How much of that is due to the (relatively token but non-zero) membership cost? I subscribed there years ago because I enjoyed the conversations and found it t

How much of that is due to the (relatively token but non-zero) membership cost? I subscribed there years ago because I enjoyed the conversations and found it to have a good signal-to-noise ratio. Granted, this is subjective to some degree as what I consider "noise" might be considered "signal" by others. I think that it worked because their intention was to make the sort of community that they wanted whereas Reddit seems more interested in making a platform for everyone. I can see the use for each approach and I still find it one of the best things about internet communities in general. If you want something different, it's relatively easy to take a shot at making something more to your liking. I just think that same $10 or whatever that it costs to join the SA forums and motivates most members to avoid shitposting would also present a barrier to the sort of broad, mass appeal Reddit is shooting for.