Why Is This a Difficult Concept?

[kevin_standlee]

I just replied to this comment complaining about how you have to join Worldcon in order to vote for the Hugo Awards, which led off with "But I don't have to pay to vote for my government officials." This is not the first time that I've heard someone trot this out. I'll repeat here what I said there:

That's right, you don't. That's because "paying membership dues" is not one of the requirements for being a citizen of your country. But WSFS isn't a country. It's a club. If you want to join a club, you have to meet that club's membership requirements.

Why is the concept of having to pay membership dues to be a member of a club, and having to be a member of a club in order to vote on things that club decides, such a difficult concept for some people? Are these people who have never in their lives joined a club or society, have never had to pay membership dues, and simply assume that if the word "vote" is involved, it must be free to anyone who wants it just because voting for public officials doesn't have a direct cost associated with it?

I actually understand the "It costs too much" complaint. That can be translated as "The amount you're charging for membership is more than the value I place on the things I get from that membership." There's nothing inherently wrong with that; it's an economic value judgment like every other decision we make about what to buy or not buy. It's what sounds to me like whining that "but I want it, so it shouldn't cost me anything!" that gets on my nerves, because it's childish.

Comments

[rmjwell.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to recall if the supporting membership price goes up over time or if it is fixed for the duration of its availability?

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

There are some limits on what a Worldcon can charge. They cannot charge more than 125% of the Advance Supporting Membership (voting) fee charged for their election until less than 90 days before their convention. That is, until 90 days out, they can raise the price to not more than 125% of their voting fee (Denvention raised their supporting membership price on January 1), and at 90 days out, there is no limit and they can charge whatever they want.