ZING!!
Hell that alone was worth 20 bucks!
(thanks for the chuckles-I needed them)
Ha. Good one.
The only reason you’re angry with me is because I showed you up for a hypocrite. Get over it and remember that what you’ve posted in the past may come back and bite you in the ass later [sub]no matter how far you have your head up it[/sub].
wow.
I have kept out of this arguement (pay for posting, etc)
but I must add, pepper, it isn’t looking so good for you now.
Re: pepperland’s ability to “afford” Christmas gifts.
I could buy my friends and family moderately priced gifts ($20 each) but instead I send them my pottery. Every time. Everyone knows that they always get pottery from me. Each bowl or cup I give away costs about $1 or $2 in materials to make. I am always told that my pottery is “special”, and people seem to like the “hand made” touch.
Pepperland says she sometimes makes crafts for gifts. Don’t assume that everyone spends a lot of money on their gifts. The best gifts are often made, and they are more valuable to their recipients, because of the time put into hand-making them.
Thank you yosemitebabe for pointing that out.
What are you talking about Baboon? Honestly, what’s not looking good for me? Is something I said going to somehow change the minds of the Chicago Reader? Is something I posted going to somehow convince the vast majority of the people not to pay? Am I in a deathmatch with Ed Zotti? Am I leading a one woman revolution against the entire message board? Your phrase “things aren’t looking good” implies that I am in some sort of battle, and it further implies that at least for awhile, I was winning it. Are you talking about this thread specifically, or the broader picture? 
well, I meant it in the broader picture.
you have gone through the wringer about this subject (at times unfairly, I will add) about how you cant afford a single dime, etc etc…
I mean if you can’t afford it, fine, I totally understand, but jesh, I don’t know what the whole point is about telling us how broke you are, etc. you can’t afford it. end of story. you dont have to justify it to anyone. by continously going on about how broke you are, it seems like you are trying to garner sympathy from us… or at least that’s how I am taking it.
and here you are on the santa list.
even IF it’s a 1.00 gift. there’s shipping etc, etc.
I’m the confused one here.
Please stop. Both of you. You know you don’t really hate each other, so don’t flame like you do.
This issue is causing so much divisiveness over the last few days that it is threatening to permanently and profoundly change the makeup of the Board already - even if no pay option is put into place. Already people are taking up sides, flaming people over she-can-pay, no-she-can’t, yes-she-can…
I’ve tried to only post positively about this. I wrote a long and heartfelt appeal in ATMB (that only Nym noticed) about how I feel. But the more I read of people attacking each other non-stop, the more of a bad feeling I have about what will be left.
You’re both great people. Just stop it. For God’s sake, just stop fighting.
Great thread, Enderw. I’ll buy you a drink at Scarlett O’Hara’s As God Is My Witness I’ll Never Be Thirsty Again Saloon one of these days.
I hope this issue doesn’t divide the board and make it a place I’ll be sorry I paid for. I think Enderw’s point is:
-
Fill out Ed’s registration form. Indicate whether or not you will pay. Fill out the comments section.
-
Express concerns and questions in ATMB in a civil way
-
Stop squawking that the goddamn sky is falling, and attacking other posters. Although I have to say the Mauvaise volley and the pepperlandgirl comeback were world class, with full points from the judges.
I’d kindly request those who are genuinely too poor to pay fill out Ed’s registration form, tell him you don’t want to pay, and fill out the comments section instead of sharing every detail of your finances with the boards as a reason that NO ONE should be asked to pay - it shouldn’t be so, but you just open yourself up to “you can SO afford to pay”/“No I can’t!” shit. Plus, if you are in that category, I believe Ed’s announcement makes room for posters to sponsor someone who can’t pay (I assume anonymously) on the boards.
Anthracite I noticed your post, too, FWIW.
add me to the :
- I’m paying, hope it isn’t at the upper regions 'cause I’m pretty broke
- Not into judging other people for how they use their money.
- Not into judging other people for their choice in protests here, either (“I won’t pay on principle” )
Mildly thought of the option ‘what if we could pay to not allow some one else to post??’, but then quickly realized that [Nixon mode on] that would be * wrong* [Nixon mode off] 
I’m not going to deny that I had a few people in mind for each category when I wrote this rant. But I purposely left out all names (spooje notwithstanding), because it’s not about acussing any one person about anything. It’s not about blaming any one person about anything. But if you saw yourself falling within one of these categories, then this rant was for you.
If you’re going to stay, I’m glad you’re going to stay. If you’re going to go, for whatever reason, then I’m sorry. You’ll be missed. This is true whether it’s financial difficulties or merely that you feel this board isn’t worth your time or money. I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I will not be making fun of you after you’ve left no matter what your reason may be.
As other posters have pointed out, I think all of this stems from a need to justify your decision. Well, I for one am telling you you don’t need to. It’s your life. It’s your choice.
And I’m truly sorry that this post sounds like it was written by Planned Parenthood.
Enderw24: you left me out, too (so much for those “no clique” rumors,eh?). The firestorm this issue has produced has flabbergasted me to no end, thus I have not commented on the situation at all until now. I’m pretty much in wring’s camp on this, though. I just don’t get all the hostility towards each other, or even towards the idea. Whether people can or can’t pay and why they do or do not pay is their decision, not mine. It’s not my place to play Judge Judy, so I haven’t. In case anyone wants to jump on me (hey, I’m single…it could work), though, here’s what I did:
I filled out the pre-reg and indicated that I would pay, simply because I would like to see the board continue; and if paying turns out to be the only way to make that happen, I’m willing to be on board. So there. [Edward G. Robinson] NYAAH! [/Edward G. Robinson]
What seems to be a sticking point for a lot of people is having to pay. Perhaps (and I’ve no idea if this is feasible, but somebody will) the Reader might look at more ways for people to pay voluntarily. People have mentioned “vanity ads”, which are great for those who have something to advertise (website, etc.). For those who don’t (such as myself), I’m not sure a Dijon Totally Rocks The SDMB banner would be worth a lot of money to me (not to mention that whole pesky “Truth in Advertising” problem).
Another thing that I think galls people is having to start paying for something they already have. Something I seem to recall being mentioned on the boards before is the ability (mods/admins/anyone else: correct me if I’m wrong about this) to give individuals custom titles under their user names. So instead of laying out $20 just to get what’s already here, slide the SDMB $20 for your very own custom title. Want a new smiley (ChiefScott will have my head for this)? That’ll be $100, please, since others will be able to use it, too. Sponsorship is a nice idea, too. If you got extra cash, buy up a few memberships and let the admins bestow them upon those they find worthy. Anonymous both ways; the benefactor doesn’t have to be humiliated by the behavior of those they sponsor, the benefactee has no idea who to suck up to. Everybody wins.
If I thought this was just a fleecing operation, I wouldn’t go along with it; but let’s face it folks, we’ve been riding on the Reader’s dime from day one on this board. Just because it’s been free to US doesn’t make it free. I don’t personally have a problem contributing to its continuation. God knows I’ve gotten a lot more out of this place than I’ve ever put into it. I DO understand that a lot of people may not be able to afford the $20 (easy to be skeptical when you can afford it, though, isn’t it?), and I’d have no problem sending in a double membership if it will help someone out who has proven themselves to be an asset to the boards. I don’t need to know who they are, or even whether they really could afford it if they just really tried. I don’t care. If they’re good posters, and it will keep them on the board, then fine. Next year, they can sponsor me. 
Oh, and I’m with Anthracite: Everybody PLEASE quit fighting. Please?
Biiz-ARE! Glad I’ve been playing CivIII non-stop for the past 96 hours and have totally missed this staggeringly stupid argument.
Now if, you’ll excuse me, I’ve finally got those pesky Babylonians on the run, and have to shore up my border with Zululand.
Ender24, you missed the Canadian Dopers who will be getting hammered by exchange rates to subscribe. And our economy is really down right now, too.
You missed me too Ender.
I’ve been busy playing Axis and Allies and haven’t paid much attention to the goings on around here.
I guess there’s a lot I’ve missed.
For the record, I’d be willing to pay a reasonable fee despite the shitty exchange rate.
I still don’t know how much things would cost and if the price were too high we would not be staying. There’s Feynnlings to feed here.