The short answer is: You don't need to be a member. The majority of content is available for the general public to view, including the Learning Center, Classified Ads, Dance Directory, and Message Board.

Now the long answer:

Basic membership provides additional benefits. For example, having an account with a password enables you to log in to create and update content, such as classified ads, directory listings, and messages on the message board. As you've probably noticed, the latter is also possible without a membership, but to a very limited extent. Non-members can only post messages; They cannot be edited or deleted later, and messages must wait in a queue for approval. Members' messages are posted immediately, can be updated and deleted, are attached to an identity, and can include rich text and html for posting pictures, links, etc.

If you're interested in the Learning Center, membership gives you access to additional video content. Non-members can view beginning bronze videos, while basic/free members can view videos through intermediate bronze. Access to full bronze and silver videos, you need to purchase a Premium Membership for $99 per year. In addition, Premium Membership also gives you access to the previous Variations of the Week, with full instructional videos.

We are adding new content constantly, and by this time next year, we should have a complete set of full instructional videos for Premium Members.

Our privacy policy with user accounts is flexible; You decide how much information is available to the public. There are three basic privacy levels: (1) Low privacy / social networking account, (2) Medium privacy / default account, and (3) High privacy / stealth account.

The default account shows only minimal user information to the public: The existence of the account is public knowledge, but the only information posted by default is your screen name and an optional photo or icon. This account allows you to post messages, classified ads and directory listings. When you post an ad, you decide how much contact information you want to share, and it doesn't have to be the same info as your user account info.

The social networking account allows you to share more of your user information with the public, like you might on a site such as Facebook. The one exception is your email address, which is always hidden from the public for all account types. When a person wants to contact you, for example regarding a partner ad you've posted, they can fill out a form which is converted into an email and sent to you by our website.

A stealth account is one that, as far as the general public is concerned, doesn't exist. No information about the account, or even the existence thereof, is made public. Because of this, you cannot use a stealth account to post messages, classified ads or directory listings. People who are interested primarily in the Learning Center often select this option.

Contrary to our appearance, we're actually a small "mom and pop" operation (literally -- it's just me and my wife), and we have no interest in selling our database or allowing third parties access to user info. We try to follow all guidelines on internet best practices, such as double opt-in, no spamming, etc.

We do have a plan at some point in the future to create a dance website "network" that allows other websites to include a version of our message board, classified ads, and/or directory listings. This will be similar to the way Facebook allows third party websites to post one of their news feeds. It will be done without any sharing of our user data with other companies; Participating websites will simply "plug in" via Javascript and XML. And when that time comes, we will notify all of our users who have ads or messages, giving them the choice to opt in or out of the program.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com