Too expensive

Agree, Ripley. It's a business and lots of people to pay. Most of us have had to do without various things until we could afford. That's life. 

 When i had kids a bit younger than you we had many suppers with only a can of peas or a cheap box of Mac and cheese. Often times i couldn’t afford a gallon of milk. We made a game of “hunting for pop cans” by walking the streets and roads looking for the $0.05 deposit cans and bottles. We always found a way to buy that gallon of milk. When I wais a kid, i had nothing but a loving mother who I’m sure cried at night about unfair life was. But in the morning it was all smiles, hugs, and love. I went without more than i can ever describe to you and if i could explain it I couldn’t possibly expect you to understand. You weren’t there. Here’s the deal, you CAN do it if it becomes a priority in your life. You CAN find a way. I challenge you to find the way. You CAN! I wish you the very best young friend!

I’ll spare you the “I walked to school in five feet of snow, uphill...both ways” speech.

Da'-Vere '-well said!  Sometimes we just have to do without stuff even if others have those same things. Get some fire in ya belly and say hey, I want that, and YOU .make it happen,no one else.Get to work and make it happen!

u go to lichess.org 

i wonder how long it'll take until a mod deletes that

That's how capitalism works 'round here.

I, myself, don't have a membership but I don't find it quite that expensive. Besides, the people who work here have to make money somehow. The only other option would be, hmm, maybe making so you can't do anything without a membership? If it's just puzzles your looking for, [censored] is always an option, as others stated.

just ask one of those top GIFTERS who GIFT u membership

I respect anyone with a work ethic - don't care if they are flipping burgers. Everyone with a work ethic deserves respect.

 Well said!

+100

I recon if they dropped the price by half of what it is they would make more money in the long run because tons more people would upgrade... Myself included straight away. But greed always gets the better in this worlds & people end up cutting there own throats over it. The world forgets that there is more poor people in this world than rich snobs....   Listen to the poor fellow I meet last night................................its not the computer aspect, i just need to set aside a few bucks and get a newer cell phone. A real smart phone, not a gas station phone. I can hardly afford bills and food these days, so i had to cut the wifi and TV out my life. I use a free TV antenna now.  Bless him

@long_quach this site is a private business which has willing provided you a thread to whine about your Freedom of Speech being infringed upon. Why do I find that confusing?

You gonna finish that sentence?

@long_quach if you enter a McDonalds & begin telling people there that Wendy's is better and that they should try them instead I do not believe you would be welcome for long unless you made a purchase from them.

Plus, chess.com has to pay all the masters for the various lessons/videos, the IT team, HR - I suspect they don't get paid a lot. I could be wrong. I just find it mind boggling how so many chess instructors will charge so little. You have Experts and NMs only charging $40/50 an hour. If you look at personal trainers, they will charge between $25 - $125, lawyers charging $100-2,000/hour. Why do chess instructors charge so little? I recognize that it may be a career path more of passion and interest. Or maybe they don't know how to market themselves.

Funny, I decided to get some chess friends teaching gigs for $60-75, but when they taught the lessons, they lowered the price. They said they didn't want to have the business go to someone else. There are LOTS of people who want lessons. If they just believed they were worth it!

I still think moderators should get more compensation (I heard they weren't paid).

And before anyone goes whining about how it's not fair or not everyone can afford - lots of us had to do without. A membership to anything is more of a luxury item, not a necessity. 

to be fair they're not that expensive

also based on your pfp you look like you're 10

it costs like 5 bucks for a gold membership for a month. If you don't have that money sorry, but you shouldn't be on chess.com you should be getting a job

Actually, when I was a youngster I would do yard work, babysit (frankly, 10 was probably too young to babysit!) or other work. Not that it paid much, of course!

I remember babysitting this girl when I was only about a year older than she. It was really awkward, especially since she was more experienced with the boys (I only played sports with boys - very naive in the other departments).  She invited a boy over. Yikes! Someone older should have been there! - not me! Yard work was more my thing!