Some of you people crack me up, you know that? As if all non-paying players are somehow beneath you and warrant contempt. I have never seen a snootier membership base on any board game site. As if Brainking is soooo much better than all the other sites. Well, it's not and the declining numbers bear that out. BK falls behind IYT and GT in many aspects. Since 2008, I have played regularly at all three sites and I also used to frequent Little Golem and YourTurnMyTurn. Same name, same person. So, I'm not just speaking off-hand here. I know all these sites very well and I have always felt that BK offered the least value to me. In terms of tournament play, I get a lot more competition on IYT and at a much faster pace. Same with the ladders. It's become a running joke that BK has the slowest players around. I can face the best competition in the world on Little Golem (in Go Moku and Connect 6, anyway). If what I want is a real sense of community with down-to-earth and humble people then I know GT is the place for me (and I have been a paid member there). Not only that, but GT innovates more than anyone else. They are constantly introducing new games and variants and updating site features. My intent here is not to belittle BK but to make some of you understand that it's not worth it for some of us "freeloaders" to join your fiefdom. However, I am happy to be exposed to as many advertisements as can make money for Fencer in exchange for a few free games of Frog Finder. The funny thing is I remember when everything on the internet was free in the early 00's and nobody was calling anyone names then. ;)