Perhaps the easiest antidote to the ads from hell might be to find a sponsor/owner, like REI is with Mountain Project (MP). But all the “fat trimming” some members are now reluctant to do might just happen anyway (possibly along with more) if a new owner came on the scene with their own criteria. MP is not plagued with lots of incomplete pages, phantom members or a massive database of low-scoring photos. This is something to think about when we talk about finding a sponsor/owner for SP. Cleaning up our own house would certainly make SP more marketable as well as being more manageable. It’s helpful to remember a good sponsor would not kill their own vehicle of advertising by demanding ill-placed ads like we have now on SP.
The idea of any kind of SP membership fees might offend some members, but I have to wonder how committed to a quality site those members really are, if they would not be willing to allow for even a small sum annually for the privilege of participation in the development of something that can be truly great? The old saying of “putting your money where your mouth is” probably has some relevance here.
Has anyone considered Lists of John’s (
https://listsofjohn.com/index.html) plan for generating funds to offset its expenses? While there are many differences between SP and LOJ, the point is that they have about 5,000 members and probably around 300 per year are motivated to go for the $20 minimum-per-year membership (they may contribute more, of course). LOJ paying members have expanded services available to them, but a basic membership is still free to anyone. LOJ has no ads or pop-ups and is pretty clean and functional.
No doubt SP has much larger operating costs, but then SP also probably has the potential to attract more members willing to pay at least a small annual fee. Perhaps some expanded privileges could go with that? Soliciting SP membership input on this idea would probably turn up some good suggestions.
Because of the large size of SP, I have to wonder if the most likely solution might involve a combination of several factors, including but not limited to some type of membership fees, a page set up to accept supplemental donations, a sponsor (or two) and trimming the SP operating expenses by eliminating empty pages and excessive photo storage costs. This approach would remind me of how doctors often prefer to treat high blood pressure these days – instead of one large dose of medication they give several smaller doses of varying medications, allowing for easier adjustments.
Despite being a SP member for more than 11 years, I still do not have a good idea of the management structure of SP or who really makes the “final decision”. But I do think that the longer we just tread water here, “hoping something will happen”, the more likely it is that SP’s problems will continue to grow while the possibilities of implementing a good cure will fade and fade until SP is gone. The ads from hell might help costs for a short time, but will ultimately be the poison that kills SP. I still would love to see whoever is in charge here recognize this and take the steps necessary to cure SP’s problems and set the stage for a leaner and more efficient SP that will be well-suited for long-term viability. I think many SP members would be happy to help, if SP management would solicit that help.