Alright, I'll bite.FitScotGaymer said:
Why does it cost 10 bucks to join SA? Sure restricting posting to those who are prepared to pay for it is one aspect, but not the main one.
The real reason is that running an internet forum costs money. SA is just very blatant on the point where the money comes from.
Take this site; Publisher's Club - you pay a yearly fee (yearly, not one-time like on SA) to get High Quality videos, access to the PubClub subsection, to get rid of the ads on the page, and the captcha.
Paying for benefits, how unheard of.
In essence the PubClub over here is almost exactly the same thing as the registration fee at SA, the only differences being that while SA restricts all posting to non-paying people, Escapist only restricts posting on one part of the site. And the fact that you have to keep paying to keep the benefits.
Maybe it's just me, but I prefer when it's more up front.
The thing that makes SA both good, and scary at first glance, is that essentially; being an idiot is a bannable offense. I'll admit, I spent years lurking SA before I paid the ten bucks, several months after I paid before posting.
So, why would one wish to join the goon hivemind?
Playing games with fellow goons:
I've had tons of fun playing Tribes Ascend with goons, and ask pretty much anyone that plays EVE about goonswarm.
Unrestricted access to LPs from the place that invented them:
This one's pretty self-explanatory, but to be honest, the only real difference between following an LP live on the forums compared to reading on on lparchive.org is the ability to give feedback. And the excruciating wait for updates.
An expansive knowledge database on games:
These days if I want information about a game, the first place I check is always the OP of that game's thread on SA. There's rarely a need for me to go to a second place.
Those three are the most general I can think of off the top of my head, beyond that it's highly individual what you see in that site. I for example consider their moderating team exceptional, but others might find them too harsh (mostly people who fail to read and/or understand the forum rules).
Lastly, I am in no way representative of "the typical goon", so take everything I say with a grain of salt.
And aside from the occasional periods where SA locks for non-goons, just wait a while, then resume lurking. SA have way more than quality Let's Plays to offer, and most of it is worth having a look at. A free look.
