Changes in subscription pricing here at The Straight Dope

About This Message Board
1

We have had the same rates for a very long time. After consultation with the moderators I have decided it’s time for some changes.

Here’s the new price structure:

Regular Membership: WAS $14.95 yr/$29/95 2 years NOW $20 1 yr/$35 2 years

Charter Membership: WAS $7.48yr/$14.95 2 years NOW $10 yr/$17.50 2 years

There’s a new category called “Friend of Cecil.” I had hoped to be able to set this up so people could contribute anything they liked, but the system doesn’t work like that. So I came up with price points from $10-$50.

Right this minute Friends of Cecil don’t get anything tangible for their donation except our everlasting thanks. (BUT as I get my hands on merchandise, yes, we would send you something for you contributions, so at most you’ll just have a bit of a wait while supply catches up to demand.) And you also get the satisfaction of knowing you helped make things go better around here and who can put a price tag on that?

I hope you check our paid subscription offers and use them often! The “Friend of Cecil” option can be used once a day every day.

AND … coming soon: The Great Charter Membership Resubscription drive. Stay tuned for this $30 option to regaining your lost Charter Membership.

Jenny
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator

EDITED TO ADD: (copied over from another posting)

“Friend of Cecil” is a category on the Paid Subscriptions page.

Click on UserCP in the blue band at the top of every SDMB page.

Click on “Paid Subscriptions” in the list on the left. It’s towards the bottom of the list.

You will then be presented with a page showing you the categories of paid subscriptions:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HH...WhensoFzxMIEHz

When you click on the drop down menu on “Friend of Cecil” you will be presented with an array of donation choices: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $30, $50. Make your selection and follow the prompts.

What do you get for being a Friend of Cecil? Our thanks. At some point some kind of gift, I don’t have any merchandise yet but that’s something else I’m working on.

We will also give you the title “Friend of Cecil” or another custom title if you prefer. That title is good for a while, I’m still figuring that part out.

Give early, give often, spread the joy around!

Jenny
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator

PS For those who really think big, yeah, we can have the “Generous Donor Memorial Forum.” For rent, like the Jumbotron at the ball park. “Brought to you by …” This could be you. Talk to me!

2

Sounds reasonable.

3

I’ll be donating.

That said, I think you price point is way too low for CM. Most people like their CM status and I think they would be willing to pay more for it.

Keep up the good work Tuba! :slight_smile:

4

Now THAT is a good idea!

5

Perhaps there could be custom titles that note we’re “Friends of Cecil”?

6

How about a coffee mug that says “Junior Mod”?

Regards,
Shodan

7

Absolutely. It’ll be later on today but I’ll work on that.

8

This was my thought precisely. I’ll be purchasing a membership and a custom title in the next week or two, and now that the “friend of Cecil” option is available I’ll likely contribute to that as well. Having an extra / special FOC title would be way cool.

How about a special mortarboard moji that an FOC could put in front of or in lieu of their custom title?

9

What about a category for regular contributors? There’s a group who post every day (or close enough) and drive most of the content. Friend of Cecil is taken and no - NOT junior mod. I don’t have a brilliant idea at this moment, but something would be good.

10

Why would there be a “Friends of Cecil” category when Cecil has left?

11

Great idea. I get a chance to redeem myself for letting it lapse. And I’ll bet there are a few others in the same boat.

12

How will it work? If the “Friend of Cecil” thing is a one-day thing, does the custom title expire after 24 hours? If I contribute repeatedly, does the title reflect that? Is there a different title for the fifty-dollar contributor versus the ten-dollar contributor?

13

Do people really need recognition for being a contributer?

14

It could add to the in-group elitist atmosphere that some here have complained about, but on the other hand it does give more incentive to contribute. Human nature makes people want to be part of the in-group.

One thing I suggested in the other thread would be to have thread posting limits for non-contributors. For example, non-contributors can only start X threads a week. I’m not sure how easy it would be to implement something like that with the current board software.

15

Absolutely recognition is a factor in how much people contribute. Look at how the universities and hospitals do it. There are usually tiers of memberships. So that if you’re a member of the junior society while I’m a member of the senior society, it’s understood that, for example, you contributed something between $1000-$10,000, while I contributed $100,000-$1,000,000. Certainly some are happy to have their gift listed as “Anonymous”. But the recognition is a factor for many of us.

16

So if somebody donates a huge chunk of change, could they get a forum named after them?

17

I assume that anyone paid up for a few years already, at the old rate, won’t have to pony up more just to retain status, at least until the current sub expires?

18

I’m not in charge, so I can’t say, but certainly that’s how the schools and hospitals do things. (I was once bored enough to poke around the Yale University website where I found a public gift list. The following numbers are made up, as I can’t remember the exact figures but it listed things like naming rights for a classroom at a million bucks. An endowed chair (named professorship) at five million. Your name on the main building of one of the new colleges they’re building? A cool $150 million. It was hilarious.)

19

Sure. Everyone will flock to post in the Thudlow Boink forum.

20

FYI, here is that page listing gifts for various purposes and various prices.