I recently rejoined PW after a break of four  years. i didnt try to  dl everything at once, intending to do it over a period of time.  I went on to the site today to dl a few files and up pops this message telling me I cant continue because Im using download software, which Im not. I eventually work out its because I tried to dl two items at once. I had the email, as did all the members explaining the bandwidth problem and introducing the no dl manager rule, which is fair enough, but one file at a time? Its not like its the fastest site on the web, most items taking between three and five minutes to come down. Again, I could understand it if it were a freebie site, but its not. I notice these restrictions are buried in the help section but any new subscriber would just see the unlimited banner on the home page and take that ast face value. perhaps that should be changed.
I like PW stuff. although I have to say I was disapointed in the amount of new items on site after a break of four years,  but I find it intensely annoying sitting here staring at a screen waiting for items to come down singly on a subscription site.
Perhaps I just woke up with a sore head this morning. Am I unreasonable in expecting perhaps two consecutive  downloads? 

I am not a member of Poser World at this time, but my opinion on downloads is that at least 2 files should be allowed to be downloaded at one time.

However, if bandwidth is a huge issue and incoming revenue is down, I can see how that could be a problem.

Now I don't know what Poser World subscription sales are like, but for each life time membership they sell, that's one more person they can't get any more money from to help pay for costs, so coverage of costs depends solely on new subscribers, and not only do they have new subscribers downloading, but also old life time subscribers too. All adding up in bandwidth usage with only the newest subscribers covering costs.  So I can see why they may want to limit to one download at a time in order to keep costs down.

That being said, if bandwidth and cost is an issue, they may want to check out the web host that I use.  1and1 Internet. They have 500 gigs of monthly bandwidth for the home package and way more than that for a business package, and the prices are extremely resaonable.

I could understand bandwidth being a problem at weekends, but 7am on a Monday? 
Im just fed up with people changing the rules, like my ISP, who sells me a 20gb  unlimited package and then introduces "traffic shaping" so that for most of the day, Im restricted to 4gb. But thatt`s another moan :o). 

I can understand your frustration but we were getting hit by download managers so bad that most folks couldn't get a decent download speed, its not a matter of cost, we own the servers (in Allens house) and if we let folks download as many  files as they wanted it wouldn't put the cost up, it would just slow everything down for other folks. Now this won't make you feel any better as you don't use a Dload manager but at least i can explain why. The downloads are still unlimited though, you can download as much as you want one at a time. When you way it up, say you join for 3 months and download (lets be silly and say 2 files a day, not that anyone would ever go that low :o) 2 files a day, that 180 files costing you 25c a file......Another way of solving the problem would be to add a few more T1s, then we'd have to put the price up an not as many folks would want or be able to join, but the few rich enough to join could download as fast as they want.......I think the short version is whatever we do someone is going to be unhappy.......Hope that expains things, Oh and Acadia thanks but 500gig wouldn't even scratch the surface :o)..........Steve

Quote - I can understand your frustration but we were getting hit by download managers so bad that most folks couldn't get a decent download speed, its not a matter of cost, we own the servers (in Allens house) and if we let folks download as many  files as they wanted it wouldn't put the cost up, it would just slow everything down for other folks.

That makes sense :) In that light, I'd rather have a good speed for one file than sit there all day trying to download it.

My download speed this morning was c50kbs.

In case anyone was wondering, I`m on a 20Mb deal, not 20GB. I wish, LOL.

This is why I didn't sign up for the lifetime deal, and whenever I see those deals on a subscription site I know that down the road there will be problems. You have to keep that fresh money coming in or you just can't stay open. That happens in any business but especially in an online one.

The email sent out about this referred to the costs incurred monthly which kind of implied that they were an issue.

That said, limiting to 1 download is a bit extreme, I generally download (from anywhere I have multiples) 2 -3 at one time that's as many as my system will let me do at once anyhow, I do not use a download accelerator. 

In general when I'm downloading I'm also working so not having to constantly switch to the browser and hit the download button saves me a great deal of time.

Quote - I could understand bandwidth being a problem at weekends, but 7am on a Monday? 
Im just fed up with people changing the rules, like my ISP, who sells me a 20gb  unlimited package and then introduces "traffic shaping" so that for most of the day, Im restricted to 4gb. But thatt`s another moan :o). 

Doesn't matter what time of day you download something - bandwidth charges are (at most places) cumulative. 500GB (not gigabit, but Gigabyte) means that per-month, they can only let 500GB of stuff transfer out from their site.

Also, I think PWFW (the original acronym of the joint :) ) is trying to get folks to subscribe regularly, instead of popping in a cheap sub once in a blue moon then downloading madly before leaving again.

Their site, their rules.

/P

I thought the original rule was two simultaneous downloads, not more. And this rule isn't new, it was already valid when I joined for the first time, more than two years ago. So it took some time to get what I wanted, but that's OK for me.

Probably, the business model doesn't work if all people just join for very short time, downloard everything and then wait some years before subscribing again. Bandwith costs money, it's that simple. As Penguinisto said, their site, their rules. Or would you like to pay more for faster downloads?

Wouldn't 2 T1's loaded at a constant 100% only be capable of ~800 GB in a month for download? Maybe my math is wrong.
I'm a lifetime member, and everytime I download it seems the downloads are limited to a half T-1 or less, and it seems to overload easily.

I lease 2 dedicated servers at ThePlanet for ~$300 per month with a combined limit of 3,500 GB per month.
Up until a few years ago I was paying for a T-1 to my home. It was nice having the on/off switch right there, but realistically, they were awfully expensive switchs.

Just so you know I was with them from the start with only two short breaks. I was only making a comment about the lifetime membership killing most sub sites, I have seen it before and have yet to see it work for a long period of time. PW did in fact ask for more money from members to fix problems they were having, and that made me lose just a bit of respect for them as a business. The money I spent by doing the yearly instead of the liftetime could have paid for the lifetime a few times over. Thought it would be better to support the site with an infusion of money every year. Guess I was wrong. You're right. Their site...their rules, but my money will stay in my pocket now. No great loss to them or me.   8^)

Oh and just so you know I never use download managers but can download more than one file at a time just using XP's settings in the registry.

No, I wouldnt pay more for faster downloads, I just want what was in place when I joined. Last week I could dl two files at a time, this week I cant .  The site implies that membership allows members to dl all and everything if they so wish. Im also almost certain that the 3 month deal was flagged as "Best Deal", implying that it was fine to join for short periods, then return.  but that now refers to the lifetime membership., but I could be wrong on that. We then get an email stating "*If you want *all* of the Poser World content we do offer content DVD's that have most of the members downloads on disc. We provide a nice discount for members" *Im sorry. I thought Id already paid for that. The email also states *"We ask that you please not use download managers or download accelerators of any sort. Should this request not be abided by we will rate limit connection by IP address to prevent abuse."* I dont use acceleraters or managers but I may well spend some time on the site getting stuff one after the other. Am I going to be limited on this unlimited site? 
One final quote from the email.  "Should members not abide by our request we may be forced to ban the abusive members completely. We can see each members IP address and how much they download at a time and per month, per year, etc"  Ok, something to remember when renewal time comes around.
If the problem is bandwidth use and not income, things can only get worse as they are offering a very good discount for anyone joining in May.  All those new members, downloading all that stuff.
I really don`t want to cause trouble for the site. I like their content very much and the owners have always seemed most helpful but this has got right up my nose.

I guess this is Bash Poserworld month. My lifetime subscription has more than paid for itself many times over. So you are now only allowed to download 1 item at a time. Oh my gosh! The end of the world!

"The site implies that membership allows members to dl all and everything if they so wish"
And you can, nothing changed there.

"Im sorry. I thought Id already paid for that"
You did, but its an alternative, a choice.

"but I may well spend some time on the site getting stuff one after the other. Am I going to be limited on this unlimited site"
No you most certainly will not, you can download day and night for 3 months thats why we put the limit on.

"All those new members, downloading all that stuff"
If enough join we'll add another connection.

" I was only making a comment about the lifetime membership killing most sub sites, I have seen it before and have yet to see it work for a long period of time"
How long is a long time Marque, we've been open 9 years, my memory isn't great but hasn't there only been one other subs site and there problem was servers, which won't be a problem for us as we have our own with a dediacted T1 or whatever it is, i'm not the tech guy :o)

Look folks its like this, We've been doing this for about 11years (9 as subs) we aren't out to change the world or take over the poser universe, we just want to make good models and get them to you as cheap as possible, we will never be able to keep everyone happy but we'll try our best to please as many as possible.......Now i must get on and make a model or i'll have LostinSpaceman starting a thread about no updates this week :o)...........Steve
PS First thing this morning i walked under 3 ladders, i didn't used to believe LOL

i have a lifetime membership  for several yrs now.
and i have to say its the best thing i ever spent money on for my poser addiction.
i don't have to worry about downloading everything at once and saving it for that long in the future project i may want it for. incase the site is gone next yr.
its great to be able to go there and download the item or two i need when i actually wish to use it... rather than store it away just in case.
and yes the new items are slow comming in the last yr or so but there made even better than ever., and after making a few items and seeing what is involved in time and all to get them ready for the general poser user. i can really feel for them and am happy to see new items come out.
besides its the only place i know of that has ever had so many costumes for the males.
and with ww2 i can make them  fit anyone i want.. so this is an added plus.
steve keep up the great work i hope to be a lifetime member for my whole life!!
netta

Quote - Now i must get on and make a model or i'll have LostinSpaceman starting a thread about no updates this week :o)...........Steve

Wah!! No updates this week? I've been robbed! Good one Steve! :tt2: I'm happy with 1 new item a month so it'll have to be someone else whining about weekly updates.

Quote - I can understand your frustration but we were getting hit by download managers so bad that most folks couldn't get a decent download speed, its not a matter of cost, we own the servers (in Allens house) and if we let folks download as many  files as they wanted it wouldn't put the cost up, it would just slow everything down for other folks. Now this won't make you feel any better as you don't use a Dload manager but at least i can explain why. The downloads are still unlimited though, you can download as much as you want one at a time. When you way it up, say you join for 3 months and download (lets be silly and say 2 files a day, not that anyone would ever go that low :o) 2 files a day, that 180 files costing you 25c a file......Another way of solving the problem would be to add a few more T1s, then we'd have to put the price up an not as many folks would want or be able to join, but the few rich enough to join could download as fast as they want.......I think the short version is whatever we do someone is going to be unhappy.......Hope that expains things, Oh and Acadia thanks but 500gig wouldn't even scratch the surface :o)..........Steve

Just free info, worth exactly what you paid for it.. :)

However, you might want to consider a local host program with a local service provider.  Some providers will host your physical server at their location, wired into their support, for a minimal charge.  Support packages would be up to you and the host.  But, some will even let you work on your own server, on site, with minimal fuss.  It does take some degrees of freedom away from you but you might find an arrangement that is comfortable, cuts a little off someone's home electric bill and provides the bandwidth you need to keep everyone happy.

I realize it may not be possible given your specific situation.  But, if you're set on owning your own hardware and having the "turn a screwdriver" freedom you would have by having the servers readily accessible, this might be a solution.  All you have to do is find someone local who is willing to do it.  The days of local providers are numbered, but they're still out there, piggybacking off of larger ISPs.

Anyway, just a thought.

Sorry if it seemed I am bashing poserworld because that's not how I meant it. At any rate it doesn't matter, can't justify it right now so will not be getting it. Maybe I'll wait and buy the content on disk later. Then there won't be a download problem at all.   8^)
At any rate, why is it that if somone has an opinion about a site, they are bashing the site, but the owners of the site can have an opinion and it's not the same?

500GB/month? pfft that would only fill up a 1/4 of my hd space -_- 4 months is too long to do it ;x

Ok, nearly everything on Poserworld is on the 2 DVDs. Both of them have about 2.5 GB content (according to the PW shop). So pretty much everything is about 5 GB.

So, if you load one piece at a time at the given speed of 50kbps, you would need about 28 hours to load everything on your computer, including a lot of stuff for Posette and Vicky2, Dork and Michael 1.

If you have the 3 month package, you have 12 weeks to download everything. So if you spend less than three hours every week, you should have everything on your hard disk. Is this really a problem?

Quote - Ok, nearly everything on Poserworld is on the 2 DVDs. Both of them have about 2.5 GB content (according to the PW shop). So pretty much everything is about 5 GB.

So, if you load one piece at a time at the given speed of 50kbps, you would need about 28 hours to load everything on your computer, including a lot of stuff for Posette and Vicky2, Dork and Michael 1.

If you have the 3 month package, you have 12 weeks to download everything. So if you spend less than three hours every week, you should have everything on your hard disk. Is this really a problem?

OMG! You did the math! LOLZ! Amazing offer don'tcha think?

My main question is - how fast do people need the stuff? If you use three or four sets for one render, the download time should be well below two cups of coffee. If you want to have everything on your HD, you have to spend some time for it. If you don't want that, there still is the DVD.

Ok, since I am a subscriber for some time, the whole thing isn't a problem for me. I am pretty much up to date with my downloads. But I started doing selective downloads for projects, and stuff I liked. Over time, I downloaded the rest too. And I never found something to complain.

Look what the PW subscription costs. Then look how much stuff you would get here at the marketplace for that money. Then think a bit. To me, the PW subscription is one of the best deals I did.

I have a lifetime membership, and it was one of the best poser investments I've made. I can come and get things when I need them, whenever I need them. I thoroughly recommend it. :)

And on top of this, Steve is always improving the service. I don't need to use a download manager, and if you really really want everything - get the DVD's. :)

can't you set a download manager to only do one file at a time?

When I joined I expected someone from PW to hand deliver each item I selected.

I want my money back!

Quote - I have a lifetime membership, and it was one of the best poser investments I've made. I can come and get things when I need them, whenever I need them. I thoroughly recommend it. :)

And on top of this, Steve is always improving the service. I don't need to use a download manager, and if you really really want everything - get the DVD's. :)

I bought a yearly membership, and it came with the content burned on a DVD, IIRC.  Seems like people getting on trouble are those whom bought a short term membership, and want to download 'everything' before it expires... and messing it up for those whom download things as needed.

5/14/08

I am very happy with my PW lifetime membership. When I got my V4.2/A4 with morphs, I already had a nice wardrobe to work with. PW is well worth the money.

And, should the community there should need something, and the ADMIN wants to ask for voluntary added contributions. I don't mind kicking in some extra if I can. I tip the barber and waitress. I give a Christmas gift to the mailman. Why not contribute if it is needed?

LMK

I never said it wasn't a good deal. And since I was with them from the beginning, and have the receipts to prove it, I didn't have to download mass quantities each time because I have all the stuff back even from the days of Posette and the Dork. I don't think of them as a community, I think of them as a business. That is why I didn't donate when asked. I don't ask folks to donate to me so I can buy a faster computer, so I fail to understand why a business would feel comfortable asking me for money above and beyond what I've already paid. I don't tip my mailman, and I don't tip a waitress if she doesn't deserve one. I would never have accepted a tip as an E.R. nurse athough I had lots of folks try to give me one.  I didn't sign up again because I didn't see the content coming down the way it used to for the main characters. I'm sure the folks who have the other characters appreciate it a lot but since I don't have them it seemed a waste of money that could be put elsewhere. I have nothing against Steve and Allen, just don't feel that loyalty that some folks seem to get with these poser stores. Feel the same about Daz, RDNA, Rendo and Content Paradise.
Ikendal, send me some money please, I want a new computer.

I gave some money too when they asked. I think that it's still a good deal, I would not have given money if I thought that it would not be worth it. That's about the same with tips, I usually give tips, especially when I enjoyed the service.

5/15/08

I was an ER nurse also, and I refused tips in that situation. There is a lot of difference between exploiting vulnerable people under the care of a professional who is payed relatively well for her/his services, and tipping service people whose income may be less.

Poser World is not a business like Renderosity, DAZ, or RDNA. At Poser World, one buys everything in the store for the same price. Wouldn't I like to get everything at (and everything that will ever be at) the other sites for a few hundred dollars for the rest of my life. With a lifetime membership, I don't have to try and download everything in a month, and they sent me a disk of stuff so I wouldn't even try. I'm sure that Steve and Allen would love to know how they could run a sale that would to get a little extra cash, when so many of their customers have already paid for anything that they create.

I find communities everywhere. I guess it is that sociaology/anthropology training. As I see it, one can do business or not, give or not, use the forums or not, socialize or not, as one sees fit.

Marque, if you really need something, PM me and let me know. I think nurses should stick together.

LMK

Loyalty to a store is a broken concept for me. I like what Poserworld offers and I have no personal complaints against them. I even reccommend them. That doesn't mean I'm a blind loyalist though. Loyalty is something earned by people, not businesses. Just my opinion, having been burnt by a few businesses.

so apparently it's not just ron knights who has been inconvenienced.  I know poserworld has
been around for almost a decade, but I couldn't find a link to poserworld.com in the first few
pages of the links from this site.  personally I have no complaints.

I have no complaints and I also have recommended them many times over.  Just kidding about the money for the new computer....however...a bigger tractor or some fencing would be nice.   8^)

Tips... hmm....

Don't eat yellow snow. :)

Poserworld is back to two simultaneous downloads.

Quote - Poserworld is back to two simultaneous downloads.

For which I thank them. Taking notice of your customers is a sign of good management , which I always thought they were. I`m only sorry my initial post may have caused friction between  some members and prompted sarcasm from others.

I have 90% of the stuff on CD's which I got as a freebie when I got my lifetime subscription to PW.
If you really need THAT much of their stuff, buy the CD's or DVD's.

I repeat, my ONLY problem with PW is that they've slowed down on new stuff lately. I got used to 2 product announcements a month in the Marketplace Announcement threads. Even if it wasn't something I could use, I felt comfortable knowing it was there.

No stop biting at Steve's heels and let him go back to making cool stuff.

No one is biting at his heels that I can see. The issue appears to have been resolved. The only posts now will be folks who come in to see what's up and put in their 2 or 3 cents worth.  8^)