Who here would pay a subscribtion fee to join the SDMB? Is Ed on crack, or has he simply lost his frigging mind? While I’m sure this board costs a bit to run, subscribing it would effectively knock out a good portion of it’s audience, not to mention the questions they have. Another example, we all appreciate kid’s questions, as they have a unique view of the world, but a subscription would elimanate any possibility of them asking, as it’s unlikely most of their parents would be willing to pay.
As far as wiping out ignorance, maybe Ed and Co. need to check their own…
Man, do I even want to go here? This has been hashed out quite a bit (look around the board).
I’ve said that I’ll pay, at least for the first year. The primary worry is that the flow of folks will dry up, whether they be newbies of the garden variety, people with specific knowledge, youngsters with no credit cards, what have you.
And those concerns have been amply expressed to the administration.
We’ll see what happens. I’m sure they’ll listen to any new good ideas.
Even if they do end up turning a profit on this, so what. It has value. More than most things I spend similar amounts on. If baseball players can get millions and sell tickets to games in the hundreds of dollars, then the SD should be able to get $20 a man a year for being so goddamn superb. Intelligent, educational, witty entertainment here. Having expereienced much of what passes for entertainment these days, I notice that this combo is not the standard. Dumb, flashy, and loud seems to be the going standard these days. And while I still like pretty lights, fake breasts, and big explosions - I realize this place offers much more.
Alot of cool people have said they will stay. It will be different, but still unmatched in quality. Dig?
No, he’s simply trying to keep the fucking message board afloat. I’d ask “Do you have a better idea?” but at this point, I think that all other ideas have been offered, considered, and either used or discarded based on merit.
So, I humbly suggest that thou not make assumptions about subjects of which thou art gravely Ignorant.
To be honest, I just wish the Reader would make a decision. We went through this same angst and these same debates around this time last year.
I don’t know whether I’ll be able to stay around if the boards go subscription. It depends how much it is and when it has to be paid. But right now we’re all just going over the same old ground. Once a decision is made, then we know what we’re actually dealing with and we can each look at our options. Until then, it’s all in the abstract, and continuing to discuss “maybes” is futile.
They are providing a service, one which I enjoy. They are not seeking to make a profit on it, which they have every right to. It sure does seem wrong, wrong, wrong for them to lose money doing it.
And it will cut down on trolls and sock puppets. Bonus!
Oh wonderful. There are already so many active threads on the topic scattered around why not just jump in with both feet to start a brand NEW one, complete with insults?
Before you call ANYONE else a moron, st1d, why not try exercising the common courtesy of reading what others have already written before blinding us all with your timeless insights?