convore.json/groups/hacker-news/ask-hn-should-my-startup-stay-invite-only-forever/messages.json

[{"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304473249.2168629, "message": "I started http://talentopoly.com last Nov as an invite-only community for programmers, designers, and IT pros. The invite-only system has worked fairly well so far and I feel it has kept the site on target and therefore providing value. The question is, how long should sites like this and others (Dribbble, LoveDsgn, Forrst et al) keep the invite wall in place? Forever?", "group_id": 95, "id": 905536}, {"user_id": 1, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304473695.4833281, "message": "If it's working, then that's great.  Unless you start to feel like your users aren't growing as much as you'd like, then leaving it invite-only seems fine.", "group_id": 95, "id": 905627}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304474023.311584, "message": "@ericflo True", "group_id": 95, "id": 905683}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304474011.0487189, "message": "@italiano40 I agree that since it's a niche community invite-only is probably the answer for a long time if not forever.", "group_id": 95, "id": 905682}, {"user_id": 4149, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304473438.178242, "message": "there are some people that run sites and keep them invite to grow the community and to keep it engaging and make a good community, and other don't and let the community to grow on there own so you have to pick which one you want but i would keep it invite-only and try to grow it since yours is a special network and has that niche", "group_id": 95, "id": 905575}, {"user_id": 1, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304473736.15042, "message": "I don't think there's really a wrong answer", "group_id": 95, "id": 905634}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304475174.365464, "message": "Invite-only is really popular at the moment. Is anyone against sites like Dribbble being invite-only? Is there a good reason not to be?", "group_id": 95, "id": 905816}, {"user_id": 3444, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304516166.262635, "message": "Invite only can be frustrating for users who want in but can't seem to get an invite...I've been there. BUT on the other hand, once I DID get an invite I was pretty happy about it and contributed in a positive way to the site. I guess invite only means you'll have more engaged users. You may have higher numbers if you open the flood gates, but more of your users will be worthless so to speak", "group_id": 95, "id": 912836}, {"user_id": 21218, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304518744.2252271, "message": "Breeds resentment in a lot of cases", "group_id": 95, "id": 913318}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304519129.040868, "message": "@CrowderSoup That has been my theory as well. I think the invite-only method has a lot of tangible and intangible advantages.", "group_id": 95, "id": 913361}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304519147.8012409, "message": "@jthomasbailey Even if you can request an invite? (i.e. Not like Dribbble, but more like Forrst)", "group_id": 95, "id": 913363}, {"user_id": 21218, "stars": [{"date_created": 1304573947.3239119, "user_id": 31883}, {"date_created": 1304621499.175482, "user_id": 30963}], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304527631.623498, "message": "@jaredbrown no, it's fine for me if I can request an invite and eventually get one. I remember some where you were supposed to have a friend invite you as if it were some exclusive social clique which made me instinctually think \"fuck that\"", "group_id": 95, "id": 915526}, {"user_id": 3444, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304528763.7750111, "message": "@jthomasbailey I agree. I think requesting invites is the best, that way you can review requests and get the best people in your community, without all the junk people who wouldn't add anything.", "group_id": 95, "id": 915768}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304534326.147054, "message": "@CrowderSoup That's the hope", "group_id": 95, "id": 917404}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304534309.546495, "message": "@jthomasbailey Understandable. But yes you can request an invite and will generally get it within a week.", "group_id": 95, "id": 917401}, {"user_id": 15141, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304535598.1627209, "message": "I'd do a level system. Read only for every one. A public zone, an intermediate zone and one or many invite only zone. It is my 2cents.", "group_id": 95, "id": 917750}, {"user_id": 14086, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304627291.2738731, "message": "@yogsototh Thanks for the suggestion, it's given me something to think about.", "group_id": 95, "id": 934100}, {"user_id": 4935, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304661145.179323, "message": "forever?!!! reminds me of http://triiibes.com/", "group_id": 95, "id": 938760}, {"user_id": 504, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304659193.2695, "message": "I am currently running my site as invite only. I think there are a few advantages, though I don't have a control to compare: (1) higher engagement (2)  connections between users are more dense (3) easier to get attention of distribution partners since they can offer invites to their audience as a perk.", "group_id": 95, "id": 938614}, {"user_id": 32478, "stars": [], "topic_id": 33546, "date_created": 1304725364.633122, "message": "It's a great way to get numbers at first. But in the long run, the invite-only option has to go.", "group_id": 95, "id": 947692}]