My first year of World Future Society membership is over and I won't be renewing. It's a tricky decision, as however much I dislike many things about the organisation, membership does give me a feeling of validation. But the magazines just aren't worth the money, and I shouldn't really need a (psychological) badge.
I went for the Comprehensive Professional Membership at US$225 per year solely because this gets me all three magazines. The only function of The Futurist is to remind me how awful the work of most futurists appears to be. Futures Research Quarterly, a more academic journal, has its moments, both theoretical and practical, but there's not nearly enough "wow." Future Survey is the most remarkable and useful -- a large number of excellent book summaries each month, giving a snapshot of thinking in particular fields. Its editorial "angle" annoys me a little for reasons I can't put my finger on, but otherwise it's a good, dense read. However, even this isn't, to me, quite worth the individual subscription (US$98).
Do you think they might have predicted that?