Announcing the New Pure DWTS Private Members Area
The Pure DWTS Private Members Area is a new area devoted to supporting the work we do here at Pure DWTS to cover all of the latest news, rumors and happenings in the world of Dancing with the Stars. We have no formal affiliation with the show or ABC and are just a group of fans who write about the show that we love (and at times hate). Hopefully this area will help support us doing what we love as the cost to run the site continues to increase. Plus, we saw this as a great opportunity to create a private space devoted to those who are really passionate about Pure DWTS.
Here’s the list of reasons why you should consider paying to access this Pure DWTS Private Member area:
- Be a Pure DWTS Insider
- Help Support Pure DWTS server & bandwidth costs
- Access a private member discussion area
- Opportunity to submit guest posts
- Access to Pure DWTS writers
- A special surprise if we reach 100 supporters (3+ months)
- And more is on the way!
As you can see, we’ll still be posting the content that you know and love for anyone who visits the site. However, hopefully this private members area will be a great place for fans of Pure DWTS to connect and discuss the latest DWTS. Not to mention, you can submit a guest post which we’ll consider publishing on Pure DWTS itself (Note: We love publishing great content, but will be limiting how many and which guest posts we publish. This is particularly true of guest posts that focus on the same person as opposed to DWTS in general.). It’s always great having something you wrote read by thousands of people.
In order to access the Pure DWTS Private Members Area, we offer the following membership options:
- Annual Membership – $3.95/month
- 3 Month Membership – $5.95/month
- 1 Month Membership – $9.95/month
*One payment of $9.95 for a 1 Month Membership, $17.85 for a 3 Month Membership, $47.40 for a 1 Year Membership. Your subscription will be automatically renewed to the same term until you cancel.
Sign Up Now
This will be a learning process for us, so we’d love to hear your feedback. We expect some bumps along the road, but will certainly appreciate everyone who supports the work we do here at Pure DWTS. We hope you’ll enjoy this new private members area.
Ooh! This sounds really neat. I will probably sign up tomorrow. ( I get paid hahaha) but anything to help my fellow fans out sounds good to me! Thanks for all you do you guys!
Thanks Nathan! We appreciate the support. Hopefully it will be a nice private area away from the trolls to enjoy some great DWTS discussion. Plus, then we can continue to improve the site.
Sounds! Count me in too.. You all do such an amazing job here.. Thanks for all that you do.
Just signed up myself! Great idea to support the site while giving us huge DWTS fans a place to really discuss. And who doesn’t love a non-troll area?! Heading to bed now but will begin commenting tomorrow 🙂
Thanks Dee and Kaitlyn. Glad you like the idea. We can’t guarantee it won’t be troll free (they can still join), but hopefully it will deter many of them. Plus, we’ll still expect decorum in the comments. That won’t change.
Sorry to see that those unable to afford a charge will now be left out of the majority of the discussion. All good things must come to an end 🙁
I completely understand your need to do this, but I’m saddened because I’m one of those who would love to sign up but can’t afford to. I am glad that the regular site will still have the postings I come here looking for. I really enjoy reading it after every show and even follow during the off season. All of you do such a fantasatic job. If my situation changes financially, I will gladly join.
I think this is a good thing. All the frequent posters have their private place to chat, and we who only post occasionally can still do so. Unfortunately, I can see where the information given to non members will be less than the members-only site see. That would only be fair. If you pay, you should get more. While I enjoy DWTS, I’m more a casual watcher. I’ve enjoyed reading and commenting in the past, and understand the costs of maintaining this site make this change necessary. Hope you have much success with this venture.
Good Luck with the site 🙂
I’m hoping that the regular posters will still discuss in the general area, and not only in the members only area. I lurked on a board, and when many of the regulars who I really enjoyed reading decided they wanted to get away from the trolls, they created a private area, and went off and never showed up again in the general discussion. The quality of the board went downhill very quickly, and there was no longer any reason to read there. So I really hope the members still come and play and discuss with those of us who are constrained to live life on a tight budget at the moment.
No worries, Butterfly. We definitely plan to discuss in both areas…comment here and in the private area. They way I’m understanding it is (and John, correct me if I’m wrong) that if you are a private member too, you’ll have access to some exclusives/inside info at times, members will be able to submit guest posts to be consider published at the site, there will be prizes and contests, and more as John wrote above which will, in turn, help to support the site too (as you can imagine, we’re all on tight budgets too). It’s just a special added perk, but, nothing changes at the site itself. You’ll still be able to view all the latest news items, special features as before, content, comment, etc.
This is so tempting!!! I’m torn, because it sounds like a really fun experience, but I’m stingy about my money sometimes! Haha!
@KarenT – No offense, but I think you’re being a tad overdramatic – we never said that the majority of our features would be put in the private area, so why would you automatically assume that you would be “left out of the majority of discussion”? Echoing Vogue’s sentiments (and John, please feel free to jump in), I’m pretty sure most of our regular content (Vogue’s media posts, my power rankings, Heidi’s dancing by the numbers, etc.) will still be here for everyone to view and comment on. The things that will be included in the private area are bonuses for those who want to join – insider info, more edtiorial/speculative posts from Heidi & I, things of a more gossip-y nature, etc. And ButterflyWhirl, I think that addresses your concern, too – since the regular stuff will still be here for all to see, I don’t see the VIPs retreating to the members-only area to discuss everything.
The reality is this: for the past 5 years, we’ve provided you guys coverage free of cost, and we’ve been fortunate enough to gain a rather large following as a result of our efforts. The downside? We’ve had to upgrade servers several times because all of the traffic has taken its toll, and each upgrade has cost us more $$$. In addition, with the growth of PureDWTS, the 4 main bloggers here at Pure have gone to greater and greater lengths to provide you all with great coverage of the show – often at personal costs to ourselves, in terms of money, time, and effort. We shell out money to attend DWTS-related events, upgrade our internet connection, invest in smartphones, iPads, and laptops so we can blog, tweet, and watch the show all at the same time – you get the idea. We take time off from our regular 9-5 to cover casting announcements, we pound the proverbial pavement to cultivate inside sources, we do extensive research to provide you guys with accurate info. And with the advent of even stricter internet copyright regulations, we now have to go to even greater lengths to provide you guys with pictures, media, etc. And keep in mind that we are only about 5 people strong – we’re not some huge media outlet like US Weekly or ET that has a huge budget to spend on pictures from Getty or the latest and greatest iMac so we can blog like pros. We’ve always prided ourselves on being a small “mom and pop” fan site that does the best we can with what we’ve got, and that we’re one of you guys – not some huge media presence that has obligations to the show itself or ulterior motives. And we’re extraordinarily grateful for the consistent support you guys have given us 😀 But the rising cost of continuing to bring you guys great coverage has necessitated that we find some way to generate revenue in order to offset the expense – enter this “PureDWTS Insider” area. We’re still bringing you guys the same great coverage, but we’re offering bonus material for those who want the full experience. And really, looking at the cost – for an annual membership, you spend less per month than you would on a Starbucks Frappucino (and you’re not getting all the empty calories) 😉 And total for the year, you’re still spending less than you would on a full tank of gas for most cars. We realize that many of you are on a budget these days – and we are too. All we’re trying to do is mitigate the cost of bringing you the same great coverage we have been for the past 5 years.
At the risk of sounding like Lady Bountiful, I’ve joined not because I want to be part of an exclusive insider’s club, but because I understand how expensive it is to run a site like this and want to help defray some of those costs. I know not everyone can afford to do it, but I can. So this is my way of giving back to our PureDWTS community.
To all the great folks who make Pure happen, please keep the main blog area as rich and vibrant as it is now.
I’m in the UK so payments are a bit off for me, don’t think I’ll sign up but I’m sure it’ll be great! I’ll just stay here with the ‘trolls’ mentioned in the second comment. 😉
Thank you so much, Cidra 😀 Your generosity means a lot, and we appreciate your help!
Thanks Court. You were writing at the same time I was and you said exactly what I wanted to hear! I’m glad you’re trying out this way to give those of us who can (and want to) an opportunity to help out.
Sorry to disagree about “missing out” but other than news articles being posted, it appears the editorial/speculative/insider information will be on the private board, which is fine if that decision has been made. But I think it is unrealistic to expect people to not felt left out. It’s also unrealistic to not expect the private members to post the majority of their discussion on the private board, limiting discussion here on the public board, if in fact a 100 people move to a private place. My experience is the same as Butterfly’s. When people go private, boards die. I think that is just being realistic.
I’m all for people getting their expenses paid and salaries, if that is what is being said, so I have no problem with that. It’s just realistic to say things will change here. I’m not sure why donations were not asked for before such a significant change was made in the board, but that is a moot point.
Thanks for everyone’s comments. We appreciate hearing your perspective on the change so we can continue to improve as much as possible. We mulled this idea over for quite a while. In fact, for a while we discussed which content we should put behind the paywall. We quickly realized we didn’t want the content we create to be divided. So, all the content posts we create will be available for everyone for free.
As some have mentioned, the Private Members Area should be seen as a way to support the site. We will have some private member discussion areas. I expect the discussion will likely happen both on the regular posts and in the private member area. Plus, we plan to hold a number of contests where those who can’t afford to pay can still get access to the Private Member Discussions. Hopefully this will provide a good balance of those who can financially support the site will be able to do so and many who can’t will still be able to enjoy the Private Member Area and take part in the discussions.
Our hope is that those who join the Private Members Area do so like Cidra where they mostly want to support the site. Then, the majority of extras won’t detract from the great community that’s been created at PDWTS.
Karen, discussion is what YOU make it. And what everyone makes it. If you want to have a conversation about something on one of the posts, START ONE.
This isn’t a message “board” in the true sense of the word – it’s a blog that provides information. We’ve cultivated it into a community – but the community is what you make it. I’ve never understood the “why is no one talking” syndrome.
I don’t think people understand the time and expense involved in a blog like this one until they run one, especially when combined with a real job and real life. I read a Big Brother message board and they are constantly begging for donations so they can afford to keep their servers up to handle the traffic volumes on the site. Same thing here, really.
Over time I think we’ll be able to develop other benefits that don’t divide the content. For example, I’d love to be able to remove all the ads on the site for those that are members. It’s technically not possible to do that right now, but I’m hopeful we can get there.
I do post. Time will tell how much of the posting moves to the private board. That will determine to a large extent how viable the public board remains, IMHO.
I can’t join right now and I feel like that’s saying I don’t appreciate all the hard work you do. I do appreciate it and I love this site. Hoping you have much success with the new plan.
jess,
Don’t feel that way. We understand that people just do what they can do. We won’t take any offense by people who can’t or choose not to join. You visiting the site in any form is appreciated as well. You don’t know how excited all of the writers get when there’s a nice spike in traffic to the site.
Jess, I don’t think that shows a lack of appreciation at all! Just because you can’t contribute financial support right now doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate the work the mods put into the blog. Slapping cash on the table is hardly the only way to say “thank you”. Everyone’s circumstances are different and only you know how to prioritize your expenses. I think you can show your appreciation by continuing to visit and share your thoughts, thereby contributing to a robust discussion of all things DWTS.
First, I’d like to thank all the mods who run this site. I’m truly grateful for all you do for us fans. I do understand the need for this new addition to the site. I like the idea. I may not be able to join soon, but I’ll definitely include signing up in my bucket list. 🙂
I completely agree, Cidra. This site means a lot to me and I always look forward to coming here for any insight. If there is an option to support the site to make sure that it continues to run, I’m happy to do so. I’m in a place that I can support it in this way and I think it will only be of benefit to everyone.
Karen T, I know you mentioned that you think private members will begin to post only there, but I know that personally won’t be the case for me. Yes, I’ll of course do some commenting there, but my favorite posts are all the media round ups and news articles and I couldn’t just stop posting on those!
I will very likely join over the weekend. Question though. Will contests, prizes etc be available to Canadians as well or just US members?
Marlene,
We’ll have to see what contests and prizes we create. We’re still considering on those. Although, I expect that most of them would be fine for Canada as well. Some other place shipping costs could be an issue, but Canada I think is reasonable for that.
Finding this site has brought a whole new experience to DWTS, not only loving the show more but also finding new friends on this site. All the hard work by everyone is much appreciated and does not go unnoticed.
My husband and I are raising our grandson (talk about starting over), you know, life gives you what you can handle. And we have been truly blessed having this angel in our lives.
Does it sound awful to say… I’ll have to ask my husband?
One question though? If I do sign up… Will there be email updates sent? If so, would there be anyway for me to change my email with PURE? I have since set up a personal email for myself, that way, any updates or anything that may be sent via email will not interfere with my husbands own business email. Of which must be clear of anything not business related.
One more thing, I noticed that there are no longer any comments posted on the right side of PURE. Is that part of the new changes as well.
Sandy,
All good questions. Plus, I admire you raising your grandson. I’m amazed at how much harder it is having my fourth child vs my first. What was simple when I was young with my first is so much harder with my fourth. Age definitely takes its toll.
I don’t think it’s awful to ask your husband. I consult my wife before spending money as well. I think it’s healthy to communicate finances in a relationship. Hopefully you have a collaboration like my wife and I have where we have the best interest of each other in mind as we make decisions.
Email updates is an interesting question. So, the private posts will be listed in the regular email updates, but to read the full post and comments you’ll have to click through to read them on the website. We do have all of those who join automatically in a separate email list as well. We’re not quite sure how to use that, but may use it for communicating updates as well.
You can certainly update your current email subscription. Just drop me a note with your old and new email on our contact us form and I’ll update it: https://www.puredwts.com/contact-us/
I did remove the comments widget in the sidebar for now. I didn’t have a way to have it only include comments from the regular posts and it was pointed out that showing parts of the comments from the private member area could be seen as unkind to those who can’t access the full comment. I’ll be looking at solutions that allow people to see the latest comments.
Thanks John
Thanks John and Cidra for your kind words.
Sounds like you’ve all been very thoughtful about how to proceed. Again, I hope it’s very successful. I know the work done here is more than worth it for anyone who has a little bit extra in their budget. And a big thanks to those of you like Cidra who when they can, also choose to support the site so it will continue.
Jess, that’s not what I was saying at all – please don’t take it that way. My post was simply pointing out that this is a lot of time and effort and that people don’t realize that when they complain about certain aspects of the site.
Thanks to all who run this site. I started lurking for lack of a better word during the All Star season, prior to that I would watch DWTS sporadically. I enjoy the discussions, comments etc. and hope to participate. What an accomplishment to run this site for all these years without asking for donations! My hat is off to all the mods. I joined for 3 months mainly to provide support and to say keep up the great work. You are appreciated!
Thanks Lynnette. We just passed 10.5 million pageviews since we started the site. Pretty amazing for a fan run site with no marketing budget. Not to mention we’ve created 4861 posts and had 84,853 comments. Hopefully this new members area will help us to make the site even better.
There’s the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. I also think it takes a village to support a fan-run site. If we all pitch in, in different ways with open minds and hearts, we can make this can work for everyone.
Yikes, that sounds like I wear tie-die, wear flowers in my hair, and want every to gather around a campfire, hold hands, and sing kumbaya. *shudder*
Sandy, kudos to you and your husband for raising your grandson. Absolutely nothing wrong with consulting your spouse before committing funds from your shared resources to support this site.
Whatever the outcome, you darn well better keep visiting and sharing your thoughts with us. “Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”
Ahh…but Cidra you’re so cute when you’re in your tie-die with flowers in your hair angry.
P.S. Your email bounced on my this morning. So, I couldn’t reply.
John, you’re making me blush! Hmmm, I wonder if I fat-fingered my email addy this AM or if there’s a problem with that one. I compartmentalize and have different addys for the different compartments. Geez, I wonder if I have multiple personality disorder *gasp*
I am signing up Monday. Thank you to all the moderators for making this the go to site for DWTS news and information.
I’m sorry, but I have to agree with KarenT. This whole private area is going to change the whole vibe of this place. You’re advertising that editorial/speculative/insider information will be on the private board. That’s something that most people are interested in. That’s the stuff that most people read. I know I do. You’re going to keep the good stuff from people who can’t or don’t want to pay. Those people are going to start feeling left out. And once you feel left out, you leave the place entirely.
And yes, conversation will drop off because everyone will be going to the private area instead of with the peons in the public area. I’ve seen it happen and even if you swear up and down that it won’t, it will.
Well if our future is that gloomy, why not just leave now, Fancy? Cause from what I can see, the conversation here at Pure is still quite vibrant in the public posts, and traffic is booming, even with the private members area set up…but it appears you’ve already made up your mind that this is all bad and Pure is forever ruined, and can’t see that not much has really changed. Sorry, I guess. Can’t please everyone.
People need to stop causing major drama on this board. I understand why Pure is developing an area for members because like it or not, websites cost money. From website developers, updates needed to be done (like Courtney said, server updates, smart phones, internet, etc.) which is not cheap. Plus all the time and effort they put in updating us on a daily and weekly basis every single week. If you accumulated all of the hours everyone at Pure has put into giving up accurate and up-to-date information, I’m sure it would add up too more than we seem to think, plus they are doing it all for free!
They are not saying that people who do not want to join or cannot afford to join will be treated any different or people who do subscribe will be shown any favoritism because that is not their agenda at all.
I’m going to try and subscribe in support of everyone here but as I’m also a full time University student, money can be a little tight but I’ll try and see what I can do 🙂
Thanks to everyone at Pure, I know this is the one play I always go to when I look for information regarding DWTS and also a place I know people who share the same love for the show come together 🙂
As of right now I’m unfortunately not in a position to sign up, but as soon as I can I would love to help out with the costs, you all do a fantastic job on this site and you deserve some help! Once I’m in the position to do so, you bet I’ll be signing up! I wish you all the luck on this 😀
PH, thanks. You guys are awesome. Here’s to a vibrant new private area and to the continued vibrant public area, and to the new season.
I know exactly what it costs to run a website, because I run one of my own. For that reason, I’m in. I’ll be signing up on Monday as I’ve just returned to Calgary from the summer in Muskoka and have a few other things to tend to first. 🙂
Thanks for everything you do Pure folk 🙂
Awesome Marlene. We look forward to it and welcome home!
I’m with Cidra and Kaitlyn on this… I love this site, love your polls, and rankings and numbers and hope to continue to see them on the public area for those who can’t sign up right now. Having said that, I’m subscribing to support you all, too. You all do a great job and enhance the DWTS experience for a lot of us. I am old as dirt, but work as an IT business analyst, so I know the effort you all have to put into a site like this. I can get around on most sites, but my interest is more in the content (which you guys provide a ton of) and the comments and attitude of the site (which are the best on here). Not interested in the games and prizes, but that’s not why I come… so I’ll be glad to subscribe with you purely as a THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE OUR LIVES A BIT SUNNY-ER. Hell, I felt guilty for just lurking and not commenting on this site or thanking you for the work for a long, long time.. imagine how bad I’d feel if I didn’t do something to help you keep it going when given the chance. Thanks!!
Cidra… Hey!, I did wear flowers in my hair and tie dye and sat around a lot of campfires and communes… by I always groaned at that kumbaya song… but it really does take a lot of work and commitment to do what this group does.
Awww, thanks so much for all the kind words and support, Gamakris!!xxx