In the distant past, people got accounts for helping out with stuff. This is how Kristan got hers, back in the ice ages of LiveJournal.

I always felt that I was relatively deserving of one of these accounts, but they were not given out to volunteers regularly for quite a while, becuase brad was like "wait. I'm giving free shit to half our users. what the fuck?"

So, I just decided that I'd keep paying.

In the last "Pay us money!" jess bought me one anyway.

a couple months ago (after the six apart buyout) someone convinced the Powers That Be to give out more accounts.

I recieved a coupon for one.