I have just paid the fee and applied to become a member this week. The reason I have not joined previously is not the cost, but that finding my cheque-book and buying a stamp would have been way way to much hassle for someone as disorganised as me. I only signed up after discovering through this thread that paypal was an available method allowing an entirely online process. If we a pushing for membership, I think this is something that need to be promoted, I know it costs more, but it is the easiest way to pay, and ease counts for a heck of a lot.
Regarding what level it should be at, I disagree with the suggestion that a low fee implies low quality. My family used to have family membership of The National Trust and can heartily recommend it to anyone, as the member benefits are great with free entry to their properties, which while members we took full advantage of - we were out almost every weekend. However in this case it was the benefits that made it truly worthwhile. I can not really imagine any tangible benefits that WMUK can provide. After all, our purpose is to make knowledge free, it would seem counter-intuitive to close anything off to be members-only. There are many charities who ask for low fees, often as £1 or £2 a month, (so £12 or £24 a year) via direct debits. I would not regard them as small potatoes. In this case the reason for asking is to ensure a continual supply of money for which they can plan with. This is essential in organisations that have ongoing costs (a dog hospital, an aid charity, an organisation digging wells). I believe that that is not (at least yet) the case for us. Most money comes in during the donation drive; most money goes out in grants. One model you may wish to consider is that which I the Liberal Democrats use. They ask for a donation, stating that any donation over £10 (or £6 for concessions) entitles you to membership with a simple tick box to say "yes, I wish to join" ( https://www.libdems.org.uk/join_us.aspx ). I would imagine the reason for this is to maximise membership (a pool of supporters that they can call upon when things need doing) by allowing people to join cheaply, while simultaniously suggesting that if you can afford more, it would be appreciated by not making the default the minimum (I think the "suggested" amount is or was £36) Anyway, that is my 2 cents of rambling James
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