# The SDMB is switching to paid subscriptions **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 18, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724 "2004-03-18T18:26:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 27
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/522 "2004-03-23T14:08:57Z")
Instead of “Charter Member” could I request “Old Fart”? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/523 "2004-03-23T15:38:20Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Instead of “Charter Member” could I request “Old Fart”? You can request anything you like, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/524 "2004-03-23T15:48:35Z")
Guys, don`t forget, if you really, REALLY need a sponsor, you should check out this thread. [Here`s the thread.]([http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=245878&page=3&pp=50](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=245878&page=3&pp=50)) There are plenty of people willing to help and plenty of people who need help. ---
**Author:** ![Flash-57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Flash-57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flash-57)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/525 "2004-03-23T16:59:51Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > For right now, though, I think the SDMB should send an e-mail out to every e-dress in its database telling everyone about this change. … It would also, I believe, greatly increase the first month’s revenues, because a lot of people will pay just to get the deal. It will be interesting to see what the revenue curve looks like. I suspect that there will only be 100 or so people sign up at $5 rate in the first month. Several thousand lurkers will simply let their account expire. After the initial discount period, when posters would then have to pay $15 to join, membership will drop to maybe 5 new payers a month. After a year, they will have collected about $1500, but lost 95% of the lurkers and sometime-posters. Then, when renewal comes around for $7.50, about half those who did sign up during the first year will decline to renew. > [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I predict the result will be a drop in membership, a lack of new blood staying around, and a stagnation of the board, causing it to go the way of Compuserve , AOL chat rooms, and other web-based efforts that can’t keep up with the times, for whatever reason. Agreed. I think the real problem will be a change in attitude. The lurkers will feel bad for posting without paying. So, they won’t post and there really won’t be any new threads with unusual and unexpected subjects. The paying regulars will be stuck in endless debates about religion, politics, abortion, and PC vs. Mac. And, as someone else mentioned with the restaurant analogy, the regulars will probably start to feel some kind of entitlement. They paid for a seat at the table, so they will have no problem monopolizing the discussions or thinking that their opinions count more than the non-payers. The loss of the open environment will change this board dramatically. I suspect that the administrators and members won’t really like what it turns into. And, unfortunately, once the damage is done, there will be no recovering. If they decide that the payment system was a bad idea and make the boards free again, they’d either have to refund all the money or risk bad feelings from those who did pay. > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Dammit, with this “charter member” moniker, I’d feel like an asshole making humerous remarks. That’s worth repeating, since it indicates that the change is underway. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/526 "2004-03-23T17:21:09Z")
> [@Flash-57](#): > > It will be interesting to see what the revenue curve looks like. I suspect that there will only be 100 or so people sign up at $5 rate in the first month. Several thousand lurkers will simply let their account expire. > > After the initial discount period, when posters would then have to pay $15 to join, membership will drop to maybe 5 new payers a month. > > After a year, they will have collected about $1500, but lost 95% of the lurkers and sometime-posters. > > Then, when renewal comes around for $7.50, about half those who did sign up during the first year will decline to renew. > > Agreed. > > I think the real problem will be a change in attitude. The lurkers will feel bad for posting without paying. So, they won’t post and there really won’t be any new threads with unusual and unexpected subjects. The paying regulars will be stuck in endless debates about religion, politics, abortion, and PC vs. Mac. > > And, as someone else mentioned with the restaurant analogy, the regulars will probably start to feel some kind of entitlement. They paid for a seat at the table, so they will have no problem monopolizing the discussions or thinking that their opinions count more than the non-payers. > > The loss of the open environment will change this board dramatically. I suspect that the administrators and members won’t really like what it turns into. > > And, unfortunately, once the damage is done, there will be no recovering. If they decide that the payment system was a bad idea and make the boards free again, they’d either have to refund all the money or risk bad feelings from those who did pay. > > That’s worth repeating, since it indicates that the change is underway. Slightly off target > **[First day revenue?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=246537)** > > Since the registration form has gone up, I’ve seen quite a few people with the ‘Charter Member’ title. I, myself, am going to register on Friday when I get my direct deposit. 🙂 Out of curiosity, though, it just seems that this idea has been... ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/527 "2004-03-23T18:08:59Z")
> [@Flash-57](#): > > That’s worth repeating, since it indicates that the change is underway. Thanks Pal, now I’m on the Mod’s black list! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/528 "2004-03-23T18:27:26Z")
How come I’m just a “member” and not a “charter member”? ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/529 "2004-03-23T18:32:29Z")
Doh! Ignore my post above… ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/530 "2004-03-23T19:25:48Z")
I too (as of 30 seconds ago) am still listed only as a Member, not a Charter Member…it’d be a shame if they changed it to only first day signups…since I registered roughly an hour after midnight on the first day. ---
**Author:** ![billurantia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@billurantia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billurantia)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/531 "2004-03-23T19:26:47Z")
Our board is free and that’s where you’ll find me. Theuranitiboard.com [Bill@theuranitiaboard.com](mailto:Bill@theuranitiaboard.com) for questions. Bill ---
**Author:** ![Flash-57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Flash-57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flash-57)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/532 "2004-03-23T19:51:56Z")
> [@Myglaren](#): > > Slightly off target > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=246537](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=246537) OK, so the number’s at 1000 instead of 100. That’s not too bad, I guess. But, it’s still a fairly small number when I can see that this thread has been read over 4700 times. And, I’m guessing, that almost all lurkers haven’t yet discovered that they’d be asked for $5 if they try to post. I read 8-10 threads over a couple of days and didn’t realize the change until I tried to post. We’ll see how things go. ---
**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:** [March 23, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/533 "2004-03-23T20:59:02Z")
> [@Flash-57](#): > > But, it’s still a fairly small number when I can see that this thread has been read over 4700 times. I’ve looked at this thread at least 5-6 times myself, so it would be innaccurate to read too much into the ratio of subscriptions/page views. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see 4-5000 charter members enrolled by April 22[sup]nd[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/534 "2004-03-23T21:57:29Z")
> [@Flash-57](#): > > OK, so the number’s at 1000 instead of 100. That’s not too bad, I guess. > > But, it’s still a fairly small number when I can see that this thread has been read over 4700 times. **Flash-57** , I’ve checked in on this thread over a dozen times myself. BTW, not that we won’t get more, but 1000 posters alone is more than enough for a lively message board. The Unaboard has but 450 or so, yet things move and shake over there just dandy. I’ll eat my hat if this board doesn’t get 2500 subscribers by April 21st. … Why did you think only 100 or so? Why so pessimistic? We’ll be OK! ---
**Author:** ![Flash-57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/839c29/32.png) [@Flash-57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flash-57)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/535 "2004-03-23T23:23:15Z")
\> I’ve checked in on this thread over a dozen times myself. I guess that is a misleading number. In another thread, I saw that the number of members is 44,000. In another part of the thread, though, it said that 7,000 separate people posted at least one message last month. It’ll be interesting to see what those numbers look like in a month. \> I’ll eat my hat if this board doesn’t get 2500 subscribers by April 21st. Perhaps you ought to get one of those Carmen-Miranda hats, just to be safe. \> Why did you think only 100 or so? Because it’s very difficult to suddenly get people to pay for something they’ve been getting for free all along. Many people would rather walk away. I tossed out the “100” number because I didn’t realize how many members there were. I had assumed only 5,000 or so total members and figured only about 1 in 50 would actually pay. \> Why so pessimistic? We’ll be OK! I’ve been a part of several organizations or groups whose downfall started this way. “Sorry, folks, we gotta start charging everyone.” Most of them are long gone by now. I really would hate to see this one follow the same path. ---
**Author:** ![far\_born](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@far\_born](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/far_born)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/536 "2004-03-24T04:27:17Z")
OK so the SDMB isn’t cruel, BUT this site is way to slow to pay for. It was fine when it was free (you get what you pay for right?), but I’m not going to pay for anything that doesn’t guarantee some level of service. Count me amongst those that feel the membership fee is going to discourage new blood. I’m especially worried about GQ where experts sometimes post out of the sheer goodness of their hearts. Now they’re supposed to pay to answer people’s questions? I will probably continue to lurk a little and see if my fears are realized or if the board actually improves, but I just can’t see it happening. So I will say goodbye to what was once one of the cooler message boards out there. …sniff ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/537 "2004-03-24T04:34:13Z")
> [@Flash-57](#): > > I guess that is a misleading number. In another thread, I saw that the number of members is 44,000. In another part of the thread, though, it said that 7,000 separate people posted at least one message last month. Yeah, the 44,000 figure is the raw number of folks who have added their names to the membership database. Roughly one in six ever become significantly active users. A lot of folks join up, post a little, then move on. > [@Flash-57](#): > > It’ll be interesting to see what those numbers look like in a month. Me too. 2500 or bust! > [@Flash-57](#): > > **bordelond** : I’ll eat my hat if this board doesn’t get 2500 subscribers by April 21st. > > Perhaps you ought to get one of those Carmen-Miranda hats, just to be safe. … alternatively, a giant waffle cone comes to mind … > [@Flash-57](#): > > Because it’s very difficult to suddenly get people to pay for something they’ve been getting for free all along. Many people would rather walk away. It depends on what that “something” is, though. It’s OK for some to walk away as long as there are enough people who find value in the board subscriptions. > [@Flash-57](#): > > I tossed out the “100” number because I didn’t realize how many members there were. I had assumed only 5,000 or so total members and figured only about 1 in 50 would actually pay. > > I’ve been a part of several organizations or groups whose downfall started this way. “Sorry, folks, we gotta start charging everyone.” Most of them are long gone by now. I really would hate to see this one follow the same path. Your 5,000 figure wasn’t all that far off the “active” membership. But to think two percent would be all that was willing to pay … I don’t know. The SDMB is something different than what you’ll find elsewhere on the Net, IMHO. Our denizens might not react the way folks would on other boards. And hey – you only said “most of them” are long gone. That means “some of them” had what it takes to survive through a pay-to-play policy, right? So why not here? ---
**Author:** ![Madness2MyMethod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Madness2MyMethod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madness2MyMethod)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/538 "2004-03-24T06:06:57Z")
Hell I make $5 in 10 minutes. Count me out, though. It’s a principle thing. ---
**Author:** ![french\_frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@french\_frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/french_frog)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/539 "2004-03-24T14:14:32Z")
Well, I didn’t read the whole 14 pages of this thread, so I may have missed something about it, but… If we take the number of active users (7000) times $5, we’re looking for an annual budget of $35,000. And that’s with taking the big estimate that \* everybody \* is going to suscribe. **$35,0000 per year?** Don’t tell me that you cannot raise this pitiful amount of money with advertising??? Although I appreciate the effort on the low cost for the members, I doubt the efficiency of this business model. I’m afraid I’m out. Thanks for the good times, good luck, sincerely. FF ---
**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:** [March 24, 2004, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/540 "2004-03-24T15:08:00Z")
> [@french frog](#): > > Although I appreciate the effort on the low cost for the members, I doubt the efficiency of this business model. I’m afraid I’m out. Now that you mention it, why am I posting on a messageboard with an inefficient business model? What was I thinking? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![drewcosten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@drewcosten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewcosten)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724/541 "2004-03-24T15:20:38Z")
> [@Saltire](#): > > For right now, though, I think the SDMB should send an e-mail out to every e-dress in its database telling everyone about this change. This would ensure that no one pops in after the deadline and has to complain that they’d have signed up, if only they’d known. It would also, I believe, greatly increase the first month’s revenues, because a lot of people will pay just to get the deal and to compensate you for the years of enjoyment even if they aren’t currently watching the boards. We might see a lot of our ‘lost sheep’ reappear, as well. At the same time, I doubt it would add to total posts per day, since there will be drop-offs in other quarters and some non-posting members will pay and still not post. > > Of course, it should only be ONE e-mail. Don’t want the Dope to become a source of spam, don’cha know. Just wanted to say that I’m glad the SD admins did follow this advice (or did it of their own initiative, whichever it was). I wasn’t really paying attention to the board in the last couple months (too busy with work) and would have missed the deadline for the discount by the time I got back into the swing of things. $4.95 ($6.77 Canadian at the time of my subscription) is more than worth it for all the knowledge I’ve gained in the last 4 years here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724.md?page=26) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-is-switching-to-paid-subscriptions/257724.md?page=28)