I was a member for several years. They are a very good organization with an agenda that benefits us. They also have a forum, like this, that has a lot of very knowledgeable people. I left when they became more aggressive than the NRA with their money collecting. They became more about the "donations" than the message. Also, the forum is loaded with a core group (the clique) that is very condescending and full of themselves. They became more about lecturing than about teaching. They treated newbies like they carried AIDS and their advice was always tainted with snobbery and a know-it-all attitude.
After 3 or 4 years I became tired of the constant money grabbing and know-it-alls who were full of themselves. At the end I emailed one of the "clique leaders" and told him if they continued to treat newbies like crap that I would end my dues paying. He emailed back that he was surprised someone felt that way because he's there to help, not attack. When he did it again a few months later, I emailed him and told him he was the reason I left. He emailed back that he'll survive fine. I emailed the president and told him the reason I left. He offered a discount to returning members. I declined.
They provide the same type of services that the NRA offers. It's not a scam but if you like the product, it's like State Farm vs Allstate. The forums have valuable information but nothing better than here. If you can stomach the clique then you can learn some good stuff.
