Although I'm not a TechPro Guild subsriber (so dont feel you need to include me in the points if you dont like an unauthoritive answer :-), I would have thought the yearly subscription was quite a bit cheaper!?
But I'm interested to hear back from you whether you feel its good value for money either way? Here in Australia it is effectively double that with the exchange rate...
Well it seems to me that you're on the best troubleshooting guide there is on the net right now! And here's you with all these points... :-)
So personally, I wouldn't count that as a huge plus. Certainly TechRepublic provides some useful information on its site and I wonder how much better its paid material is?
Hopefully someone who is a member will answer this question cause I'm keen to know too.
Maybe TechRepublic should offer an alternative points based membership. Say 5,000 points per month or something like that.
It would encourage more people to be active, anyway...
Hi Tim, Thank you for your input regardless of whether you are a member or not of TechPro Guild. You are one of the ones I love to read answers and comments from in the Q&A forums. Loved your answers to Maxwell on the All Open Questions thing. Keep on posting! :-)
Hi Tim, You must be burning the midnight oil over in Australia if it's 2PM here!! Currently I don't belong to the guild, but see that there is an offer for the free trouble shooting guide with paid membership. I am just wondering if subscribers could tell me what other features are consistently offered above and beyond the TechRepublic site and why it would be worth the extra money on top of ISP access fees. I realize that (in the USA) this membership would probably be tax deductible, but I'm looking for more substantial reasons to spend this money. My husband is a saint to put up with all the money I spend on classes, tutorials, testing, books, etc. that are for keeping current in IT as it is. I don't want to push it too far!! :-)
Hi Lizzy, I am a member, and have been for 2 years. I was hired a a system administrator on a UNIX server 4 years ago. Since that time, my job duties have expanded to maintain the 48 PC's in the company. (watch out for that clause: "other duties as assigned"!!) We have all the major brands of PC's & they are running Win 95, 98, ME, 2000, and NT. I have no certifications for any of these platforms. This keeps me hopping. I learn as I go. I frequently use the website to learn what I need toknow to fix whatever has been thrown my way. I access the online books at least once a week, and the knowledgebase several times a week. The online books provide a way for me to check out the book to see if it is something I am interested in without leaving my desk. I often read the entire book online, making notes for later reference & then I never have the expense of purchasing the book. Incidentally -- I am in the U.S. and I have DSL, so I don't have to worry about exchange rates, or per minute fees. For me it is an invaluable tool & I feel that $89.00 is worth it. Steph
INFORMATION! Have you not taken the 30 day trail and seen all the books and other How-To articles? If you buy one book a year, which is one way under par for me you are pretty much at the $89.00 per year price. So really if you buy 2 books a year inthe real world you are losing money compared to the virtual books of techrepublic. Not to mention I find the articles are much more stimulating here than other websites. In my mind I am getting what I am saving money by being a member of techrepublic. (And no, I am not a techrepublic salesman in disguise)
Hello Lizzy, I am a recent subscriber after taking advantage of the free preview. I have found the articles and especially the drill downs to be extremely informative and helpful. Techrepublic overall has helped to keep me moving forward and interested in IT. I am N+ and A+ certified working towards MCSA in W2K/XP. Sometimes I get bogged down and just browse the sites to get going again. As for the $89.00, information from the Troubleshooting Guide has already paid for that a couple of times over. Just my take on things...try it for a couple of months and see what you think. (-:
If you're asking for technical help, please be sure to include all your system info, including operating system, model number, and any other specifics related to the problem. Also please exercise your best judgment when posting in the forums--revealing personal information such as your e-mail address, telephone number, and address is not recommended.
TechProGuild--Why do you belong?
Do you think it's worth the cost of $8.95 per month or $89.00 per year and why?
Thanks in advance.