No, this isn’t a belated April Fool’s joke. For a limited time, SDMB Charter Members who let their membership lapse can now buy their way back in. Here’s what you have to do:
If you were a Charter Member and wish to reclaim this prestigious status, send a private message to [del]xash[/del] TubaDiva, or e-mail [del]him[/del] her at tubadiva@aol.com [del]xash@notcomguys.com[/del]. He’ll check the Secret List. If you’re on it, he’ll tell you what to do. One of the things he’s going to tell you is pay $30. This will renew your SDMB membership for two years at the regular rate, although your title will change to Charter Member immediately. After that you can renew at the half-price rate.
Pay the money per instructions.
Wait till [del]]xash[/del] TubaDiva** does [del]his[/del] her thing, and you’re in.
Questions that will undoubtedly occur to you.
Can I get a Charter Member title if I wasn’t one before?
Not for $30 you can’t.
I just re-subscribed for a year as a regular member. Can I apply the fee toward reclaiming my Charter Membership?
No. When you pay the $30, two years will be added to whatever subscription period you’re signed up for now.
Can I pay the $30 on behalf of another ex-Charter Member?
We can probably figure out some way to let you give us money. Ask xash.
How long will this offer be available?
The last day is Thursday, May 27, 2010, so don’t delay
I am not (obviously) a Charter Member, so this doesn’t directly concern me, but for some reason I can’t really fathom, I’ve always thought it very sad when a Charter Member loses his/her title. And probably not half as sad as the ex-Charter Member feels.
So this gesture, coupled with yesterday’s fun, is turning the SD into an even nicer place to be. Thank you, Ed.
Thank you for this. I was one of the ones who just got sideswiped by the expiry date. I accepted that it was totally my own fault and I really didn’t think I’d mind. But I kind of did! Really, thanks a lot… my message is on its way.
I think I was a Charter Member at one point, but now I can’t remember exactly, what with all this complicated subscription non-sense floating around. Should I contact **xash **to find out? I’d hate to send in 30 clams and come up snake-eyes.
Hmm. When we were allowed to pay money to make up words under our name I didn’t jump on the bandwagon because I didn’t think paying money for a few words was worth it.
But I did mourn the loss of my CM status (which was accidental on my part) so in this case I’ll make an exception.
I think $30 dollars has gone back to being worth about 15 quid, right? (goes off to check FT)…
…
*
“30 USD is equal to:19.7460 GBP
Exchange Rate0.65820”*
Who specifically are you referring to? If you could enumerate (notice how I said that instead of “list”), the actual members you are thinking of, it would make it much easier to know whether to attempt to insult you back (in the appropriate forum, or course) or, laugh in agreement, or remain neutrally silent due to a lack of interaction with said pompous asses.
So all those protestations from TPTB that it was simply *impossible *for Charter Members to regain their titles due to software constraints were–shall we say, prevarications? Good to know.