Why does it say "guest" under my username?

[BrainGlutton]

:confused: I've been a member for years, and I haven't gotten any e-mails telling me to renew. (No, not even in my spam folder.)

[Baker]

I'd check the link "Paid Subscriptions" in your User CP. It should tell you when your membership is/was up. Most were due near the end of May, and there's been stickys in all the forums to remind us. I also got an email to remind me, and there were numerous threads and posts about suscribing, and helping others to subscribe. If you've been gone for a long time that may explain why you've not seen any of this.

[TubaDiva]

I'm sorry you missed the expiration date, which in your case was 5-27-2009.

[jackelope]

Looks like I missed it too; I've hardly beeen around here at all lately. Oops.

[TubaDiva]

::: sigh :::

I feel bad for all the people who missed resubscribing, however it happened.

I feel worse because there's nothing I can do to fix the situation.

[lieu]

How can a non-Charter Member tell when they need to subscribe by to prevent becoming a Guest? I follow the CP > Paid Subscription > but see no date listed, No Active Subscription, just Available Subscription and the $ amount. No late May emails either.

Sorry, I bet this is spelled out somewhere really obvious.

[TubaDiva]

If you were once a Charter Member and that has now expired, it cannot be renewed. This is why the system will not show it to you.

To resubscribe click on the drop-down box where it says "Cost." Then click on the Order button to start the process.

The system displays in this fashion because it's two different databases of membership -- Charter Member and Member.

[lieu]

Yes, I'm fine with not being Charter but how do I see the date by which I need to resubscribe to prevent losing Member?

I'd not be surprised if I hadn't paid ahead a couple of years but really can't remember if I did or not. It's been awhile.

[DSeid]

Hey, I get the notice and made decision that the "advantages" of membership were not worth it, but ... it does seem that the powers that be have this set up to eliminate the paid membership model as much as possible and the expressions of sigh and "I feel bad" and "there's nothing I can do" seem more than a bit contrived.

In short, give us a break. None of us like being bullshitted.

[Peter Morris]

how do I see the date by which I need to resubscribe to prevent losing Member? .

1) click on "User CP" up in the top left corner of the page.

2) The list on the left hand side of you control panel has a link "paid subscriptions" just click on that, you will see your current expiry date.

[lieu]

Peter, thanks but it doesn't. I did that (post #6) but there's no date given anywhere. I presume the reason you see it and I don't is because you've still got "Charter." I don't. No biggie but I don't want to also lose "Member", yet I can't see by when I need to subscribe.

There's a good possibility I've paid ahead a couple of years and I suppose a chance all posting might be free by then so it'd be nice to know.

[Peter Morris]

Ah, sorry. Didn't see #6.

[Telemark]

I can't see what you're seeing either, but it's likely because of my CM status as well.

I agree that it's nice to be able to check ahead of time or get an email, but I don't think there are any consequences of a lapsed membership, are there? You just resubscribe when you notice it being expired and you go back to being a member just as if you resubscribed before the deadline. Is there any downside to re-upping after it has lapsed?

[mnemosyne]

AFAIK, whenever a Guest pays, they become a Member - the same as if a Member keeps paying to keep that title, so there is nothing to "lose' by missing a renewal date. It's only Charter Members that have something to lose, so they have to renew by May 27th or so (it's the same date for everyone, originally it was April 28th, but over the years it's been extended due to server outages and whatnot). I just remember to pay around my birthday (May Day!) and I'm set.

[lieu]

I see. That's easy. Thank you very much.

[TheMadHun]

Hey, I get the notice and made decision that the "advantages" of membership were not worth it, but ... it does seem that the powers that be have this set up to eliminate the paid membership model as much as possible and the expressions of sigh and "I feel bad" and "there's nothing I can do" seem more than a bit contrived.

In short, give us a break. None of us like being bullshitted.
They sometimes (rarely) put special titles under names, "Perfect Master", "Winner of the X award" etc. so they certainly could do that if they wanted. I assume they just don't want to. I think "nothing I can do" means "more trouble than it's worth to keep track of so many changes". I'd let it go at that. Your old Join Date is there on every post.

[TubaDiva]

Yes, I'm fine with not being Charter but how do I see the date by which I need to resubscribe to prevent losing Member?

I'd not be surprised if I hadn't paid ahead a couple of years but really can't remember if I did or not. It's been awhile.If you are a current Charter Member your subscription will show up in the "Paid Subscriptions" area of the User Control Panel.

If your Charter Member subscription has expired it will not be visible, as it is no longer a valid paid subscription.

If you are a current Member subscriber that subscription will likewise show in the "Paid Subscriptions" area of the User Control Panel. Since an expired Member subscription can still be renewed (unlike Charter Member subscriptions, which once expired are gone) it may well display differently.

In any event, to resubscribe to the Board go to the User Control Panel, click on "Paid Subscriptions," click on the drop-down menu box to order, and click the "Order" button to start the process.

And lieu? I show you as being Straight Dope Science Advisory, so you are automatically covered and have no subscription worries.

[TubaDiva]

Hey, I get the notice and made decision that the "advantages" of membership were not worth it, but ... it does seem that the powers that be have this set up to eliminate the paid membership model as much as possible and the expressions of sigh and "I feel bad" and "there's nothing I can do" seem more than a bit contrived.

In short, give us a break. None of us like being bullshitted.Actually, no. It's not the same physical system that was used in years past -- previously subscriptions were paid through the Chicago Reader classified ad system.

Now the subscriptions run directly through vB -- what you see is how vB does it.

And no, Ed Zotti has said publicly on more than one occasion that we need and appreciate subscription revenue. We also need ad revenue as well. Heck, we need everything.

[Covered_In_Bees!]

So I'm betting that in 31 days or less, we'll have another thread started by someone asking where their charter member status went.

Any takers?

[Chez Guevara]

Peter, thanks but it doesn't. I did that (post #6) but there's no date given anywhere. I presume the reason you see it and I don't is because you've still got "Charter."This isn't true across the piece.

I see a subscription expiry date when I take the CP > Paid Subscription route.

[TubaDiva]

This isn't true across the piece.

I see a subscription expiry date when I take the CP > Paid Subscription route.It displays if you are currently a subscribing Member, apparently it goes away when the subscription expires. Not sure if this is true for expired Member subscriptions -- could someone who was a Member and is now a Guest inform me, please? -- but since Member subscriptions can be renewed even when expired I would not be surprised if the expired subscription stayed visible.

[Chez Guevara]

OK, I've just read your post #17 concerning lieu and the SDSAB appellation.

This might explain why he can't see a subscription expiry date but, apropos of this, why doesn't that title appear under his username?

[fachverwirrt]

It displays if you are currently a subscribing Member, apparently it goes away when the subscription expires. Not sure if this is true for expired Member subscriptions -- could someone who was a Member and is now a Guest inform me, please? -- but since Member subscriptions can be renewed even when expired I would not be surprised if the expired subscription stayed visible.

I was a regular Member; not Charter. I can see no expiration information under User CP>Paid Subscriptions. All there is is the information to re-subscribe. The expiry information was definitely there when I was a member.

[TubaDiva]

OK, I've just read your post #17 concerning lieu and the SDSAB appellation.

This might explain why he can't see a subscription expiry date but, apropos of this, why doesn't that title appear under his username?I suspect when his subscription expired the script that the system runs changed that for him. I need to change it back, thanks for reminding me.

[TubaDiva]

Actually I need to talk to lieu, I don't remember him being SDSAB before . . . glitch in the system all the way around. (No reflection on him one way or the other, just system wackyness here.)

[TubaDiva]

I was a regular Member; not Charter. I can see no expiration information under User CP>Paid Subscriptions. All there is is the information to re-subscribe. The expiry information was definitely there when I was a member.Thank you for confirming that for me.

So when a subscription expires it simply vanishes off the list and you don't see anything on it anymore unless you resubscribe.

[Chez Guevara]

Actually I need to talk to lieu, I don't remember him being SDSAB before . . . glitch in the system all the way around. (No reflection on him one way or the other, just system wackyness here.)I come to praise lieu, not to bury him.

He should have been appointed SDSAB all of six years ago. Between 2001 and 2003 he demonstrated such expertise in his chosen sphere that people would puff out their cheeks and simultaneously clench their buttocks in admiration of it. If you don't believe me I have 8 cites available as backup.

Of course, this opinion depends on my interpretation of SDSAB as "Straight Dope Scatology Advisory Board", so if that is not the case then please ignore this post.

:)

[BrainGlutton]

1) click on "User CP" up in the top left corner of the page.

2) The list on the left hand side of you control panel has a link "paid subscriptions" just click on that, you will see your current expiry date.

No, it doesn't. I see no such link.

[samclem]

No, it doesn't. I see no such link. fachverwiirt's reply just above explains it better, confirming that there IS no expiry info in the user CP, but there IS info as to how to subscribe evidently.

[TubaDiva]

No, it doesn't. I see no such link.When you click on "UserCP" in the blue band at the top of most every SDMB page you should see a new page with the following list on the left hand side:

Your profile
Edit Your Details
Edit Profile Picture
Networking
Contacts & Friends
Settings & Options
Edit Signature
Edit Email & Password
Edit Options
Edit Ignore List
Private Messages
List Messages
Send New Message
Track Messages
Edit Folders
Subscribed Threads
List Subscriptions
Edit Folders
Miscellaneous
Event Reminders
Paid Subscriptions
Attachments
Deleted Items
Threads
Posts
Moderated Items
Threads
Posts

Please tell me if your list differs from the one above and how so.

[Zakalwe]

Okay, while we're on this subject. It's my understanding that all Charter Member subscriptions were set to expire on 5/27. I renewed a bit before that and now mine is set to expire on 5/22/2010. Not that the five days is a huge deal, but why didn't it resubscribe for a full year?

[TubaDiva]

Charter Member expiration dates varied depending on the exact date that the subscription was started.

The bulk of the Charter Member subscriptions had an expiration date between May 20 and May 30.

Resubscriptions are based on the expiration date and run for 365 days, one full year. As we said before, you do not lose any days of that subscription time if you resubscribe early; a year is simply added to the original expiration date. You do not gain any extra days by letting it go until the last minute. This is true for all subscriptions.

Once again: You do not lose any time from a current subscription by resubscribing before the expiration date. Another year is simply added to the original expiration date, whatever that date may be.

If a former Member (now styled a Guest) resubscribes a new subscription is entered, with the start date being that day and the end date being one year later.

[RaftPeople]

Why does it say "guest" under my username?


That's where the title goes, under the username, not above it or to the side, but that's not important now

[Bean Counter]

I re-newed my membership (and in time as well) but the CP is showing that to renew it's the $14.95 which makes me think that it did not take...

On edit: no, no it didn't. Ummm... help?

[TubaDiva]

I re-newed my membership (and in time as well) but the CP is showing that to renew it's the $14.95 which makes me think that it did not take...

On edit: no, no it didn't. Ummm... help?By any chance did you use the PayPal e-check?

When you take that option PayPal takes 3-5 business days to process the transaction. Often what has happened is that by the time PayPal processed the transaction the subscription had expired and thus was rejected by the system for insufficient funds, as it were.

I'll ask Jerry to look into this.

For those of you that use this option when resubscribing you need to do so like a week or two BEFORE your subscription expires to keep this from happening.

[TubaDiva]

As you see, Jerry found the problem and fixed it. Sorry for your inconvenience, Bean Counter.

[Bean Counter]

As you see, Jerry found the problem and fixed it. Sorry for your inconvenience, Bean Counter.

Hi Tuba. It was no inconvenience at all and I greatly appreciate the fix! Thanks Jerry!

[NineToTheSky]

::: sigh :::

I feel bad for all the people who missed resubscribing, however it happened.

I feel worse because there's nothing I can do to fix the situation.

As you see, Jerry found the problem and fixed it. Sorry for your inconvenience, Bean Counter.

Are these two quotes in any way contradictory?

[TubaDiva]

Yeah, it's apples and oranges.

In the example cited above the user had been a Charter Member and resubscribed while that Charter Membership was still in force. If they had used a regular credit card the transaction would have been processed immediately and that would have been the end of the story; however, they used the PayPal "e-check" function instead. When e-check is used PayPal holds up the transaction for 3-5 business days or more before it releases the funds. When PayPal processed the payment and released the funds to the Straight Dope the expiration date had passed and the transaction was rejected as being nonsufficient funds, as the Charter Member subscription was no longer in force and now the system was looking for $14.95 from this user and not $7.98.

This is something that we have no control over -- it's PayPal's delay -- but when the transaction finally comes over Jerry can return the user to the Charter Member pool and make things right. The user DID subscribe in time; PayPal held them up. (Though everyone should understand this delay in crediting payments and make accommodation for them; ideally the user would have resubscribed a week or two before their expiration date.)

None of the other admins or the mods can do this. Only Jerry.

I wish everyone who was a Charter Member and wanted to remain one had been able to meet the requirements. And I'm saddened that didn't happen.

[DSYoungEsq]

So, the full truth comes out:

Jerry has the capacity to take anyone who has been moved from the "Charter Member" pool to the "Member" pool and put them back in the permanently "Charter Member" pool (speaking of the subscription pool, not the pool that shows what you are in your member field).

So, if Jerry wanted to, if the SDMB wanted to do so, they could indeed return the lapsed "Charter Members" back to Charter Member status. But, presumably, the people who make the business decisions about the Board would have to decide that that was how the current situation was to be handled.

Which I believe is exactly what some of the agitators have been saying is true, and have been lobbying for, ever since the end of last month. Thus, the refusal to return them to Charter Member status is a business decision, and has nothing to do with the practicalities of the situation.

[TubaDiva]

Jerry restored someone who paid their subscription on time but due to technicalities on the PayPal side didn't have that resubscription process before their subscription expired. That user followed the rules and resubscribed while their Charter Member subscription was still in force.

If you choose to twist that into something with greater meaning to the process that is strictly your interpretation of events.

The restored Charter Member followed the rules. He resubscribed before his subscription expired. He remains a Charter Member.

[RaftPeople]

I think our esteemed colleague from Indian Land, S Carolina was referring to usage of the term "can't" in previous posts from sdmb admins.

Obviously most things "can" be done with databases etc. so the logical interpretation of the usage of the word "can't" in this context is that even Jerry doesn't have physical or logical access to the proper systems to revert a user back to "Charter Member" even if desired.

If Jerry does indeed have the ability, then the proper term seems to be "won't".

However, there is the possibility that, due to being in bankruptcy, even an apparent minor change like this would require approval of the trustee, thus the term "can't" really means "we don't have the authority to make arbitrary financial decisions, so as long as we are following the rules of payment then we can solve problems like this one, but we can not go outside of those rules".

[TubaDiva]

While CL is in bankruptcy, I doubt that whether the message board charges someone $7.48 or $14.95 is under the direct view of the judge.

I can't speak to what Ed or Jerry or CL can do or might do. I can only speak for what _I_ can do, what the rest of the staff can do for these situations. And the answer is there's nothing we can do.

Even if we could technically do what you're asking for we're not authorized to make the changes you're asking for. If we were we would have done them already.

[NineToTheSky]

From your previous posts I understand your policy and the process to be thus:

if a Charter Member doesn't re-subscribe in time, the software automatically alters his status to Guest. If the reason that this has happened is because of delays in the way PayPal works, you can ask Jerry to reinstate his original status by altering something in the software. So Jerry can do this, and you can ask him to do this.

You can't actually implement the change yourself, but you can ask Jerry to do so. So it is possible to reinstate a lapsed Charter Member's status, but only if you approve of the reason to do so. Is that correct?

[Chez Guevara]

So it is possible to reinstate a lapsed Charter Member's status, but only if you approve of the reason to do so. Is that correct?I believe reinstatement, and the circumstances in which it might be done, is currently under administrator/moderator discussion.

See Dex's post #29:

So far as I am aware, the question has never been asked before. We've always assumed that "Charter Membership" meant the title, the lower fee, and the rights and privileges thereunto pertaining. We (mods and admins) have no power over the fees &c. We can do a title change. We will start discussion amongst the mods over whether we'd want to.

There would be some logisitical and procedural questions to overcome (for instance, how to verify that someone WAS indeed a legit "Charter Member") but let us discuss and see what we come up with.and post #32:

Possibly, you could argue that: Anyone who HAD the title "Charter Member" but lost it due to late payment, who continues to pay full membership price, should be given the title of "Charter Member."in this thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=519163) dated 29 May.

[BigT]

While CL is in bankruptcy, I doubt that whether the message board charges someone $7.48 or $14.95 is under the direct view of the judge.

I can't speak to what Ed or Jerry or CL can do or might do. I can only speak for what _I_ can do, what the rest of the staff can do for these situations. And the answer is there's nothing we can do.

Even if we could technically do what you're asking for we're not authorized to make the changes you're asking for. If we were we would have done them already.

Well Jerry (a member of the staff) obviously can technically do it, and did. So I think a less ambiguous way to say what happens is that the staff isn't allowed to do it. But then the question becomes, who doesn't allow you? Because that's the person to which former Charter Members should be complaining. But, if they don't know, they're just going to keep complaining to you, assuming you'll forward it to the correct party.

[leander]

So, the full truth comes out:

Jerry has the capacity to take anyone who has been moved from the "Charter Member" pool to the "Member" pool and put them back in the permanently "Charter Member" pool (speaking of the subscription pool, not the pool that shows what you are in your member field).

So, if Jerry wanted to, if the SDMB wanted to do so, they could indeed return the lapsed "Charter Members" back to Charter Member status. But, presumably, the people who make the business decisions about the Board would have to decide that that was how the current situation was to be handled.

Which I believe is exactly what some of the agitators have been saying is true, and have been lobbying for, ever since the end of last month. Thus, the refusal to return them to Charter Member status is a business decision, and has nothing to do with the practicalities of the situation.

Oh Jenny...this is really getting sad.