I am a fairly new member. I am thinking of upgrading my account.  It doesn't look like much difference between the gold and platinum upgrades except price and a shirt.  Any thoughts?

In addition to the excellent analysis and superb, as well as viable, hint of my esteemed colleague, RetGuvvie98, I submit, in principle, it is best to upgrade to the highest status which you can afford. I say this because if you embrace the ideals and goals of this site, it stands to reason that you will want it to thrive. We have dedicated, caring and competent souls who have created and embellished this site for our benefit. In return, we can show our deep appreciation and support by providing capital in the form of the highest membership we can comfortably afford. This action embodies the principles/virtues of altruism, reciprocity, and good will. However, if you are new to this site, all of the benefits both tangible and intangible may not be readily apparent. If this is the case, then by all means, test the water-so to speak-and see that it is warm and upgrade later.