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Prospective new members would be given a free trial period.
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I think this would be essential if you go that way.
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I can't see that the Forum by itself has any saleability.If it were to close down, why start a new one - why not just go over to WetCanvas?
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I don't know much about WetCanvas, how do they make ends meet?
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Additionally, the level of accomplishment of new applicants is all over the place, often the artist needing simple basics, which is beyond the scope of this Forum. It was just becoming too much to handle to let everyone join who wanted to, so the Board decided to require approval for new members.
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I have always thought that a good bit of the critique should be canned. For the beginners who post beginners work, they should be directed to a canned response section ie: edges, composition, poor photo reference. The onus should be on them to bring their work to a point which deserves a critique.
About the question of maintenance, file storage, hard dollar expenses, these are tough business decisions for you. I don't think anyone here feels a sense of entitlement. I don't want to speak for the other moderators, but, I think there is a certain sense of wanting to give back and pass on what we know. There is a distinction however, we spend no hard dollars to do this, only time.
As for me, I hope some equitable solution can be reached, I would not like to see the forum disappear.