# Hey Straight Dope MEMBERS, question for ya...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 27, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763 "2009-09-27T18:37:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shig)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763/1 "2009-09-27T18:37:21Z")

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I notice a lot of people’s names say “member” or “charter member” under them. Well, I’m assuming that it means you have a paid subscription, which I finally found a link in my CP to set one up. However, it says nothing at all about what the benefits are to being a paid member. I checked the FAQ also and found nothing. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 🙂

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**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:** [September 27, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763/2 "2009-09-27T18:50:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> If you do not wish to see advertisements, you may purchase an annual subscription. Subscribers are given the user title “member.” For more information about subscriptions, click on the “Subscribe” link in the menu bar at the top of most SDMB pages after you register. A subscription is required if you wish to post a picture in your user profile.

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/faq.php?faq=vb3\_board\_faq#faq\_sdmb\_rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/faq.php?faq=vb3_board_faq#faq_sdmb_rules)

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763/3 "2009-09-27T18:59:28Z")

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Questions about this message board go in About This Message Board – let me move this for you.

twickster, moderator

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**Author:** ![Shig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Shig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shig)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763/4 "2009-09-27T18:59:30Z")

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Ah ok. The agreement thing intimidated me. I didn’t figure it owuld be in there. Thanks for the reply.

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-straight-dope-members-question-for-ya/511763/5 "2009-09-28T03:29:05Z")

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Nah, don’t be intimidated by that thing. It’s just a bunch of boiler plate stuff.

As Duckster showed, the deal is you get ad-free content (which I really like) for a very small price. Plus a few other odds and ends that make you feel more like a part of the community. (More stuff on your User Profile page, for example.)

Charter Members are members who paid for subscriptions during the very first wave of pay-to-post long long ago and far away, and have kept their subscriptions up to date ever since. We shelled out when we thought the board needed help, and the powers that be rewarded us with appropriate recognition.