# Do you notice SDMB poster's status? Guest vs Member? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766 "2013-07-17T16:19:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/21 "2013-07-18T01:14:22Z")
I prefer being a “Guest”. I’ll never be expected to clean the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/22 "2013-07-18T01:34:12Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Doesn’t register at all. What I notice is “Join Date,” especially if the OP is…different. What I was going to say. Someone beat me to it … again. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/23 "2013-07-18T03:40:25Z")
I’ll forever lament the fact that I missed out on Charter Member status. I even posted back in the AOL board days…albeit only, like, thrice. When I was ten. It’s hard to even wake up, some days. ---
**Author:** ![Schism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@Schism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schism)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/24 "2013-07-18T04:31:11Z")
As a new guest to this message board, (first message board actually) I’m wondering what do you glean exactly from the join date? ---
**Author:** ![aag3981](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@aag3981](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aag3981)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/25 "2013-07-18T04:47:35Z")
I use to think Charter Members were some intelligent, philosophical souls looking to impart their wisdom. They I read some of the crap they post and realize that they are just as crazy as the rest of us. I actually have noticed the join date a lot too. I’m not sure why though. I guess I do it because the older your start date means you probably haven’t been given the boot for saying really crazy stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/26 "2013-07-18T04:54:33Z")
> [@Schism](#): > > As a new guest to this message board, (first message board actually) I’m wondering what do you glean exactly from the join date? Very little but people like to comment on it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/27 "2013-07-18T04:59:45Z")
> [@Schism](#): > > As a new guest to this message board, (first message board actually) I’m wondering what do you glean exactly from the join date? Older dates mean higher places on the mountain and longer, more luxurious white beards. ---
**Author:** ![Schism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@Schism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schism)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/28 "2013-07-18T05:07:55Z")
So I can see the perks for older join dates: beards, lovely mountain views etc, but are there detriments to having a fresh join date? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a6a055/32.png) [@Tequila\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Party)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/29 "2013-07-18T05:25:43Z")
> [@Schism](#): > > So I can see the perks for older join dates: beards, lovely mountain views etc, but are there detriments to having a fresh join date? Just curious. The only thing I can tell is if someone starts something really off the wall, controversial or a thread that seems trolling, looking at the join date usually reveals that they are brand new members. Why? Because anyone who has been here longer than a month knows not to announce that they’re a kitten stomping, spouse beating, Liberace listening proponents of forced abprtions. ---
**Author:** ![Schism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@Schism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schism)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/30 "2013-07-18T05:40:31Z")
Cool. Makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/31 "2013-07-18T05:41:58Z")
As others have said, if the post seems a bit odd (well odder than expected, anyway) then I look at the join date. Sometimes that helps explain the oddness. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/32 "2013-07-18T05:49:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Older dates mean higher places on the mountain and longer, more luxurious white beards. Huh. Lucky you! I missed the special “high place on the mountain” offer and am too arthritic to get far up it. ☹ I want a special funicular railway! A cute water-powered one like [this](http://visit.cat.org.uk/whats-to-see/14) would do nicely. Or perhaps good little mountain ponies for old-dated members. I think I’m OK about not having the beard, though, although it does sound quite fetching. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/33 "2013-07-18T15:48:29Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I prefer being a “Guest”. I’ll never be expected to clean the toilet. Who do you think cleans the toilets in the Charter Member Clubhouse? 😃 The brand spanking new join dates are the first clue to socks and trolls. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/34 "2013-07-18T16:46:11Z")
I notice out of curiosity but it doesn’t change my attitude towards any given poster. Sometimes I do look up their exact join date and post count. If I see an off-the-wall post and it’s their join date and post #1, I may react differently than if it were an established Guest or a Member. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/35 "2013-07-18T18:21:23Z")
I’ve been a charter member, a member and have settled on guest just because I don’t really notice the ads anyway. I’ll look at join date sometimes, but everyone here had a first day so even that means nothing by itself. If someone is being particularly awkward or dense and has a new join date I tend to avoid getting too attached to them. Not that I see anything wrong with being awkward & dense. Obviously. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/36 "2013-07-18T18:34:49Z")
I don’t pay any attention except when something looks like spam or trolling. And then I look at the join date. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/37 "2013-07-18T19:06:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Doesn’t register at all. What I notice is “Join Date,” especially if the OP is…different. Yep, this. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/38 "2013-07-18T20:53:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Doesn’t register at all. What I notice is “Join Date,” especially if the OP is…different. Quite. I’ll look at the title and user name of recently locked threads and make a mental bet with myself concerning the OP join date and ban status before opening the thread. Lately I have been becoming quite wealthy. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/39 "2013-07-18T21:15:27Z")
I tend to think Charter Members are a bunch of snobbish A-holes. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766/40 "2013-07-18T22:42:08Z")
I usually only notice it if a poster makes some sort of post which makes me wonder, for whatever reason, where they’re located. So I look for the “location” in the upper right-hand corner of their post, and if they’re a guest, it doesn’t show there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-notice-sdmb-posters-status-guest-vs-member/663766.md?page=3)