I just happened to glance up at the top of the page and I now regret not stealing a computer 3 years ago.
It’s been a lot of fun, but when TSDMB goes subscription, I won’t have the resources available to subscribe – other obligations, don’cha know?
To lessen the blow I have done something that I may regret later. I went to Yahoo and started a new group for Straight Dope refugees. This will allow subscribers to stay in contact with nonsubscribers, and allow those who can’t/won’t subscribe for whatever reason to have a common meeting place where we can still keep in touch.
The site address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TSD_Refugees/
(I disabled signature parsing in this instance because I’m not certain the mods will approve – but there has to be some place we can meet that doesn’t have a cover charge, right?)
I’m new to this groups thing, so please be patient. If anyone wants to help moderate (I think it’ll eventually require several groups anyway) please email me from the group site. If I remember who you are (not a sure thing – I only just got reinstated) I’ll let you help out.
The reason I’m posting this in MPSIMS rather than another forum is that this is where I spent most of my time and had most of my fun. If I didn’t do something like this I don’t know how I’d be able to withstand the isolation.
This isn’t goodbye. After all, it’ll be a little while before it goes subscription and then there’s the free thirty-day trial. Hopefully by then I’ll be deconfused about how to run a group.
I’m of two minds on the issue, but one mind is winning.
On the one hand, we’ll lose a lot of interesting newbies.
On the other hand, we’ll lose a lot of really awful drive-by single-issue posters, especially at certain times of year, or when board wars threaten.
On the one hand, we may lose a lot of great Dopers who won’t / can’t pay.
On the other hand, it’s five bucks, and I’m sure that for those who can’t afford it, some enterprising Dopers will figure out a way to make sure nobody is left out.
On the one hand, the board may get ‘elitist’ when we lose the person-off-the-street influence.
On the other hand, it’s already somewhat elitist - witness all the observations about the ‘clique’ and inside jokes, and some less-than-welcoming attitudes that some newbies have reported.
Maybe the mods could set up some sort of payment plan, where one could pay $0.41 a month, or even $0.09 a week. Perhaps zero interest financing, with no payments for sixty days?
I have absolutely no problem paying for services I use especially ones that are so enjoyable. I’ll pay even though I never say anything. Probably the only way I wouldn’t is if I couldn’t read if I didn’t pay… then I couldn’t waste so much time here.
I’ve lurked around other boards when they were switching to subscription and the costs have been like five dollars per month. This sounds like a pretty good deal, worth it anyway to get half off forever. I have noticed those other boards get pretty boring, the same 12 people posting all the time. I hope this bargain basement rate prevents that from happening.
I know a lot of people on very tight budgets and don’t know of anyone who can afford a computer and internet access that can’t easily find an extra five bucks.
I’m a retired (20 years) AF SSgt (Army equivalent is Sgt, not SSgt). I’m paying for a house, child support, attorney’s fees (TW is still actively thwarting visitation – despite going to court over this recently), bankruptcy payments, and a host of other RL gremlins that cost money.
Sorry, but not all military retirees go on to a lucrative career in the military-industrial complex, drat the luck.
I’ve said this before, but let me say again: subscriptions will be the end of this board.
For me it’s not a monetary issue. I do okay financially. I subscribe to other boards. I’ve given voluntary donations to other boards. I’d have no problem paying fifty dollars a year, or even more, for access to this board as it now exists.
But once there’s a subscription charge, this board will no longer exist in any fashion which resembles what it is now. I won’t be surprised to see a 90% dropoff rate. Combined with a virtually non-existant sign-on rate. The decline will be irreversible and painful to witness.
So while I will certainly pay for the first year, I’m predicting there probably won’t even be anyone left to collect if I wanted to pay for a second year. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.
