Hi Mark;

I have probably used the UT more as a non-paying member than I have as a paid member. In fact, I only paid up recently after my membership expired a few months ago, and then I only did it so I could read the entire and highly entertaining weasel thread that appeared recently. (Plus I was getting annoyed at not being able to search, but it was the weasel thread that made me act.)

I certainly appreciate the value and power of free membership and this forum would not be the same without the addition and contribution of basic members. Part of the reason I pay is so that free members can be part of the exchange.

In spite of some deficiencies that are often highlighted, the UT remains probably the best interface on the Net for questions and answers.

I would hate to see this forum supported by advertisements alone, as JVP suggests. I hate internet advertising. As a matter of PERSONAL principle, I refuse to click on ANY ads ANYWHERE. If I'm interested, I'll do a lookup on the company under Yahoo. I find the ads intrusive, annoying and in the way of precious real estate. I'd much rather pay to keep the screen ad free. At least here it is tolerable.

My suggestion was merely another possibility. Chances are, if such a time restriction were enacted, it would be done to affect North America the most, so you would probably not even notice it. In actual fact, I am not suggesting that this be done. But I would rather this than inconvenience (more for some than others) than not having free members at all, or having the screen filled with ads.
>Bob,
>
>Or do what the phone companies do. Allow free login but only during certain hours of the day. Say, after 6:00 EST. or only between certain hours of the day. Accessible but not always opportune. So new users could try out the UT much as they do now, they can post and read but can only do so within certain time restrictions. I wouldn't want to see all the free members suddenly gone. This way they get the full Free service
>
>The problem here is that the rest of the world exists too. What may be a reasonable time frame to North America may be outlandish for other users. Let's face it, would you even try such a scheme if it meant only being able to try it during the period 01:00 to 04:00?