A Festive Message from the Management!

The Administrators of EiT, Steve, Carlo and John would like to thank all Members & Moderators, new and old, for making EiT what it is now. The current incarnation of EiT has been up and running for just over ten months and in that time we have attracted almost 600 members and organised a monthly meet up which has gone from strength to strength. In addition, we have helped numerous members advertise mini meet ups, everything from BBQ's and bowling to curry and poker nights...

February 2005 saw our first meeting at the Sedir in Ortakoy and attracted about 15 to 20 members and guests. The most recent was at Ekvator in Beyoglu where almost 150 members & guests enjoyed a good night out.

The details for our Istanbul Xmas Party, to be held at Ekvator on the 24th December will soon be available and we believe it will live up to past events and be a good night out for all.

We don't intend to rest on our laurels. We will carry on organising more events for our members throughout 2006. Yet there are several things we would like to do for the monthly meet ups to improve the overall event. Our Moderators recently came up with some solid suggestions and we've taken them on board.

We would like a dedicated door person to meet and greet members and help new comers.

Proper signs to show that it is a private EiT event.

Decent names badges.. to cut out impersonation of admins!

The ability to provide extras like decent nibbles and snacks or even a buffet.

The list goes on but you'll have got the idea by now.

Unfortunately, all of this costs money and time. Even this forum costs money in respect of hosting and bandwidth, not to mention the time involved maintaining it as a smooth and stable site. All of the running costs are borne by the admins although we did have the Boat Party in August and the surplus from that went someway towards our bandwidth bills!

We made a decision way back in the early days that the forum would always be free to use and not jammed full of advertising. Our opinion hasn't changed and we have tried to apply the same ethos to the monthly meet ups, the only exception being the very successful Boat Party where we had to hire the boat for the evening.

Short of us, the Admins, funding the improvements to the monthly meetings out of our own pockets, one solution would be to have a nominal entry fee, somewhere in the region of 10YTL payable by all members and guests. This would allow us to make improvements to the service we provide and also go a long way towards paying the sites overall bandwidth and running costs. It will also allow us to expand the forum into a web site with useful information about living in Turkey, from legal issues to for example weekly/monthly whats on guide and bar & restaurant reviews.

So what do you, the members, think. We would like to receive your feedback by replying in this thread, using the poll above or PM any of the admins directly.

Thanks folks

The Management

so 150 people at 10ytl a pop. will the name tags be gold plated with diamond inlay?

Yours only Matt, everyone else will be back to sticky labels coz of that

JF

new mtv show....'pimp my nametag' ???

New nick... "Diamante Matt"



JF

Diamonds are a girls best friend I want mine in diamonds too please.

On a more serious note I think its about time you guys started asking for an entrance fee. I doubt most members even know that you pay for the bandwith which keeps this forum alive and online which you shouldnt have to.

This forum belongs to us all and if we enjoy coming here everyday we should help out so I'm all for the 10 ytl fee.

ps havent said this in a while thanks for everything

The question is -what do you want to do? What would 20YTL help you do? If we knew what the difference between a 10YTL fee and a 20YTL fee would do for us all - then people would be able to say yes the extra 10YTL is worth it! Personally, you can have whatever from me, I trust it will be spent wisely and also know it will benefit us enormously given what we currently get for naff all! I think most people would agree. Maymunn certainly does - he's here and has said he's prepared to fork out 60YTL every month! (for the female intros alone!!!)

As I haven't been to an event yet, I don't really know what's involved. But I think 10YTL sounds reasonable for a cover charge. I have really enjoyed using this site over the past few weeks, and would like to keep using it. So I'll be there with my money in hand if I make it to the next event.

Aye... he would!

But good question. In a word, for 20YTL you will get "nothing". Coz we don't intend to charge anywhere near that. The "I'd pay more..." option is in there to give the poll a bit of balance, nothing else.

We've never been in this to make a bundle of money and don't intend to change that philosophy. So unless we have to hire a boat, tramcar, London bus or whatever, any potential charge will only be 10YTL. And lets face it, with the discounts we normally negotiate in the bars you would soon get that back

JF

Just a quick question........ This 10ytl...is that for people who attend an EIP function? Or would it be for all members regardless? If so, how would the fee be collected? Taken to the next step....if it was for party goers only, how would you differentiate between website services provided to party goers and non?

Quick reply. It's only for EiT organised month meet ups which are open to all members and their bona fide guests.

The forum and and any subsequent web site will always be free of charge to all users.

JF

And quickly understood

would definitely pay the10ytl and more if i had to. i think everyone agrees that they look forward to the expat partıes every month, this expat site answers alot of questions and helps with moving to turkey to live so all for supportıng ıt. 10ytl is good value for money.

I totally agree with this proposition and even if I won't be able to join to some parties I will find the way how to send my contribution.
even if the site is free there are some people who are carring of it and sacrifying their time and rest. there is a difference between a member who can just have a look and read whatever he wants and an admn. who is carring of the stability of the site.
I really would like thank our admns for all their efforts

Thanks Cesar, but if you don't attend an event then there is no charge. The charge is purely for the events organised on a monthly basis, not for using the forum as it will always be free.

JF