# Future of SDMB subscriptions **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 23, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733 "2008-01-23T23:09:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/1 "2008-01-23T23:09:14Z")
Some have e-mailed us asking if the SDMB will soon be switching from pay-to-post to pay-for-no-ads, as discussed last fall. Short answer: we haven’t decided, but it seems like a reasonable thing to do in light of changing Web economics and our members’ strong dislike of ads. Annual ad revenue per user roughly equals the subscription fee. If you want to let your subscription expire pending a switch, that’s up to you, but I can’t predict if and when the change will occur. For the time being we remain P2P. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/2 "2008-01-23T23:13:14Z")
What part of “changing web economics” leads you to this decision? ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/3 "2008-01-23T23:24:32Z")
The fact that there’s now a market for online ads, mostly on a remnant although sometimes a rate-card basis, whereas when we started P2P you couldn’t give the space away. In any case let me emphasize that there has been no decision. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/4 "2008-01-24T00:56:16Z")
Once again, I raise the issue of becoming an Amazon Associate site. The SDMB would get 5% of all sales, if members clicked through a link to Amazon. We are **readers** , big time. A good idea, this. Do it. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/5 "2008-01-24T00:59:19Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Once again, I raise the issue of becoming an Amazon Associate site. The SDMB would get 5% of all sales, if members clicked through a link to Amazon. We are **readers** , big time. A good idea, this. Do it. [/QUOTE] This seems like a pretty good idea. Why hasn’t it been implemented? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/6 "2008-01-24T02:18:03Z")
Are there any other changes in the works that you can hint about? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/7 "2008-01-24T02:21:21Z")
How does that (Amazon) work? Is it to buy only advertised products or could I click-thru and buy anything with the SDMB getting 5%? I buy all my textbooks on Amazon… Not that that will matter after March, but I’m still very much their bitch. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/8 "2008-01-24T02:28:16Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Once again, I raise the issue of becoming an Amazon Associate site. The SDMB would get 5% of all sales, if members clicked through a link to Amazon. We are **readers** , big time. A good idea, this. Do it. [/QUOTE] I spend hundred of £ (\*2 in $) annually on Amazon (mainly on US films and TV shows 🆒 ). If it doesn’t cost me anything, I don’t mind ordering through the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/9 "2008-01-24T03:40:07Z")
It’d be a simple click-through link. Right now it’s [Sluggy Freelance](http://www.sluggy.com/about/shop_amazon.php) that gets my 5%, but you’d better believe I’ll make the switch once the SDMB stops not wanting the extra money. ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/10 "2008-01-24T05:03:17Z")
I too would funnel my ~$250 in annual purchases from Amazon through this website. ---
**Author:** ![Purgatory\_Creek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@Purgatory\_Creek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purgatory_Creek)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/11 "2008-01-24T12:20:57Z")
Heck, I’ve got a Wacom Intuos tablet in my shopping cart at Amazon right now just waiting for the right moment of financial optimism. I’d be happy if I knew that part of what I spent on that and the many, many books and games I buy through them was going to keep the Dope vital (and ad-free, if possible). ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/12 "2008-01-24T12:32:56Z")
Would it have to be Amazon? I never use them because of their policy of selling information about their customers. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/13 "2008-01-24T14:29:12Z")
I also favor the idea of becoming an affiliate site. Newegg has one too. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/14 "2008-01-24T14:43:33Z")
I just looked my my spending last year on Amazon. This place could have collected over $100 from me, rather than the $7.95 they got. Seems like a no-brainer. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/15 "2008-01-24T15:00:26Z")
Given that about a quarter of my wishlist over there has “sdmb” in the memo line, it seems like an obvious move. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/16 "2008-01-24T19:40:33Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] It’d be a simple click-through link. Right now it’s [Sluggy Freelance](http://www.sluggy.com/about/shop_amazon.php) that gets my 5%, but you’d better believe I’ll make the switch once the SDMB stops not wanting the extra money. [/QUOTE] I’ve had that link bookmarked for years, & on several computers. But the SDMB comes first. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/17 "2008-01-24T20:50:53Z")
Hell, **available light** and I even have an Amazon Visa, with the reward being free Amazon gift certificates. I leave the logical conclusion as an exercise for the Reader. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/18 "2008-01-24T21:27:18Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] Hell, **available light** and I even have an Amazon Visa, with the reward being free Amazon gift certificates. I leave the logical conclusion as an exercise for the Reader. [/QUOTE] The conclusion or the logical conclusion? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/19 "2008-01-24T22:13:30Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Once again, I raise the issue of becoming an Amazon Associate site. The SDMB would get 5% of all sales, if members clicked through a link to Amazon. [/QUOTE] I would fight that pretty hard. The independent bookstores have an affiliate program, too, and I (like many others) don’t like Amazon. Isn’t this board mostly liberal? Why support the big bad corporation that’s killing indy bookstores when you can support the indy bookstores directly with a American Booksellers Association affiliate program? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733/20 "2008-01-24T22:27:54Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] I would fight that pretty hard. The independent bookstores have an affiliate program, too, and I (like many others) don’t like Amazon. Isn’t this board mostly liberal? Why support the big bad corporation that’s killing indy bookstores when you can support the indy bookstores directly with a American Booksellers Association affiliate program? [/QUOTE] 😕 So just order from your independent bookstores. What’s being talked about is a catchall that, should a link be given to Amazon, which already happens dozens of times a day on the SDMB, any purchases that are _already being made_ from that online source, give some commission to the SDMB. Also, though there are many liberals on the board, it is nominally independent, and shouldn’t bend to your perception of its politics. It needs to make money too ya know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/future-of-sdmb-subscriptions/434733.md?page=2)