The USCF snoozed for years while other sites were facilitating on line play. Now it is too late, there are way too many on line venues that don't require a $40 or so membership. Even so, if you compare what you get, chess.com kicks the USCF's ass.
I agree- before the internet the USCF had something to offer- now, not so much.
Playing in my first OTB tourny next month after a 20 year absence, the kid is out of medical school, dad is totally broke,the ex-wife lives a thousand miles away, lol it is MILLER time ! on-line chess is good training to play REAL competition chess with Money and beautiful trophys hanging on every move.
Every USCF tourny i have ever attended has been held in 1st class venues and the atmosphere of being around those who share our passion in this noble contest is a wonderful experience because they are well-organized and well-run. 
lol
I've been a lifetime member of USCF for several decades now, but asked them to stop sending getting Chess Life magazine a long time ago as it's basically a beginner's mag with some chess news; a pale imitation of what it was in the 70's (back then it was genuinely world-class). I haven't played in any USCF events in over 20 yrs either but the last time I looked they wanted at least several dollars to enter any email tnmts, dunno if they did or do have server tnmts. I wasn't interested in entering any USCF CC tnmts because they were offering prizes (I didn't mind the entrance fee) and I figured that guarantees cheating, even though that's only my cynical opinion and maybe it's hopefully wrong. Now of course I would mind the entry fee because there isn't any to play here, but on the other hand the ratings here are hyper-inflated so I guess USCF probably still has way more CC players who are genuine experts and masters.
Chess will never reach the heights in the U.S. as it did back in the day when Bobby Fischer was an american icon. There will never be the kind of corporate sponsorship that kept entry fee's low and guranteed prize money high, USCF membership is a mere fraction of what it used to be.
But there are few hobbies that are left nowadays that you enjoy, where you can go out and compete for cash and prizes. There will always be chess-players who will follow their passions and take their chances.
OTB is difficult to find a game sometimes.
OTB is fun, but not the only venue for playing and improving your chess skills.
If you're on a budget, stick to online.
USCF has never been particularly relevant. They don't go out of their way to provide members sufficient bang for the buck, instead relying on local clubs and rich benefactors to hold chess tournaments. Their magazine is pathetic, correspondence play sucks, and they do not put on tournaments for members. And how much can it possible cost to rate tournaments these days? About three mouse clicks I think. It's not done by hand anymore.
Au contraire: If your event is held in a bar and you don't have a computer there to do all the pairings and then submit by clicking a few times, you have to enter it all on line at the USCF site--not a pleasant experience, but it is done.
I play otb and online. I like both, but I'm not particularly good at either
I am a USCF member, and I think they screwed up by not being leaders in online chess. It's a poorly run organization with money problems that could have been at least partially solved with a fresh influx of online players.
Why not rate games played in a bar? The noise & whatnot are the same for all players. So that evens out. We only have speed events on Tuesday nights. And we have a separate room at the Westport Flea Market. How many times have you been playing and thought, "I wish a waitress would bring me a beer!" I just about can't play in a "normal" venue any more.
In my mind, OTB chess is "real" chess. Online chess is just practice for OTB. So yeah, USCF is relevent to me. $25 a year isn't bad to be rated and whatnot. I don't think it would be fair for me to expect much more from them.
Meeting your opponent face to face across the board is much more fun, and the atmosphere in the tournament room, where a hundred players or more are concentrating as hard as they can us unbeatable.
Actually Paul, I would be more likely to describe that "atmosphere" as unbearable, not unbeatable... 
Oh great, now I've got the BhagavadGita ragging on me! Shut up and go take your impaling elsewhere, Vlad...and, whether it works or not, no, my username is not my real name. If you were a bit more up on things, perhaps you'd realize where my username came from.
Aw, Reb's always saying stuff like that (but he doesn't really mean it). To tell the truth, I think he's still sore about losing the war.
And speaking of threadbare ethics...leaving me a nasty note and then blocking me? lol Pretty resplendent stuff, Vlad (you belong in Houston).
That was intended to be a sly BO reference, Paul...
Please be helpful, relevant or nice
My quest to find out Clifton's real identity once succeeded easily, but then I forgot all about it, and now I'm still in the dark... he's just a has-been NM, bitter about his past failures [he wanted to become a Life Master] taking it out on all the internet newbies. He seems to be making all sorts of inside references/allusions that nobody can possibly recognize. I like him, anyway.
Is there anything interesting going on tonight or can I go to sleep now?
His USCF was almost 2300 when I was born... Downhill ever since.
that ethical pillar named Vlad
derided those whom he found bad
his idea of fun
was to block you and run
(yet he claimed it was you who were sad)
Please be helpful, relevant or nice
My quest to find out Clifton's real identity once succeeded easily, but then I forgot all about it, and now I'm still in the dark... he's just a has-been NM, bitter about his past failures [he wanted to become a Life Master] taking it out on all the internet newbies.
Hey, that's not true, I never wanted to become a Life Master! I heard once you are one they make you go out and sell cookies door to door or something like that...
You sure about that? We can ask him, but I would not count on him supporting your cause...
Okay, go ahead and ask Reb, ya pansy! Only don't mention the war (I think he's still pissed about Atlanta).
The USCF snoozed for years while other sites were facilitating on line play. Now it is too late, there are way too many on line venues that don't require a $40 or so membership. Even so, if you compare what you get, chess.com kicks the USCF's ass.