Paid Subscriptions - marketplace for users

[john h]

I have an idea where I would like to see the paid subscriptions expanded so that forum users can get run their own little "market" subscription to a sub forum.

The user would request the forum admin to create a sub forum for them. The user would supply subscription costs and their paypal email, which can be set-up by the admin. The user would be sub forum owner - with moderator type permissions.

So when other users select a paid subscription to the sub forum, the sub forum owner gets the subscription fee to their paypal.

Perhaps a percentage to the admin? Maybe too hard that way so perhaps the user pays a subscription to own a sub-forum in the first place.

The functionality for the sub forum owner to see reports would be nice, but I think the forum admin should set permissions etc.

I don't have the know how to make this, so if anyone thinks this is a good idea and has the skills, please speak up.

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Not sure how feasible this would be.

- Subscriptions are not tied to a single (sub) forum but work board-wide.

- This could, depending on the implementation, be against the license agreement as it can be seen as renting out the software:

2. Restrictions

You may not give copies to another person, or duplicate the Software by any other means, including electronic transmission. You may make one copy of the Software in machine-readable form for backup purposes only; provided that the backup copy must include all copyright or other proprietary notices contained on the original. You may not rent, sublicense, assign, lease, loan, resell for profit, distribute, publish or network the Software or related materials or create derivative works based upon the Software or any part thereof.

[john h]

hmmm, perhaps it would need a different approach then. I considered the subscription idea as that was already in vBulletin.

My idea was there is a group of people who individually make a digital item that is modified over time.

I was looking at users attaching their product in a thread within their own sub forum, that only subscribed users could download. Rather than having the users trust the Admin to manage subscription and pass on money, I was looking for a way to include them.

Maybe, making the user a sub forum "owner" is not what I really mean.

Perhaps there is a better way that will fit in with the terms?

[Marco van Herwaarden]

Well it can be done with subscriptions, as all they do is assign a usergroup (and therefor the usergroup permissions).

But to make sure yo stay within the License Agreement, i would post your scenario on vBulletin.com to ask if it will be within the License Agreement or not.