Wedge

Which is my point, in extremis.

Support isn't for the benefit of SMF and it's team. It's for the benefit of the users.

That's why, even now, I'd return to the support team, if this "Paid-for support" shit was sorted out.

Funny how this thread's turned into an SMF slag-fest.

Pity, really, because it rather detracts from what my original post was about.

I felt pretty strongly about the ol' "Paid-for support" thing and I was hoping to see whether my opinions were total bollox, tiz all...

For the record, though, I was (Maybe even still am!) Vice-President of SMF. Even I didn't have the ability to change people's avatars and all that shit.

Support team members and even the lead(s) can't either. Unless, of course, something pretty dramatic has changed, there, since I left. Which I, somehow, doubt.

One of the reasons that I resigned as Vice-President of SMF and split from the forum, was that certain members (who I won't bore you to name) were in it for what they could get out of it, financially. (Not the main reason. But, it was a contributory factor).

As teamies, I believed that there was a conflict of interests, in much the same way as we all know about a certain Gamer who was into VB...

Can I ask for some honest opinions, on this, please?

That's the point. They weren't, from where I saw things.

It wasn't the paid mods. Or, the paid themes. If people want to do that, that's fine.

It was the "Paid support" thing that I was uncomfortable with.

They could get all the support they needed for free. Yet, some people would be in there, offering to do the work for a fee, before anyone else had had the chance to offer support in the usual way.

I even know of one instance where the original post was deleted, so that normal members didn't get the chance to help.

Sorry. But, to me, that's wrong.

Yes, if something gets THAT complicated, maybe it's warranted.

But, for me, TEAM members who deliberately look for such posts, like vultures, who then get preferential treatment from the support lead, to facilitate their desire for some cash?

Neh. That stinks.

Thing is, I did a lot of really heavy stuff, myself. Some of the things I did took days!

But, I was a VOLUNTEER!

Volunteers don't expect money for what they do.

Or, at least, they shouldn't.

I did get paid, once.

I'd really spent a lot of time on some guy's site, coz it kept getting hacked.

Took me three days to sort it all out.

The guy asked me for my address, so that he could send me some leaflets.

The bugger sent me $200 in cash! No return address, or anything.

I have to confess that the dosh came in handy, coz I was even more financially embarrassed than I usually am.

I was genuinely touched, by that, to be honest.

The guy was a total headcase, if truth be known.;)

Yeah, I can agree with that.

As I said, though, mods and themes are a totally different animal to support.

At least, they are, for me.

Maybe I'm just odd.