I think Bill, what is happening - is that the yuppies who wants to save the world - would like to eliminate as much mail as possible and use as little paper as possible..
Just look at books, how many times do you see someone buy an actual paper book anymore?

On the other hand, as the price of postage goes up, probably some pencil pusher at the ARRL got the bright idea that it would be great to get rid of the paper copy - then they would save the price of printing, mailing etc..

On the other hand, you joined the ARRL in 1972?
Lets say a lifetime membership at that time was $150.00
The ARRL - even if they put your money into a interest bearing account, stopped making money on you about 12 years ago....

Let alone a couple of friends of mine who has been a ham for 50 years and only paid like $65.00 in 1960 to join the ARRL and bought lifetime memberships...

At some point the ARRL is either going to have to raise lifetime memberships to about $1000.00 or close it's doors.

My friends tells me that if they buy yearly memberships and let it run out at the end of the year, in time the ARRL will send them free gifts to rejoin.
They let it expire purposely - just to get the free gifts...

Me personally - I don't have a tablet or a laptop computer, or a cell phone, so it doesn't matter to me if they want to give away electronic versions - they would also have to give me something to look at it with besides my home computer.

When you stop and think about it - the QST doesn't really have much in it.
It is sponsored by equipment manufacturers and amplifier dealers - since most people who calls themselves hams are either appliance operators or they compensate for a lack of antenna by using some type of amplifier.

This irks me as much as anything when I hear them talk about antenna tuners and G5RV's and how they can load them up and use them on any band.
You end up with one guy who's receive is as deaf as a door knob and another guys receive who is deaf as a door knob and they are shouting between each other, and not hearing anyone else.

The persistent drone of the antenna tuner - trying to match up the antenna - while a net is taking place, irritates me to the point of where I refuse to listen to most nets..

Maybe if QST would put actual articles in their magazine about good amateur radio practice, and how all new hams needs actual Elmers, and how to become a real Elmer and be knowledgeable and not just some moron who checks into a net and says NO TRAFFIC! We could produce a new pool of amateurs to replace the ones we have lost and maybe attract more amateurs that actually operates and not just ones that gets the license and then lets it expire 10 years from now when they find out that there isn't anyone to talk to of any intelligence anymore on anything below 10 meters!