# Anyone else feel compelled to post more (membership) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105 "2004-03-24T07:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/42 "2004-03-27T16:53:06Z")
No. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/43 "2004-03-27T16:54:17Z")
Nope. Not me. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/44 "2004-03-27T16:55:25Z")
Wouldn’t even think of posting more often. ---
**Author:** ![richardb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/96bed5/32.png) [@richardb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/richardb)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/45 "2004-03-27T16:59:50Z")
Have I exhausted the humor from ths joke yet? 🙂 Except in cases such as this (which do not come up very often at all), I only post when I can add a meaningful contribution. I don’t think the membership subscription will encourage me to post more often than I have been (but perhaps my frequency in checking the boards will have an impact, and if the boards operate faster now perhaps that will improve). ---
**Author:** ![Legolamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@Legolamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legolamb)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/46 "2004-03-27T20:39:10Z")
> [@misshannah](#): > > **Lego** you might be my identical hand twin…about forums, anyway. Even GQ scares me a little. Yup, same here, now you come to mention it. It makes me realise just how little I know 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WaryEri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea666f/32.png) [@WaryEri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WaryEri)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/47 "2004-03-27T21:15:23Z")
> [@pasunejen](#): > > when the subscription issue came up I felt I had to decide between either really becoming a member of the community or just giving up on the whole thing. I think this is kinda why I started posting more, too. I lurked for more than a year before even joining, and then posted but rarely once I did. I’ve only recently even started reading outside of GD and the Pit, since those were the forums that interested me as a reader…but they’re awfully intimidating for a lurky poster. IMHO and MSPIMS area little easier to get into, but I still feel like I’m talking to myself most of the time. I know I’m not -really- being ignored just because nothing I say is acknowdleged, but I kind of feel like an outsider. GD lacks that talking-to-the-walls quality, but it’s alot more risky to put yourself out there and post. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/48 "2004-03-27T21:57:15Z")
I’m really thrilled that so many lurkers are taking the plunge. It definitely will be a big part of bringing new life to the boards. In answer to the previous question there is nothing wrong with lurking and I imagine there are quite a few of them that have decided that they will not be subscribing. Regardless, I’m very glad y’all are making the effort to join in and help us fight ignorance. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/49 "2004-03-27T22:02:23Z")
I feel like I should post more, but I still can’t think of anything to say. ---
**Author:** ![Blaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/50 "2004-03-27T22:23:28Z")
Saturday night–Time to get some lotto tickets. I think 5 dollars worth tonight should do the trick. Interesting: I believe 5 dollars a week on lotto is my average. Just can’t seem to complain about this registration fee. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/51 "2004-03-27T22:29:30Z")
Having just ponied up my $5, I feel a definite need to post, just so I can see the magic words “Charter Member” below my moniker. Other than this one time for fun, will it affect my future posting habits? Not one iota. ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/52 "2004-03-28T03:17:42Z")
It should be pointed out that it is, of course, _completely_ irrational to post more frequently solely because you paid for the ability to do so. If you don’t like to post that often, that fact doesn’t change just because you paid for your subscription. That money is already gone, and you can’t get it back no matter how many posts you make here. Also, the argument that since you’ve spent $5 only other complete crap, so therefore you should also spend $5 to post at the SDMB isn’t exactly valid, either. ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/53 "2004-03-28T03:54:04Z")
cynic, are you saying it’s irrational to make the most out of yor purchases? I don’t understand the point. ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/54 "2004-03-28T04:09:01Z")
My point is that you’re _not_ making the most out of your purchases if you’re doing something you wouldn’t have done otherwise. Economists call this idea the “sunk cost fallacy”, and research by Tversky and Kahneman demonstrates that this belief is very common. You can read more here: > **[Sunk cost](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost)** > > In economics and business decision-making, a sunk cost (also known as retrospective cost) is a cost that has already been incurred and cannot be recovered. Sunk costs are contrasted with prospective costs, which are future costs that may be avoided if action is taken. In other words, a sunk cost is a sum paid in the past that is no longer relevant to decisions about the future. Even though economists argue that sunk costs are no longer relevant to future rational decision-making, i According to c... ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/55 "2004-03-28T14:40:24Z")
I’m sure it looks that way for me since I just subscribed and have posted more in the past couple days than I have in months. But the truth is I’m stuck inside sick and kind of bored. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/56 "2004-03-28T15:35:38Z")
I’m only posting more because the SDMB has been 200% more responsive after pay-to-post started. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/57 "2004-03-28T15:47:56Z")
No, but I feel compelled to post to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/58 "2004-03-28T17:13:19Z")
The subscription happens to be coinciding with my desire to become more a part of the SDMB community. So, I’m posting more, but it’s pretty coincidental. As for my attempts to become more a part of the community… well… that part doesn’t seem to be working. I may have to resort to bribes. ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105/59 "2004-03-28T20:05:54Z")
good link Cynic, the problem i see comparing it to this situation though is it seems to apply to things you are not enjoying. If you are not enjoying a movie you payed for, sure it’s irrational to sit through it just because you spent money on it…however you know what you are paying for with the SDMB subsription service (unlike taking the risk of whether or not a movie is good) and odds are you enjoy the discussions on the forum…you just havn’t engaged all that much for whatever reason, the fact that you now pay for the posting privelage gives you just the nudge you need to be more active. This is my case at least [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-else-feel-compelled-to-post-more-membership/236105.md?page=2)