I have enjoyed the use of this forum, as has been mentioned this site is extremely user freindly. Also I enjoy using the poser program along with other software that have forums dedicated to discussions as well as helpful folk who visit and offer help. Of late I have also thought that the online store has worked out in many ways. It offers many of the advanced users to showcase and sell their products, I had hoped that I could learn enough to give back to this community some day. The way that we can do that is to support the forums...yes all of them. Each of the forums out there offer something a bit different. This one has in the past developed a more open acceptance of many types of art, I have noticed that many people have cross-posted to the various forums. This seems to be great, everyone finds a home for their art and expression. Still behind it all is the software and server expenses, and the costs that should be paid. It seemed to be working. I think though that there should be some agreement reached about the profits of the site if there ever should be some, and also the sale of the site. Like a domestic relationship, money can be the main reason why a business relationship fails. I do not think that anyone has a problem with people getting paid for work that they do. It seems that there has been an underlying intent to generate some kind of income to cover expenses. Where it gets unclear is the words costs and "sale". In a way it is unfair to think that one group will profit over others who volunteer, but it takes everyone together to make a community. If this one is expected to pay its expenses then I think people will generally not have a problem helping to support the forum....but then what. Some valid points have been made, and in my humble opinion, the issue of loyalty goes only so far when there is an underlying potential or even an expectation for profit.....as a community we than are a commodity....and a resource. I think members resent being treated as property, I know I get nervous thinking about it. It also seems unfair that if part of the community is volunteering and the other part is profiting from the efforts which are intended to support the community and not one part more than another. There must be a happy balance, for this there will have to be solutions. It is easy to find the problems but harder to find solutions. I hope that in this great experiment a solution can be found. Usually it is good to find the two end points, what the individuals in the community want and what the vendors want and what the providers want. Somewhere in the middle will be solutions and compromises. the idea of having the members vote is a good one, perhaps operating this forum much like a corporation may be a good place to start generating ideas. Articles and bylaws might give people a place to start, not as rules per se but to communicate clearly what is expected. However the notion of a corporation or association also means that everyone who is a member would have an "investment" in the community. The biggie is how, who and by what means money would be handled. So after blabbering on I would wonder if Edgenet is in a position to comment on the nature of the future of their investment in terms of the money. ...just what do they expect in terms of control and profit. In other words even if the community votes on moderators, and the community votes on rules, what control will the community have over itself in terms of being sold. Can they expect to vote on that? Would they be at least entitled to disclosure? I think a lot of concern is that their artwork (contained in the galleries/free stuff) will be "sold". Or that their information will be sold. It may not matter for some, I for one enjoy using this forum as well as the others. It is just hard to see so many people getting so upset because things did not go the way they expected.