Racing Post Charge

redhead said:
IS, if I read his posts correctly, EC1's main worry seems to be that, as quite a lot of people already view racing as elitist and only for the rich, charging for basic information is putting racing further beyond the reach of someone with a passing interest that might have grown had the information been more accessible.
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so eloquently put :cool:
 
Put it this way, if all the form based websites went a charged for their service who could pull it off the most?

The RP of course, this is why they've taken advantage of their great database and rather stepped it up to another level, why mingle with with websites that are free when you are doing a much better service? of course by now charging it just looks good for the brand RP and it isn't that expensive just £5 a week for the whole cha-bang, now when you are an outsider and see that youve gotta pay instantly you think well this must be good and its only £5 a week yes its worth it.
 
ItalianStallion said:
I am paying £20 a month service only works out £5 a week dont see what the fuss is about, bloody great value.
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IS, correct me if I'm wrong but I think I read in another of your posts that you're a student. That would lead me to guess that you're not talking about paying £20 a month on top of a mortgage, house insurance, electric, gas, tv licence,council tax, broadband, sky and an about to increase RUK subscription. I can understand in some respects why the RP are doing this but at a time when people are losing jobs and taking pay cuts, now is not the right time to start charging.
 
ItalianStallion said:
Put it this way, if all the form based websites went a charged for their service who could pull it off the most?

The RP of course, this is why they've taken advantage of their great database and rather stepped it up to another level, why mingle with with websites that are free when you are doing a much better service? of course by now charging it just looks good for the brand RP and it isn't that expensive just £5 a week for the whole cha-bang, now when you are an outsider and see that youve gotta pay instantly you think well this must be good and its only £5 a week yes its worth it.
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its not a great database..and i haven't noticed it stepped up..unless they changed it..its a totally unuser friendly database.

some of the free websites have far better features than the RP

brand RP ...when I read things like that I despair tbh..marketting nonsense of the highest degree..Brand X.. Brand Y..Brand Shite

i really don't get that stuff..it don't impress me putting the word Brand in front of things...although... apparently Brand Shite is sh*t hot

why must it be good because you pay instantly?..this is just strange to me...the free is shite ...and only any good if you pay... thinking ...is another one I'm not really getting.

I'll guess you are a different age group to me:p

Its interesting to see how younger people than myself view this anyway..maybe its just me out of step here..just an old get :)
 
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The problem at the minute is that any paid for content on the internet looks expensive given the norm of free information. It is not until I go into a newsagent and look at a newspaper or magazine (which has static often time sensitive content, one type of navigation and is limited in scope to what is printed) at several pounds that I realise it isn't.
 
betsmate said:
The problem at the minute is that any paid for content on the internet looks expensive given the norm of free information. It is not until I go into a newsagent and look at a newspaper or magazine (which has static often time sensitive content, one type of navigation and is limited in scope to what is printed) at several pounds that I realise it isn't.
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the problem there is that once people get conditioned to pay for internet based stuff..not just racing...in a short period of time you will be paying more than for those papers and mags you are talking about

what starts out as a great information highway ends up being the great information highway rip off...

it starts off with small £..then over time virtually all sites will be pay sites once they see how gullible people are to pay...the internet will be out of reach soon for the ordinary working man..it will be like racing..elitist

once you have brainwashed a complete generation that free stuff is crap..and the more you pay is better..folk will be falling over themselves to throw money at sites..well..must be a good site..its a grand a month etc.
 
If you are going to take things to the nth degree, which scenario is likely to occur first:

- your doom laden prediction where prices are pitched beyond what the market will support?
- the publishers of the information stopping providing the information (to its current quality at the very least) because failure to monetize their internet offering means that it can no longer be viably subsided by their other products because of falling sales?

I'll back the second horse.
 
Or a third option?

The governing body who are supposed to have an interest in promoting racing and broadening its appeal, (unlike Trinity Mirror who don't give a flying feck) decide to make their own 'free to use' database available as a marketing and promotional tool.

I think we need to lobby the BHA and dear old Robin, who if memory serves me right was actually involved in trying to develop this as a project?
 
That is always an option Warbler, the information subsidised from somewhere else. The RP could even supply the information to the BHA to use and then use their own site to sell the add-ons to the market that they believe exists. Whether they would choose to dilute their audience in this way depends on what the BHA would pay. What the BHA would pay (presuming that your lobbying is successful) presumably depends on the cost (and their inclination) to do it themselves.
 
Now that's a brill idea, Warbler - what say you bung off a swift missive to the BHA and suggest that, as part of their ditching of tartan-slippered Brian and adoption of street-sharp Ben, they run a cutting-edge FREE service? They could chuck in link after link to their own services, such as the ROA, ROA Club 18-32, the TBA, plus Weatherbys, the Levy Board (not forgetting its large donations to equine research, etc.), HEROS and other racehorse rehoming stations, etc., etc., thus providing a kind of one-stop shop for people interested in any aspect of racing. I do think you've got a really smart idea there and I'd love you to run with it - if only to see the reaction/response you get. Gowaaaaannnn.... !
 
DO, your so right in correcting my latin.

I should have checked my second declension rules before showing such monstrous ignorance to so prestigious an audience.

MR2
 
Redhead v. RP - round 3.

A pleasant chap called Will tells me that I am not alone in being shut out of the paid area of the form database - which is one less thing to worry about.

Will has asked for details of when and where the problem occurs and got it back in detail - bet he's sorry he asked. Apparently their IT department are working on it.

No mention as yet of a refund.

FA/22's on standby.
 
Yes, 'forums' is perfectly acceptable. I was correcting the Latin plural, which I wouldn't normally use in English anyway (at least not in this instance).
 
crazyhorse said:
For a few hours (from 6am to 10am on Wednesday) during the Members’ Club launch we experimented with a number of price offers in order to honestly and fairly assess the value our customers place on this new product./QUOTE]

I note that the 'promotion' occurred whilst most people were either preparing to go or already at work, where many users don't have access to the RP site.
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ItalianStallion said:
redhead said:
Yep :)

Bit of prestige pricing won't go amiss from the RP
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IS you seem to be under the impression that the RP site is a superior package worth paying large amounts for, when it is actually the only such package available.

It has no competition and therefore is not comparable with a similar package - no prestige or superiority there, I'm afraid.
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FWIW Redhead, I tend to agree with Colin. This doesn't strike me as ever having been a promotion at all. I don't think I can recall too many promotions that haven't involved the words 'promotion' 'special offer' or 'limited availability' or at least some orchestrated push to try and flog the product. To my mind it has all classic hallmarks of a management cock up. I wouldn't be surrpised to learn that there was a lot disagreement and argument about how to pitch the price, and it wasn't until an emergency meeting to finally resolve the issue on Monday morning that they settled on a pricing structure and then changed the T&C's mid morning (within 20 minutes of the meeting breaking up). I'd be inclined to ask them this in your next correpsondance:) When they deny it (as surely they'll have to) just enquire why there was no promotional activity or launch date given other than "sometime in July". It's one hell of strange promotion otherwise
 
Aaagh, Walsy.

My estimation of the TH membership rises by the minute, fancy having contributors who find interest in looking up and posting academic , Latin arguament. Awesome!

I'm not quite sure what this comment, criticising the use of as 'S' at the ends of words to signify plurals means:

I dislike "forums." I'd really dislike it if people started going to "the opuses" to see "La Traviata," too.

Could any members who have shelled out for the RP members package tell me if a Latin dictionary is included, that would be my bare minimum requirement?

MR2
 
While it's fairly convenient to use the RP site there is not much that you can’t find by not using it, admittedly trawling through a variety of different sites. It seems to me it’s how much of a value you place on time rather than content. I can’t help feeling they are shooting themselves in the foot. It is likely to turn off more than it turns on.
 
montyracing2 said:
I'm not quite sure what this comment, criticising the use of as 'S' at the ends of words to signify plurals means:

I dislike "forums." I'd really dislike it if people started going to "the opuses" to see "La Traviata," too.
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Any who says that is a pretentious foramen in rectis.
 
Couldn't help but notice their front page this evening is pushing poker!!! Committed to racing? Yep don't mind organising petitions against the BBC and loss of free to view coverage in the name of damage that it might do to the sport, but a different case when it comes themselves
 
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