# Searching and signatures with free posting **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 13, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123 "2008-04-13T03:52:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123/1 "2008-04-13T03:52:26Z")
When the SDMB switches to free posting, will members who haven’t payed receive the full benefits of regular members, except for ads, of course, or will they be like guests, unable to search or have signatures? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123/2 "2008-04-13T11:16:47Z")
Fair question. Bump ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123/3 "2008-04-13T15:15:08Z")
[QUOTE=Vox Imperatoris] When the SDMB switches to free posting, will members who haven’t payed receive the full benefits of regular members, except for ads, of course, or will they be like guests, unable to search or have signatures? [/QUOTE] > [@Ed Zotti](#): > > **If I pay the no-ads fee, do I get any perks besides no ads?** > > No. It’s important to understand that we’re offering a no-ads option as a convenience to our users - we’re not trying to encourage you to go this route. The no-ads fee going forward will be adjusted so that it offsets lost revenue. As banner income increases over time, the fee will rise. But the choice is yours. [From the initial post announcing the move to free posting/pay-to-avoid-ads.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461088) This would appear to indicate that the only benefit from paying will be to eliminate the ads. _This is consistent with the fact that they really don’t WANT you to pay to eliminate ads._ ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123/4 "2008-04-16T05:09:51Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] [url=[Improving the SDMB - About This Message Board - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461088)] _This is consistent with the fact that they really don’t WANT you to pay to eliminate ads._ [/QUOTE] Fine with me, I won’t pay. But you can also bet that I won’t be looking at ads. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123/5 "2008-04-16T05:22:18Z")
I love our dear admins as much as the next fellow, **alterego**. But I have been forced to come to the conclusion that they are somehow managing to be just getting used to this internet thing still. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/searching-and-signatures-with-free-posting/445123/6 "2008-04-16T15:27:02Z")
We have so many web-savvy members that many of them will just use adblock plugins for their browsers, so I’d think, for this set at least, that paying might be preferable.