I’m easy.
Seriously, because I have been a member for so long, I couldn’t imagine not being one.
Plus there’s that “thing” I’ve got for Ed Zotti, but we won’t go into that now. 
Wait, the rest of you have to pay to post here?
DH and I were members before it went to pay to post. About that time (that it went to pay to post) he was deployed to Iraq. Life got a little, well, complicated and between that and the fact that I work in a building that the government runs and they started tracking our computer usage, I quit posting.
Recently echo23tc came back home, life got back to “normal” (whatever that is now :D) and the board I work for decided to get our own internet connection. Now I’m free to post so I paid the $15 and have SO enjoyed being back on the boards. I did lurk for a little while, reminiscing over the Blimp thread and some others…and one day someone was claiming that Montana doesn’t have a speed limit and I just HAD to throw my 2 cents in on that one!
Thanks Straight Dope!
Short answer: I like being able to search threads. I don’t have time to read every day or every week so searching allows me to catch up on what I’ve missed.
Longer answer: I’ve been enthralled with Cecil’s columns since the mid 1996 when I was 14. My father purchased The Straight Dopecirca 1986. The book had been sitting on a shelf in my house all through my childhood so it was only a matter of time before I picked it up and read it. I later purchased the other SD books as well. I joined the SDMB back in 2001 and became an infrequent poster but frequent reader and lurker. Here on the SDMB, I feel like I’m in good company with people who admire the SD columns and refer to Cecil as the Perfect Master.
Engineering school and other things made life extremely busy late in 2003 and that started my 16 month hiatus from the SDMB. Upon my return, I found out that a paid subscription was required in order to search threads and post. I had ample free time to read and search the SDMB in the summer of '05 so I put up my $15 ante…a subscription is worth every one of the those 1,500 pennies and then some. Having not explored other internet message boards myself, I cannot offer comparisons. From the testimonials I’ve heard here and elsewhere, I seriously doubt that I’d be happier reading a free message board.
Lately, I’ve been posting a little more frequently since I graduated and have not started working yet and have more free time than last summer. However, I still read about 200 threads for every one that I post to. The privilege to post is icing on the cake…it’s the searching ability that gets me to pay.
I used to participate in Slate’s “The Fray” all the time, even though it was a little clumsy to get around in. The problem is, because it’s free, people start shouting at each other about the dumbest stuff, and nobody really knows what they’re talking about. I found myself being dragged into chest-puffing b-s’ing matches that were just a waste of time.
Here, guys like **Polycarp, tomndebb ** and **Der Trihs ** bust your chops if you don’t do your research first; and there are folks like **lissa ** and **Oakminster ** who know what they believe and why. I think it’s good to know that, in this world of instant gratification and H2s, there are intellectuals out there who aren’t afraid of a street fight once in a while.
Mostly, I pay for this because I’ve learned more from this website than any other I’ve ever subscribed to. If you read and follow the links, and if you participate thoughtfully (and even courageously) you’ll learn lots and have a very good time at it.
I’ve been lurking for years, and I still mostly lurk, but I finally joined up so that I could use the search function. Specifically so I could search Cafe Society for book and movie recommendations.
I don’t post much, and I’ll sometimes go days at a time without even visiting.
My dad got the original SD book as a gift once, and then bought the next two (something like that, he has the first three books). I thoroughly enjoyed reading those when I was a teen over ten years ago, and when I joined the Internet after college in 1999, I eventually found this site.
Basically, I love the SD (books and forums) as it tackles those weird questions you’ve always wondered about. When the boards went to pay-to-post, and considering the issues with the forums when they free (much, much worse than now), I thought it would be well worth it to support the Chicago Reader and the Dope, which helped entertain me for years.
SAMCLEM, you’re one of the reasons I joined, because you tried so valiantly to find the answer to my question about Manhattan sandwiches (even though no answer was ever found!)
But I think what attracted me here in the first place was the Threadspotting threads. I laughed so hard at the light bulb/potato thread an antler came out my nose.
Not to come off as some sort of free-spending gazillionaire, but…jeez… it was 15 bucks. It was hardly a major financial decision, more of a “why not?”
Heh. Nice dig at the Yankees. You beat me to it.
You’re hooked, though. You’re here, you’re not leaving, and that’s that.
SuperVenusFreak made you say that, didn’t he? 
Seriously, to the OP: just ditto what everyone else has said. I realize that this place isn’t everyone’s cup of, well, whatever. But if you belong here, no where else will do!
Geez, you would think a fan of the team with the best record in baseball would have a little sympathy for us poor Yankees fans. Do you not know what it is like to struggle and go without a World Series Win for several years?
You are just spoiled by your teams success I tell you.
Sympathy, my ass. If I could raise enough money to ensure the Yankees would go 0 and 162 for the rest of my life, I’d do it.
By the way, how’s that pitching treating ya?
I used to be one until Marvel annoyed me so much I got rid of my collection. I would be one again if I could afford it. Wanna buy me a present?
As far as the OT, well, I haven’t paid yet but I lurked and kept wanting to respond. I’ll pay up as soon as I can dig up enough spare change (probably next week, after RenFaire)
And I suppose I should get some fine for how often I’m on here at work. Trying not to laugh and get caught.
I’d like to pledge the first $20 towards this noble effort. 
Why Suh! How you do flatter! Fiddledeedee!
I wandered in one day while looking up some info on something I can’t even remember now. I started reading, got a little scared and a lot amused and finally decided what the heck and joined up. Like so many others have said, by the time it became pay to post, I was hooked.
Also, the MMP would not survive without me.
About 4 years ago (I think), I began lurking around this board. I got interested enough to register so that I could post something.
I continued to lurk around and post once in a while until I just got too busy to spend any significant time online.
The next time I visited The Straight Dope, it had gone to pay-to-post. I couldn’t remember my old log-in information, so I created a new ID and Paypal’d my subscription.
If I had re-visited the boards four months earlier and remembered my old ID, I could’ve been a Charter Member :smack:
Note to Mods: Sorry. I know it’s forbidden to have two active IDs at the same time. I swear I still don’t remember what that log-in name was. Of course, even if I did, I wouldn’t use it. 
I was a member way back when and have been lurking for a year or more of late.
I didn’t want to loose my user name and got weary of having witty stuff to say but not being able to say it.
So I just payed up and I’ll be darned if I can find a thread to be witty on.
come on people, give me an opening here! I just spent 7 beer coupons!
We’ve been hiding the witty threads, and having fun pointing and laughing at you behind your back.
That’s right, make fun of the new guy. Mumble mumble…