’re going to have to earn my trust back by answering this question: Is Tribe a community or is it a corporation?