# Is it worth paying for membership? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 31, 2016, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238 "2016-10-31T08:43:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/1 "2016-10-31T08:43:06Z")
I’ve always tried to be a charter member, even when I seldom visit.obviously I missed my window of opportunity. I like to reward nice places on the web. What benefits are there for joining? Does the SDMB even still need my donation? Would I be better off sending it in to the political party that’s not going to destroy life as we know it! In short why or why not should I part with my money? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/2 "2016-10-31T10:14:20Z")
I’m happy to pay my membership fee because it helps to keep the board running. Without our contributions we might lose the SDMB altogether. That’s the benefit of joining. And I don’t have to feel guilty about using adblocker. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/3 "2016-10-31T10:20:55Z")
Worth it to not see ads. I’ve visited the site without signing in and without an ad blocker and it wasn’t pretty. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/4 "2016-10-31T11:55:48Z")
I have recently decided it’s really not, for me, and I won’t likely pay again. Even though it’s less than $10, the board is so malfunctioning it’s not even worth that, I feel. Search doesn’t work, hasn’t for so long I can no longer remember when it did. (I’m sorry but being able to search is a fundamental function, without it, locating stuff you’d like to see is just too much freaking work! ) The ‘go to last post’ function is also non functioning. Or, more accurately, functions irregularly at best. (Again, a fundamental tool for using/reading the board efficiently!) Also I try to avoid sites that serve up malware and the scummier forms of advertising mostly because, I’m not clever enough to clean my computer when it gets infected. And I’ve twice had to pay someone to clean my computer after getting malware from this site. This site seems stuck in the last decade, how old is the damn software anyway? Readership appears in steady decline over the last several years, meaning there is less and less that interests me, to be read. Where there used to always be an hour worth of interesting reads, now I’m done in ten minutes. The PTB feel little need to explain anything beyond, ‘prepare for the worst’. I’m sorry but I’m not up for detailing what device, software, browser etc every time there is conflict with the scummy ads or outdated software. The short story, it’s just REALLY not worth even the pittance it costs any more. (I’m certain others feel differently, but that’s how I feel.) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/5 "2016-10-31T12:43:12Z")
I pay to support a messageboard that I like. I have been to many, but this one is the only one worth my hard earned $7.50 a year. No ads is good, but I can block them easily enough. All the other little benefits are just gravy. I think the board works fine; the search and last read issues are so minor to me as to be insignificant. I wouldn’t stay here for 17 years if it were otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/6 "2016-10-31T13:04:11Z")
> [@Qwisp](#): > > I’ve always tried to be a charter member, even when I seldom visit.obviously I missed my window of opportunity. I like to reward nice places on the web. What benefits are there for joining? Does the SDMB even still need my donation? Would I be better off sending it in to the political party that’s not going to destroy life as we know it! In short why or why not should I part with my money? I’m sure the Republicans would appreciate the $10 donation. I’m not sure that sending it to SDMB would be a good use of your money. One would assume that the fees being paid would be used for such trivial things as software and hardware upgrades, but no. We’re still on a 486 box running Windows 95. I think - they might not have even upgraded that far. I don’t plan to renew when my time comes up. The board content has degraded horribly. The good posters are gone. It ain’t worth it. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/7 "2016-10-31T13:37:36Z")
It’s totally worth the cost, I just don’t pay for political reasons having nothing to do with the value of the board as a whole. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/8 "2016-10-31T13:52:53Z")
“Is it worth it?” Does that mean, “Am I getting $10 worth of value per year for my donation/payment?” Yes. Unquestionably. Do I get something EXTRA for my $10 that people who don’t pay AREN’T getting? No. Then why give? I’m glad to pay, because in my own value system\* it’s the right thing to do for a service i use a lot that is costing \*\*someone \*\*to run. We can use the service for free, but it’s not free. Even if we’re not required to pay, hosting a web site with this much volume isn’t free. Everyone who comes here knows that, and yet some are able to rationalize using it for free, even while coming here to complain about it. Irony, anyone? There have been threads recently on what I’ve learned here, and even one on how something/someone here changed my life. I noted that many (NOT ALL) of those posters who said they had experienced great and even life-changing connections on the SDMB were not paying members. I’m not aware of any malfunctions that occur routinely while interacting with the board. _Search, first new post_, work fine on my computer as well as on my kindle. I find the content worthwhile enough and the posters good enough to visit multiple times per day. I don’t care about the software as long as the board functions for me, and it does. The board is not perfect. It’s not a perfect community, but it is unique. I’m a retired widow and I’m not wealthy, but I can spare $10. It’s worth way more TO ME than $10 per year and I’m happy to contribute such a small amount. \*My values were shaped by a 38-year career as a development professional (18 of those years as a free-lancer), raising money for services that clients (mostly) did not have to pay for. At one of my jobs, we made a sign (just for staff) that said, “Doing what people think **just happens**.” Except for acts of God and nature, things don’t “just happen.” People are making them happen and someone is bearing the cost. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/9 "2016-10-31T14:04:37Z")
I would say yes. It is like some other things in my life; its not so much that I benefit from membership as I enjoy it and the feeling it gives. Ten bucks is small enough and I’m here often enough that not being a member would just not be right for me. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/10 "2016-10-31T14:06:44Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I’m happy to pay my membership fee because it helps to keep the board running. Without our contributions we might lose the SDMB altogether. That’s the benefit of joining. > > And I don’t have to feel guilty about using adblocker. Done in one. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/11 "2016-10-31T14:10:23Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > The good posters are gone. It ain’t worth it. No I’m not!😕 Just a bit busy with Halloween over the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/12 "2016-10-31T14:34:15Z")
I gladly paid for many years until I foolishly missed the subscription deadline one year and lost my Charter Membership. I now log in as a Guest with an adblocker but I do feel twinges of guilt now and then for no longer supporting the site financially even in such a minuscule fashion. This is a wonderful board, well and intelligently moderated with a membership covering a vast range of human experience. I personally have never had trouble with malware here (thanks to my adblocker) and rarely have problems with access. In short it’s well worth being a paying member and I fully intend to renew my membership when circumstances allow (alas my finances aren’t all they should be at present.) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/13 "2016-10-31T16:50:18Z")
Costs me far less annually than my Hulu subscription, and is worth far more. So a definite yes. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/14 "2016-10-31T17:41:03Z")
I’d be happy to pay, but I don’t feel like the SDMB is that bothered as to whether I do or not (I think they’re still working on the theory that more non-paying visitors means more potential for ad revenue, and they’re understandably not quick to update us on how that’s working out). If there were a big appeal for people to pay up in order to keep the board running for another year (or whatever), a la Wikipedia, I’d pay. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/15 "2016-10-31T21:22:23Z")
> [@Dead\_Cat](#): > > I’d be happy to pay, but I don’t feel like the SDMB is that bothered as to whether I do or not (I think they’re still working on the theory that more non-paying visitors means more potential for ad revenue, and **they’re understandably not quick to update us on how that’s working out** ). If there were a big appeal for people to pay up in order to keep the board running for another year (or whatever), a la Wikipedia, I’d pay. The logic of this escapes me. 😕 WRT the part I’ve bolded: so you’re seeing some kind of secrecy/conspiracy thing going on here? Should the board NOT be seeking ad revenue? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/16 "2016-10-31T21:42:20Z")
Paying for a membership is absolutely worth it to me. For the money I get more value out of reading and posting stuff here than any other entertainment service that I subscribe to. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/17 "2016-11-01T00:38:49Z")
I don’t pay for two reasons 1. With a media conglomerate behind them I don’t think SD is hurting for money. If they are that’s an internal problem. I think conglomo just views us as an untapped revenue source. 2. I’m really put off by the blackmail vibe I get that I should pay so I don’t get the obnoxious malware-laden ads. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/18 "2016-11-01T00:45:03Z")
Yes. I’ve tried logging in anonymously and it’s the purest misery. Beyond the positive things one do for others, it makes using the board significantly less shitty for oneself. ETA: Fuck media conglomerates! I go for what makes my life better. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/19 "2016-11-01T01:15:43Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > ETA: Fuck media conglomerates! I go for what makes my life better. Like a free adblocker? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238/20 "2016-11-01T01:46:21Z")
If I ever hear a good justification for paying I might do so. So far I haven’t. Your mileage may certainly vary. mmm [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-paying-for-membership/770238.md?page=2)