boltonblue

well, I originally ponied up for the photo hosting.
But with the new site formatting, they have made the photo gallery virtually useless and further they don't seem to care that it is useless.
So my credit card will stay comfortably ensconced in my wallet and will continue to do so until they fix the photo hosting.

Legal Bill

Lainey, I was a gold member (wait, not like Austin Powers) for years. No more. I became a guest about 3 years ago. Biggest down side? No more politics forum. But that was for the good. As you say, with photo bucket you don't need a membership to post pics. I'm fine as a non member and will remain so.

dean

I have too many more pressing things to do with my time these days than waste it in the Politics forum. And my money for membership dues is better spent on things like prednisone, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Oxygen, CT scans, pre-transplant screening, and fun shit like that. Membership offers no benefit for me over being a guest - and the site owners have shown no interest in making it otherwise. They can keep my stars; I'll spend my money elsewhere.

dlq04

You know what, I think you are all a bunch of cheap bastards. For $10 or $20 you get to bitch about how you are not being served. Boy, do I feel sorry for you! What hardship. Come on, belly up. Say you enjoy it here. And a buy a round.

MsPerky

My reducing my membership from gold had nothing to do with the money. It was a statement of solidarity with Val when she left. I almost became a guest, but decided to be a regular member - for now.

Zippy

I have to agree, this is no longer owned or run by enthusiasts. This is now a for-profit site, and if they are not making money, there will be no site. They lose nothing by shutting it down, if they are not making money, it will go away, or least that's what I believe.

Lainey

There's a $10.00 membership fee? Is that the senior discount?

Conedodger

I agree with you, to an extent. This site is a business whose purpose is to make money for its owners. I believe they make enough from sponsors and vendors that they don't need to take my money too. I am a paid member on another forum, but that forum is still enthusiast run and isn't supported by advertising and vendors. Membership there is strictly voluntary. Once a year, the site operator puts up the budget for the year and asks for donations. The goal is usually reached within two weeks, with the majority of donations in the $10-$20 range. Oh, and it offers a free photo gallery that works.

dean

If there's one word that sums up the true essence of my character, it's most certainly the word, "cheap".

I'll make you a trade. I'll pay BOTH of our membership dues - Gold, no less - if you'll pay my medical debt. At the moment it's only about $83,000. But should the nodule that was recently discovered in my right lung turn out not to be cancer and I get approved for a transplant and manage to find a compatible donor, then you can tack another $561,000+ (plus room and board for having to live within minutes of the hospital for two or three months following the surgery) to that measly $83k.

Just so the deal isn't too one-sided, I'll see what I can do about coming up with the cash on my own for all the drugs I'll have to take on a permanent and daily basis following the potential transplant. It's the very least I can do in recompense for the hubris of putting my own needs before putting twenty bucks in the pockets of the owners of this site.

paS2K

If El Cheapo is a Gold Member, what does make a "guest" who hangs out here all day?

Not trying to start something, just sayin'.....