# Are you a member or a customer of the SDMB? An informal poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 5, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461 "2006-09-05T01:41:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/1 "2006-09-05T01:41:53Z")
Well? Member: A distinct part of a whole. Customer: Someone who pays for goods or services. (From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com)) Me, I’m a member. I consider this place a really neat, peachy keen club, and while it used to be free, it isn’t anymore, and I’m cool with paying membership dues to be able to hang out here in the clubhouse and enjoy. I have fun, I learn a lot, I get pissed off, I relax, and overall the pleasure I take as a member of this club is worth the cost. If/when that equation changes enough so it’s not worth it, then I’ll let my membership expire. Others say that they’re customers, and expect certain levels of performance for their money. While I would like my SDMB club to be cushier and niftier (do the young folks use that word, niftier?) than it is, and be able to do more things, that doesn’t seem to be in the cards so I’m not sweating it. Doubtless some folks consider themselves both members and customers. While I can theoretically grasp that position, it doesn’t work for me viscerally. I just can’t see being a member of this (pseudo?) intellectual community as goods or service to be purchased, anymore than I can see someone as being a customer of the Masons, or the Water Buffalos, or similar organizations which require membership fees. But that’s just me. Now tell me what you think. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/2 "2006-09-05T01:44:28Z")
I’ll choose member. Since addict wasn’t one of your choices. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/3 "2006-09-05T01:49:44Z")
Definitely a member. If I was a customer I would demand that the Pit be shut down (“I’m not paying good money so people can make fun of my opinions!”). As a member I can revel in it whenever the mood strikes me (“Yeah, well your opinions are silly too. So there!”). The membership is by and large genial, and generally keep their own areas clean. If they make a mess in the den, they usually clean it up. Oh, the waitstaff can be a bit prickly at times, but they’ve been with the club forever and know where all the bodies are buried, so what can you do? As long as I get my martini reasonably quickly and they don’t eat all the cashews out of the nut mix, I’m willing to put up with their eccentricities. I do think that the membership committee should be restricted from the drinks cabinet before meetings, however. They seem to be letting some riff-raff past the portals. Is the kitchen doing a trifle for dessert tonight? ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/4 "2006-09-05T01:49:51Z")
I agree with you. I do get frustrated by the lack of working hamsters sometimes, but if it were really that bad I would leave. I throughly enjoy the time I spend here. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/5 "2006-09-05T02:02:18Z")
Member, definitely. I don’t get the paying-customer complaints on a general nor a specific level. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/6 "2006-09-05T02:17:48Z")
Wow. It’s going to take some cojones to come into this thread and self proclaim one a “Customer” of the SDMB. I’m a Member, it says so right under my name. I discovered this board just before it went to paid membership, then lurked for a few years before coughing up to post. I was inspired to do that by someone who needed a favor done in my area. Turns out by the time I got paid up and returned to the thread, the situation had been resolved, but I never forgot the circumstance. So, Member, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Blue-Sighted\_Shadow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@The\_Blue-Sighted\_Shadow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Blue-Sighted_Shadow)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/7 "2006-09-05T02:33:59Z")
Definitely a member. If I get annoyed here, I just visit any other message board for flashing avatars, multi-color fonts, l33t, and endless flame wars. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/8 "2006-09-05T02:47:08Z")
I am a Member and like **FaerieBeth** , an addict. The customer service complaints gets ridiculous. $15 a year or $7.99 for Charter Members does not entitle someone to much customer service. It is a message board, a fun addicting eclectic message board. I think you summed it up perfectly **Qadgop the Mercotan**. It is peachy keen. 😉 Jim {BTW: I gave up and finally added Qadgop and Mercotan to my spell check dictionary} ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/9 "2006-09-05T02:48:56Z")
Member. Formerly a Charter Member. Should I perhaps start a thread whinging about that or summat? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/10 "2006-09-05T03:21:27Z")
Definitely a member. I’m usually the bitchiest of consumers, but I’m a little baffled that anyone thinks that $.04 per day entitles them to much of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/11 "2006-09-05T03:26:37Z")
Hardcore member. I’ve even given serious thought to getting a Dope related tattoo… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/12 "2006-09-05T03:27:13Z")
I rather feel like a customer, despite what my title says. Not because I’ve got some “My eight bucks makes me entitled!” mentality but rather a vague notion that my continuing membership helps keep the place going, and I get far more information and entertainment out of this place than I contribute. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/13 "2006-09-05T03:29:32Z")
I’m a member of (some) social groups of Dopers. I’m a customer of these boards, which give me access to said group. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/14 "2006-09-05T03:37:35Z")
Definitely member. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/15 "2006-09-05T04:41:59Z")
[QUOTE=DianaG] Definitely a member. I’m usually the bitchiest of consumers, but I’m a little baffled that anyone thinks that $.04 per day entitles them to much of anything. [/QUOTE] Then there are those snarky Charter Members who think that they are entitled to their two cents. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/16 "2006-09-05T05:58:59Z")
Both. Here for the fun, but if I can use my dues to push things towards continuing to be fun, then so it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/17 "2006-09-05T13:26:44Z")
Customer. The term “member” is sort of meaningless when the only criterion for membership is paying $14.95. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/18 "2006-09-05T13:34:52Z")
I like to think I’m a member. I get a ton of information and ideas from you guys, and I really appreciate it! ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/19 "2006-09-05T14:08:49Z")
A member. I certainly don’t think of the resources here as ‘customer service’ issues, despite having paid for membership. And I don’t think (at least I don’t like to think) that my only contribution to this community is my 8 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461/20 "2006-09-05T14:11:09Z")
Member. I came here far more than I go to any store. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-a-member-or-a-customer-of-the-sdmb-an-informal-poll/371461.md?page=2)