# So, what ever happened to that whole "Paying for membership" thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833 "2003-07-11T22:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/1 "2003-07-11T22:24:20Z")
What has come of that? About a year or so ago there was much talk about how to raise money (ie charge) for the running of the board, what has been decided? ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/2 "2003-07-12T04:05:08Z")
Last I heard, the administration had not yet reached a conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/3 "2003-07-12T05:45:31Z")
Probably sounding like a stuck record here - have they considered setting up a paypal donation system? I would certainly donate. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/4 "2003-07-12T06:05:27Z")
The latest comment I can find from staff is from [this April 2003 thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=178985) > [@](#): > > _Orig. by TubaDiva_ > Thanks for the comments, we appreciate hearing from you on all issues. > > I really have no news to impart on this front except to say that the situation is still under review. We’ve entertained a lot of suggestions on the issue and this is far from the first time such a plan has been floated. > > Please remember that this is by no means the main deal of the Chicago Reader; they are first and foremost in the newspaper business. This is not to say we might not be more to them at some point, but that’s not happening right this second. > > In the meantime, hang out and enjoy! > > your humble TubaDiva > Administrator It’s a matter of wait and see. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/5 "2003-07-14T03:44:17Z")
Wait, then who did i give $10 to??? :eek: Damn you, **White Lightning**!!! I’ll get you for that!! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/6 "2003-07-23T18:31:39Z")
Ooo! Maybe it’ll be like LiveJournal - the basics are free, but you can pay a bit more and get some neat bells and whistles. That’d be keen! 😃 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/7 "2003-07-24T23:48:47Z")
Well, since the administration seems to have the issue figured out I guess this is kinda moot, but I’m posting it anyway. See, I had this brilliant idea back when these discussions were taking place and I posted it knowing the potential it had to fund the boards, align the planets, preserve peace in the world, and make Ann Coulter mute. (note: predicted results have 75% margin of error) Unfortunately, I believe it was lost in the Winter of Missed Content. (At least I haven’t been able to find it). So here it is: **THE GREAT SDMB RAFFLE** $5 a ticket, buy as many as you like. One lucky doper drawn from the raffle at random gets to have a question of his/her choice answered by the Master himself. Conduct it annually, bi-annually, quarterly, whatever is workable. Benefits to consider: - each person can choose what to give based on his/her financial situation, while poor broke college students and the like need not participate - no wasted money on merchandise (or S&H) that nobody wants anyway. Nearly 100% profit I’d imagine (less the cost of running it) - everyone wants to have a question answered by Cecil - it would truly put Cecil’s claim that he can deliver the SD on any topic to the test, since he would have no control at all over what will be asked of him (Whaddya think Unca Cece, up to the challenge?) - it would be FUN!!! Brilliant? Dare I say: Genius??? ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/8 "2003-07-24T23:55:54Z")
Nope - as a corporate entity, The Chicago Reader can’t take donations (at least that was my understanding, as many people outright offered money that they couldn’t take). Raffles would count as such. Neat idea, though. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Berkut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/9 "2003-07-25T00:01:57Z")
I would pay $25 for a coffee mug that said something along the lines of “SDMB Premium Member - 2003”. And I wouldn’t complain if I suddenly had access to Who’s Online, PM’s, and an avatar. Just saying, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/10 "2003-07-25T00:04:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\*Raffles would count as such. > > Esprix \*\* Would they?? I mean, you would be buying something. What if they ran some contest selling stickers where each purchase of a sticker entered you? Or even the SD books? Would that make the revenue generated from the sales officially a “donation”? If so, Damn! ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/11 "2003-07-25T18:23:27Z")
In this case move the Board off to Antigua and Barbuda or whatever gambling-friendly offshore island nations are available. ---
**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:** [July 25, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-ever-happened-to-that-whole-paying-for-membership-thing/187833/12 "2003-07-25T23:09:47Z")
AFAIK, the SDMB already has a perfectly good revenue producing device: [Chicago Reader Online Advertising Rate Sheet](http://www.chireader.com/readerinc/Onlinerate.html) > [@](#): > > Online advertising is available on [ChicagoReader.com](http://ChicagoReader.com) in all content areas including: Classifieds, Jobsite, SpaceFinder, Matches, Restaurant Finder, Entertainment Listings, Music, On Film **and The Straight Dope.** Pool your money and buy a banner, even if it is just and ad for the SDMB itself. Once the Reader sees some income being produced by the SDMB. maybe they would be more disposed to upgrading the server.