# Subscription $$$ AND advertisements? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 18, 2008, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subscription-and-advertisements/453318 "2008-06-18T08:46:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scrambledeggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@scrambledeggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scrambledeggs)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subscription-and-advertisements/453318/1 "2008-06-18T08:46:45Z")
I notice there are advertisements on this board–and to my surprise, you have to pay to subscribe here. Why does the board need both subscription AND advertisement revenue? Never seen that before, on an internet forum. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subscription-and-advertisements/453318/2 "2008-06-18T10:28:10Z")
We’re in the process of moving from a subscription based income generation scheme to one that is ad-based. At the moment you need to pay to post (after your guest membership is over), soon (how soon is not yet clear) you will need to pay to go ads-free. Grim (there’s a thread somewhere with all the details in it, but I can’t find it at the moment…) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subscription-and-advertisements/453318/3 "2008-06-18T14:09:31Z")
We’re special. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subscription-and-advertisements/453318/4 "2008-06-18T14:39:32Z")
If you join, it eliminates all the ads except the Google ads at the bottom under the current system. The current system is expected to change in the next few months. (maybe) We have been told that once the board returns to free posting (and I imagine searching) that we can choose to pay to avoid the ads. (Again, except the Google ads from what I understand). Otherwise the SDMB will be free but you will need to put up with the ads. Two threads starter by Ed Zotti that address this issue are: > **[Improving the SDMB](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461088)** > > UPDATE AS OF 5/11/2008: As of now a subscription is still required to post. We’re not ready to switch to free posting yet - June or July is more like it. While dropping the fee is simply a matter of changing a software setting or two, we need to have... > **[Future of SDMB subscriptions](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=452713)** > > Some have e-mailed us asking if the SDMB will soon be switching from pay-to-post to pay-for-no-ads, as discussed last fall. Short answer: we haven’t decided, but it seems like a reasonable thing to do in light of changing Web economics and our... Jim Ed’s last update that I can find: [QUOTE=Ed Zotti] UPDATE AS OF 5/11/2008: As of now a subscription is still required to post. We’re not ready to switch to free posting yet - June or July is more like it. While dropping the fee is simply a matter of changing a software setting or two, we need to have an alternative revenue stream in place before we do so, and getting that set up is proving to be more complicated than I thought. So if you wish to keep posting once your subscription expires, you need to re-up, knowing that free posting may start within a month or two. If you’d rather let your subscription lapse and wait for free posting, that’s up to you. I remind you that free posting means you’ll see display ads, whereas subscribing means you won’t. I’m sorry I can’t be more definite, but felt it was better to give you what little information I have than simply surprise you. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/subscription-and-advertisements/453318/5 "2008-06-19T00:19:35Z")
[QUOTE=scrambledeggs] Never seen that before, on an internet forum. [/QUOTE] It does happen in other places too, for example: Fark and SomethingAwful