# Just curious... How many new members at the $14.95 rate? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 14, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191 "2004-05-14T22:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/1 "2004-05-14T22:50:43Z")
I could’ve sworn reading somewhere that there was a way I could find out, but I can’t seem to find it. Anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/2 "2004-05-15T12:13:15Z")
Roughly 50, I am told. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/3 "2004-05-15T12:19:03Z")
Hey, that’s pretty good! It’s far more than I expected, especially in such a short period. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/4 "2004-05-16T00:25:53Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > Hey, that’s pretty good! It’s far more than I expected, especially in such a short period. In less than a month? No kidding! I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s about the same rate of relatively active members this place got before the fee. It augurs well, I think… ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/5 "2004-05-16T12:41:08Z")
50? Wow, that’s pretty impresive. ---
**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:** [May 16, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/6 "2004-05-16T22:44:25Z")
The SDMB had been around since 3/99; that’s 62 months (through 4/04) of gathering members. At the end of that time, 3807 people signed up as Charter members. So thats an average of 61 members retained per month of SDMB existance\*. Hopefully we’ll keep adding new members at that pace, at least. [sub]\*Ignoring the people that have drifted away from the board in that time (who would have been considered established members earlier), as well as the large pool who made the jump all at once in '99.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/7 "2004-05-17T12:14:03Z")
I’m breaking my lurk for this post for your edification. Are they actually new members or old members who changed their minds and decided to join? That’s what I did. I didn’t realize how much I would miss that search function as a lurker. That and I grossly, profoundly and embarassingly underestimated the number of people who would join. Boy, color my face red! Anyway it would naturally be a mix of both old and new but do you know the split? When I changed my mind I just shrugged and considered it a $10 tip to the dope. Which suddenly seemed like it might have been a neat idea to float around earlier. I wonder how much extra money that would have brought in? Sometimes my mind just works so slow. Oh well. “Back to the shadows again.” - The Firesign Theatre ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2004, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/8 "2004-05-18T21:36:41Z")
> [@Fern Forest](#): > > I’m breaking my lurk for this post for your edification. > … > I didn’t realize how much I would miss that search function as a lurker. With 5,244 posts in three years, you hardly qualify as a lurker. I, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-curious-how-many-new-members-at-the-14-95-rate/245191/9 "2004-05-19T03:14:39Z")
What I meant was that I had planned not to sign up and just lurk. That proved difficult so I did sign up but am trying to keep to lurking, at least for a little while. We’ll see how I do.