Isn’t about that time of year again to renew our SD memberships??? When is this dubious date? I am always so afraid of being dropped! Of course, some would applaud that… 
Check under your User CP, Paid Subscriptions.
Do we even need to renew, now that we’re going back to free posting?
I just checked my User Control Panel, and I’m subscribed through May 10, 2008, so we have a few weeks.
On the what we have to do question, Ed Zotti gave a partial answer in the Improving the SDMB thread:
I’m a charter member and my subscription expires April 30. I definitely don’t want to see ads. When my subscription comes up for renewal, what should I do?
Renew as you’ve done in the past. You won’t see ads for another year.
I’m a charter member but ads don’t bug me. I’m going to let my subscription lapse. Will free posting begin by April 30?
We can’t guarantee that. If it seems like we’re close, we’ll probably just extend everyone’s subscription a week or two.
Don’t forget that subscriptions were extended by 10 days. Check your user CP, but you should have until May 10.
What he said.
No reason to panic. Yet. 
Okay, I’ve been computerless for a couple of months and now I’m back and I seem to have missede a few things. Let me get this straight. We’re going to no - pay and I can just let my subscription lapse? Yes? No? How about my user name and Charter Member status? Since I don’t have a credit card and have had to rely on the kindness of Dopers to stay here, what’s my best option? How about money orders - did that ever become an option? What do I do?!!
Check out this thread, zoogirl, and welcome back. There’s no definite answer right now as to when the changes will happen. We do have threads in which Dopers sponsor subscriptions for people who are unable to cover the cost themselves.
No decision has been made about the Charter Member title, as you can see, people have been arguing about it for pages in the announcement thread.
Even if there is no extension and your subscription lapses I am sure you would be able to return when the board goes free. We don’t allow handles to be reused here.
Huh? No one else has mentioned this! When is this suppose to happen, or were you dreaming it?
If one renews early, I assume that would NOT move up the renewal date, correct? Stranger things have happened to me…just checking.
Jinx, read the thread linked in the post directly above yours from which this quote is taken.
Thanks, but I could almost swear that post was NOT there when I posted! No, no…I know what it was. After the link, the post talks about free memberships for those who cannot afford it, so I thought the link did not apply to my question.
OK, I read the link. I’m tempted to renew to not let my membership lapse, for one. I’m travelling a lot for business, and I don’t have time to read the SDBD when on the road. Naturally, I’ll be on the road again when new info becomes available. 
Besides, I know many would miss me…(No? well, then again, maybe not)! 
- Jinx
IF we were to not renew, but instead go to the free-with-ads mode, would we keep our Charter Member designation? Yeah, I know it’s a lame reason to shell out $8…
Dunno. For right now, yeah, that’s what Ed said.
Pay your 8 bux for another year, get minimal ads. So you’re getting something besides the title. After that, dunno yet.
Please look at the announcement above, that’s all the information we have at the present time.
So, wait, now we’re paying for minimal ads?
I thought paying was for no ads. 
And BTW, I think most of us realize that the folks answering our questions here don’t have any more information that they have provided. What some of us are wondering is why the people who WOULD have that information never seem to visit these threads “About the Message Board”.
Well, anyway, I am
I got adblocker. I don’t have ads now.
Is there any advantage to me to keep paying? I might choose to do so anyway, if it will keep the board going. But will it make a difference to me if I don’t?
Even paid subscriptions see Google text ads (and always have), unless they’ve implemented AdBlocker or something like it.
That was also addressed in the linked thread. Answer: No. In fact, they seem to want to discourage you.
However, if you want to " keep the board going", then you should probably pay up, since you are screwing them out of the ad revenue with your ad-blocker.
You can renew anytime: They will just increment your expiration date by oneyear+.