Thanks to
this exchange, I have once again gotten into a discussion with someone who thinks it's Wrong that people must pay so much to vote for the Hugo Awards and that the Award's significance is diminished accordingly.
As part of this exchange, I commented on the fact that 90% of the
existing eligible voters are not nominating or voting on the Hugo Awards. I suggested that those people who want to vote but aren't willing to stump up $50 for a supporting membership should go looking for people who already have Worldcon memberships but won't vote, and pair up with them. That's a winner all around -- we get increased participation in the Hugo Awards, and the people who think payment is Unfair get to vote for free.