# Off Topic > The Water Cooler >  >  Paid Subscriptions

## Kyle123

What are the paid subscriptions for in CP?

Are they new, I've never noticed them before

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## abousetta

Don't know, but it's active... clicking on the buttons got me to the PayPal site so that I can pay. It must be a new feature/ service. It's also not clear if the whole site is going commercial or a specific section and what the advantages will be for the users and solution providers will be? Will we get paid for answering questions from now on?!

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## Pepe Le Mokko

As Forum Experts you seem to have access to new functionalities

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## john55

hi abousetta, if you wanna be paid you need our vote... LoL

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## abousetta

Every time I enter an election, I end up losing  :Frown: 

I even entered an election with 12 seats and 13 candidates, and still lost  :Smilie: ... no joke, it really happened to me in University  :Smilie: 

so I don't think voting the best way for me to go.

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## john55

I am not laughing now...but I dare to say o joke from time to time....  :Wink:

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## Kyle123

FWIW after having a little dig it appears that this commercial thing is imminent. Looks like users will be able to "appreciate" answers to their question which assigns purchased points to the lucky answerer. When the answerer has accumulated 25 points or more, they can be "redeemed", for what I've no idea - but looks like points means prizes!!

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## abousetta

So in other words, 

we pay money to enter the site to answer questions...

others pay money to enter the site to post questions...

If the payer like my answer enough to "appreciate" my solution, then they get to click on the star.

When I get enough reps, I get to turn them in for a EF T-shirt and mug?!

Say it ain't so Kyle... say it ain't so...

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## Kyle123

Dunno, really only making assumptions on the snippits of code lying around.

I think questioners will pay money to buy points that are used to reward people answering questions - I don't think anyone would actually pay for the privilege of answering  :Wink: 

There'll probably be a dedicated forum for it - like Ozgrid I guess, but with points rather than cash

Haha maybe the site owner's going for an ozgrid model with EE rewards  :Wink:

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## JosephP

and a bigger cut ;-)

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## abousetta

I'll be honest. I would pay for services from of the top people on this site. For example, you helped me with a few recent examples that would have spent days researching. So I can see the merits of creating a unique subforum for paid services. I just hope the whole site doesn't because a pay for service forum.

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## Kyle123

I can't see as they would do that, I'd guess there just aren't enough people prepared to pay and they need the traffic to get the ones who are. So I suspect it'll be like OzGrid where you get dedicated help if you're prepared to pay. Though Ozgrid are very open about their model - IIRC 10% to the site and the rest to the person helping, as Joseph suggests, I'll eat my (non existent hat) if this forum only keeps 10% of what people pay (though I reckon EE take the biggest chunk - those t-shirts aren't dear!!!)

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## TMS

Looks like it's imminent.

This link appeared briefly: http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...-services.html but when I followed it, it turned out I didn't have permission to look at it.

TMShucks, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.
Log Out Home


What if I think my answer is worth more than the punter wanted to pay?  I can see this going bad.

Regards, TMS

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## arlu1201

TMS,

I had posted the thread in the water cooler as i wanted to move it to the CS subforum.  Due to some technical issues, i was not able to create it.  I will move it back to the water cooler for all to see.

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## Pete_UK

I see that the payment facility is only open to Mods and Admins initially.

http://www.excelforum.com/the-water-...-services.html

Pete

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## arlu1201

No Pete.

The mods and admins will be the users answering the questions in this initial launch period.  It will then be moved to the other usergroups over time.

The mods and admins do not have to pay anything.  Its the users who want the questions to be answered for a fee, who will pay.

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## TMS

Not going to be an issue for me.  Not qualified but, even if I was, I'm not interested in "points for gifts".  It all feels a little nebulous.

And, in all honesty, we fix some pretty complex problems for nothing so why muddy the water?  Oh yeah, 25% ... nearly forgot that.  Ho hum,  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Pete_UK

Yes, I understand that, Arlette - only Mods and Admins will _receive_ any payments.

Pete

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## arlu1201

Its only for the initial period.  As the number of questions increase, the forum gurus will be given access and then the forum experts.

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