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UPDATE:  WE HAVE 250 SUPPORTING MEMBERS AS OF TODAY 9-30-20!  Thanks and congrats go to those of you that have decided to become a Supporting Member.  To put this in perspective, this represents about 1% of the total membership.  OR, this means 99% of the forumites are not members of this group.   We were hoping to reach a membership of 10% after 60 days and we are now 30 days from the initial announcement.  PLEASE consider becoming a Supporting member (details below) and help us reach our first goal.  Thanks so much for your consideration!

Alan



Over the past couple of years, we have received quite a few emails from members interested in finding ways to help support the OGR forum similar to what our Forum Sponsors do currently. Just recently there have been several threads where many of you have expressed the appreciation you have for the forum and how much it has added to your enjoyment of the hobby. You have posted kind thoughts and words that mean very much to me and the OGR team!

As many of you know, the forum is expensive and time consuming to operate and so about a half dozen years ago, we started aggressively offering opportunities for forum sponsorships to businesses directly involved in providing product and services to our readers and members. This is a win- win situation because all precipitants benefit. Our sponsors/advertisers benefit from being able to do direct and live marketing to the largest single group in this segment of the hobby and you as a member benefit because the advertising income helps keep the forum free. AND everyone benefits from you as active posting members offering the vast knowledge you have to make the forum the best place to come to discuss and learn about our hobby. All sides play an important role to make the forum “happen”!

It is no secret that the changing business climate in this hobby is forcing all of us to adjust the way we do business and frankly the way we live day to day. OGR must find ways to supplement our business model and try to expand what we have to offer our supporters, readers, and advertisers. Unlike other social media sites, we do not pop up ads or track your internet wanderings in order to put the “in your face” ads that are so common online. We only accept advertising that we believe you want because it is hobby related and offers something to enhance your enjoyment of the hobby.

With all of the above in mind, we have decided to offer an opportunity for you to participate in a new level of membership called the “OGR Forum Supporting Member”.  You can subscribe to this special group by CLICKING HERE. Once you have subscribed, you will see theSupporting Member Tagtag on your name, boldly showing indicating that you are a “Supporting Member”.

You will also be able to download a special, printable certificate signed by yours truly and dated which can be proudly framed and displayed. In addition, Supporting Members will have FREE access to one section of the OGR Video Digital Library with videos provided by OGR with updates at regular intervals. All of this is just $12.00 per year, which will go a long way toward helping to keep your forum the best place to go for discussion, help, information, and knowledge in the hobby.

We sincerely hope that you will take advantage of this new membership status and receive even greater value, distinction, and satisfaction of being an OGR Forum Supporting Member. Click here to get started!

Thanks so much for your support!

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Last edited by OGR CEO-PUBLISHER
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I'm in! This is a great idea.

Since I'm not tech saving, I will become a supporting member by tomorrow when I can get someone to help me complete the application and pay the $12 on-line.

Arnold

Hi Arnold...

It is an easy process, just click on the link provided and go from there.  It is just like making a purchase in our webstore.

Thanks for your support!

Hello Alan,

For those of us who were Digital Subscribers prior to the new "Supporting Member" category, weren't we in effect supporters of the Forum?  As Digital Subscribers we are given access to the entire library.

Thus if I sign up as a Supporting Member wouldn't that in effect be considered as signing up twice without any additional benefits?

Just trying to understand the offering better. 

Thanks!

Last edited by Allegheny
@Allegheny posted:

Hello Alan,

For those of us who were Digital Subscribers prior to the new "Supporting Member" category, weren't we in effect supporters of the Forum?  As Digital Subscribers we are given access to the entire library.

Thus if I sign up as a Supporting Member wouldn't that in effect be considered as signing up twice without any additional benefits?

Just trying to understand the offering better. 

Thanks!

I would think that Digital Subscriber should infer Supporting Member... however, I am now seeing many users with both brandings... I guess that isn't a problem (more $$$ for OGR), but it is confusing. This new setup seems to infer that Digital Subscribers don't benefit the forum. For me, supporting the forum as the foremost reason I became a Digital Subscriber (the magazine and video library are also great benefits).

@Allegheny posted:

Hello Alan,

For those of us who were Digital Subscribers prior to the new "Supporting Member" category, weren't we in effect supporters of the Forum?  As Digital Subscribers we are given access to the entire library.

Thus if I sign up as a Supporting Member wouldn't that in effect be considered as signing up twice without any additional benefits?

Just trying to understand the offering better. 

Thanks!

The digital subscription nor the print subscription supports the forum financially.  As I explained above, the forum sponsorships were created to help keep the forum going and are a benefit to all participants.  A long time ago there was a premium membership here on the forum that included some perks but that was years ago.  The creation of the supporting members opportunity is meant to allow those members to receive access to their own video library but not the same access as a digital subscriber.  Also, there are some cases in which one wants to support the forum but doesn't want to become a subscriber (greater than 80% of the membership does not subscribe to the magazine!).  In addition, they get the special tag that lets other members know that their contribution helps keep the forum free plus they get a special certificate that can be displayed which many members will do in their trainrooms, etc. 

I would hope that you would see the benefit of signing up but that is up to you as this is not a requirement as a forum member nor does it imply that because you are a current magazine subscriber that this is anything more than offering what a lot of members suggested over the past few years.   Many members realize that this forum is valuable to them and that their supporting membership will help keep the forum the way they like it free from increased and hobby unrelated advertising. 

Thanks for your current support through your subscriptions!

@bmoran4 posted:

I would think that Digital Subscriber should infer Supporting Member... however, I am now seeing many users with both brandings... I guess that isn't a problem (more $$$ for OGR), but it is confusing. This new setup seems to infer that Digital Subscribers don't benefit the forum. For me, supporting the forum as the foremost reason I became a Digital Subscriber (the magazine and video library are also great benefits).

See my response above as this is a similar question/statement.  One thing, I do understand that most of you may not realize how many resources OGR uses to keep the forum going and for free.  With everything on social media that seems free, there is a resistance to paying for forums and blogs.  But please realize that on other social media platforms and especially the most well known ones, advertising takes place in many forms that may or may not have anything to do with your interests or the hobby.  Just watch videos online and see that increasingly they have commercials interrupting the video.  We are trying to not have to do that here and only accept advertising from hobby related businesses.  The kind in which you are likely interested. 

We welcome your support through subscriptions and now if you so chose, through a supporting membership.

Thanks!

@RickO posted:

"Supporting Member"/ "Digital Subscriber"....what?...no love for the paper magazine subscriber?....

Uhmm...why did I know that this would come up....  Rick, this is designed for anybody that wants to join and it does not matter if you are a digital or print subscriber.  As a print subscriber, this would add access to a category in the video digital library that you would normally have to pay for EACH video.  We value ALL of our subscribers but it is no secret that it costs less to produce the digital magazine and thus we are able to offer more digitally.

Thanks for your support!

As a magazine subscriber and a digital subscriber, I couldn't sign up fast enough. This forum is tops in people helping others and also in gaining knowledge for things we want to do, can't do and learning whom to send it to. No Where on the internet will you gain FRIENDS like here. I know one of the popular sites has you getting lots of FRIENDS but think of this please:

1. Here you can just remain quiet for free and observe

2. Here you can ask for help

3. here you can offer help

4. Here you find out you have friends that will actually communicate with you and help you or support you. They aren't in a list that you have to confirm then never hear from them.

5. Here your friends are really friends wanting to listen, Offer support or help and sometimes physically offer to come help out. You will not find that any where else and all for free.

I get the magazine and love it, I also get the digital and love it as it lets me do lots of things plus search previous issues of the magazine. It also has the same articles with MORE content.

Asking for $12.00 a year which is $1 a month is nothing. I don't drink coffee but I guzzle 7Up. I think I can do without 6 two liter bottles a year.

And as a final note:

Thank you all for being friends regardless of how stupid or dumb or ignorant (and sometimes but I hope few, Arrogant) I am.

C. Curtis Homan Sr

 

What's Up? Seven of course! 7Up best drink to have with trains! Notch them up to 8 and run down the rails.

 

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
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