ah, flushed you out!!
Welcome! but I think all the tips and advice (and spots?) should at least be worth the "expense" of registering. Allowing lurkers to lurk forever seems to make this appear "cheap", it is really much better then that. I am not saying there should be a fee but to see 2 or 3X as many lurkers on then members seems wrong too. In time I think members might post less because it is all lurkers on board and those tips and advice will not be there.