Posting on the Something Awful Forums Costs $9.95???



  • Either I'm missing something, or it costs $9.95 to post on the Something Awful forums.



    Why would I pay $10 to post on a forum? Is this Compuserve I'm using?



  • You're right in that it cost $10 to post on Something Awful.

    The reason SA charges a $10 one time fee to post is too keep those who do not get it out of the forums.



  • It's an anti-asshole measure. People are less likely to be assholes if it costs them money. With free accounts, they could just create a new account and start assholing all over again.

    Edit: also they've charged for like... 8-9 years now. Why is this suddenly an issue now?



  • If it were an anti-asshole measure, people who got banned wouldn't be allowed to re-register. SA registration is actually quite similar to sale of DRMed media, where the store can arbitrarily decide to revoke your access and make you re-purchase. It's a way to part fools from their money, that's all.


  • Trolleybus Mechanic

    @Goplat said:

    If it were an anti-asshole measure, people who got banned wouldn't be allowed to re-register. SA registration is actually quite similar to sale of DRMed media, where the store can arbitrarily decide to revoke your access and make you re-purchase. It's a way to part fools from their money, that's all.

     

    If you get banned for being an asshole, then give the people who banned you $10 more so they can ban you again-- well, that sounds like a way to part assholes form their money, which I have no problem with.



  • @Lorne Kates said:

    If you get banned for being an asshole, then give the people who banned you $10 more so they can ban you again-- well, that sounds like a way to part assholes form their money, which I have no problem with.
     

    You're assuming that these people are, in fact, assholes.



  • Hack into the forum and steal passwords, problem solved.


  • Trolleybus Mechanic

    @dhromed said:

    @Lorne Kates said:

    If you get banned for being an asshole, then give the people who banned you $10 more so they can ban you again-- well, that sounds like a way to part assholes form their money, which I have no problem with.
     

    You're assuming that these people are, in fact, assholes.

    Assuming it's an internet forum that is, in fact, a safe bet.


  • Garbage Person

    @dhromed said:

    @Lorne Kates said:

    If you get banned for being an asshole, then give the people who banned you $10 more so they can ban you again-- well, that sounds like a way to part assholes form their money, which I have no problem with.
     

    You're assuming that these people are, in fact, assholes.

    Given the options are:

     

    1) This is a scheme to ban assholes

    2) This is a complex moneymaking conspiracy

     Given the following base assumptions:

    1) The Internet is full of asshats.

    2) SA goons are by and large reasonably intelligent human beings.

    I know what Occam's Razor suggests.



  • @Goplat said:

    If it were an anti-asshole measure, people who got banned wouldn't be allowed to re-register

    They do, it's called a perma-ban. You have to really fuck up to have that happen though.

    It's actually a really effective LART. Usually you get probation (banned from posting for a variable period) for being an idiot, but if you're a huge tool or just keep screwing up in small ways then BAM, you've lost 10 bux of your own money and have to pay 10 more if you want to come back. Those that re-register tend to be much better behaved afterwards.

    Although there was that one guy that got banned and went insane, re-registered about 15 times and got banned within minutes each time...not sure what he was trying to prove there. Bloody hilarious though.

     

     



  • I am Cretan that there are forums where you can sign up free and abuse them.



  • It's both anti-asshat and anti-spam.  It makes most people pay more attention to what they post.  For example, being off topic will get you probation, and possibly banned.  Different forums have different rules, etc.  Basically you have to put a lot more effort in, so undesirables tend not to register.  



  • The $10 pays for their hosting and bandwidth (which is not insignificant), and acts as a barrier to entry to fuckwits of all sorts. There's also effectively no spam, because it's not cost effective.

    Arbitrary bans are pretty rare; usually it's for shit posting or some other dumb behavior. There are temporary bans called probations that you'll likely for minor offenses.

    Also, the $10 is a one time fee, ever. I registered about 10 years ago, and that's still good (well I did something dumb and got myself banned but if I hadn't made a shit post while drunk it still would be)

    Seriously, it's totally worth it, just pay the :tenbux: and get in.



  • @galgorah said:

    It's both anti-asshat and anti-spam.  It makes most people pay more attention to what they post.  For example, being off topic will get you probation, and possibly banned.  Different forums have different rules, etc.  Basically you have to put a lot more effort in, so undesirables tend not to register.  

    It's difficult for me to imagine what would get someone banned from Something Awful. The entire site basically consists of sarcasm, even hatred. Do they expel people for being too nice?

    And how can you take $10 from someone and then ban them? That either is illegal, or should be illegal.

    I'm honestly surprised anyone has ever paid that $10. What do they expect to get in return? Is it just a place to post their thoughts? Are there hot females there? I really, really do not get this.



  • @Volmarias said:

    The $10 pays for their hosting and bandwidth (which is not insignificant), and acts as a barrier to entry to fuckwits of all sorts. There's also effectively no spam, because it's not cost effective.

    Arbitrary bans are pretty rare; usually it's for shit posting or some other dumb behavior. There are temporary bans called probations that you'll likely for minor offenses.

    Also, the $10 is a one time fee, ever. I registered about 10 years ago, and that's still good (well I did something dumb and got myself banned but if I hadn't made a shit post while drunk it still would be)

    Seriously, it's totally worth it, just pay the :tenbux: and get in.

    I think you need a CT scan of your head. You "did something stupid" and they took your $10... and you'd recommend I do the same? Are you related to that German guy who posted an ad on Craigslist for someone to come eat them? I like SomethingAwful.com, but they can go fornicate with a wood chipper if they think I'm paying them even $0.10. In fact, I won't even be reading their forums any more. The "ass hats" are the people who paid to be in their club... NOT the people they're keeping out.

    EDIT: And don't tell me about hosting expenses. There is no such thing. They could host their site in Dropbox and edit in Notepad. If they don't do that, they're engaging in resume-padding and gold-plating, which it is not my role to subsidize.



  • @bridget99 said:

    @galgorah said:

    It's both anti-asshat and anti-spam.  It makes most people pay more attention to what they post.  For example, being off topic will get you probation, and possibly banned.  Different forums have different rules, etc.  Basically you have to put a lot more effort in, so undesirables tend not to register.  

    It's difficult for me to imagine what would get someone banned from Something Awful. The entire site basically consists of sarcasm, even hatred. Do they expel people for being too nice? And how can you take $10 from someone and then ban them? That either is illegal, or should be illegal. I'm honestly surprised anyone has ever paid that $10. What do they expect to get in return? Is it just a place to post their thoughts? Are there hot females there? I really, really do not get this.
    It's in the TOS. Same way Blizzard bans gold farmers etc.  It's perfectly legal. 

    They have forums for common interests, Goons with Spoons for example.  It's a cooking forum. They have Creative Commons which I post photos in for productive criticism, etc. I get some good honest feedback too. Lots of people helping each other out there.  I rarely find hatred there.

     There are plenty of females there of types, shapes, levels of hotness, etc.  It's a pretty good gender balance overall.  Many of my good friends are goons, and some of the coolest, nicest people you'll ever meet. Many celebrities are also on the forums as well. Its a place for them to talk to people as people without the celebrity/fan dynamic.

     

     1% of goons gives the 99% a bad rep. 



  • @bridget99 said:

    @Volmarias said:
    The $10 pays for their hosting and bandwidth (which is not insignificant), and acts as a barrier to entry to fuckwits of all sorts. There's also effectively no spam, because it's not cost effective.

    Arbitrary bans are pretty rare; usually it's for shit posting or some other dumb behavior. There are temporary bans called probations that you'll likely for minor offenses.

    Also, the $10 is a one time fee, ever. I registered about 10 years ago, and that's still good (well I did something dumb and got myself banned but if I hadn't made a shit post while drunk it still would be)

    Seriously, it's totally worth it, just pay the :tenbux: and get in.

    I think you need a CT scan of your head. You "did something stupid" and they took your $10... and you'd recommend I do the same? Are you related to that German guy who posted an ad on Craigslist for someone to come eat them? I like SomethingAwful.com, but they can go fornicate with a wood chipper if they think I'm paying them even $0.10. In fact, I won't even be reading their forums any more. The "ass hats" are the people who paid to be in their club... NOT the people they're keeping out.

    EDIT: And don't tell me about hosting expenses. There is no such thing. They could host their site in Dropbox and edit in Notepad. If they don't do that, they're engaging in resume-padding and gold-plating, which it is not my role to subsidize.

     

    Wouldn't it be swell if Alex charged $10 for these forums?

    Then he could get better forum software, too!



  • @bridget99 said:

    I think you need a CT scan of your head. You "did something stupid" and they took your $10... and you'd recommend I do the same? Are you related to that German guy who posted an ad on Craigslist for someone to come eat them? I like SomethingAwful.com, but they can go fornicate with a wood chipper if they think I'm paying them even $0.10. In fact, I won't even be reading their forums any more. The "ass hats" are the people who paid to be in their club... NOT the people they're keeping out.

    EDIT: And don't tell me about hosting expenses. There is no such thing. They could host their site in Dropbox and edit in Notepad. If they don't do that, they're engaging in resume-padding and gold-plating, which it is not my role to subsidize.

    Sound like the $10 barrier is doing its job!



  • @Justice said:

    @bridget99 said:

    @Volmarias said:
    The $10 pays for their hosting and bandwidth (which is not insignificant), and acts as a barrier to entry to fuckwits of all sorts. There's also effectively no spam, because it's not cost effective. Arbitrary bans are pretty rare; usually it's for shit posting or some other dumb behavior. There are temporary bans called probations that you'll likely for minor offenses. Also, the $10 is a one time fee, ever. I registered about 10 years ago, and that's still good (well I did something dumb and got myself banned but if I hadn't made a shit post while drunk it still would be) Seriously, it's totally worth it, just pay the :tenbux: and get in.
    I think you need a CT scan of your head. You "did something stupid" and they took your $10... and you'd recommend I do the same? Are you related to that German guy who posted an ad on Craigslist for someone to come eat them? I like SomethingAwful.com, but they can go fornicate with a wood chipper if they think I'm paying them even $0.10. In fact, I won't even be reading their forums any more. The "ass hats" are the people who paid to be in their club... NOT the people they're keeping out. EDIT: And don't tell me about hosting expenses. There is no such thing. They could host their site in Dropbox and edit in Notepad. If they don't do that, they're engaging in resume-padding and gold-plating, which it is not my role to subsidize.
     

    Wouldn't it be swell if Alex charged $10 for these forums?

    Then he could get better hoes and cocaine!

    FTFY



  • I moved the thread to General Discussion as its not really a Tech related WTF and more a rant about another site with a discussion component.



  • @galgorah said:

    I moved the thread to General Discussion as its not really a Tech related WTF and more a rant about another site with a discussion component.

    Also, moving threads out of the sidebar serves as an anti-asshat measure.  Probably.

  • Trolleybus Mechanic

    @frits said:

    @galgorah said:

    I moved the thread to General Discussion as its not really a Tech related WTF and more a rant about another site with a discussion component.

    Also, moving threads out of the sidebar serves as an anti-asshat measure.  Probably.
     

    {checks replies since the move}

    Nope.


  • Garbage Person

    @bridget99 said:

    And how can you take $10 from someone and then ban them? That either is illegal, or should be illegal
    The same way the bouncer at the club doesn't give a fuck that you paid the $20 cover charge when you've managed to offend his employer's loose sensibilities somehow.



  • @Xyro said:

    @bridget99 said:
    I think you need a CT scan of your head. You "did something stupid" and they took your $10... and you'd recommend I do the same? Are you related to that German guy who posted an ad on Craigslist for someone to come eat them? I like SomethingAwful.com, but they can go fornicate with a wood chipper if they think I'm paying them even $0.10. In fact, I won't even be reading their forums any more. The "ass hats" are the people who paid to be in their club... NOT the people they're keeping out.

    EDIT: And don't tell me about hosting expenses. There is no such thing. They could host their site in Dropbox and edit in Notepad. If they don't do that, they're engaging in resume-padding and gold-plating, which it is not my role to subsidize.

    Sound like the $10 barrier is doing its job!

    You're absolutely right. Whatever I was going to post there would certainly have disrupted their little mutual admiration society. I mean, heaven forbid I might actually run off Nick Cage, Charles Nelson Riley, or any of the other celebrity goons!



    It's really amusing to go back and read 1990s punditry about how the "information superhighway" was going to facilitate all of this honest, unfettered communication, and in so doing break down teh barriers of nationalism, racism, jingoism, and so on. The exact opposite has happened. The Internet is to catty, sorority-style gossip as nitrous oxide is to a gasoline engine, and the level of real, honest communication between people has only suffered from its rise to prominence.



    There's no open communication... instead, we have even more fractious little clubs than before. We have a club for anonymous pedophiles (4Chan), a club for anti-American militant atheists (Reddit), a club for know-it-all manual-readers
    (Stack Overflow), and a club for hand-wringing slaves to convention, suburban Dallas-style (WorseThanFailure.com). And each of these has about as much tolerance for dissent as Mao Tse Tung's second wife during a heavy menstrual cycle.



    Who in the hell ever thought the Internet would break down barriers? (And I'm pretty sure I objected to this argument even back in the 1990s, but I probably got banned from whatever site I was "trolling" back then.)



  • Indeed.  Who hasn't looked at a bridget post and thought "that is extremely insightful, i should post in kind."

    But no, you're right, there's no way that knowledge has increased in the information age.



  • @Sutherlands said:

    Indeed.  Who hasn't looked at a bridget post and thought "that is extremely insightful, i should post in kind."

    But no, you're right, there's no way that knowledge has increased in the information age.

    Howard Johnson is Right!



  • @Sutherlands said:

    Indeed.  Who hasn't looked at a bridget post and thought "that is extremely insightful, i should post in kind."

    But no, you're right, there's no way that knowledge has increased in the information age.

    Bridget is like 80 years old. Probably not yet in the information age. Still in the jet age. Which, admittedly, was a good age.



  • @Sutherlands said:

    Indeed.  Who hasn't looked at a bridget post and thought "that is extremely insightful, i should post in kind."

    But no, you're right, there's no way that knowledge has increased in the information age.

    Nobody shares knowlegde like this.


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