# Lost my "Charter Member" label? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 3, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330 "2006-09-03T23:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/81 "2006-09-05T18:32:02Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Cheatem Undhow] And far from “beating a dead horse,” all I’m doing at this point is responding to what others are saying. If you don’t want a response, don’t reply to my posts. [/QUOTE] You do realize that that keeps the thread active. If you really consider the horse dead, you could ask a mod to lock the thread. Of course, we’d all then turn our attention to other matters, which may or may not be pleasing to you. ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/82 "2006-09-05T19:01:44Z")
[QUOTE=TubaDiva] Not sure why you’re not receiving these emails, Alma, but I do note that we did get a lot of complaints from people who later found their emails in the spam trap. Some email systems filter more strenuously than others. [/QUOTE] It’s probably something akin to that, maybe it’s my ISP. I’m not terribly worried about it, tho. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/83 "2006-09-05T19:56:06Z")
Dude… It’s a label, that shows up under your user name… on an internet message board. Suck it up and move on with your life. I find it hard to believe that anyone, let alone an adult, can muster the outrage to continue ranting about this. There is nothing they can do, and it was your fault. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/84 "2006-09-06T14:18:28Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] You do realize that that keeps the thread active. If you really consider the horse dead, you could ask a mod to lock the thread. Of course, we’d all then turn our attention to other matters, which may or may not be pleasing to you. [/QUOTE] Well, yes, it keeps the thread active, as does your replying to me. I can reasonably take your decision to reply as meaning you wish to continue the discussion, right? And I’m not one to abandon my own threads; I started the topic, I should be willing to participate (within reason) as long as others wish to continue discussing the thread topic (or thread hijack, as the case may be). > [@CynicalGabe](#): > > I find it hard to believe that anyone, let alone an adult, can muster the outrage to continue ranting about this. Well, again, I dispute that I’m ranting about anything at all, or that I’m particularly outraged. One can express disappointment at a decision without it being a rant or rising to the level of outrage. Indeed, I’ve been entirely civil here. But more to the point – again – I pretty much ceased lobbying the admins very early in this thread. Since then, I’ve just been replying to other posters, disputing their misconceptions about my argument, my motivations, and (apparently) my worth as a human being. > [@Guinistasia](#): > > What the fuck is the big deal, anyways? It isn’t, actually; I think others in this thread are actually making this out to be a bigger thing than I intended. Look, I take the position that, as a consumer, everything is pretty much negotiable. Even things that are supposedly non-negotiable. That means, rule one, at least ask for the occasional dispensation. Rule two is don’t settle for the first “no,” and sometimes don’t settle for the second or third, either. “No” is often a stock answer that disappears after a little discussion. You simply aren’t being an effective consumer if you take that first “no” as inviolable. You’re effectively leaving money on the table if you do. So is the title a small thing? Sure. Worth a handful of electronic missives written on a rainy holiday? I think so, at least. It isn’t like I was giving up an afternoon of golf or something. It cost me very little to pursue the inquiry a bit. I’d be a poor consumer if I did not do so. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/85 "2006-09-06T14:36:59Z")
> [@](#): > > _Dewey Cheatem Undhow_ > Well, again, I dispute that I’m ranting about anything at all, or that I’m particularly outraged. One can express disappointment at a decision without it being a rant or rising to the level of outrage. Indeed, I’ve been entirely civil here. > > But more to the point – again – I pretty much ceased lobbying the admins very early in this thread. If your original point is done, there’s no shame in saying “I think we’re done here, could mods close the thread”, or walking away. If you’re wanting to it to continue or for it to stand as an expression of disapointment, it should be in the Pit (civility notwithstanding). Letting it dribble on makes you look like a lawyer who doesn’t know when to sit down. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/86 "2006-09-06T15:09:36Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Cheatem Undhow] Well, yes, it keeps the thread active, as does your replying to me. I can reasonably take your decision to reply as meaning you wish to continue the discussion, right? [/quote] Not necessarily – I just wanted to express my impatience that you won’t let this sucker die, and suggest that there might be some attention-promiscuity, if not actual attention-whoredom, in your keeping on with it. > [@DCU](#): > > And I’m not one to abandon my own threads; I started the topic, I should be willing to participate (within reason) as long as others wish to continue discussing the thread topic (or thread hijack, as the case may be). But the thread topic has become “who the hell cares?” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/87 "2006-09-06T15:18:34Z")
I think it’s wrong to say this place has entirely bad customer service. I would like to point out that every time the boards have gone down for a day I get an extra day added to my subscription. When I don’t get DSL service for a day Verizon doesn’t extend my contract for a day, they tell me to go fuck myself and deal with it. I think that behavior on the part of Ed is great customer service. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/88 "2006-09-06T17:31:21Z")
**Dewey** , why don’t you offer to write a Staff Report? Surely you could create an interesting report out of some matter of law. That will set your status to SDSAB and wipe out your (higher) renewal fee. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/89 "2006-09-06T17:41:15Z")
[QUOTE=CaveMike] **Dewey** , why don’t you offer to write a Staff Report? [/QUOTE] It’s not quote _that_ simple. I’ve no doubt that **Dewey** could produce a well-written and informative Staff Report on whatever subject he chooses, but whether the SDSAB title is eventually conferred depends on a variety of factors which **Ed Zotti** must weigh. Usually, more than one Report needs to be be written, as well. Should **Dewey** want to try that route, the person to contact is **C K Dexter Haven** , who coordinates the SDSAB (and does a darn fine job at it, too). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/90 "2006-09-06T18:01:29Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] When I don’t get DSL service for a day Verizon doesn’t extend my contract for a day, they tell me to go fuck myself and deal with it. [/QUOTE] Really? Jesus, I’d switch providers over that kind of treatment if I were you. My cable internet provider is pretty good about crediting my account over outages, as long as I call them to let them know. As for the staff report idea – I’m flattered that you think me capable of that, but honestly, the areas of law I work with are _boring_, at least to normal people. I mean really, really boring. I’m fairly certain I’m paid partially for my ability to read this stuff without falling asleep. I’m actually very concerned here, as a report written by me may cause several members to become comatose, family members might have to consider pulling the plug, and I just cannot have that on my conscience. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330/91 "2006-09-06T18:48:39Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Cheatem Undhow] I’ve registered some disappointment in the administration in this thread, but registering some disappointment does not automatically translate to “the admins are evil and I hate them and they all terribly unfair, mean people.” We ought, I think, to be able to register disappointment without being saddled with a whole host of viewpoints that were never expressed. [/QUOTE] Come now - if you were _really_ a Charter Member, you would know this is impossible. 😉 Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lost-my-charter-member-label-why/371330.md?page=4)