# Was the Membership changeover beneficial for the Teeming Millions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180 "2004-11-17T02:37:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/1 "2004-11-17T02:37:21Z")
I’m happy to support these boards staying up and all… But the boards seem to be unresponsive a lot. Lots of timeouts and lag and general slowness of the servers. I don’t know how or how is hosting, but it isn’t quite sufficient, or there’s something wrong and someone needs to contact their IT people. One of the things used to promote the changeover to paid service was improved server reliability. So, are the servers any better off? ---
**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:** [November 17, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/2 "2004-11-17T02:40:18Z")
That’s funny. I’ve noticed the exact opposite since the turnover - _faster_ response and load times. Are you sure it isn’t at your end? ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/3 "2004-11-17T02:52:05Z")
Not that it always meets my standards, but I think the boards have gotten a lot better and more consistent usewise than when it was free. I’ve also noticed a lot less unbridled nonsense. The downside is the nature of the threads aren’t quite as interesting with such frequency as before. A certain amount fresh faces and fresh or not so fresh questions added something. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/4 "2004-11-17T02:56:30Z")
I’ve found the board more consistant to be honest. I remember some of the bad old days with lost posts (or double posts) being the norm. Ah…capitalism comes to the SDMB. That I lived to see it. 😃 I agree somewhat with the ‘fresh faces’ thing though…it was kind of fun to have more folks around. We all get to know each other so much that, at least for the ‘big guys’ you kind of know what they are going to say even before they say it sometimes. However, the up side is there SEEMS to be less nutballs on the board these days. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/5 "2004-11-17T03:13:28Z")
The boards seem to have been slower and more unresponsive than normal for the last 3-5 days, but overall, I think they’re a lot faster and more reliable. Whether this is from better servers or less traffic I have no clue. I’m happy with the change though. I wish we had more members but overall I’d say it’s worked out better than I thought it would. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/6 "2004-11-17T03:19:59Z")
They **definitely** got better after going pay. I can remember perusing them all afternoon at work 😉 and every day at around 5pm ET they would slow to a crawl! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/7 "2004-11-17T03:32:48Z")
Perhaps, Zagadka, you weren’t around when they were **really** bad. I remember the days of opening about 15 or 20 threads in Opera and being happy if 2 or 3 of them loaded before timing out. The boards also used to go down every night for about an hour or two, which they don’t seem to do anymore. And let us not forget: Ahh, they’re 1920s style “Death Rays” Ahh, they’re 1920s style “Death Rays” Ahh, they’re 1920s style “Death Rays” Ahh, they’re 1920s style “Death Rays” Double, triple, and quadruple posts used to be **a lot** more common, due to slow server response times. ---
**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 17, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/8 "2004-11-17T03:36:55Z")
Since the primary alternative to going to a paid mode was to shut down the Boards altogether, I guess you can say that Board performance now – no matter how awful – is better than what Board performance would have been if we hadn’t gone to the Membership Mode. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/9 "2004-11-17T04:16:47Z")
The boards are MUCH faster now. My main worry is that we won’t get the influx of newbies that bring new perspectives and knowledge to this place. I think that was most felt in General Questions. Before, you could ask a question about damned near anything and get very good answers, because so many specialists in various fields lurked on this board. I think we lost some of that. But of course, if the alternative was nothing at all, this is much better. I don’t know this software, but is it possible to limit guest accounts to a certain number of posts, rather than a certain number of days? I wonder if that wouldn’t achieve the same result (getting people to pay), while retaining a larger user base? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/10 "2004-11-17T04:33:40Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > That’s funny. I’ve noticed the exact opposite since the turnover - _faster_ response and load times. Me, too. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/11 "2004-11-17T05:18:33Z")
Yup - defininitely faster for me now. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/12 "2004-11-17T16:46:26Z")
Not just faster, but far more consistent speed since the change over. It is now a rare event for a post to fail to get through the hamster wheels. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/13 "2004-11-17T17:08:27Z")
I find the boards faster, more responsive, with a pleasing crunchy consistency and an airy, lemony scent that makes me think, “_springtime_!” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/14 "2004-11-17T18:36:07Z")
After the change to paid mode last March, the boards were quite slow for me. But with the recent move to another server, they’re moving much faster. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/15 "2004-11-17T19:27:20Z")
Alrighty, I guess I misremembered the performance of the boards pre-payment. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/16 "2004-11-17T19:36:34Z")
Another vote for faster now than then. I am concerned that I can only recall one occasion where I’ve seen a member who wasn’t a charter member. One by one the old timers will trickle away, so if we don’t get some fresh meat the board will die off. Does anyone have the numbers on new non-charter members since the switch? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/17 "2004-11-17T21:12:28Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > Another vote for faster now than then. > > I am concerned that I can only recall one occasion where I’ve seen a member who wasn’t a charter member. One by one the old timers will trickle away, so if we don’t get some fresh meat the board will die off. Does anyone have the numbers on new non-charter members since the switch? I kind of like this exclusivity. The SDMB “good old boys” country club. 😃 Hell, the Supreme Court hasn’t had fresh meat in 10 years, they’re still doing ok. ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/18 "2004-11-17T21:15:54Z")
I think Cecil’s still giving the title “Charter Member” to new arrivals. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/19 "2004-11-17T21:19:45Z")
Yeah, everybody’s a charter member who registers. We get about 40 new paid members/month now. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-membership-changeover-beneficial-for-the-teeming-millions/275180/20 "2004-11-17T21:19:51Z")
I didn’t visit the boards before the membership dues were required. But the board is faster now than when I joined.