I remember reading in a thread here about a site which will compare and contrast different pre-paid cellular phone plans. Only now I can’t find the site and as a guest I can’t search.
Can anyone help?
p/g
Well, g, I did a quick search for pre-paid cell phone and here are a few threads that seemed most relevant to your request. I didn’t look through them though, so I make no guarantees. If these don’t prove useful, let me know and I’ll try again.
DC
Cell phones: Pre-paid or contract?
prepaid cell phones - without the phone?
Pay-as-you-go cell phones services vs. standard contract service
You found the one I was after. Thank you very much!
Glad to be of help. 
DC
The following is an unpaid advertisement. The views expressed don’t necessarily reflect the views of this station.
Wow, Susan! That’s great! And that’s what I’m talking about-- fighting ignorance, helping people fight ignorance, and people helping people fight ignorant people. You just saw it in action right here in this “thread!”
Hi, I’m Happy Lendervedder. You might remember me from such infomercials as “Charleton Heston Presents the 7-Minute Home Colo-Rectal Exam” or “Thunderchuck[sup]TM[/sup]”
But today I’m here to talk to you about “The Straight Dope Message Board.”
What’s that, Susan? No, it’s not a message board about the marijuana. But that’s a good one! Haha!
Why, it’s actually a message board about “knowledge.” Yup, and now I’m gonna tell you how to get you some.
But first: Susan, have you ever wondered what happens when you pan-fry semen? Of course you have. Problem is, where are you gonna find any semen?
What if I told you that there’s a place on the “Internet” where someone has actually fried his own semen, and written about it afterward? Too good to be true?
And while we’re on the subject of spunk, I’ll bet you’re wondering if it’s safe for a man to ejaculate into a fish tank…wonder no more, my feather-haired friend!
Haha, yeah.
But that’s not all, Susan!
Have you ever wondered why sporks aren’t more prevelant? Wonder no more!
Or maybe you’re wondering how you should space the trusses on the roof of that new home you’re building. Wonder no more!
But the ignorance-fighting doesn’t end there, Susan. I can also point you in the direction of gay people, Muslims and cyborgs.
And they’ve all been helping to fight ignorance on the Straight Dope Message Board-- or “SDMB” to the locals-- since 1999!
Whoa, Susan! Slow down! I’m getting there! But first, remember that interaction between g_under_p and DoperChic at the beginning of the hour? You don’t? Well, just scroll up. I’ll be waiting here when you get back.
Wow! That didn’t take long! You must be a fast reader.
Didjya notice how g_under_p was desperate for a certain piece of information, but was unable to locate it? No?
Well, read it again. I’ll wait.
Okay. Now our friend g_under_p knew the information about the pre-paid cell phones was here-- on the “SDMB”-- because he took the first step toward fighting ignorance: several weeks ago, he simply typed the easily-remembered www.boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/ into his “Internet” browser, and then clicked on a “thread” about “pre-paid” cell phones.
That’s the first step.
The ignorance isn’t entirely fought there, though. And that’s the stumbling block our friend g_under_p found himself tripping over. He was unable to search the “SDMB” for the information he sought. He knew the information was here, but he had no way of retrieving it.
Oh, Susan. There’s no need to weep.
Did you happen to see how our helpful friend, DoperChic, soon came along to help our poor lost soul? She simply posted “links” to previous “threads” which dealt with “pre-paid” cell phones.
Pow! Problem solved! Right?
Wrong!
What happens the next time our friend g_under_p needs to find information on the Liberty Bell, or modern Kosher laws, or find out what happened on the June 13, 2003 episode of “Six Feet Under?”
How will he be able to search “the Boards” then?
Well, Susan, I’ll tell you.
He needs to buy a subscription to the “SDMB.” And I’ll tell you what, Susan. It is so worth it.
I’ve got one, and I use it all the time. DoperChic has one too. Actually, there are “literally” “millions” out there “teeming” with their subscriptions, right now, as we speak. Literally.
Didjya notice how I posted-- not 4, not 5, not 6, but 7 “links” in this infomercial? I was able to do all that searching thanks to my “SDMB” subscription.
You can too, Susan, and so can our friend g_under_p!
Now, Susan, how much do you think a subscription like this is worth?
“$1,900?” Is that your final answer?
Haha, that’s me doing Regis Philbin.
But seriously. You’re absolutely right, Susan. A subscription like this is worth $1,900, and not a penny less. It’s been tested and proven in “laboratories.” I’m serious.
But I’m feeling wacky today! Crazy! WOOO-HOOO! I’m feeling like doing a little dance! That’s because I’m gonna fill you in on a little secret: You can get this subscription, Susan-- this subscription to the “SDMB”-- for only $14.95.
My goodness, did I say that out loud?!? A $1,900 subscription-- with the ability to search old “posts” and “threads”-- for only $14.95?!?
Somebody must be insane! I hope it’s not me-- Is it me? It’s not me, is it Susan? Good!
How do you get this wonderous deal? Simply “Click” here! Operators are standing by to take your order.
And financial assistance is available.
Suddenly I want ANOTHER subscription…
Ummm, yeah, uh, Happy, I’ve had my paid subscription to the SDMB for over a year now, and since I paid, I’ve lost over 600 pounds of ignorance! It’s absolutely true, Happy! My ignorance used to be a size 24, and now it’s a size 6! I’ve never had such a small ignorance rating before! My husband can hardly keep his hands off of it! ::giggle; blush::
results not necessarily typical. YMMV.
If g_under_p is sitting out there wondering whether he/she should subscribe, your post has undone all the good work done by DoperChic’s willing assistance.
Look, you may disagree with how we run things around here, but yelling at one another in this thread in About This Message Board is not going to do anything but look like, well, people yelling at one another, which is not helpful to the issue or appropriate to this forum.
We do not offer the search function to guests; it’s a perk of subscription. Subscriptions are what keep us in business. We hope all our guests become paying members and we encourage them to do so.
your humble TubaDiva
Did I miss something? Were some posts deleted? Oh and Happy Lendervedder, that was beautiful. I am going to send a link to it to several friends I think should start reading the dope.
TubaDiva, I too would like to express confusion over your outburst. Are you saying that we shouldn’t offer to search for guests anymore? Then make a sticky here and perhaps in GQ to that effect, so there will be no more confusion. I was under the impression that it was accepted practice, even blessed by the Powers That Be, but my attempts at parsing your post would suggest otherwise.
On the other hand, maybe you misinterpreted This Year’s Model’s joke. Some people don’t use smilies as often as they should, but I don’t know how anyone can construe that as ‘shouting’ or even unpleasant. Again, my attempts at parsing are apparently failing me.
I’m sorry if I misconstrued you, but I think we all need a follow-up post if we’re expected to understand what you just said.
Thanks for the info, Happy Lendervedder. I appreciate the humorous attempts to prod me to join.
p/g
My apologies.
I second what Derleth said above. I viewed Happy Lendervedder’s post as a very humorous attempt to describe the benefits of subscribing.
I never would have offered to answer g_under_p’s request if I thought this would be the result. Like Derleth, I too thought that searching for guests was not a big “no-no”, especially with the success of the Unofficial SDMB Search Requests Thread – for Guests thread in this very forum.
If this has changed in any way, please clarify.
Oh well. JMHO YMMV.
DC
I had no idea searching for guests was a no-no either (if it is). I just thought the friendly little interaction that DoperChic and g_under_p had was so cute, it looked like a skit. Hence, my over-done attempt at humor.
If searching for guests is a no-no, could we get a clarification?
Happy
I did not see it as humor, I did see it as criticism/complaint. If I misread, I apologize.
your humble TubaDiva
I read Happy’s post strictly as humor, parodying infomercials. JMHO.
Aww gee. I did sumthin’ cute.
Was anyone else imagining that guy that shills the OxyClean products as the presenter in this Dope-mercial? (shudder)…
However, I didn’t find it offensive - I thought it was one of the more brilliant pieces I’ve seen on here in a while
It’s certianly the funniest thing I’ve read in ATMB within my memory.