# Argument for a Free SDMB! **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 13, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986 "2004-05-13T18:14:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/1 "2004-05-13T18:14:30Z")
Hey, the Chicago Reader…you guys produce the City Paper, don’t you??? At least, I always thought the Chicago Reader was associated with the ubiquious “City Paper”. And, isn’t that a free paper??? Well, Uncle Cecil…explain that! (If I’m all wet, just throw me a towel!) Also, for all the hits this board gets, you could have sold-out a little bit to advertising. Shouldn’t you guys have kept a counter? I guess that’d be illegal. It’d be “counter-hit”! Haha! I am funny, no? (Comedian for one!) :o (yawn) - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/2 "2004-05-13T18:25:04Z")
Really, dude. You’ve been an SDMB member since 1999. The advertising situation on the SDMB has been discussed at least a hundred times. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/3 "2004-05-13T22:08:52Z")
> [@UncleBeer](#): > > Really, dude. You’ve been an SDMB member since 1999. The advertising situation on the SDMB has been discussed at least a hundred times. Make that 101 times. OK, shoot me…so I missed it. I musta been out those days! 😉 Seriously though, I thought it was a valid (novel) suggestion. I’m going to take you up on this. I assume you’re saying a search will explain why this is such a bad idea, aye? Overall, I think the SDopers do have right to know where the money is going, however…in light of a comment about how the Chicago Reader first adds this revue to their coffers \*before \* allocating the monies elsewhere… - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/4 "2004-05-13T22:26:42Z")
I for one would much rather pay than be subjected to ads here. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/5 "2004-05-13T22:56:03Z")
Re: ads. The SDMB, for the most part, has the same few thousand people coming back all the time. There’s not a wide variety of new consumers coming here, therefore, it’s not a lucrative prospect for advertisers, who’d rather get a million people once or twice, than two thousand people a hundred times each. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/6 "2004-05-14T00:02:19Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > Make that 101 times. OK, shoot me…so I missed it. I musta been out those days! 😉 Seriously though, I thought it was a valid (novel) suggestion. I’m going to take you up on this. I assume you’re saying a search will explain why this is such a bad idea, aye? Overall, I think the SDopers do have right to know where the money is going, however…in light of a comment about how the Chicago Reader first adds this revue to their coffers \*before \* allocating the monies elsewhere… - Jinx You musta been out a lot of days. We’ve had the discussions, endlessly, about how the CR has been footing the bill for the SDMB for five years now, and would like to see some of that money back. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/7 "2004-05-14T00:21:24Z")
I am curious. How much does it cost monthly or annually to keep the SD forum on its legs. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/8 "2004-05-14T00:21:44Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > You musta been out a lot of days. We’ve had the discussions, endlessly, about how the CR has been footing the bill for the SDMB for five years now, and would like to see some of that money back. It’s possible, kinda - in the sense that I don’t often post on this specific Board. I can see the argument about the advertising, on one hand. But would it help keep Uncle Cecil’s Board alive and well while pleasing the Chicago Reader by this: What if the Straight Dope were only accessed through the Chicago Reader website? Then, (a) the advertising _would_ reach more people, the Dopers could sneak out the back into the SDMBs, and the funding from ads wouldhelp cover the cost of the _entire_ site! I know…you might argue that this would only cost the CR’s webpage(s) and not the SDMBs. Well, if that is true, I guess I can’t argue with that. I guess I’ll get Uncle Cecil’s First Bake Sale underway…or a pledge week! :eek: - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/9 "2004-05-14T00:30:15Z")
> [@](#): > > I guess I’ll get Uncle Cecil’s First Bake Sale underway…or a pledge week! Believe **Lynn** and **Unc** ; we’ve been over that ground so many times that nothing will grow there anymore. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/argument-for-a-free-sdmb/244986/10 "2004-05-14T12:26:51Z")
Is it time for another ‘lets have advertising on the the SDMB!’ thread ALREADY?