You've got a great point about overmoderation Blogmaster. When I come to DP, it feels like freedom. Shawn gives us a lot of leeway and that's awesome. From the large allowed signiture size, to the free classifides, DP took off for the same reasons that Craig's list did, the owners were/are unselfish (no fees) and did not over-regulate the users. Webmaster World is a mystery to me as it has a significant membership fee and yet is still huge. Perhpas it grandfathered in the existing members and only charges the new ones, I don't know. Any Webmaser World members here can explain to me why, with DP, SP, and all the rest, that people are willing to pay for membership at Webmaster World?
Age is the only reason I see as WW was one of the first 3 seo forums and has been kept alive since. Searchengineforums.com was another, but the owner Jim Wilson passed away and it went downhill. Webmasterworld has a reputation, whether it´s justified or not, and the moderators get a load of high paying clients just based on the fact that they are staff there. There is a lot of financial interest involved which ensures everyone pulling together to keep the forum artificially alive, regardless of the lack of quality information present (I have just cancelled my subscription payment there, since the so called ¨advanced seo section¨ is completely useless. Not only a waste of money, but a waste of time more than anything else). - Mike
Dang, I am still a member there since Sep. 2004. Forgot all about that place http://www.associateprograms.com/discus/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=2362
I like sitepoint for services and such.. the fact that it is a pay forum now is not too my liking as much.. But it is still a second best to this one...
SP is ok, I am thinking about emailing them to unban me again. Its like a ritual for me there, banned for 3 months, unbanned for 2 and then the same cycle all over again ...