Urchie:
Lol "only 12 a month" for only free messages man that's so much to ask
It might have been $12, once upon a time, but I can't remember when.
I also remember a time when there were three packages of $9.99/mo. each for either unlimited views of content premium or otherwise (the content package), unlimited messages in a social package, and there was a "dating package" that was similar. Or it was $19.99/mo. for everything.
The dating package didn't make sense so it was combined into the social package. So there was a time you could save 1 cent a month if you got both packages separately, because 2 x $9.99 = $19.98.
Now it's $8.25 for either unlimited messages, *or* unlimited content views, or $16.50/mo. for both.
I do agree it's a little frustrating, and at times I've wondered if the restrictions could be changed somehow. Now this is just high level spitballing, and I haven't really thought this through too much.
For example, unlimited message
views, but replies and
sending messages are still limited. This single change alone would solve a lot of complaints about short or worse, terrible messages and might encourage more thoughtful messages.
Another idea might be to allow free members to always send unlimited messages and replies to premium members. This change alone might motivate more subscriptions.
Now, I know some may wish there was no subscription at all, but that isn't economically feasible. Most free online services receive their funding through alternative means, such as advertising revenue and/or selling of data.
Being an adult-themed web site, FF is basically locked out of advertising revenue, since advertisers often don't want to be advertised in such places. I know, I know, perhaps in a parallel universe there would be ads about food that emphasize how many calories it has, and advertise weight gain potential. But that's not the world we live in.
Selling of data for any purpose, whether as aggregate marketing data or something more nefarious, is not something FF has ever done, even prior to the GDPR.
So, neither of these are options. I do remember when hiccupx basically offered this site totally for free, but it very quickly became time consuming, and I have no doubt the hosting bill increased substantially. It wasn't a realistic option to keep offering it for free; it had to start making some money.
I get it. I don't really talk about this much, but I run an online service free for users and no advertising. I'm about $70/mo. out of pocket every month and I've done this for more than a decade. But, it doesn't require massive amounts of time. If I had to spend hundreds of dollars or more, and/or spend 20+ hours a week every single week on administrative, maintenance, and development tasks for it, this simply wouldn't be feasible.
Given the overall situation, I think the owner has managed to strike a pretty good balance, and has done so for more than 20 years.
