# Charter Members: Who and how many are left? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 1, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708 "2015-08-01T06:07:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/61 "2015-08-03T03:59:50Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > May be hard to tell. There are people like me who were charter members but got dropped back due to a late payment maybe. I never stopped subscribing but the title disappeared. I think I could have got it back but it involved some BS or other so I never bothered. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/62 "2015-08-03T11:01:14Z")
Actually, might Jerry be number one? I presume it might have been whoever set it up. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/63 "2015-08-03T11:10:22Z")
Still maintaining my Charter Membership - I also do the two year trick to stay ahead of the game. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/64 "2015-08-03T15:18:09Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Actually, might Jerry be number one? I presume it might have been whoever set it up. **jdavis** is #1604. As has been said, there is no user #1. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/65 "2015-08-03T15:43:45Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Yeah. There are periodic references to the '99ers, but the real elite club is of those with two-digit join numbers. šŸ˜ƒ Double-digit, hell-more like double crossers. ā€œSure, weā€™ll hold your place in line while you go out and pick up the beer and pizza!ā€ We get back, and theyā€™ve invited a few hundred people over to join the board. We barely made it into the triple digit club by the time we got back from the pizzeria, I tell you! ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/66 "2015-08-03T15:57:48Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > **jdavis** is #1604. > > As has been said, there is no user #1. I apologise for labouring the point, but why? It would be quite prestigious. Or is the SD so democratic that it would be thought of as being politically incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/67 "2015-08-03T16:36:16Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Another ex-charter member whose title lapsed through inadvertently neglecting payment. When the sky didnā€™t fall in I figured what the hell? Itā€™s only a name. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/68 "2015-08-03T16:39:27Z")
Just plain luck and an aversion to advertising that Iā€™m still chartered. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/69 "2015-08-03T16:50:12Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Who is number 1? (He or she is probably not a free man.) > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Ed the Z seems to be the only active member in the first 10 (#6). :eek: Holy shit, do you realize the implications of this?! > [@](#): > > Who is Number 1? > > You are, Number 6! All this time, right there, staring us in the face. Utter genius. I joined in October '99 after lurking for what felt like ages. Still feels like I spent more time reading before finally joining than having been here for a long time. Question: how much have us Charter Members saved over the years? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/70 "2015-08-03T16:58:10Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I apologise for labouring the point, but why? It would be quite prestigious. Or is the SD so democratic that it would be thought of as being politically incorrect. I expect itā€™s more a matter of ā€œdonā€™t careā€ rather than ā€œdemocratic.ā€ šŸ˜‰ And as a practical matter, it may be difficult to retroactively reassign usernumbers. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/71 "2015-08-03T16:59:47Z")
Still here, but lost my title six years ago during a cross-country move. I was so annoyed at the whole process that Iā€™ve never gotten around to reclaiming it. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/72 "2015-08-03T17:03:42Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > I apologise for labouring the point, but why? It would be quite prestigious. Or is the SD so democratic that it would be thought of as being politically incorrect. Someone (maybe it was **TubaDiva** ) explained once that user #1 was simply an administrative account they used while setting up the Board on the WWW (thatā€™s what it was called in those days, youngster!) and that it didnā€™t ā€œbelongā€ to any particular user or administrator. Although no one has asked yet, **Cecil Adams** is #31. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/73 "2015-08-03T17:43:34Z")
I have a memory of reading somewhere that user ID 1 became corrupted during the setup process. Donā€™t remember who posted that; it may have been Lynn Bodoni (who was No. 2) or TubaDiva. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/74 "2015-08-03T17:48:06Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I was a Charter Member up until the point where I became a Moderator. Dude, youā€™re slippinā€™. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/75 "2015-08-03T17:51:42Z")
> [@MHaye](#): > > I have a memory of reading somewhere that user ID 1 became corrupted during the setup process. Rather like Lucifer. He now tries to tempt good Dopers to sin. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/76 "2015-08-03T18:53:33Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > What Iā€™m unsure of is whether '99er refers merely to the calendar year of registration, or if it implies being a member when the board was on AOL. Whenever I see a reference to '99ers, I hesitate to count myself among their number. Iā€™m sure 99er means signed up in '99. AOLers would have that designation. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/77 "2015-08-03T19:08:28Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Iā€™m sure 99er means signed up in '99. AOLers would have that designation. Yes. It means showing a registration date of 1999. There may be a few AOLers who are not 99ers, if they didnā€™t sign up on this board until later. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/78 "2015-08-03T19:24:06Z")
No ads does it for me - the fact that I never managed to let the subscription lapse and lose ā€œcharterā€ is coincidental. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/79 "2015-08-03T19:59:49Z")
I became a charter member because I could. I remain a charter member because I can. And if all it means no ads, thatā€™s fine. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708/80 "2015-08-03T21:25:34Z")
I started lurking around 2000, but didnā€™t join until aught-two. Thirteen years, a hair over 13,000 posts, so it looks like my pace is about one Megapost per year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charter-members-who-and-how-many-are-left/726708.md?page=5)