Is there anything in the free trial agreement about signing up for multiple trial periods?
I’m guessing that the managment would take a dim view of iamthewalrus(:3=4 signing up for a free trial around July, when iamthewalrus(:3=3’s trial expired, but what’s to keep those who can’t or won’t pay from just freeriding by choosing different-sounding names?
Well, chalk it up to my unbridled optimism, but I suspect the average jackass will think twice of signing up due to the nominal fee. Then again, I probably am wrong in this regard.
…but apparently this is my cue to go.
I am one of those who is unemployed, no credit card, no bank account for PayPal, yadda yadda. I can justify asking my boyfriend to help me buy some glasses, but not just to be able to post online. As much as I regret it, I will not be able to subscribe.
And I just got here, too! At least I will still be able to read the site, right?
The problem is that the unaverage insightful people will think twice also. I do imagine however that people won’t spend $15 just to troll so that will be a plus. But that is not really a big problem currently.
Aikes. This is kind of a blow to me. Sure I can afford $5, but the thing is I’m not really a regular poster, so I’m not sure if it’s worth it. I usually pop in maybe a few times in a month, to see what’s going on and comment, out of boredom, or maybe to ask a question, but I certainly don’t use the SDMB as a major social outlet as many people here seem to.
I’ve been registered for over a year and have only a little less that 500 posts (actually I don’t know if that is a good rate or not, is it?). Is it really worth it? On the other hand, I can imagine myself reading the boards as a non-subscriber (as I undoubtedly would still do) and thinking of a brilliant response to something before realizing I am completely unable to do it. 
I guess I’d better decide soon before the discounted price goes away…
People are actually complaining about this???
IMO, it’s the deal of the month (year’s too young to give it more credit than that 
).
I like the cut of your gib, young man!
As for the OP - I have no gripe. I said this in the ATMB thread and I’ll repeat it here:
It’s about damn time!
I don’t read the Boards that much any more, and post even less, but I’ll be paying for at least the first year as a show of support and a “thank you” for the last few years when I did read and post a lot.
My concern is for those who are looking to do a “let me send you cash and have you pay for me so that I can stay anonymous” or a “I don’t have a credit card and don’t feel comfortable with Paypal will you pay for me” thing. What’s to stop an unscrupulous Doper from making the offer to pay, then pocketing folks’ cash and screwing them over?
I’m not accusing any long-term Dopers of being crooks, but we all know that there are people who will do stuff like this, even for five bucks. All it would take is one person to be dishonest, and a trusting Doper will be screwed over.
My fervent hope is that there will be a change of heart and that people will be permitted to pay the CR directly via money orders. While it would require someone to personally deal with the mail and endorse each MO, I can’t imagine that there would be that many and, more importantly, they are guaranteed money. There’s no worry that the time spent on the “processing” is wasted because the money may not actually come, as there would be with a personal check.
Right now, I can say that my joining will be based largely on who does the credit card processing. I am very stringent about what companies I will trust with my personal, financial information. If I were given the option to pay the CR directly via money order, the inconvenience of having to go and get one would be greatly outweighed by the comparative security I’d feel in such a transaction. I do love the Dope and Dopers. I want to stick around. This is going to be a surprisingly difficult decision.
Not complaining as much as weighing their alternatives, Bob, and seeing if there is a way unaboard to continue in this great big internet messageboard universe fathom without breaking the bank. Yes, my friend, five bucks is a bargain but these good people, some new friends and others who we have just recently met, are trying to tell us THEY DON’T HAVE FIVE BUCKS TO THROW AROUND ON FUN! You are blessed if you have never had to make that choice.
Well, call me screwed, I don´t have a major credit card and PayPal is unknown around here.
I certainly have received a lot more than I’ve given around here. I’ve radiated some heat, to be sure, but hopefully a little light, too.
If asked to donate $5 I would have donated 10 times that amount. But I wasn’t asked, unfortunately. $5 is a bargain for this place, but I’m not willing to fork it over at gunpoint.
Take are, all. It certainly has been an experience.
Actually, I’d get your input for free. And you’re paying to put in your input.
Which is why I’m not signing up. Sure, I’ve got a fin to toss in the pot. But I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay to be published.
This is the business model from hell. This board is here because of our contributions, we provide all of the content, and now we’re being asked to pay to do so. It’s like a brick and mortar business asking its distributors to pay to make deliveries. Ridiculous.
The staff of the Reader had a huge number of chances to find out how generous Dopers are. We’ve been offering them money in one form or another for years. We’ve suggested classified ads, pooling to buy banner advertising, donations, merchandising, etcetera, etcetera. None of which would have had a chance to kill the boards off, and any of which deserved a try. Did they give us a chance to contribute freely? No, they went to the one business model that charges your suppliers to stock your shelves. The one model that has a good shot at killing off the boards.
I just finished watching Sports Night (again) and in the final episode an executive says (and I paraphrase liberally) : “Anyone who can’t make money off of Sports Night should get out of the money-making business.”
I’m not going to hang around to watch the cash cow slowly expire.
A (snail) mail in option would be a good first step towards allowing those without credit/debit cards to join.
I can’t help but think of some of our 2nd and 3rd world posters, perhaps posting from a library computer, who will now cease to be part of the once great Dope.
Okay, my medication is starting to wear off and I’m getting angry. Well, more like mildly irked but it’s close enough.
You people who cannot, for whatever reason, pay the subscription fee through the method Ed Zotti spelled out PLEASE follow EddyTeddyFreddy’s link. Nobody wants you to quit (except maybe Zotti, but he’s a sociopath–just read his columns ) and folks here are working on ways to make it work out. Whatever you do, don’t get glum and bummed and mope around or cry softly to yourself or nobody will miss you. And don’t quit before you have to because things are happening in your favor.
Yeesh! (great big :mad: face)
Up the voltage, Droppy. The effectsare wearing off. 
I just hope the Admins/Mods are actually reading this.
Hmmm, let’s see.
Ed says there are 7,000 current members.
Algernon calculates 2,174 current active members here. So let’s assume Algernon’s number and round it down to 2,000 as the number who actually pay the five smackers to join.
That’s $10,000, give or take a few nickels. At today’s prices one can purchase a pretty decent machine with some substantial grunt, the required database software and a bigger Internet pipe to the whole shebang. (Hell, most of the required software is freeware anyway!)
If the SDMB still crawls like a snail, perhaps the Chicago Reader is generating a revenue stream for itself and not really interested in the SDMB. It would not be the first time a parent company cut off its nose in spite of its face. (I would really like to be proven wrong on this.)
BTW, I’m staying.
There are actually people I know IRL, some I work with every day, who are surprised when I get even a little bit cross. “But Mike, you’re always so nice”
They don’t know how much our health insurance pays every month to KEEP me so nice.
When I first read about the generous offers of Dopers to pay for other’s memberships, I figured it would degenerate into “At Best” a High-School popularity contest (“You back me up, so I’ll pay for you to validate my opinion, but this other guy dosen’t, so screw him” and “I paid for your ass to be here, so you better agree with me!”) and “At Worst” just another Nigerian/eBay/Viagra/Get-your-preciption-drugs-and-finance-your-home-at-2.0% scam opportunity. The intenet is prime-perfect for anonomouse “Send me your money and I’ll do you a favor” scams. Kinda like the lottey, this will be hardest on those who need the five bucks the most. This can only be bad for the boards. No offense to any generous Dopers who would be willing to help out those less fortunite, but WHAT A STUPID IDEA! OPEN THE BOARDS UP TO PETTY IN-FIGHTING AND SCAMMERS!
And another gripe: ITS FIVE FUCKING DOLLARS, PEOPLE!! FOR A FREAKIN’* YEAR!!* I have more than that in change under the seat of ANY ONE OF MY TEN FUCKING CARS!! Who the hell has a computer and NOT HAVE FIVE FUCKING DOLLARS TO PUKE UP??? Total apologies to those without credit cards/Paypal, this mini-rant is not for you. Who the hell can object to the “price” of five dollars? My advice? If the five dollars is the problem, you need to get your sorry ass off-line and get out looking for SOMETHING, ANYTHING to feed yourself on. Jesus Christ! If I was so hard up for five fucking dollars, I guaren-goddamn-tee you I could raise it in 4 hours.
Sorry this ended up in a drunken chaos. (yes, the home-brew has been “into”) I kinda “depend” on the SDMB during the week at work to kill time, and I just think that it is due for a slow and horrendus death due to this policy. As a long-time reader of the “Straight Dope” and a notorous drive-by poster on the boards, I will mourn the slow death. Ah, well, no biggie. I just need to get out into the garage and focus on some more relevant projects.
One more thing: Quit the pompous “fighting ignorance” bullshit! Sure, thats what Cecil’s colums might be about (it makes a good tag-line). This board is more about killing time, making “one-liners”, bashing the current administration and spouting opinions/witnessing. You wanna fight ignorance? Go volunteer your time at the local elementary school. Posting anonomously on the internet is “wanking in the stock-room” equalivant to “fighting ignorance”.
No fucking sig tonight, Shit-hook!
A few things:
First of all, those of you who are arguing that it is only five bucks really need to back off a little bit. You are being immensly insensitive. I can afford five bucks, many of those expressing concern about the five bucks could probably get the money from the spare change in their car or sofa cushions. That is besides the point - it is not always about the total dollar amount when one is experiencing financial difficulties. It is a matter of priority in where you spend your (or other’s) money.
For example, I’ve been unemployed for an extended period of time. I am thankful every day that Mrs. MeanJoe makes an above average income and we are not in desperate financial straits as a result. I can afford five dollars without a single problem. That said, I cannot justify it. Even though it is only five bucks, and even though I do not have to answer for every dollar to Mrs. MeanJoe, I would have a real hard time explaining why the bank shows a 5.00 debit to SDMB, Inc. if I was asked.
Secondly, I have to give a hearty “Hell Yea” to MrVisible. I really do think he is dead-on accurate about this business model. It is really absurd to pay for the priviledge of continuing a community that YOU BUILT. This board is nothing without YOU and YOUR thoughts, opinions, debating skills, etc. As hallowed a name as Cecil is around here, Cecil did not make the SDMB what it is - sorry to burst bubbles. I cannot understand how many people are gushing profusely over how great it is to finally be able to pay to post. :eek:
Third, Hi Opal!
Finally, in spite of my comments so far I really am not certain what I’m going to do. Do I pay and shamefully try to hide the “SUCKER” written on my forehead by The Reader? I enjoy this board, although I am not a umpteen-thousand post member. Does that enjoyment outweigh the inevitable discussion with Mrs. MeanJoe over the 5.00 charge? I just do not know yet. I am likely going to keep reading the SDMB, even if I do not pay - I’ve learned a lot just by reading GD alone. Tough call…
Anyway, ignore this all if you wish but please stop the “It’s ONLY five dollars, you cannot tell me you can’t find five dollars, no one is THAT POOR” comments towards those who are making different financial decisions than you. Mmmm’kay?
MeanJoe
To all admins and grand high muckety-mucks who make this place one of the nicest corners of the web: 
Seriously, Please, please consider a check/money order account. I don’t have a credit card (not working and can’t afford one), and obviously few/none of the under-18 Dopers will have one. As much as $5 seems like a pittance to someone like me who works during the summer and lives at home rent-free (for now), I could see someone having issues whether they could afford it or not.