# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/41 "2010-02-24T10:03:52Z")
> [@xash](#): > > The simple answer is that vBulletin’s default options do not allow for any reasonable and satisfactory solution. A hack could make it possible, but someone would need to write that hack. Even if that hack were to be written, we would need to agree to install it, which in all likelihood will not happen. > > The poll responses notwithstanding, we have seen strong uptake from Charter Members for custom titles under the existing system, and we hope that other Charter Members would join us in the custom title fun. > > - **xash** > Administrator I’m not sure how VB works, but I have a question. Can we set the Member type as a ranking, which get’s displayed on the 2nd row, while simply entering the default title to be blank space? For example: When folks have custom titles enabled they look like this: xash Keeper of the Keys Administrator Kunilou Asker of the Obvious Charter Member Newperson Working Their Way Up Member And when their custom title expires they revert to this: xash Administrator Kunilou Charter Member Newperson Member With just blank space in the title field? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/42 "2010-02-24T10:07:54Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I have a proposal. > > What if Charter Members who buy custom titles are displayed in bold face, while non-Charter Members are displayed in standard font? But that’s the thing. Any changes to Charter Members apply to either ALL Charter Members, or NO Charter Members. There are no title options for Charter Members who are also Custom Title Members. And that’s even assuming bold fonts (or any other suggested changes) were agreed upon, but I’m not addressing any of those issues for now. > [@](#): > > I likes my Charter Member tag quite a lot. Occasionally fits of humor will tempt me to buy a custom title, but losing the Charter Member tag is a bummer. You don’t lose the tag, you can proudly display it any time you want. You can even do a Mon/Wed/Sat Charter Member, and Sun/Tue/Thu custom title. Fridays are casual, so you go with whatever your mood strikes that day. I’m half-joking, but you get the point. > [@](#): > > Then again having 2 lines might become a bit cumbersome, though I reserve judgment until I see it in action. You can see two lines in my title. I would actually prefer not displaying my Admin title, because it takes away from any jokes in my title. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/43 "2010-02-24T10:18:49Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > I’m not sure how VB works, but I have a question. Can we set the Member type as a ranking, which get’s displayed on the 2nd row, while simply entering the default title to be blank space? It would probably work initially when you start your subscription, but when your subscription ends it would get all screwy because of the way vB handles subscription expiry and restoration. Besides, it would just look clumsy. We tried it with admin/mod titles and didn’t like it at all, so I doubt we’re going to adopt it even if it did work. ---
**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 24, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/44 "2010-02-24T16:41:27Z")
It looks like the solution is to put the words “Charter Member” in our custom titles. Kunilou Charter Member, Advocate of Obvious Solutions Of course, I guess there’s nothing to stop any old poster from claiming the title “charter member” (or for that matter, SDSAB, Admin, or Mod) in a custom title. Hell, maybe when my current subscription expires, I should just buy a custom title and be done with it. Kunilou Old Timer ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/45 "2010-02-24T17:01:11Z")
If I still had my Charter Member title, I probably would not want to override it. Family budget being what it is, I’m unlikely to shell out the $$ for either a membership or custom title at this time, so it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/46 "2010-02-24T21:08:14Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Kunilou > Charter Member, Advocate of Obvious Solutions Note that you have a 30 character limit. So even if you were allowed to do this (which you aren’t), you’d be left with: Kunilou Charter Member, Advocate of Ob > [@](#): > > Of course, I guess there’s nothing to stop any old poster from claiming the title “charter member” (or for that matter, SDSAB, Admin, or Mod) in a custom title. Which is why none one those are available options. > [@](#): > > Hell, maybe when my current subscription expires, I should just buy a custom title and be done with it. If you decide to let your Charter Member subscription expire, and then purchase a Custom Title subscription, you’re going to have to first buy a regular membership and then a custom title subscription, which will end up costing you $8 per year _more_ than if you just bought a custom title subscription while your Charter Member subscription was active. Assuming that you would like to retain the privilege of Charter Member for as long as you are an active member at the SDMB, and you’re interested in a custom title, there is no reason to wait until your Charter Member subscription expires. You might as well go in for a custom title now, and join in the fun. ---
**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 24, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/47 "2010-02-24T22:12:48Z")
“Advocate of Ob” actually sounds kinda cool. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/48 "2010-02-25T14:18:19Z")
Not sure this is the place, or if I should dare to ask, but - how many Charter Members are we down to, at present? Thousands? Hundreds? Less than a hundred? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/49 "2010-02-25T15:24:31Z")
We do not discuss subscription numbers – or any numbers, as a general rule – the Straight Dope is owned by a privately held company that does not usually disclose information. Of course we’d always like to see more subscribers, regardless of the current totals. . 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/50 "2010-02-25T15:51:29Z")
Yes I would. I’d like to make sure that as long as there is a Dope, my member name shows “Charter Member” underneath it. Anything past that is whimsy. Cartooniverse ---
**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 25, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/51 "2010-02-25T17:59:40Z")
Cartooniverse Charter Member Whimsical Not bad, not bad. 🙂 ---
**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 25, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/52 "2010-02-25T18:00:43Z")
I’d be more likely to pay for an avatar than a title at this point - I _have_ a title. I have no avatar. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/53 "2010-02-25T18:56:06Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I’d like to make sure that as long as there is a Dope, my member name shows “Charter Member” underneath it. Anything past that is whimsy. I agree. Others may not, and that’s their prerogative, but I like having the “Charter Member” honorific. Custom titles are a way for the board to generate a little money, and that’s cool. I’m not clever or creative enough to come up with something interesting, but I’ll pony up the eight bucks just to support the board. But not if it means I lose “Charter Member.” Sorry if that seems silly to some of you. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407/54 "2010-03-03T06:47:28Z")
Thanks for all your responses in this thread. There was sufficient demand (as seen from the poll responses) to make researching this in more detail worthwhile, and I was able to figure out a way to do this without a hack, and without messing up the titles of Charter Members who do not purchase a custom title subscription. Hopefully more of you will now join us in custom title fun. Please continue discussion in this thread: **[Charter members can now show both a custom title + CM!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=554360)** Thanks. - **xash** Administrator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-a-custom-title-question-for-you/529407.md?page=2)