Far be it from me to complain about DA, its population, or its many useful features for artist and art enthusiast alike; but some of the latest changes have caught my notice and raised a brow in consternation.

Subscribers--who pay for a few mostly aesthetic extra features, like extended front page customization and journal niftiness/CSS--are now Premium Members. It doesn't change the actual difference between Premium and regular members, but the thing that gets me is the way regular members are now labeled on their pages. No longer just "not subscribed", they apparently "need Premium Membership."

I'm not sure why this bothers me so much. Maybe it's because DA implies that the experience is not complete without forking over some dough so you can have a few more thumbnails of Harry Potter fanart per page. Maybe it's the tone; a snobbish sort of, "If you were really serious about art, you'd pay to experience it." Maybe it's simply the word "needs." People need water, food, shelter, love. An internet connection, if you want to access DA. But a premium membership? DA functions perfectly well without one, and that service shouldn't be forced on anyone who doesn't care for it.

I understand the motivation behind changing it. It's probably a good marketing move for DA--as a (probably sizable) form of profit, they want to make memberships as appealing as possible. Not everyone would be aware of what a premium membership entails, so they make it inherently desirable through a new name (who doesn't want to be part of an exclusive group? You subscribe to magazines, but gain membership to clubs--there is more of an implication of community) and that little word "need."

I guess my point is that DA puts a lot of unnecessary emphasis on the subscription. Yes, there are a few extra features. But that shouldn't entail a snobbish derision of anyone with a ~ beside their name.

C'mon, DA--artists are supposed to be for equality and all that. Get off your high horse!