# Why is the SDMB membership declining, and what's the best way to add younger members? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 14, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sdmb-membership-declining-and-whats-the-best-way-to-add-younger-members/944208 "2021-06-14T02:28:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 399
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/codinghorror/32/4242_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sdmb-membership-declining-and-whats-the-best-way-to-add-younger-members/944208/399 "2021-06-18T21:08:47Z")
I had some time to read through the Modest proposal, and we are testing a plugin that allows communities to contribute toward their own hosting costs. [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/ETOxzT6.png "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/ETOxzT6) Surely there’s got to be enthusiasm for the **fighting ignorance** problem – I know we at Discourse are willing to contribute toward that goal. That’s kinda the whole point! > [@A modest proposal for the Straight Dope](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-modest-proposal-for-the-straight-dope/944055/164): > > I can see there are some who’d prefer to skip to plan B to start with. Patience. I’ve proposed to management that we conduct a three-month trial. During that time we’d need to achieve three defined objectives. The first is that we’d need sign up X number of subscribers at Y dollars by Z date (or anyway we’d need to raise X times Y amount). The second is that Little Ed and I would have to be able to get the column out each week without assistance. The third is that the envisioned collaboration with the Membership - I’m trying that on for size - would actually have to work. I don’t know if @Cecil_Adams is still interested, but we’ll contact him! --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sdmb-membership-declining-and-whats-the-best-way-to-add-younger-members/944208)._