# Charter Members - A custom title question for you **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 17, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407 "2010-02-17T23:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/1 "2010-02-17T23:17:43Z")
Would you purchase a custom title subscription if we allowed you to display your Charter Member status as well? From the other thread: > [@Custom titles now available!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-titles-now-available/529262/51): > > I also think it’s a bit of a goof not to allow Charter Members (who are your most loyal customers) to have two lines. There was a big kurfluffle back when we left pay-to-post about how important that extra title is to them. > [@Custom titles now available!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-titles-now-available/529262/53): > > This is a valid point, and it was considered, but making it work would require installing a hack. No existing hack meets our needs quite right. > > The other thing with having two lines is that it can take away from the humor of the custom title. In the case of my custom title it actually adds to the humor, but in most cases it takes away from it. I would have preferred to not display Administrator at all, but that would lead to confusion when moderating. > > Charter Members are free to switch between their custom title and the title of Charter Member at any time, and as often as they like, for the duration of their custom title subscription. Additionally, they continue to have the advantage of a life-time discounted member subscription, and the knowledge that they will always be, in their heart of hearts, Charter Members 🙂 > [@Custom titles now available!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/custom-titles-now-available/529262/72): > > Any chance you could consider allowing Charter Member to appear on a new line also? Some people will be less likely to pay for a new title if it means overwriting Charter Member. I started this thread to get your feedback, and see if there is a workable solution. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/2 "2010-02-17T23:20:45Z")
To me it would kind of defeat the purpose of having the custom title if my “real” title showed at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/3 "2010-02-17T23:23:54Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > To me it would kind of defeat the purpose of having the custom title if my “real” title showed at the same time. Thanks, I added that as a poll option. You can vote it in now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/4 "2010-02-17T23:24:50Z")
I would have an option in the poll to say “I’m a Charter Member, I’ve already purchased a custom title, but I would like to _also_ see Charter Member above my custom title”. Prefixing it with [CM] is a good compromise, but then you would have to devise an automatic method for verifying that only Charter Members can have the [CM] in their custom title, and that would also be a hack, wouldn’t it? Or maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/5 "2010-02-17T23:35:51Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > I would have an option in the poll to say “I’m a Charter Member, I’ve already purchased a custom title, but I would like to _also_ see Charter Member above my custom title”. Prefixing it with [CM] is a good compromise, but then you would have to devise an automatic method for verifying that only Charter Members can have the [CM] in their custom title, and that would also be a hack, wouldn’t it? Or maybe not. It’s a multiple-selection poll, so anyone who wants that can select more than one option that they identify with. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/6 "2010-02-17T23:37:54Z")
I stiffed myself on the Charter Member thing. If I could have it back, I’d want it to show. I have no idea why, but I would. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/7 "2010-02-18T01:47:20Z")
It seems as if every respondent wants to add a new option to the poll, but my truthful answer is: I will definitely not buy a custom title if it means I lose “Charter Member”; if I can keep Charter Member I might buy an additional title. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/8 "2010-02-18T04:12:49Z")
Odd to me that displaying Charter Member along with the custom title would be so important. Users can switch back and forth at will within the duration of their custom title. It’s not like we’re displaying that we found the cure to cancer or something important. The only reason we have the Charter Member status is that we happened to be here for the change and we can pay our dues on time. Big whoop. So my poll answer is “I’m a Charter Member, I have not purchased a custom title yet but will if/when the mood strikes me and I don’t really care if it includes Charter Member or not” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/9 "2010-02-18T05:44:42Z")
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**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2010, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/10 "2010-02-18T08:33:28Z")
My response would be that it doesn’t influence my opinion one way or the other. I’m sure I will buy a title before too much longer. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/11 "2010-02-19T04:42:23Z")
There’s another way, if you keep your custom title short. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/12 "2010-02-19T05:36:24Z")
Sorry, **Nametag** , but that isn’t doing it for me. I’m not sure why. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/13 "2010-02-19T05:49:59Z")
I gotta say as a Non-CM, adding the [CM] makes it look like you’re trying to hard. Just get over it and jump in the pool with the rest of us- let your join date tell us you’re a CM! Just my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/14 "2010-02-19T06:38:04Z")
> [@ToeJam](#): > > I gotta say as a Non-CM, adding the [CM] makes it look like you’re trying to hard. Just get over it and jump in the pool with the rest of us- let your join date tell us you’re a CM! > Just my opinion. Hmm. I don’t know. You can still be a 99er and not be a Charter member. But that gave me an idea. Is there any way to put the Charter Member status over where that stuff is? Heck, I think adding just “[CM]” over there would look fine. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/15 "2010-02-19T12:39:13Z")
I’m not attached to my Charter Member status, but have no intention of getting a custom title. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/16 "2010-02-19T14:37:33Z")
> [@](#): > > This is a valid point, and it was considered, but making it work would require installing a hack. No existing hack meets our needs quite right. Was keeping the _moderator_ and _administrator_ titles a hack? If not, why couldn’t it work the same for _Charter Member_? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/17 "2010-02-19T14:49:59Z")
If I’m going to rent a title short-term, then I’ll have my fun with it and go back to CM status in a week or whatever. But the odd thing is, I consider CM status to be something that was given to me by TPTB. Sure, I’m making a token payment to keep the title, but I’m rather attached to the idea that the Reader originally came up with the idea to thank those of us who coughed up some jack when times were tough, and continue to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/18 "2010-02-19T15:26:34Z")
I get why kunilou feels that way, but the whole Charter Member thing never meant that much to me. I never cared what title a poster had under a name and in another week everybody will stop looking at the custom titles as well, except when they get reminded for some reason. No big deal either way. But since it is a big deal for some people, and the Board has this horrible perception problem of never doing anything for its members, taking the extra step if they want it would be a plus. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/19 "2010-02-19T15:50:45Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Was keeping the _moderator_ and _administrator_ titles a hack? If not, why couldn’t it work the same for _Charter Member_? Just curious. The extra line in the mod and admin titles was added by hand, and is not changeable by the user – if I want to change my title, I have to email **xash** and ask him to do it for me. Understandably, they don’t want to have to do that with more than a dozen or so people. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/20 "2010-02-22T13:50:44Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > I would have an option in the poll to say “I’m a Charter Member, I’ve already purchased a custom title, but I would like to _also_ see Charter Member above my custom title”. > [@xash](#): > > It’s a multiple-selection poll, so anyone who wants that can select more than one option that they identify with. Ah, I didn’t realize it was a multiple-selection poll. I chose the first option, but I would have also chosen that I’d like to have my Charter Member title back too. I know it’s pretentious and show-offy, but I really like being a Charter Member. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407.md?page=2)