# SDMB Charging for Access - Comments **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489 "2001-11-09T19:17:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/21 "2001-11-10T01:01:30Z")
I’ll miss you guys. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Nacho4Sara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Nacho4Sara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nacho4Sara)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/22 "2001-11-10T01:30:46Z")
I’m just too poor. I have a budget made for every paycheck for the next year. If I don’t get at least a 75 cents raise (which my boss says isn’t looking good) and a scholarship to pay for books, I’m not even sure I’ll be able to attend school next semester. That alone causes me insomnia. I seriously start to cry at the thought of not continuing with college, even for a semester, because I’ve already missed one. Every penny I have goes to my education or absolute necessities for hygiene. I have a feeling that this is not going to turn out well, anyway. But it was nice while it lasted, folks. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/23 "2001-11-10T01:54:20Z")
A lot of our posters are from outside the US and Canada. Would an Australian or European resident be able to use their own credit cards to create accounts? And some may live in places where credit cards and other e-commerce tools are simply not availiable. How could they pay - even if they had the 50 bucks? A big part of the SD’s appeal is that it is fairly international. I mean North Americans seem to be the majority here, but questions and topics relating to China, Germany, Mexico, Africa and so on can usually count on some posters who live in those places and have first hand knowledge. I’m afraid a lot of that may get lost. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/24 "2001-11-10T02:10:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by samclem \* > **Eve** –Are you “unplugged” at home from choice or poverty. If the latter, I’m sure that about 25 dopers who worship your posts would chip in $30 each and we could have you posting from home. \*This offer not valid for all posters. See your store for details. I’ll back this up. **Eve** , you are a classic lady as I hope that I am a classic gentleman. I’d do it just to keep being able to read your posts. ---
**Author:** ![Kricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kricket)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/25 "2001-11-10T02:20:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*I’ll miss you guys. > > ☹ \*\* Counts me out also. Not that I’ll be missed much. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/26 "2001-11-10T02:32:22Z")
I don’t mind paying, but I would like more priveledges. Not to start a class war or anything but perhaps you could have 2 levels of membership. Regular and Premium. Cause let me tell you, I would love to be able to fix my coding. Any billionaires out there want to keep the best community on web the way it is? ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/27 "2001-11-10T03:28:42Z")
I said that I’d pay in the link, but I’m afraid that it very much so depends on the cost. I’m going to be away from the boards for three months next year anyway. Were I a lurker I wouldn’t pay. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/28 "2001-11-10T04:00:27Z")
Everyone seems to be overlooking part of Ed’s announcement - that current posters will get a hefty discount for at least the first year. I’m still waiting to hear how much that will be before deciding anything. ---
**Author:** ![phartizan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba8739/32.png) [@phartizan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phartizan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/29 "2001-11-10T04:19:03Z")
Well, it’s been even more addictive than (free) porn, and I can understand that they might have to charge to cover their costs, but I think $20 is far too much. I’m not sure I’d even be willing to pay $5. Compare it to a magazine? Hello-oo! Where are the printing & mailing costs? And the NYT may charge, but not for today’s paper. At least I won’t spend so much time at the computer. Bye! ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/30 "2001-11-10T04:28:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Anthracite \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > > \*\*Count me in, but if we have to pay for it, can we maybe have [img] and HTML (even if only in MPSIMS)?? \*\* > > I can answer this - not without a serious amount of Board re-coding. And based on the reluctance to do that, I am confident the answer will be “no”. \*\* I need to be correct here. Since the SDMB is no longer “stock” 1.1.3, it may actually be easy to implement. :o ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/31 "2001-11-10T04:36:46Z")
…and the NYTimes allows you to modify things on their website **how?** ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/32 "2001-11-10T05:20:13Z")
What if we were to do something drastic instead? Like, say, erase all posts and start over. A stop-gap measure I’m sure but would that help ease the situation? I would personally prefer that to paying, not that I mind paying but rather feel fees will change the nature of the board. ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/33 "2001-11-10T05:24:20Z")
I’m confused by Ed’s NY Times reference too. I go to their site 3 to 5 times weekly. As far as I know it’s free for everyone. It’s certainly free for me, although they do put you through the formality of registration. But then The Economist thought for 2 years that I was Dr. Jeffrey Roth and let me see everything on their definitely fee-based site for no charge, so maybe I’m just under the radar with the Times. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/34 "2001-11-10T05:54:08Z")
$10-$20? I’m probably in. Any more than that - it’s iffy. I don’t like paying much more than that for my magazine subscriptions. I’m cheap. Plus, I have many other Internet-related fees I am paying. Several domain names, more than one ISP (one for my sister, one for me) and other stuff. It adds up. I want to help out, though. And I sure don’t want this board to die. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Frink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Mr.Frink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Frink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/35 "2001-11-10T06:28:13Z")
I don’t think that charging for the SDMB will work for one simple reason: In the last few weeks before the “members only” change-over occurs, we’ll see a rash of threads pointing people over to other free message boards with the same format as the Straight Dope. Or one of the members here who already has a message board will change their forum catagories to: “General Questions” “Great Debates”, etc… I have no doubt that before this board is locked, most regular posters will have put the word out pointing people to another board. One-by-one we’ll drift over there, see the names of ex-SDMB’ers we’re familiar with, and we’ll settle into our new message-board/home I sympathize with the plight of The Chicago Reader; but as SLATE and other subscription websites have learned, _as long as there is a free alternative, pay-for-access will not work!_ ---
**Author:** ![slackergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@slackergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slackergirl)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/36 "2001-11-10T06:58:13Z")
Can you tell us how much you’re trying to raise per month, or year? I think part of the problem with people running amok in the other thread is that a lot of folks have latched onto the $50/year idea. A little reality check might be appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Slip\_Mahoney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Slip\_Mahoney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slip_Mahoney)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/37 "2001-11-10T13:54:36Z")
I’m getting a tad annoyed with the “sockpuppets and trolls will be gone” thing. It’s a red herring, and anyone who’s paid even the slightest attention is aware that the mods and admins are very skilled and quick to weed out these miscreants. They are unable to disrupt the board for any length of time, and are even a source of amusement at times. They pose no danger. The real danger is that the board will become inbred. A core of posters who know each other’s history, politics and religious persuation. With that comes predictability, the death knell for intelligent discourse. And if my ideas happen to tick off some of the “respected posters”, I may just come to the conclusion that I’m a fool to pay money just so I can get my ass kicked by someone I’ve never met. It won’t work. It can’t work. It’ll never work. Any message board that wants to charge its members to post has a death wish. Hell, no. I won’t pay. Not that it matters to anyone. I’m new, and a vanilla poster to boot. But I’ve seen some very bright, articulate posters say that they won’t pay, either. And they will be replaced by who? By newbies? They will be few and far between. And for everyone that joins, two will drop out. I could be wrong. Maybe it’ll be three or four. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/38 "2001-11-10T14:03:30Z")
\<\< … and anyone who’s paid even the slightest attention is aware that the mods and admins are very skilled and quick to weed out these miscreants. They are unable to disrupt the board for any length of time, and are even a source of amusement at times. They pose no danger. \>\> But they swallow up an enormous amount of moderators’ TIME, and thus are a significant drain on the Board’s resources. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/39 "2001-11-10T14:31:25Z")
Frinkboy: Yes, a certain number of people will just go over to Fathom or the UnaBoard, but then Opal and Una will start having the same problems with server capacity, etc. that the SDMB is having, and they may have to change their registration policies, too. I agree that if not enough people signed up, the SDMB would become inbred, but you know, if they (we) did see that happening, they (we) could easily change the registration policy, get some more people in here. I think it’s important to at least try it, so we can say, “Well, hey, look, we tried charging subscription fees…” And if there are any other “free alternatives” to the Straight Dope Message Board, it’s sure news to me. This place is they-broke-the-mold unique. Parts of the Internet just ain’t gonna be free. That’s all there is to it. I heard somewhere that the Encyclopedia Britannica is thinking of charging for access, too. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![P.W.Doodle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f14d63/32.png) [@P.W.Doodle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P.W.Doodle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489/40 "2001-11-10T14:46:09Z")
I stumbled across [a site](http://www.christianguitar.ws/) this morning and this was a message they had there… [sub] It’s not a great site…I just linked it if there was any question and since I am quoting from it.[/sub] > [@](#): > > Pop-ups and Membership > As you’ve probably noticed by now, pop-up ads are slowly creeping their way around the site. It’s not something that I ever wanted to do, but it’s become a necessary measure. However, I also have a cheap way for you to avoid the ads - become a member! A membership won’t get you much, but it doesn’t cost much. Basically, it will give you access to all of our guitar archives, our artist database and our CD reviews completely ad free - no pop-ups, no banners, nothing. The cost? $20 for a one year membership, which is only $1.67 a month or $0.05 a day. Not bad. Click here for details. > > I personally feel that this is the best way to do it. For those of you that can’t afford the $20 - no big deal. You just have to put up with some ads, but you don’t miss out on any content. If you have $20 and want to avoid the pop-ups (and banners), then you can pay. It’s as simple as that. That way those who can’t pay still have an option… Polly [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-charging-for-access-comments/92489.md?page=3)