[quote name='defender']Keep in mind that CheapyD makes money from LINKS and people clicking them for referral dollars. Also he wants to open up the read only to guests and not the ability to post. [/quote]
yes, but the cheapassLinks are already on the homepage, which everyone can view. It doesn't cost anything to register, and people who are truly interested in discussions will register anyway. People who are going to lurk will do so whether they register or not. Basically you're just inviting more lurkers, not participants by opening up the forums.
Cheapy's registered user email list is worth some money too and could be put to good use to make money for the site. I';m sure retailers and publishers would love to have a focused list to send out emails for special deals directly. I wouldn't mind, for example, if EB wanted to email me with the weeks hottest deals on their website. Or if EA games wanted to email me with the latest markdown with free shipping.
I hate to say it, but with some CheapASS retailers pulling out, (we won't mention their name but their initials are BB) It might be worth getting a little extra spam if it helps this site to survive.
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