Reconsidering strategies for generating revenue in the development of forums
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Context for the question: I remember seeing a post from a friend earlier that mentioned some suggestions for generating income through forums. One of these suggestions was that the forum should enter into discussions with companies regarding projects such as engineering design, engineering drafting, and drawing, and then work together with the forum’s technical staff to complete these projects, thereby achieving a win-win situation for both the forum and its individual members. This suggestion received support from many people at that time. It’s indeed a pretty good idea. The question arises from this: Yesterday, I saw a post in the CAD section asking for quotes regarding CAD drawing services; I replied by sharing my previous pricing for such tasks. Later, a participant in the final of the forum’s CAD competition (whose ID will not be disclosed) sent me an internal message asking if I had any such private projects to assign. At this point, I feel it is necessary to discuss this topic again. To put it roughly: there are indeed many experts on these forums; some of them are even senior engineers or managers from companies that are rare even in our own organizations. So I think it would be a real waste of resources not to make use of this huge potential asset. Therefore, it is recommended that the forum organizers give serious consideration to the specific details, starting with smaller projects as a trial implementation of this suggestion. Risks exist: Before implementing the solution, it is necessary to carefully consider and assess the risks associated with this recommendation. The primary concern is the issue of personal reputation. The Internet is an imaginary space, characterized by deception and instability. Furthermore, **the laws and regulations regarding the internet are not yet well-established; therefore, the primary issue when implementing this recommendation is the risk to an individual’s reputation.** If this can be properly understood, it will provide a solid foundation for sustainable progress. (Solutions will be discussed later.) Another issue is of a technical nature: once a project is undertaken, how can one find the right people to carry it out? Every project has a deadline, and private projects often have even tighter timelines. The key to this problem lies in finding and organizing the appropriate technical personnel to work on the project under such circumstances. (Solutions will be discussed later.) Another issue is the matter of qualifications: although the forum takes on projects, it is not a production or design entity, so it naturally does not possess design or manufacturing qualifications; as a result, there are certain limitations on the types of projects it can undertake. Alternatively, other ways to solve this problem could be considered. (Solutions will be discussed later.) Solution suggestions: Regarding the issues of personal reputation and suitable candidates, I think the following approach could work: First, members who are interested sign up, and then those who have signed up send their resumes and copies of their ID cards to the forum. The forum conducts selections based on personal resumes; the IDs of the selected candidates are sent to the police department for verification. Afterwards, the forum uses QQ groups to confirm the participants via video (interviews can also be conducted at the same time). This ensures the genuine validity of the personnel and provides legal protection. Upon successful review, the forum sends a valid contract to the qualified parties to establish an intention for long-term cooperation. Three copies in total, with one copy retained by each party and one copy kept by the judicial authorities. Now that it has legal validity, I think no one will dare to take the risk of participating in the project by pretending to be qualified when they are not. Qualification issues can be resolved through discussions on forums with entities that possess the relevant qualifications, by signing a qualification cooperation agreement. Some forum members may also be managers at certain companies; it could be considered asking them to provide projects or relevant qualifications (of course, proper verification and legal procedures must be followed). Resolving this issue may take a long time, but even without such qualifications, there are still projects available – tasks such as the design of atmospheric pressure vessels (which can be reviewed by third parties) or some drawing work can still be undertaken. The above are my thoughts on this issue; they may not be entirely thorough, but I think it would be useful to hold a dedicated discussion if necessary. Although it is time-consuming and demanding in terms of procedures, a good start and some experimentation can increase the chances of success. It is hoped that the forum will take advantage of these favorable conditions to work together in a mutually beneficial manner with members who possess real expertise, so as to build the forum successfully. This post was last edited by iamsunyue on 2008-1-21 23:30.]
The economic base determines the superstructure. Maintaining and developing the forum requires money, and individuals also hope to use the internet to sell their skills. A forum can serve as an excellent intermediary, without having to assume too much responsibility. E-commerce platforms such as Taobao can be utilized for this purpose. From another perspective, it’s obvious which is more motivating: giving moderators 1,000 wealth points or 100 yuan in cash per month. By then, things like talent aggregation, cohesion, and daily management will all become natural outcomes. Opportunities should be seized when they are ripe, not waited for to ripen ； I don’t know when I’ll be able to take this first small step.
The original poster’s idea is great and innovative. I would like to offer three points: 1. The requirements for forum administrators to organize such revenue-generating projects: In my opinion, administrators must dedicate themselves full-time to the development of the forum, so that it can become a profitable one! (Whether the administrator is willing to do this) 2. For any project or task, regardless of its size, a contract must be signed; should the forum be made responsible for this? (This not only increases the burden on the forum but also requires a contractual relationship between the forum and its members.) 3. Forum members come from all over the world; how can we ensure proper management of technical staff and the timely completion of projects? The above are my personal opinions, for the original poster’s reference
Good idea, but people can trade privately; for larger projects, they go to design institutes, :) For example, there’s no Aspen 11.1 license available in Haichuan – I searched everywhere but couldn’t find it. I was going to upload it, but I’m not sure why no one else has done so, and I’m hesitant to upload it. Where can I get this license? A member in the second level told me he had one, but he no longer had the Aspen 11.1 compression files. So, through a swap, we both got what we needed, achieving resource sharing. Transactions can be completed privately, :) Is it possible to avoid that? Have you checked MSN’s ‘Marry Me’ website? In order to make a profit from this situation, those who act as intermediaries cannot let members know each other’s methods; they earn money by acting as intermediaries. If Hai Chuan wants to make a little money using this approach, he could consider the model used on the Jia Wo Wang website
I don’t quite agree with the original poster’s suggestion. With the forum as the entity bearing responsibility, the risks and obligations it has to assume are too great to be borne by such a virtual space. At the same time, the forum is not registered with the authorities like B2B websites such as Taobao and Alibaba; it remains to be determined whether engaging in such activities is legal. Based on the poster’s assumptions, it is recommended that the forum administrator register a physical chemical technology consulting company and set up a website (for example, Haichuan Chemical Consulting Network; the domain name could be http://www.hcbbs.com, with Haichuan Forum at http://bbs.hcbbs.com serving as a sub-domain and functioning as an affiliated entity of Haichuan Chemical Consulting Network). The elites from the forum are recruited as part-time consultants or advisors for the Chemical Engineering Consulting Network, with their qualifications assessed through interviews conducted by the cleaners. Simply put, it means the cleaner sets up a consulting company, and we all work for him, with the profits distributed according to a certain ratio. The website then becomes a consultation site, with a forum attached to it. This post was last edited by yunfly on 2008-1-23 08:52]
I agree with what was said above; many things are classified as confidential. Technical documents are relatively okay, but blueprints, tender documents, etc. all constitute trade secrets, and distributing them is illegal. If a company files a complaint, Haichuan will have to assume responsibility, at least as an accomplice. Regarding revenue generation for the forum, one approach is to reduce the flow of wealth and introduce a points-based trading system; those who don’t have wealth can exchange RMB for the forum’s currency. This is a practical method, but it also has significant negative effects, as it may result in the loss of many members.
I think qiaowei037’s suggestion is good. As yunfly said, the forum should not be held accountable; the risks and responsibilities it bears are too great. A forum can provide a platform as an intermediary, just like a freelance website, acting as a middle party to ensure the smooth completion of transactions (mainly financial ones) between the two parties!