Maybe a better title is;
Losing Ground to #Google.

A treasurer-CoOwner informed me that he wrote IO, suggesting an intermediate step between 1 & 20 Gigs.

He WANTS to contribute to IO, and see it continue, but feels the 1 to 20 Gig jump is excessive. I don't feel it's due to cost, although that must be attached to the issue.

It may be an accounting matter. Accepting under 20$ / month (an option over annual payment,) is probably burdensome. An increment between might be at 5 Gigs, but not allow monthly payments. Maybe no Premium add-ons would be allowed.

IO has 4 levels. That's hard to put on a bell-curve. Even a graph seems unsmooth.

But I hugely fear that despite a comparable sized and active list of 2000, actually TWO, this size, I feel 1 has and 1 is goingnto google because they cannot see that Free will contain them for 4-6 more years.

They see 15 GIGS FREE.

IO is "Good Enough."
But "Perception is Reality."

You gotta compete.
As anoast communications security guy, I watched google and email services. I watched the "memory allowed.per account," almost explode. And things related to that and google that I shant discuss.

Almost NO group will use 5 Gigs or 10.or 15 for decades. Yes, some movie.or photo group will. Block movies.over 5 megs???

There will alwys be that one guy at the all-you-can eat that's a small problem. But the all-you-can-eat is up on a billboard next door to your burger joint.

Consider, with yahoo again poised, what you will lose, permanently, if you wait a month to set an upgraded policy. From my perspective you are a mom'n pop competing with McDonalds. You'll always have us... buy wouldn't you like some of them? I cannot sway groups because members cannot WILL not take time to understand the nuance.

They see 1 and they see 15 and they see $220. And they don't understand. GIVE them 15 Gigs and they won't use them in their lifetime... except that 1 big guy. He is the cost of doing business and he's 1 guy in a hundred... a thousand. Time to go all-in. Don't have 15 G for everyone? You don't order more meat until the fridge is low.

You're Great!
But you also have to COMPETE.

Diesel is great - but it's not easy to find a pump at Joe's Diner is whatever that town was when you were lost, once, 20 years ago - so you bought a gasser. Diesel, all but locked out.because the signs don't SAY diesel available soon. I can think of all.sorts of ways to sell this an an Intro offer and leverage it.

C'mon! Google will be around, but give them a rash, eh? Chafe their dang derrier!

Don't wait a dang month...! A week is enough time to not have to shoot entirely from the hip. Time to play with the big boys... on their turf. (The sloth have a name?)

With great appreciation,
BillSF9c