# Guest? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 1, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866 "2017-06-01T19:10:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bikerdruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@bikerdruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bikerdruid)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/1 "2017-06-01T19:10:42Z")
I have registered; made a few posts, but still an listed as “Guest.” What’s up? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/2 "2017-06-01T19:16:55Z")
Memberships are free, and those with a free membership are listed as “Guest.” Optionally, you can pay for a subscription and be listed as “Member.” Members have a few perks such as not seeing ads, having their location shown in their posts, and being able to start threads in the Marketplace. If you want to buy a subscription, you can go here : [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/payments.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/payments.php) Also, reported for a move to our About This Message Board forum. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/3 "2017-06-01T19:17:09Z")
Guest means you’re not a paying member. To become one, sign up for a yearly subscription: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/payments.php](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/payments.php) The ads go away then. Charter Member means you’re a paying member who’s been around a long time. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/4 "2017-06-01T19:22:39Z")
[Here’s an explanation of the various membership levels.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7698850&postcount=3) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/5 "2017-06-01T20:02:47Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this is a question about the message board itself, let’s move it to ATMB (from GQ). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/6 "2017-06-01T20:10:40Z")
“Guest” is the title you get for the first month. If you make it to month #2, we all get to vote on a new title for you. So be nice! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/7 "2017-06-01T20:13:01Z")
As was already stated, Guests are non-paying members. As a guest, your membership here is paid for by advertising (don’t worry, we don’t check whether or not you have an ad blocker or anything like that). If you choose, you can pay to become a Member. The benefit of paying is that you do not get served advertising in threads. You also get marketplace privileges, though admittedly a lot of members do not take much advantage of our marketplace forum. Guests are not permitted to start threads in the marketplace. Charter Members are members who became members when we first went to a pay system and have kept their paid membership since then. Unless you can go back in time, you can’t become a Charter Member. Charter Members have all of the same benefits as Members, but as long as they keep renewing their membership, they get a discount on it. You are not required to pay to post here. You can remain a guest and have your time here supported by advertising. If you do choose to become a paying member here, simply go to your User Control Panel (User CP in the upper left area of the page) and scroll down to Paid Subscriptions and follow the on-screen prompts. For an additional fee, Members and Charter Members may also have a custom title to go under their name. Guests cannot get custom titles. If you wish to purchase a custom title, you may do so on the same screen where you purchase the membership. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/8 "2017-06-02T00:18:07Z")
Everybody (predictably) is glossing over the bits about the goat. Well, far be it from _me_ to spill the [del]bucket of chicken entra[/del] Imean beans. Yeah, that’s it. Beans. ETA: Welcome aboard, **bikerdruid**! ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/9 "2017-06-02T01:02:07Z")
The squid will demand that the goat relinquish his fair share of those – beans. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2017, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/10 "2017-06-02T03:03:04Z")
The hamsters demand their cut as well. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/11 "2017-06-02T04:13:32Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > ETA: Welcome aboard, **bikerdruid**! Same here. And with that name I think we may be friends in the future. Considering this is me. [http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/68402.html](http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/68402.html) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/12 "2017-06-02T21:31:07Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > The hamsters demand their cut as well. We upgraded to capybaras long ago. Only way to handle the modern Intarwebz. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2017, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/13 "2017-06-02T21:49:00Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > We upgraded to capybaras long ago. Only way to handle the modern Intarwebz. 🆒 Especially with global warming. Hamsters would drown when the oceans rise. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/14 "2017-06-03T01:12:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Especially with global warming. Hamsters would drown when the oceans rise. Nutria maybe? Then we could claim the bounty for removing them and get rid of the paid ads! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guest/787866/15 "2017-06-04T15:57:58Z")
The best thing about the capybaras is that our Catholic moderators and staff members can eat them in a pinch on Fridays and not be violating fast rules. 😃