LadyJane Bailey

That is your opinion, but the groups mentioned (Especially DFS) actually do GIVE GIFTs, you're only paying for the special boxes that do NOT get sold in their store or on MP. Unless someone who received the item decides to sell it on their personal MP, these items can only come from being in the group. They also for the time you are in the group, will give you free items that can be purchased in their store. There is a difference. You DO NOT have to join every month either, you can pick which ones you want to get, they are themed. You can choose to join for the Christmas box or the Halloween box. ALSO The owner of DFS actually does call it A gift Box, Special Gift...

DRD Shadow box, DFS Stash Box $2,500L per month (you get ejected and need to repay to get back in) , and several other specialized groups that you have to pay each month in order to receive special gifts... You get ejected at the end of each month, and need to repay to get back in. There are tons of groups like this... The money is worth it for the groups mentioned plus a few others I am personally in. But since free accounts are now keeping their group limit of 42, this is moot.

I don't think I could say that any better.... Exactly right.

Again you missed the point of a ONE TIME FEE!! Meaning these groups were paid back in 2009, 2016 - 2017.

I have a Premium account, however, that is budgeted a year in advance. $100 may not seem like a lot to you, but it is way too much when you're not getting enough benefits to warrant it. Not everyone wants the free house or buy sims. The stipend was the reason I paid, and that should be going up in order to make the increase worth it. These paid groups cost in RL at least $20 - $50 a group as a ONE time fee to join. Leaving those groups are NOT an option. Those free accounts have done more for SL then you think they did. Real Life colleges and Universities actually conduced classes here once upon a time, now that they are almost all gone, with a few hidden ones who were able to remain.. These were made up of many free accounts because of a grant. Losing groups is NOT a minor downgrade, it's a major one if you have all the spots filled up with viable Important groups...

Those subscriber things Only allow for ONE, You have to buy a different subscriber for each group you wish to transfer to a subscriber. There's only 2 free ones that I've found so far... If there are More I haven't found them yet. Buying a subscriber … I don't have enough members to warrant it.

Seriously???? How would you know what basic members contribute.. If it wasn't for free accounts, there most likely wouldn't be SL. Also, I know lots of free accounts who not only made enough to cash out, but DID NOT! Again, if not for the Basic accounts, I can guarantee, SL would not STILL exist. There is way more Free Accounts then there is Premium Accounts on SL.

Who the heck is Grumpity and what does she expect people who had to pay to join those 42 groups to do now???

I know some "Free" members who not only paid a lot into SL but also created some valuable content that LL even integrated into it's permanent content. DO NOT KNOCK down free accounts, They did a lot more than you think. Those 42 groups in my accounts are paid groups, with only maybe 4 of my personal work / business groups. I can't leave any of them if I want to keep my business and I definitely can't afford to go Premium now with the price increase. I do not and will never cash out.

Definitely unfair for those who have been faithful for 10+ years, and now getting "rewarded" with "making it harder to keep premium accounts, or buy new premium accounts.

It's greed... $20+ is too much of an increase at once. I budget a year in advance.... I have no idea where I can get the extra funds now...

I ONLY buy on Marketplace. I hate stores that spam you with group joins the minute you land. This is going to mess me up big time. No way I can come up with $200 by June 24. All my groups are ones I had tp pay to join....

Maybe it was viewer based, cause I've deleted owners from groups until 2008/09 using OnRez viewer. Anyway, I got 2 of the members to leave, and as soon as the 3rd one logs in and I explain things, I know he will leave too.

I've been in SL since 2007, I was only off SL for 2 years, (2014 - 2016) the group in question was made in Dec 2017.

I never left the group, I'm still owner. I wasn't gone but a month. ( between the time I created the group and finding out they made everyone owners )( I was on an alt during that time. ) But a founder needs to be careful about what they name their groups. I use a subscription option for businesses. So I don't use groups for stores or businesses that might get sold or given away.