# How long will new subscribers become "charter members"? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 31, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885 "2004-05-31T04:19:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2004, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/1 "2004-05-31T04:19:48Z")
Out of curiosity: for how long will new subscribers become “charter members”? > [@Ed Zotti](#): > > What does a subscription get me? > > [ul]Posting privileges for one year. > [li]The title under your name says “charter member.”[/li][li]Post count (i.e., number of messages you’ve posted to date appears with your username)[/li][li]Ability to search the massive SDMB message database[/li][li]Ability to view member profiles[/li][li]Biographical info included with each post (optional)[/li][li]Other cool stuff that we throw in later, possibly including private messaging, SDMB calendar, custom signatures, and “who’s online” feature.[/li][/ul] I could swear I’ve seen folks with “Member” under their names. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/2 "2004-05-31T04:59:49Z")
> [@LilyoftheValley](#): > > Out of curiosity: for how long will new subscribers become “charter members”? You’ll have to wait for TPTB to answer this… > [@](#): > > I could swear I’ve seen folks with “Member” under their names. 😕 As I have been led to understand - Erstwhile members that have not posted since we were all switched to “Guest” in March will still have “Member” under their name - it’s a software thing (status doesn’t get updated until member posts). Wonder how the BANNED posters get to be seen that way, though… (or, for that matter, ASSHATs :D). maybe because it’s a **manual** change of status, rather than a script driven one? HTH Dani ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/3 "2004-06-01T14:24:40Z")
[Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=186784) an exception: **tulip526** is clearly a member, having no charter, despite posting recently (and only recently). ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/4 "2004-06-01T19:49:08Z")
You consider 2003 recent??? 😃 **reeltor99** bumped an old thread. **tulip526** posted in May 2003. I had read that thread earlier and I didn’t realize it was that old until I saw your post and went to re-read it. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/5 "2004-06-01T21:35:14Z")
Ok, here’s a “member” who posted today: [Guinastasia](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?userid=8080). Although maybe having that many posts means you get a special title… Hmmm…I thought posting in this forum would get me a response from someone in the ruling cabal. TPTB, where are you? ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/6 "2004-06-01T22:06:04Z")
IIRC, there were two types of people who had the Member title. One type had Member by default, and another type had the Member title manually applied in the foggy past (for some reason that I don’t recall and am too lazy to try and find in those multi-page subscription problem threads). The first type has their title change to Guest if they haven’t paid and they post. The second type didn’t automatically change upon paying the subscription (I assume because it was a manually designated title). **Guin** must be the second type. I’m surprised she hasn’t said anything to get it changed to Charter Member. On the other hand, it makes her quite unique. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/7 "2004-06-01T23:34:02Z")
During a software upgrade long ago, there was a brief window where users could change their titles. All of those that did had their status manually changed back to “Member” by the administrators and, if they’re now paid up, show up as member. I guess **Guin** might’ve been one of those. I don’t remember participating in that, but I wouldn’t put it past me, either. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/8 "2004-06-02T02:49:24Z")
The designation “Charter Member” was so styled originally so we could tell at a glance who was paid and who was not, useful in the verification process in the early days. We’ll probably change it at some point to just plain “Member.” That’s my understanding, anyway. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/9 "2004-06-02T05:24:44Z")
**TubaDiva** - Don’t forget that Charter Members get a discount in future years. Or did that go away? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/10 "2004-06-02T06:12:10Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > That’s my understanding, anyway. > > your humble TubaDiva > Administrator It is my understanding that Charter Members would remain Charter Members, while new members would become Members (barring the cases explained by **Algernon** and **Ringo** ). This would help us distinguish who got the discount price and who got the full price when subscriptions are due for renewal, unless the Accounts Department has some other means to handle this. I might have got this wrong. We’ll have to confirm with **Ed**. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/11 "2004-06-02T13:38:19Z")
> [@xash](#): > > … help us distinguish who got the discount price and who got the full price when subscriptions are due for renewal… Hmmm. I thought _all_ paid members, whether Charter or not, got the 50 percent discount off of the new subscriber rate when they renew. Is my understanding incorrect? ---
**Author:** ![Limbo\_Donni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Limbo\_Donni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limbo_Donni)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-will-new-subscribers-become-charter-members/247885/12 "2004-06-02T15:13:57Z")
It seems that when you register, your title is **Registered User** , like our newest member [veggie zombie](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) and most of those who registered just before that. But Registered Users all have 0 posts, so the title must change to **Guest** when you make your first post.