# Convince me to subscribe **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 2, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478 "2012-09-02T21:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/21 "2012-09-03T21:34:30Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I hate to hijack, but does anyone _ever_ click on ads on a webpage like this? I never would, even if I might otherwise be interested in the product. I would guess the click through rate is about the same as those who respond to emails for Canadian pharmacies. I’ve heard enough scuttlebutt about noisemaking ads, malware, flashing ads—no way am I looking at them, let alone clicking on their links. If the SDMB had well-vetted ads that were _actually of interest_ to the kind of people that post on the board, I’d be delighted to turn off my ad blocking and click on some links. From comments I’ve read here and elsewhere about the ad service on the board, I’m not willing to risk accessing the site without a full suit of armor, so I have no idea what kind of advertisements do appear, but from context I’ve formed the impression that they’re just the usual garbage one might find on any public message board. What would _really_ bring in the $$$ would be the SDMB getting reimbursed for click-throughs on the links Dopers include in thread content. I’ve found some of my favorite sites, shopping and otherwise, through suggestions in posts here. Not sure how that would be possible, though. OK, I’ll take my hijack and go away now :D. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/22 "2012-09-03T22:07:36Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > We never said we don’t want your money. To the contrary! Do you need it? Does the site operate on a deficit? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/23 "2012-09-03T22:24:55Z")
Ed has said the board is financially stable. They operate on a very small positive balance, IIRC. However, I do not know the percentanges of that income - how much from ads, how much from paid memberships, how much from custom titles, etc. I would suspect that the paid memberships are a significant chunk. Without any information at all except the prices of memberships, I would totally WAG something like 60% paid memberships, 35% ads, 5% custom titles. But that’s just my totally uninformed guess based without any experience whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/24 "2012-09-03T22:34:36Z")
They used to have google text ads here, but they were removed due to their unpopularity. Ironically, I liked them and would invoke them if a check box option was provided. Admittedly, I’m a rare case. ## I would click on them occasionally. I’m unlikely to click on a graphic ad. My ad-aware settings are on low and I use flashblock to handle moving ads. I support internet advertising as long as it is non-intrusive, subject to good sense. I run anti-spyware apps periodically to clear my cookies. **Bozuit** : Realistically, they can’t release their numbers. The board has gone through at least 3 ownerships over the past decade or so. Try some math though. The board currently has 6,892 active members, those who have visited within the last \_\_\_ days. Round that to 7000. Assume they earn $7.50 per member, which is half the standard membership rate and equal to the discounted charter rate. That’s $52,500. That would be nice for a hobbyist, but won’t cover a single professional salary + benefits for one year. But it might keep the suits off their case. This board is a little like Marvel comics in say 1985. Sometime in the distant future (i.e the past 10-15 years), CGI might advance to the point that their properties could become really, really valuable. Similarly, this brand might be worth big bucks someday… or not. If you double my figures, it’s still not a huge amount of money for a business. But anybody pinching pennies should probably direct their funds elsewhere, IMHO. PBS is a fair analogy. Our current overlords: [Wrapports - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrapports) ---
**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:** [September 3, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/25 "2012-09-03T23:45:56Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > What would _really_ bring in the $$$ would be the SDMB getting reimbursed for click-throughs on the links Dopers include in thread content. I’ve found some of my favorite sites, shopping and otherwise, through suggestions in posts here. Not sure how that would be possible, though. > > OK, I’ll take my hijack and go away now :D. Actually, increasingly we’re getting action from companies asking us to remove such links. Apparently Google is policing this situation up, I guess there’s been a lot of abuse. (Gee, however could that happen?) They’re requiring advertisers to clean up their history of backlinks. We routinely get requests to remove links from old postings because Google has threatened them over the situation. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/26 "2012-09-04T08:14:33Z")
Subscribing removes ads? I never noticed. I don’t really use the search here anymore, you can search SDMB with Google without limit. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638051) (Short solution: add site:boards.straightdope.com) ---
**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:** [September 4, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/27 "2012-09-04T15:01:57Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Do you need it? Does the site operate on a deficit? Exact financial figures are not made public – the Straight Dope has been privately owned and the parent company has not had to report numbers – but the site is expected to pay for its own expenses and even make a profit. Last we heard on this subject from Ed Zotti the site was operating at a slight – a very slight – profit. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/28 "2012-09-04T15:04:12Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > They used to have google text ads here, but they were removed due to their unpopularity. Ironically, I liked them and would invoke them if a check box option was provided. Admittedly, I’m a rare case. > > ## I would click on them occasionally. I’m unlikely to click on a graphic ad. My ad-aware settings are on low and I use flashblock to handle moving ads. I support internet advertising as long as it is non-intrusive, subject to good sense. I run anti-spyware apps periodically to clear my cookies. > > **Bozuit** : Realistically, they can’t release their numbers. The board has gone through at least 3 ownerships over the past decade or so. Try some math though. The board currently has 6,892 active members, those who have visited within the last \_\_\_ days. Round that to 7000. Assume they earn $7.50 per member, which is half the standard membership rate and equal to the discounted charter rate. That’s $52,500. That would be nice for a hobbyist, but won’t cover a single professional salary + benefits for one year. But it might keep the suits off their case. This board is a little like Marvel comics in say 1985. Sometime in the distant future (i.e the past 10-15 years), CGI might advance to the point that their properties could become really, really valuable. Similarly, this brand might be worth big bucks someday… or not. > > If you double my figures, it’s still not a huge amount of money for a business. But anybody pinching pennies should probably direct their funds elsewhere, IMHO. PBS is a fair analogy. > > Our current overlords: [Wrapports - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wrapports) Actually Google ads were turned off for subscribers because the promise was that subscribers would see no ads and that means no ads at all on the message board. If you’d like to see them all you have to do is log out and look at the site without signing in. If you click on them, that’s even nicer, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/29 "2012-09-04T18:38:01Z")
Suddenly… membership? Did someone buy one for me? I’m a little surprised. I’ll reimburse whoever it was because it’s not like I absolutely can’t find $15 and I’m not really the most deserving member (“abrasive” wouldn’t be an unfair description). I feel like I’ve conned some kind person. But thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/30 "2012-09-05T01:02:54Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Actually, increasingly we’re getting action from companies asking us to remove such links. > > Apparently Google is policing this situation up, I guess there’s been a lot of abuse. (Gee, however could that happen?) They’re requiring advertisers to clean up their history of backlinks. We routinely get requests to remove links from old postings because Google has threatened them over the situation. That’s kind of … sad, really. I guess I can understand it given the vintage of this board, but it seems like a lost revenue opportunity for message board communities like this if Amazon (for example) can’t give you guys a quarter when I use a link from a thread to give them $15 for a particular book. Hell, it’s not just sad, it’s un-American! > [@Bozuit](#): > > Suddenly… membership? Did someone buy one for me? I’m a little surprised. I’ll reimburse whoever it was because it’s not like I absolutely can’t find $15 and I’m not really the most deserving member (“abrasive” wouldn’t be an unfair description). I feel like I’ve conned some kind person. But thanks! Ha! That’ll teach you. (No, it wasn’t me; Mr. Zotti and I have a difference of opinion about methods of payment.) BTW, “abrasive” really doesn’t rank around here. Now that you’re a member you’ll have to ramp it up. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/31 "2012-09-05T02:55:03Z")
Be grateful – at one point the time between searches was _5 minutes_. (There IS a script you can add to your browser if you want to use [avatars](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=657890), though. You don’t have to be a member to use it, either) ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/32 "2012-09-05T08:35:19Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > (There IS a script you can add to your browser if you want to use [avatars](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=657890), though. You don’t have to be a member to use it, either) Oh now you’ve done it. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/33 "2012-09-05T17:55:08Z")
The lack of anime avatars everywhere is part of why I like this board. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/34 "2012-09-05T18:07:27Z")
That’s cool. Just letting you know it’s possible. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/35 "2012-09-06T02:54:32Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > The lack of anime avatars everywhere is part of why I like this board. If someone had not already memebered you up, I might have done it myself just to thank you for saying that. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/36 "2012-09-06T04:20:23Z")
I subscribe because I’m not allowed to download software onto work computers, and that includes ad blockers. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/37 "2012-09-06T05:34:11Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Suddenly… membership? Did someone buy one for me? I’m a little surprised. I’ll reimburse whoever it was because it’s not like I absolutely can’t find $15 and I’m not really the most deserving member (“abrasive” wouldn’t be an unfair description). I feel like I’ve conned some kind person. But thanks! Yeah, abrasive really isn’t a problem. What else you got? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/38 "2012-09-06T05:53:00Z")
> [@measure for measure](#): > > [T]he sdmb is owned by a moderately sized media company and […] someday someone might make money hand over fist with the brand. (it’s taking longer than we thought) ---
**Author:** ![BDBoop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@BDBoop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDBoop)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478/39 "2012-09-15T15:14:12Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > If you’re a woman, I’m willing to throw free sex in with your membership. > > I’d do anything to support the SDMB. > > Except give them money. My allowance is only $5 a week, so I really can’t afford it. ☹ Can it be cyber sex? I’m tired. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Uai7M4RpoLU/hqdefault.jpg "I'm Tired Madeline Kahn Blazing Saddles") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uai7M4RpoLU) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/convince-me-to-subscribe/633478.md?page=1)