# Dopers who are now guests... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450 "2009-05-05T19:37:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/61 "2009-05-07T17:21:50Z")
I didn’t renew, economic crisis and all. However, I think the guest tag is ridiculous. It makes me feel well, like a guest. When someone is a guest in my house, they get waited on and pampered. When a friend is over, well, they know where the glasses are kept and the bodies are buried. I think the ability to tell that someone is actually new here is valuable. Evidently, the powers that be don’t think so. Nor do they think that someone that has been coming here for about 5 years, should be made to feel any more comfortable than a Jehovah’s Witness at the door. Mostly, I haven’t paid out of protest for the level of respect given to those that have been providing content for them for years. SDMB was the first board I ever paid for. I did it gladly. Now? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/62 "2009-05-07T21:01:29Z")
Nah. I learned to tune out advertisements before the 80s (thanks TV!), and I never cared about post counts. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/63 "2009-05-07T21:15:21Z")
What ADs? You mean the ONE on every thread after the OP’s first post? A couple links at the bottom of the page? Don’t even notice them. As long as ads don’t intrude upon the experience, like pop ups, then I don’t find them offensive. I am on another ‘Car Nut’ site that shows the sponsors on the side bar, there to click if you are interested or ignore if not. The whole Charter Member, Member, Guest thing is an outdate business model, in my opinion. $15 bucks? to eliminate adds, not interested. Ads for things that might interest me? Might spend a couple hundred dollars per year on your sponsors. Making it easier to post pictures of what is being talked about, interested. And WTF is with the ‘hidden links’ such as; look here instead of just posting the link as everyone else in the world does? I really like this site. Some very intelligent people on here. But whoever is managing the site as a business is really old school. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/64 "2009-05-07T22:28:10Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#): > > … I think the ability to tell that someone is actually new here is valuable. … Since your join date is given, even with the “guest” title, I’d be surprised to learn that other people treated you like a know-nothing newbie. (Loved the rest of your metaphor though.) ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/65 "2009-05-08T03:29:21Z")
It isn’t that I’m being treated like a newbie, I just think it makes it harder for us to find the actual new people, when so many have the tag “guest.” Maybe it is years of noticing the tags that makes it cumbersome. _shrug_ I just wish we had a better way to recognize someone might be new to the flock. Heck, put squatter under my name, I don’t care, but making new folks feel welcome seems rather neighborly, which is what we used to be able to do quite easily. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/66 "2009-05-08T04:14:32Z")
I don’t use the email I used when I first signed up. Didn’t get a warning or anything, just became a “guest” one day. Pretty seamless actually. I’d be happy to send Cecil $15 if I knew how. I’m not giving that SOB whatshisname who thinks he owns the place a dime, however. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/67 "2009-05-08T04:20:12Z")
You don’t need a Paypal account to renew. Just follow the directions. All you need is a credit card. I renewed yesterday. Why not? I don’t get all of the angst every year around this time. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2009, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/68 "2009-05-08T07:05:50Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I just got the notice, and I’m letting it lapse to guest. Partly for financial reasons, and partly because of the recent \*\* brouhaha\*\* … I’m no longer as confident that this place will be around in 12 months. Yeah, I know what you mean. I show up, and there goes the neighborhood. hee hee. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/69 "2009-05-09T02:06:17Z")
Well, I went ahead and paid my $7.48 for another year. I’m such a weakling. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/70 "2009-05-09T02:09:31Z")
I can’t find my credit card. It’s somewhere in the house but I can’t get a hold of it to resubscribe so now I’m going to lapse. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450/71 "2009-05-09T02:27:52Z")
> [@Doug\_Bowe](#): > > Ready for this? I renewed not to keep “Charter Member,” but to keep the membership number. Gus was the lowest number that was not a moderator or administrator, but he stopped posting years ago. Opal has a lower number, but she posts sporadically. Amazing what we think $7 is worth. I’m fairly certain you don’t lose the number via guest status. I compared mine to other posters in this thread, Guest and Member, and it seems properly sequential and unaffected. Personally, I don’t think Member status on this board offers or represents anything worth paying for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-are-now-guests/495450.md?page=3)