Well, this is an interesting example of a pay for social network that apparently has existed since 1985. 2,700 members is not that big a site in the modern internet. So if you don't want to become a unicorn company or have wide appeal / access, it seems like it does work as a business model?
I'm vaguely intrigued but I don't really want to put down $15 sight unseen for a month to see if the forums are even interesting. Then again, I can't imagine they get bots at that price either. Probably very limited ads if any.
I am always excited by alternate operating plans for social media online - this one is kind of the opposite of Lemmy, but also the opposite of the major players. I guess orthogonal in reality.
Social media overall has been a net negative for humanity, IMO.
I remember a while ago, I caught a video on YouTube of Joe Rogan and someone else discussing all the 'great' and 'wonderful' opportunities of social media and the Internet that 'haven't even begun' to be explored yet. It was all the usual highfalutin bullshit about modern technology. None of these technologies when they're first pitched, are ever sold as something that's going to negatively impact anyone. But in practice after they've been rolled out, all the high minded uses of these things, only ever end up being an afterthought and a footnote to their real uses. Mindless consumerism. Social isolation. Destruction of privacy. Degrading communities. That's the 'real' end product of this stuff.
As BBSes go (because that's how the WELL started), 2700 active users is "holy shit" levels of success. That it's still online nearly 40 years later is unheard of.
Thanks! I think these could use more text or something. IDK hover doesn't always pop anything up for me, so I'm wondering / guessing what the symbols mean.