I've been visiting DailyKos for a few years now, starting out as a lurker and creating a user profile almost two years ago. I never even considered paying for a subscription because:
- If it's on the Internet, it should be free.
- Markos can use advertising revenue to pay for operating costs.
But I have fucking had it with the advertisements. The pages take longer to load because most of the ads are image files. Plus, it is irritating to see the same ads over and over and over again. And now, advertisements are appearing in the middle of diaries. The latest one that has drawn my ire is from the ACLU and shows a picture of two sheep, one with a Reid tag on it's ear, and another with Pelosi's name on it. If you aren't a subscriber to DailyKos, you've probably seen the ads already. If you are a subscriber and want to see the sheep ad, log off and open any diary. I don't necessarily disagree with the message; I'm just sick of seeing it.
So today, after several years at DKos, I finaly because lifetime subscriber for what I see as a minimal expense: $100. And let me tell you, it's quite a difference. On the main page, the column to the right of the front page stories with all the advertisements is GONE and the stories are wider. In addition, there are no advertisements in the far-right column. Lastly, THERE ARE NO FREAKIN' SHEEEP ADS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN' DIARIES.
The only drawback I can see in becoming a member of DKos is that, on occasion, you might miss a good pie fight. But you can always log off once in a while to check out the latest ads.
So Kos, you finally fuckin' got me. Your website is the best political blog on the Internet, and I won't be leaving any time soon. $100 is a small price to pay for the political insight I get by reading it.