For this post:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9614098&postcount=50
Seriously, eff you. I’d just gotten done saying I want to be able to help more, not less. Sour grapes much?
Speaking as a 99er and a cheapskate, it really doesn’t make a difference to me if I pay half or full price. Either is well worth it. I seriously, seriously doubt that the extra $7.50 (or whatever) would many of us charter members off the boards.
(Oops, submitted early)
I thought this thread would be devoted to levdrakon’s energetic and ridiculous contributions to this thread in Great Debates. A sampling:
And no, the arguments do not get better from there.
Geez, why don’t we just go by post count or dick size? Charter Members (like me) are those who happened to be available to help out the boards when it was needed (or requested). If you weren’t around, no big deal. If the local McDonald’s is handing out free cheeseburgers on Monday, then you find out about it on Friday (even though you were working and coudln’t go anyway), would you be pissed at McD’s?
Besides, didn’t Ed say subscriptions aren’t a big part of the revenew?
What the OP said. levdrakon has contracted a serious case of sour grape-itis.
I admit it… I’m cheap… but they give me the choice to be… so what is levdrakon’s point?
General comment - On no other message board have I ever seen so many people bitch about what amounts to a trivial sum of money.
I mean, are many of you living on Ramen noodles or something? First, you get the people who think that $15/year entitles them to 100% uptime on the search function. And now people who think that Charter Members are cheapskates because they pay a few dollars a year LESS?
How does everybody afford Internet access?
I have noticed that some Charter Members jealously guard their discount, but really… “cheapskates” over $7.50 a year? I don’t think so. I suspect many more care about the label more than the discount.
levdrakon, that is outrageous. Perhaps $7.50 is a more substantial sum to you than it is to me. I am a Charter Member because I was here when the opportunity was presented to become one, and I haven’t let my membership lapse since then. I really haven’t given it much thought beyond that.
As a $7.50 cheapskate, I pay the price the SDMB set. While I’d possibly pay more if asked or if it’s needed, I’m sure as hell not going to haggle UP a price for this or any other service (though I certainly hope lev is bidding if I ever put anything on eBay since apparently he does).
What the fuck do you expect them to do? When they re-up, they don’t get to choose the price…
Are they supposed to let their memberships lapse for a day to get the privilege of paying the full $15?
The reason I referred to Charter Members as cheapskates (which I admit was inappropriate to that forum) is in response to the idea that Charter Members are more loyal, faithful, and “put their money where their mouth is.”
Now, I’m not pitting Duck Duck and I don’t care about titles despite what Tuba thinks but I’ve paid twice what charter members have. I paid late. Big deal. I was out of the country and didn’t pay. Big whoop. I paid double when I got back. Who’s more loyal? Who’s putting their money where their mouth is? People are saying when we go back to free they want to keep their “put their money where their mouth is” title. I don’t agree. Wah.
What about people who pay other people’s memberships? Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. Do they get a special title?
Let’s do away with titles completely. Or don’t. I don’t care that much. Just don’t imply you’re more loyal than I am when I’ve been here as long as you and have paid twice the amount you have.
Beadalin, the OP of that thread questioned Hillary’s account of events back in Bosnia, and linked to a YouTube video as “evidence.” I watched the video and she said nothing about dodging sniper fire. Had the OP included what she’d earlier said about sniper fire and provided a quote of what she said I wouldn’t have bothered with that thread. I’m certainly not bothering with it now. As soon as I see posts like “she’s a liar and I’ll never vote for her” I try to tune out. There are just too many of those on the boards these days.
There’s not enough information to tell loyalty from this. As far as I can tell, it means absolutely nothing with respect to loyalty.
IIRC, wasn’t “Charter Member” actually supposed to be the designation for those who were here BEFORE the board went Pay-To-Post? The discount had nothing to do with it.
Or am I dreaming?
This is a lame pitting.
…there’s a special word for “assuming that everything is all about you”.
I’ll think of it in a minute…
He probably even thinks that song is about him.
I agree that Charter Member titles should be based (at least in part) on join date. I never cared for the fact Charter Member status was awarded entirely on when you paid and not when you joined. It never made sense to me that someone who signed up in 2004 could be a charter member when someone from 2001 wasn’t.
If we’re switching to a new model, the Charter Member/Member distinction should disappear, and not be replaced by another.
I still like the idea that’s been thrown around to pay a bit extra for a custom title. I’d spend another buck or two for that privilege. Just 'cause it’d be fun.
Me, too. How often would one be able to change it, though?