c302f1e7   
   From: dahoov2@cox.net   
      
   For those of us with sites already, there's no need for a collection   
   space; though I can see a use for it for some people.   
      
   As for not annotating everythign I could, I am having to pay to spend   
   hours of my time giving you information that took me years collecting,   
   so for me, I don't see what is in it for "me".  especially since I am   
   not into the storage space for my scans, nor the boards where people   
   talk about one another ... or other groups.  So essentially, if I go   
   there, it's for one purpose... to get addresses to aid me in my   
   collection.  What I was simply telling you is this is why people went   
   to your site in the very beginning and that by offering a "pay site"   
   has not changed that fact.  What are we paying for?  I don't want to   
   have to pay for outdated addresses when it seems your focus is on   
   maintaining storage for other people.   
      
   Might have been better to offer a tiered program.  Access to address   
   area a certain price, access to addresses and having your own storage   
   area another... and whole site access a third price.  Then you can   
   offer new and improved features for those you want to woo to pay full   
   price.  I see soooo much potential and guess feel  you're not quite   
   there yet.   
      
   By the way, your first of all and second of all statements are the   
   same thing just worded differently.  A storage area and website are   
   the same?   
      
   My personal reason for not updating all the info I could yesterday was   
   "why should I spend hours to help you when I have to pay"?  My Star   
   Wars address list is hundreds of pages now.  I have close to 200 on my   
   master list (with separate lists for TV movies, cartoons, Video games,   
   artists, authors, radio dramas, fan films and other stuff).  I have   
   lists for everything... dozens of them.  I'd literally have to spend   
   many many weeks doing this and for what purpose?  You charge me and I   
   get what from it?  Nothing that I see.  So for me, the address   
   database is the only tool I'll use and that seems very outdated... I   
   wish I could tell you how to get people to post, but I don't think   
   there's any way to do that, just like it's impossible to get rid of   
   the trolls here.   
      
   I'd have no collection management to save me time, as I have my own   
   site... that stores 98-99% of all my graphs.  So to anyone looking,   
   everything I own is on there minus a handful of items I was told by   
   the celebrity or friends not to post.  Or a couple I forgot to post (I   
   saw last night I forgot to add Robbie Gee to my Pirates section).   
      
   I know how to use the site and it's easy to use.  I submitted quite a   
   few pendings and a few RTS's as I said.  That's a good point, as it   
   not having advertisers popping up.  I did not know about the "trade"   
   area where you can give ratings.  Good idea.  Same for buying   
   experiences I guess?  Hope so.   
      
   The point of my post was not to make you defend the site, but to see   
   what a customer (as I would be a potential customer) is looking for.   
      
      
   On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 10:22:57 -0700 (PDT), community@startiger.com   
   wrote:   
      
   >Hi Sue,   
   >   
   >thank you very much for taking the time to compile such a detailed and   
   >well formed response!   
   >   
   >I do not know how much time you have spent within StarTiger so far and   
   >its development over the years. This is not the same website anymore   
   >that it was four years ago when we "went pay", and we have done   
   >continous steps to address the issues you have raised in your post.   
   >   
   >If this is ok with you, i would like to go through your post step by   
   >step and address each part you mentioned.   
   >   
   >   
   >Doing your own research is definitely the way to go! But StarTiger is   
   >not something that is "aside" from research. It can be and should be   
   >an integral part of your research.   
   >Start your search at StarTiger. If you do not like the information you   
   >get for a certain celebrity, continue your research beyond StarTiger.   
   >If you come across a better address, you can submit it to StarTiger   
   >(you can keep it private at first, if you want that - StarTiger allows   
   >you to submit addresses as private and make them public later on). If   
   >you don't, submit an address request.   
   >In any case, i suggest referencing any address you find somewhere else   
   >with our records. We also keep records of outdated addresses (of   
   >course marked as such!) for this reason - so that if you find an   
   >(outdated) address somewhere else, you can compare it and avoid it if   
   >it is indeed outdated.   
   >   
   >As for submitting information, there are many benefits for doing so.   
   >It's not just simply for reporting your response to other collectors.   
   >StarTiger is much more than that!   
   >   
   >First of all, you get complete collection management when you submit   
   >information. Everything you add is stored in your own personal   
   >StarTiger area ("MyStars"), where you can access it, update it, change   
   >it, search it and sort it by almost any criteria you want. You can   
   >also connect the information, e.g. you can add scanned autographs to   
   >your test results.   
   >This alone can be a tremendous time saver if you use it.   
   >   
   >Second, we also provide you with your own personal website,   
   >"MyCollection". With just a few clicks you get your very own,   
   >customizable website where you can present your collection - including   
   >to non-members! And the great part is: Everytime you submit something   
   >to StarTiger - be it scans, test results or similar, your personal   
   >website will be automatically updated. This, again, can be a   
   >tremendous time saver.  MyCollection also comes with your own personal   
   >blog, and it will stay online even if you are no longer a member.   
   >   
   >You mention that you did not have time to annotate addresses; i   
   >believe this is mainly the case because you keep a seperate collection   
   >list, and would have to manually transfer this information to   
   >StarTiger, one by one.   
   >This would be completely different if you would make full use of all   
   >StarTiger has to offer. For example, if you join for a year, the cost   
   >per month will become almost neglibile compared to other costs in this   
   >hobby. A year is less than 10 cents a day. Imagine how much time you   
   >would save in terms of collection management alone.   
   >   
   >Submitting information to StarTiger is easy, as in most cases the   
   >address is already there. Simply click on "Mark as Pending" when you   
   >send a letter, and on "Add Test Result" when you receive a response.   
   >The current date is filled in by default, making it even faster for   
   >you to submit the details. When using the "Pending" feature   
   >beforehand, all the information you entered before are automatically   
   >filled in when you submit a test result later on. And again: By doing   
   >this you will have the benefits of a searchable, sortable,   
   >automatically updated collection management and your own personal   
   >collection website.   
   >   
   >Additionally, if you submit information for a celebrity, a "notice   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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