$20 Per Year to Use Your Emoticon Package?

Hi WordWeaver777,
I’m sorry you feel that way, I’ll try to explain what is wpDiscuz Emoticons addon and what you pay for. Please note, that the default comment system doesn’t have emoticons and wpDiscuz also doesn’t have that. wpDiscuz is an extension of the native WP comment system, it’s not a separate comment system.

Quite frankly, I think that by default, your plugin should include at least one emoticon package.

Both support Emoji in comments, and this is the default emoticons you’re talking about. You just need to insert emoji codes like :) :( in comments and you’ll see those.

I hope I am just misunderstanding this, but are you saying on your add-ons page that to use your custom emoticons package, it requires a $20/year subscription?

You’re not subscribing to emoticons package. You’re buying wpDiscuz Emoticons addon. This addon is a good tool which allows you add emoticons packages and manage those on comments. You can add lots of emoticons packages in this addon and change those one by one. There are lots of free emoticons packages in web, so you can have lots of different emoticons on your comment system. We added one default emoticons package as a demo, as a default pack. You’re not buying this pack, you’re buying a feature-rich toolkit to add and manage emoticons for comment system.

Hello. Let me first point out that I think that you have a great product. Just looking through its feature set, it becomes obvious that you put a lot of time and effort into creating the plugin. I believe it gives the end user value.

I also already understand that your plugin is an extension of the built-in WP commenting system. There was no need to explain that to me. ??

But that is not what is in question here. What I question is your business model. I fully understand the model of offering a free product, and then getting the hook in with annual subscriptions for the add-ons.

Before continuing, let me interject one clarification. You seem to be trying to twist the meaning of my words regarding the default emoticon set. No, I am not referring to the default emoticon set that is already included in WP, which you access by typing certain characters. I meant exactly what I said. In other words, I think you should include one of the emoticon sets THAT YOU CREATED — the $20 one — by default, as a part of your plugin, and not as an add-on.

In other words, I think your business model is reverse of the way that I personally would do it. I can only speak for myself, but I think a lot of people would agree that the plugin itself has more value to them than the emoticon add-on sets.

In short, I would feel more like I was getting my money’s worth if you actually sold your plugin with the one original emoticon add-on set included, than if you give the plugin away for free, and then charge for the emoticon sets.

Do you see my point? I can see a $20 value in the plugin itself, but not in the emoticon sets, and I think others might agree. In a lot of cases, they are not going to be willing to part with $20 for an add-on emoticon set — and I noticed that some are even more expensive than that — but they might be more inclined to pay $20 for the plugin itself — particularly if it includes one of YOUR emoticon sets — because it has more value to them.

So as I said in my original post, I think it is outrageous to expect people to pay $20 or more for emoticon sets in this day and age, no matter how fancy they are, and regardless of what other features the packages may include. I honestly don’t know how well your current business model has worked out for you, but I won’t be purchasing any of the add-ons. Maybe if I was rich, I wouldn’t care, and I’d buy them on a whim. But I am not rich.

Obviously, it is your product, and you are free to do as you wish with it. But those are my personal views regarding the issue.

Thank you for your understanding WordWeaver777,

I also already understand that your plugin is an extension of the built-in WP commenting system. There was no need to explain that to me. ??

If a user wants something extra I always remind them what they have with the default one. When you use wpDiscuz, you still uses the WordPress comment system, please don’t forget it. Saying “wpDiscuz must have one default emoticons pack” is the same as saying “WordPress comments must have a default emoticons pack”. When WordPress adds a default emoticons pack, we’ll add it and extend it in wpDiscuz as we’ve already extended other WP comment functions.

So as I said in my original post, I think it is outrageous to expect people to pay $20 or more for emoticon sets in this day and age, no matter how fancy they are, and regardless of what other features the packages may include.

You’re not only paying for Emoticons Addon. Here is the list what includes the addon price:
1. Addon Development
2. Toolkit to add and manage lots of emoticons packs
3. One nice and Unique emoticons pack
4. Premium support for the addon
5. Small donation to the free support we do for wpDiscuz
6. Small donation to the hard work we develop the free wpDiscuz

Buying an addon you’re not only buying a product, you also help developing and supporting the main free wpDiscuz plugin.