# Changes in subscription pricing here at The Straight Dope **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 8, 2018, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294 "2018-08-08T19:13:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/81 "2018-08-11T19:04:19Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I’m confused about a couple things. > > How does one get a custom title? Regular membership? Charter? Friend of Cecil? None of the above? > > Friend of Cecil: I get that you can contribute daily. Do you get FOC under your username for 24 hours, then it goes away unless you re-up the next day? > > There is talk of a ‘tip jar’. How does that differ from FOC? > mmm You can get a custom title by using the Custom Title subscription in the UserCP under “Paid Subscriptions.” No muss, no fuss, it’s totally automated. You can also get a Custom Title for being a Friend of Cecil and making a donation. Some people like to have both the Member designation AND a custom title, see [Cazzle’s profile](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) for an example. You can have that too with a FOC donation. I have to fiddle with the settings a bit, it’s not automatic, but I think I give you what you want when you donate. This is all totally optional; if you don’t want a Custom Title or a Friend of Cecil title to show on your profile, that’s fine too. Just send me an email ([TubaDiva@aol.com](mailto:TubaDiva@aol.com)) and tell me what you want. FOC will also get a small gift as soon as I get my hands on some merchandise. The FOC time period is set to a short period of time so you can donate as often as you like. I’ve asked STM to put a tip jar/Feed the Kitty kind of thing on the Straight Dope front page. That way you don’t have to be a Member of the board to make a donation; you can be anyone looking at the site. I hope to have a link to the same thing somewhere on the board as well, but currently this is an option I can’t make happen through the vB software. Nothing happens instantly with STM, so I’m doing what I can with what is available to me now and asking for these changes as they can hopefully approve and install them. While not a perfect or particularly elegant solution, this is something I could do right now. For the longest time people have offered to throw money at the Straight Dope and at the SDMB but it was not an option for management. That was then and this is now and here we are. I can only hope people put their money where their mouth is. So to speak. 😃 Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/82 "2018-08-11T19:11:31Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Is the mailing address for the _Chicago Reader_ still a good one for the SDMB? The _Chicago Reader_ is no longer the owner of The Straight Dope. Not sure if the deal is complete yet but the _Reader_ is/will be a part of the [Chicago Defender](https://chicagodefender.com/) chain of minority-owned newspapers. The owner of The Straight Dope is the _Chicago Sun-Times_, I have also seem them styled as Sun-Times Media LLC. Here’s what they list on their support page: _Chicago Sun-Times_ 30 N. Racine Ave., 3rd Floor Chicago, IL 60607 Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/83 "2018-08-11T19:14:26Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I asked about the “Friends of Cecil” thing, but in the avatars thread by mistake. It’s the “1 week” that has me puzzled. This thread is where I should have posted: The time period is short (originally I set it at one day, then one week, I may go back to one day) because I want you to be able to donate through Friend of Cecil as often as you like. Sorry for the confusion. Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/84 "2018-08-11T19:58:52Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > The _Chicago Reader_ is no longer the owner of The Straight Dope. > > Not sure if the deal is complete yet but the _Reader_ is/will be a part of the [Chicago Defender](https://chicagodefender.com/) chain of minority-owned newspapers. > > The owner of The Straight Dope is the _Chicago Sun-Times_, I have also seem them styled as Sun-Times Media LLC. > > Here’s what they list on their support page: > > _Chicago Sun-Times_ > 30 N. Racine Ave., 3rd Floor > Chicago, IL 60607 > > Jenny > your humble TubaDiva > Administrator The PayPal receipt for my donation made yesterday is from “Chicago Reader Inc.” Did the wrong people get my money? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/85 "2018-08-11T21:39:14Z")
Nope. The PayPay mechanism that processes transactions here was originally set up by the _Reader_. In all these years that hadn’t changed. But we were always part of the _Reader_, even through all the sales. Now we’re not. I would imagine it should and will change, especially now, and I can only assume it’s one of the things STM will get to at some point. With the sale of the _Reader_ a lot of things are changing and it’s a work in progress. While it says “Chicago Reader” the PayPal account is actually controlled by STM and they schedule transfers from that PayPal account to STM. So it ultimately gets to the right place. Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/86 "2018-08-12T19:53:05Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > The _Chicago Reader_ is no longer the owner of The Straight Dope. > > Not sure if the deal is complete yet but the _Reader_ is/will be a part of the [Chicago Defender](https://chicagodefender.com/) chain of minority-owned newspapers. > > The owner of The Straight Dope is the _Chicago Sun-Times_, I have also seem them styled as Sun-Times Media LLC. > > Here’s what they list on their support page: > > _Chicago Sun-Times_ > 30 N. Racine Ave., 3rd Floor > Chicago, IL 60607 > > Jenny > your humble TubaDiva > Administrator Is this where to send the membership fees for here? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/87 "2018-08-12T20:09:13Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Is this where to send the membership fees for here? No, that would be my address here in Waikiki. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/88 "2018-08-13T00:06:18Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Is this where to send the membership fees for here? Seriously? No. It has been many years since we had a mechanism where people could send checks or money orders. Most companies nowadays don’t have people or facilities to process paper transactions. Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/89 "2018-08-13T13:03:43Z")
Seriously? … you don’t take cash? … > [@TubaDiva](#): > > [snip] … Most companies nowadays don’t have people or facilities to process paper transactions … [snap] Every company I do business with accepts cash, I honestly thought it was the law … “This note is legal tender for all debts, public or private” … So there’s an improvement to these boards going forward … let people join who maybe don’t have good credit, like **young folks** … I gotta tell you, this smells like elitism in the extreme, why on Earth does an internet message board need members to have good credit scores? … I thought you’ve raise rates to bring more customers in … I’ve been a businessman for more years than I like to admit … and one truism I’ve found is that when we raise rates, for every person who walks away, two other people will come forward … look at your own membership tallies, been going up since you announced this increase? … If a PO Box or private box is too expense in your area, the Post Office will accept mail for you as “General Delivery” … I live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in all of North Jefferson and the Post Office here will send this out to me with the regular delivery … … or should I just buy beer with this $20 bill? … ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/90 "2018-08-13T13:35:55Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Seriously? … you don’t take cash? … > > Every company I do business with accepts cash, I honestly thought it was the law … “This note is legal tender for all debts, public or private” … [Nope.](https://u.osu.edu/zagorsky.1/2016/08/05/do-businesses-have-to-accept-cash/comment-page-1/) Businesses can refuse to accept a form of payment if they choose. Hence all of the establishments that won’t take $50 or $100 bills, which is relatively common. Businesses can also choose not to accept cash at all. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/91 "2018-08-13T14:02:20Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Every company I do business with accepts cash, I honestly thought it was the law Do you ever buy anything online or through mail order? Ever buy an airline ticket, rent a car or hotel room? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/92 "2018-08-13T14:54:25Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > … or should I just buy beer with this $20 bill? … Oh, you’re buying? Thanks! Breakfast of Champions and all that, you know. 😃 Jenny your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/93 "2018-08-13T15:21:44Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Seriously? … you don’t take cash? … > > Every company I do business with accepts cash, I honestly thought it was the law … “This note is legal tender for all debts, public or private” … > > So there’s an improvement to these boards going forward … let people join who maybe don’t have good credit, like **young folks** … I gotta tell you, this smells like elitism in the extreme, why on Earth does an internet message board need members to have good credit scores? … > > I thought you’ve raise rates to bring more customers in … I’ve been a businessman for more years than I like to admit … and one truism I’ve found is that when we raise rates, for every person who walks away, two other people will come forward … look at your own membership tallies, been going up since you announced this increase? … > > If a PO Box or private box is too expense in your area, the Post Office will accept mail for you as “General Delivery” … I live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in all of North Jefferson and the Post Office here will send this out to me with the regular delivery … > > … or should I just buy beer with this $20 bill? … You can use cash with PayPal–direct debit from checking account. Unless you don’t have a checking account… in which case, I’m wondering if do \*business \*by barter? You probably can’t ship a crate of chickens to that Chicago address either. Anyway, anyone can post here without being a member or paying anything. TubaDiva is asking for fees not to increase membership _per se_, but to increase revenue to run the board. You know that it costs money to host a ginormous website, right? If your post was meant as a joke, I apologize. ---
**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:** [August 13, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/94 "2018-08-13T15:34:21Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Seriously? … you don’t take cash? … > > Every company I do business with accepts cash, I honestly thought it was the law Locally (DC area) some walk-in businesses are no longer accepting cash. It’s already the case for most internet businesses in my experience. Cash is expensive to handle and difficult-to-impossible to track. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/95 "2018-08-13T17:40:09Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Seriously? … you don’t take cash? … > > Every company I do business with accepts cash, I honestly thought it was the law … “This note is legal tender for all debts, public or private” … > > So there’s an improvement to these boards going forward … let people join who maybe don’t have good credit, like **young folks** … I gotta tell you, this smells like elitism in the extreme, why on Earth does an internet message board need members to have good credit scores? … > > I thought you’ve raise rates to bring more customers in … I’ve been a businessman for more years than I like to admit … and one truism I’ve found is that when we raise rates, for every person who walks away, two other people will come forward … look at your own membership tallies, been going up since you announced this increase? … > > If a PO Box or private box is too expense in your area, the Post Office will accept mail for you as “General Delivery” … I live in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in all of North Jefferson and the Post Office here will send this out to me with the regular delivery … > > … or should I just buy beer with this $20 bill? … You’ve never used PayPal? You don’t need a credit card. I think if your concerned that “young folks” won’t be able to join through lack of credit history, maybe you should talk to some actual young folks who manage to make online purchases all the time, with or without good credit history. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/96 "2018-08-13T17:42:48Z")
Most “young folks” would probably laugh at the idea of using cash. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/97 "2018-08-13T18:18:16Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > So there’s an improvement to these boards going forward … let people join who maybe don’t have good credit, like **young folks** … I gotta tell you, this smells like elitism in the extreme, why on Earth does an internet message board need members to have good credit scores? … It’s a different world in 2018 – access to credit cards (or the basically-the-same-thing-not-going-into-details equivalent, debit cards) is generally unrelated to credit score. Although … even 30 years ago, it was easy as pie to get a bunch of credit cards as a teenage college student. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/98 "2018-08-13T18:37:28Z")
Honestly, this is the first time I’ve come across this, never even heard of this before … I do business with plenty of people who don’t take plastic, and many others that slap on a surcharge … y’all make it seem I live out in the wilderness … Oh … I guess I do live out in the wilderness … my apologies for bringing this up … beer it is then … ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/99 "2018-08-13T18:47:01Z")
> [@watchwolf49](#): > > Honestly, this is the first time I’ve come across this, never even heard of this before … I do business with plenty of people who don’t take plastic, and many others that slap on a surcharge … Do you pay your bills by mailing greenbacks?😛 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2018, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294/100 "2018-08-13T19:08:20Z")
Use your $20 cash to buy a prepaid debit card. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changes-in-subscription-pricing-here-at-the-straight-dope/819294.md?page=6)