I myself am going to miss the “Ask The” threads, like “Ask the guy who used to frequent prostitutes” and "Ask the Cocaine user" and didn’t I just see an "Ask the guy on Steriods" thread while scrolling down? Can’t do that without a flimsy yahoo email address and a sock-puppet name.
I find myself leaving the boards after a wonderful four years. The $5 to $15 annual wouldn’t kill – but, I’m ashamed to admit, at the moment $5 is the difference between a few days protein with my steamed veg and rice. $15 is a weeks slim rations.
I’ve been a board member for 1 year now. I haven’t posted a lot, but I’ve had a lot of fun reading the posts.
I don’t really know anyone here, and I don’t think anyone really knows who I am, but I will send in my five bucks to help support this board. This is a great place for general discussions, and I’d like to see it continue.
As far as this subsciption scheme driving away members, we’ll just have to wait and see. If anyone starts up a fund to pay for subscriptions for people who can’t afford it, I’ll donate to it also.
Unlike professional sports, we don’t get paid to play. There are plenty of other venues where we can meet. I admit that the Chicago Reader (that’s them, isn’t it?) has been generous with their resources and I am grateful to them for it. However, a bunch of kids can play ball at a city park or the local sandlot. When the city starts charging admission to the park, most of the kids will play ball elsewhere.
I fear that TPTB have not chosen the most efficient way to ensure that SDMB will generate revenue. Rather, I believe that by turning an open forum into a private reserve, they will throttle the creativity and variety that *is * this place (or was, up till now). I’m sure there are lots of people (and perhaps a few corporations) who would not have balked at the PBS method of finance – donations have kept them running for quite a while. After all, the SDMB is not just for fun, it’s also a source of knowledge.
Plenty of knowledgeable folks don’t have deep pockets (or would rather play for free at the sandlot ;)). By diminishing contributors’ access, they diminish the value of the product. I’m sure they would have found a better way to finance this board if any of their beancounters had been Dopers, themselves.
It just occurred to me thet the SDMB “fund for the indigent” just might have some of the effect that donations would have had.
Having said that, I’ll wait and see what happens (I am fortunate – someone took pity on me and paid my freight). I’ll hang around for as long as it stays good – if it stays good for a year, I might even pony up, even at the non-introductory price. Fifteen clams might seem like a a pittance to many of you, but it represents roughly three hours’ wages (after taxes) to many of us on the lower rungs. Fifteen bucks is a lot of sandwich-makin’s.
On the other hand, a year is enough time for competing venues to lure away the less-well-heeled and the simply cheap. If you think I’m talking about you, don’t be insulted – I fall into both categories.
just might have some of the effect that donations would have had.