investigate "Intentional Slow Play" and Sanction

Are you kidding? A month-long game is typical. If the players are not online at the same time, it may be possible to play only one move per day.

If this annoys you for some reason (apparently it does), you can check the person's average time per move.

Live chess would be another option.

yes but again I'm referring to this intentional dragging out...

if you play slow that's one thing but don't start 45 games; it's just not fair!

live is great I agree with an earlier post for 45 minute live games as well...

it's difficult to actually time how long a player takes to make a move. perhaps more statistics. for example: "Average Daily Moves per Outstanding Game". if i play 12 moves every day per open game, that's reasonable but 1 or 2 not so. either I've started too many games or I'm deliberately intentional dragging out games I don't think I can win...instead of being a sportsman or person.. 

I don't get this, I think a month for one game is faster than the average. When both players take only one day for a move (even though they could take 3), and a game lasts 40 moves on average, you're already at two and a half months! That should be more or less normal. But a year happens as well.

The OP makes some astute observations about turn-based chess which I had never considered before

I agree with the OP. Slow games not only cause frustration, but eventually the tempo is lost, so is the thought process. Taking notes may help but cannot substitute the tempo altogether. A little fast pace, at least 5-10 moves per day will enhance interest and sportsmanship to the game. Live chess is there, but we are missing something between live chess and a 24hr/move.

5-10 moves per day is often impossible. Let's say I come home from work in the evening and switch on chess.com, make my moves. You are in the US and still at your work. When you see my move, I am asleep. I see your move my next evening.

That's an utterly normal situation with two players who make their moves the moment they see it and you can still only play 30 moves per month that way.

Coupla different things going on here.  If you agree to play a one-day per move game (or whatever the time control is), you should not complain if the player takes his full allotment of time to make his moves.  Then, a player can also use vacation time.  These are both allowed and legal according to the "laws" of chess.com. 

Now, if you are suggesting adding different time-control type games, like a "12 hour per move game", then I'm all for those suggestions, making the site more user friendly for folks that want to play a quicker game.

But otherwise, the rules are there and if you don't like a player, you can simply choose not to play them again.

two comments:

i support adding additional time-control type games (so you have a better idea of what you are committing to) kudos to dabone..

also various countries add to the time difficulty: i propose my On-Line chess display to group by time zones across the world...If you are from europe and I'm asleep you are waiting for me to make a move..so perhaps shading the games or grouping again by general time zones would make us all more aware again of the committments we are making and our opponent as well

I don't see the problem. If people are intentionally dragging out lost games...move on, forget about it. You've already won

We could have a handful of member groups, for say every two-hour period of the day, and people can join the groups that represent the hours of the day they regularly play on chess.com.

This is a good lesson, here.  Not too long ago, I got bent out of shape because a member with a closed account had his games prolonged due to untaken "vacation".  Someone said, "chess is a game of patience".  Very true.

Perhaps the unlimited simultaneous games that members are allowed to play should be changed to a maximum of 3000 simultaneous games.

I like this idea! Certainly fills the gap between live chess and 24hr.

how about an button per game that states estimated return to play or ERP for short.

ok maybe not per game but would show up per game; but be stored along with person's profile; every logoff could prompt for Estimated Return Time.

Please define "intentional slow play"

Complaining about a player taking too long in any game with time controls is just stupid.

 If I play 20 odd moves or so of a game, with a 3day limit, in an hour, and then find moves being made once every three days, it's usually a pleasant surprise as I always seem to have the advantage in such scenarios!