Techdirt Perks & Features

Almost every purchase in the Insider Shop includes special members-only features that you can activate on your Techdirt account. There’s also a whole category of blog perks that you can purchase in various subscription and one-time packages. Some features will be familiar to Techdirt readers, and others are brand new:

First Word/Last Word Credits

Included with most purchases.

First Word/Last Word is a unique new feature on the Techdirt blog. We’ve added special feature spaces to the top and bottom of the comments section on every post, where user comments can be highlighted for their insight, wit, knowledge, or whatever else appeals to you—because you’re the one who gets to decide. Any user with credits can elect any comment by themselves or another user to be permanently featured in the First Word or Last Word position, provided someone else hasn’t beat them to it on the post in question. We’re excited to see what our readers do with this feature, and how it affects the conversation in our comments.

First Word/Last Word credits are included with most purchases in the Insider Shop. In some packages they are granted on a recurring basis, such as the 15 credits per month included with the Behind The Curtain subscription. These recurring credits do not stack from month to month—if you purchase such a subscription, your credits will be refilled to the total amount on a monthly basis. In other packages, credits are granted on a one-time basis and will neither replenish nor expire.

Insider Badge

Comes with most purchases, or alone at any price you choose »

The Insider Badge appears on Techdirt user profile pages and is exclusive to people who have purchased something from the Insider Shop (or our previous offerings). It also attaches an Insider tag to all your Techdirt comments—and there may be other surprise bonuses for Techdirt Insiders in the future.

Techdirt Crystal Ball

Available as an annual subscription, and included with certain purchases.

The Crystal Ball appears on the front page and exposes five upcoming blog posts from behind the scenes at Techdirt. You’ll see a selection of unpublished posts, as well as information on when they are scheduled to appear. When a post is scheduled to be published within two hours, you’ll be able to read and comment on it. So not only do you get a glimpse of the innerworkings of Techdirt and early access to the news, you also get a chance to kickstart the conversation with other Insiders. The links aren’t restricted, either—you’re free to share them or keep them to yourself as you see fit.

Crystal Ball Plus

Available as part of the Behind The Curtain package, and included with certain purchases.

The Crystal Ball Plus gives you unprecedented backstage access to the Techdirt blog. Just like the Crystal Ball, it exposes five unpublished blog posts from the Techdirt queue—but with the Crystal Ball Plus, you don’t need to wait until they are scheduled for release before you can access them. You can read any of the five posts at any time—often hours, days or even weeks before they public, so you’ll get a glimpse of how some posts evolve and change behind the scenes. Once a post is scheduled to appear on the site, you’ll be able to comment on it as well.

Insider Discord

Available as part of the Watercooler package, and included with certain purchases.

The Insider Discord is a place for Techdirt supporters to chat alongside our staff and contributors. Messages from the chat are visible in the sidebar of every page on Techdirt, but only members can join the conversation!