I just noted that I am show as a member since 2003. I just joined last week! What gives? I did log in as a guest a few years ago, it that it? I just noticed it because I started a thread saying I was a new member, and asking for references to logic texts. One of the responders had been a member for less time than me. It sort of hurts my credibility, claiming to be a new member when my profile says otherwise.
You need to email tubadiva@aol.com and explain your situation. You were on here before, by your own admission. Now you’re back.
Since we went to a paying board, it’s one Guest stint for free. Did you pay to join this time? If not, you will almost certainly have to, since you were here before.
If she doesn’t answer immediately, have patience. Some of us have real lives off the board. Well, not me, now that I think about it, but some of us. 
It doesn’t look like you actually have much of a “situation”. If you logged on (i.e. signed up) a few years ago under this same name and just now decided to pay for it, so what? You are technically not a new member, just a prodigal son. Saying so ought to restore any lost “credibility”, no?
In my memory, you are about the only guy who signed up properly after having your guest membership expire and actually remembered a 2 year old password. It should be a badge of honour. Most people say “Hi! I’m new even though I had some old login I forgot” then have a bunch of people telling them they broke the rules.
I doubt the admins will want to alter your join date but as mentioned Tubadiva is the one to ask.
You are quite right I was there as a guest, a long time ago, and could now pony up and have paid. An admin helped me out because I could not get the seenidog name (already in use) but I made a convincing case we were one and the same. The admin reset my password so I could get in. I have no problem with the service of the board, just the use of terms. In my world a “Guest” is not a “Member”. Since I am a member now, and claimed to be a new member, it sure looks like I am a liar when my profile says 2003. Actually looking at it it does not say “Member since” it says “Join Date”. Just semantics for sure, but I try to accurate and careful as if I have no credibility I have nothing (I sure don’t have money or superior intellect). If there is one thing I have learned in hanging around here is such a discrepency is not likely to go unnoticed. I just don’t want to make a liar out of myself.
Thank you for your reply, I will ask tubadiva about it. I would be very happy if they could change my join date to my paying membership date. If not, I can add a link to this post if someone brings up the discrepancy, either way problem solved.
Thanks, Have a good evening.
Actually you are to be commended, you’ve done exactly the right thing!
You came back and signed in and paid up and you’re good to go, no problems.
If anyone should question your bona fides, tell 'em what you told me, not that you owe anyone an explanation. You have less than 20 posts in all that time, not indicative of a long time anything.
And thanks, usually I have to catch someone on their second or third screen name and get it all straightened out. (It’s one persona to a person, please.) So this is nice.
Thank you, of course you are right, I was worrying too much about it. A direct result of spending too much time reading the “Pit” where people get shredded, sometimes for just such an error. It is a not issue, as I have no intention of ever posting there. Thanks for your kind words. I hope I can learn to fit in. I learn so much from this forum. Sometimes I find myself agreeing with “X”, and then read the next post and “Y” totally refutes “X”, and I say Geez, what an idiot “X” was, and it sinks in, hey, better learn to think for yourself, or the last post wins…
Also, you can make a sig that explains your situation if you wish.
So just stop claiming to be a new member. Technically, you aren’t. And why would that enter into any discussion anyway? People who are impressed/disimpressed by your sign up date or number of posts are not being logical, so why worry what they think?
When people see a join date of 2003 and 18 posts, they’ll assume that you lurked for a long time before deciding to pay up. Which isn’t too far from the truth, from what you’re saying. People won’t generally consider you “dishonest” for calling yourself new, unless you seem to be trying to gain some sort of advantage thereby. And even if people do complain, you can explain. Now, if you tried to explain away the “discrepancy” by saying that alien OPEC cockroaches sent you through a transdimensional time-warp, yeah, that might hurt your credibility. But you let your guest membership expire, and then later paid up? Folks won’t have any problem with that.
Well, don’t take his word for it. I’ll speak for myself, thank you very much.
And I am shocked and offended that you parade around as a newbie when in fact you are a lapsed lurker.
How can I ever accept your word on anything?
Fie, for shame, and tsk tsk.
I think you owe us all a beer. Barkeep! One round on the “newbie”.