I started subbing seven years back because Tofusensei and gumbaloom recruited me to L-E and I was hoping helping them with stalled projects would mean a certain show Tofu was working on would move faster.
. It wasn't easy.... I was subbing on a 5 kiloBYTES/sec internet connection, but I am very determined and a huge believer in making obscure shows available to people who wouldn't be watching them otherwise.
I didn't sub for years but came back recently because it gave me a reason to be on IRC and procrastinate from schoolwork "productively"/escape from the evergrowing harshness of real-life and help people on a global scale without too much time commitment (by providing groups with my TL/TS services and fans with their shows)... something I don't get to do much now
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I may consider fansubbing to be pretty dead and hence would never volunteer to work on a new show (though I do miss the excitement of doing new shows sometimes). My time is too precious so if I am going to sub, I'd only help with shows that require my contribution: i.e. my goal is to help put out shows that I've grown up watching but still haven't seen the limelight of an international audience yet.