Bye-Bye Meetup.com

Meetup.com have just become a pay site, charging 18 US dollars per month to the organiser of each group.

I formed the Manchester Roleplayers group a few of months ago, which had all of three members, too few to actually meet. (Although there was one aborted attempt) I was also a member of the Marillion and Webloggers groups, which didn't even have group organizers. I didn't feel like volunteering while I'd failed to get my own group off the ground.

Even with the half-price discount for existing groups, paying $9 a month for a group that doesn't actually meet sounds like a stupid waste of money. I have therefore resigned as organiser of the group. I expect 99% of other group organisers will do the same.

While I understand that any website needs a revenue stream to survive, the amount they're trying to charge is completely ridiculous for what you get in return, and I would be surprised if even a tiny fraction of existing groups ever pay up. I think Meetup.com are now heading for the electronic graveyard.