Question for the mods...

[Jack I]

The subscription is mainly for your convenience and to show your support to the site. With the subscription you are:

1. Given a reward for donating to recieve a signature subscription
2. Given the ability to set up your signature to post itself to each post.
3. Making it more convenient to users: When using a fake signature, the user has to take it out of quotes when they quote you.
4. Making it more convenient on the mod staff. If your fake signature does break a policy, we have to go back and find every instance you used that signature and delete it. It's more convenient to them if you have the subscription so they can simply ask you to change/remove it.

Plus, there are all those other rewards you can get from subscriptions that you can't get by faking it, including the larger PM boxes, userpages, and subscription awards.

As regarding support for the site, remember that each time you do donate you are doing a favor to Nick. The server for the sites, as well as the licensing and other necessities to keep the site running aren't free, and most of that is paid for with the donations that we receive through subscribers. All of that money is fed directly to the upkeep of the sites, so it really is nicer for people wishing to use a signature to subscribe.