# Board Question **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 4, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118 "2005-09-04T23:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![inkubo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@inkubo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkubo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/1 "2005-09-04T23:38:38Z")
I just checked “About This Message Board” and didn’t find the answer nor can I search the SDMB. What’s the difference between Members and Charter Members? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/2 "2005-09-04T23:44:29Z")
> [@inkubo](#): > > What’s the difference between Members and Charter Members? With some limited exceptions, Charter Members are those who paid up within the initial 30-day registration period when pay-to-post was first implemented, while Members are those who registered afterwards, or allowed their Charter Membership to lapse before renewing. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/3 "2005-09-04T23:47:43Z")
Then you should have posted the question there. Charter member in general refers to those who were there from the beginning. In our case it was those members who chose to join during a brief window of time when the SDMB went from being free to a paid service as opposed to “ordinary” members who joined later on. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/4 "2005-09-05T00:17:47Z")
We get the key to the Charter Member washroom and have a real coffee maker, unlike the coin-operated “coffee” machine the peons must use… Bwa-Ha-Ha-ha-ha-ha! ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/5 "2005-09-05T00:28:44Z")
Eh - the coffee’s not bad. What sucks are those sandwiches that I chipped a tooth on. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/6 "2005-09-05T01:49:31Z")
> [@inkubo](#): > > I just checked “About This Message Board” and didn’t find the answer nor can I search the SDMB. > > What’s the difference between Members and Charter Members? Moving you **back** to IMHO, where the question belongs. As for searching the board, we hope you stick around and join. **samclem** GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![woodstock989](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f05b48/32.png) [@woodstock989](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstock989)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/7 "2005-09-05T02:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > We get the key to the Charter Member washroom So it was **you** who used all the TP! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/board-question/320118/8 "2005-09-05T03:30:37Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Moving you **back** to IMHO, where the question belongs. You mean ATMB?