Outside of the furry community we used to have a large number of free services offering web sites and other amenities, as well. I firmly believe that this a general trend as the reality of the marketplace settles in.
I suppose that it is possible that furry fandom is taking a slightly harder hit. We do seem to have a slightly higher percentage of computer geeks (and I use the term with great affection; my boyfriend is one of them) than other hobby/fandom groups. It is often contended that the average age of active furries is significantly lower than in general sci fi fandom. So when you combine knowledge and enthusiasm for computer technology with a lack of experience with financial realities, we may be getting hit a little harder than some.
But I've seen plenty of free sites outside of furry go away. I've seen others go from being free to subscription base.
Outside of the furry community we used to have a large number of free services offering web sites and other amenities, as well. I firmly believe that this a general trend as the reality of the marketplace settles in.
I suppose that it is possible that furry fandom is taking a slightly harder hit. We do seem to have a slightly higher percentage of computer geeks (and I use the term with great affection; my boyfriend is one of them) than other hobby/fandom groups. It is often contended that the average age of active furries is significantly lower than in general sci fi fandom. So when you combine knowledge and enthusiasm for computer technology with a lack of experience with financial realities, we may be getting hit a little harder than some.
But I've seen plenty of free sites outside of furry go away. I've seen others go from being free to subscription base.
-Gene