# Post here if you have been lurking for the duration of the paid memberships **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 2, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753 "2008-09-02T21:37:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/121 "2008-09-04T06:38:04Z")
Howdy, Dopers! I let my subscription lapse a couple of years ago, but I still read the boards regularly. With the decline in the number of posters, I didn’t want to pay to join a circle-jerk (no offense, y’all :)), but it looks like free posting is bringing in a lot of people, old and new. Hopefully we’ll all stick around. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/122 "2008-09-04T06:43:15Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > I was an “old regular” from Snopes from way back when. People kept referencing the Straight Dope on that board. I came over back when the board was on AOL and I couldn’t see it. I read pretty much the entire archive. Then one day they moved to the real internet. It took me a few months to join in, and I was never a very prolific poster. Then life got in the way, and my job and family made it so I could rarely even read the boards. Paying to post was the final straw. About a year ago I decided to check back, and there were rumors of moving back to free so I checked in from time to time. Started the addiction again, but thought there were way too few voices, especially the ones I knew from way back when. > > Kind of feels like a reunion to be back, even though I doubt anyone remembers me. I didn’t ever add anything of much substance, just usually a toungue in cheek comment. I remember you! Which is pretty amazing when I think about it because I really don’t pay attention to user names, and I have a horrid memory. Oh, and I have become the resident “never adding any substance” person. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/123 "2008-09-04T07:04:24Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Sure, but you once offered to grope me on your run-by. That’s not something you just forget. 😉 I kinda nontrivially hope you aren’t expecting me to remember that, 'cause, well, I don’t. … back in the day, I was quite open with the offers. You might have gotten this before, but I mean it sincerely: It’s not you. It’s me. > [@hirka](#): > > Which of course means that you’ll find something wrong in this post. Yup. But don’t worry: Work tires me out enough with that stuff that while I see the mistakes, I’m not about to take you off to the side of the Internet and lecture you. ---
**Author:** ![Teaira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9d8465/32.png) [@Teaira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teaira)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/124 "2008-09-04T07:05:48Z")
I have been lurking for 3 or 4 years now. I read the forums every day. I am very excited to be able to post now! ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/125 "2008-09-04T07:50:20Z")
The names! The memories! Dayum, it’s good to see you folks back! Who brought the pie? ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/126 "2008-09-04T08:55:41Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > It’s good to see you guys again. Hope you stick around. Why, thanks! I’m pleasantly surprised that someone remembers me, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Azhure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@Azhure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azhure)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/127 "2008-09-04T09:39:19Z")
I’m a long time lurker, first time poster - another daily reader who has been sucked in with the promise of free [del]pie[/del] posting 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Comfy\_Chair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@The\_Comfy\_Chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Comfy_Chair)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/128 "2008-09-04T09:41:27Z")
Loooong time lurker. Though close at times, I just couldn’t find it in me to pony up for a membership. Must by my half Jewish ancestry. I can hear my Grandmother in the back of my head yelling “You’re gonna pay for WHAT?! You know when I was your age I made five cents a day scraping dried gruel off the bottoms of trash cans and you want to spend $20 to share your Mundane Pointless Stuff??” Sorry Gramma. I’ll go clean my room now… ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/129 "2008-09-04T10:47:34Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > Why, thanks! I’m pleasantly surprised that someone remembers me, actually. Heya. How’s nursing tricks? ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/130 "2008-09-04T11:07:58Z")
> [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](#): > > Hey **P**! I was looking at all your posts in this thread just searching for some spelling or grammar error I could nitpick you about\*… But your writing is immaculate like always. 😃 So this isn’t a total waste of a post, and add something worthwhile to this thread, and help out a fellow lurker, is[this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=38764) the thread y’all are talking about? > > Which of course means that you’ll find something wrong in this post. It sure is. _mackdonna handheld shoehorn butterhorse_ Ah, memories. It’s good to be back. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/131 "2008-09-04T11:12:58Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > Heya. How’s nursing tricks? Hi there! Hot and dusty at the moment, thanks to currently being in Bagram, Afghanistan. It’s quite nifty to see all the MAD names I remember so fondly! ---
**Author:** ![Kismet68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@Kismet68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kismet68)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/132 "2008-09-04T12:04:00Z")
I’ve lurked for a helluva long time. I think I began reading just after The Winter of our Discontent or something like that. I feel such a closeness with many of you. I’ve seen your pictures, “oohed” at your kitties, laughed with you, cried with you, mentally sent my support (and sometimes my curses). I know many of the injokes and I certainly recognize a lot of the names of those returning now and yet… I don’t really know _any_ of you. Anyway, um, Hi! Nice to meet you! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/133 "2008-09-04T12:05:23Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > Dayum, it’s good to see you folks back! Who brought the pie? I did! _whew!_ With this crowd, good thing it’s Infinite Pi! Form a line to the left, please, and don’t forget the orange-pineapple-ginger ice cream to go on top. Here ya go: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609433057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548074462379962749567351885752724891227938183011949129833673362440656643086021394946395224737190702179860943702770539217176293176752384674818467669405132000568127145263560827785771342757789609173637178721468440901224953430146549585371050792279689258923542019956112129021960864034418159813629774771309960518707211349999998372978049951059731732816096318595024459455346908302642522308253344685035261931188171010003137838752886587533208381420617177669147303598253490428755468731159562863882353787593751957781857780532171226806613001927876611195909216420198938095257201065485863278865936153381827968230301952035301852968995773622599413891249721775283479131515574857242454150695950829533116861727855889075098381754637464939319255060400927701671139009848824012858361603563707660104710181942955596198946767837449448255379774726847104047534646208046684259069491293313677028989152104752162056966024058038150193511253382430035587640247496473263914199272604269922796782354781636009341721641219924586315030286182974555706749838505494588586926995690927210797509302955321165344987202755960236480665499119881834797753566369807426542527862551818417574672890977772793800081647060016145249192173217214772350141441973568548161361157352552133475741849468438523323907394143334547762416862518983569485562099219222184272550254256887671790494601653466804988627232791786085784383827967976681454100953883786360950680064225125205117392984896084128488626945604241965285022210661186306744278622039194945047123713786960956364371917287467764657573962413890865832645995813390478027590099465764078951269468398352595709825822620522489407726719478268482601476990902640136394437455305068203496252451749399651431429809190659250937221696461515709858387410597885959772975498930161753928468138268683868942774155991855925245953959431049972524680845987273644695848653836736222626099124608051243884390451244136549762780797715691435997700129616089441694868555848406353422072225828488648158456028506016842739452267467678895252138522549954666727823986456596116354886230577456498035593634568174324112515076069479451096596094025228879710893145669136867228748940560101503308617928680920874760917824938589009714909675985261365549781893129784821682998948722658804857564014270477555132379641451523746234364542858444795265867821051141354735739523113427166102135969536231442952484937187110145765403590279934403742007310578539062198387447808478489683321445713868751943506430218453191048481005370614680674919278191197939952061419663428754440643745123718192179998391015919561814675142691239748940907186494231961567945208095146550225231603881930142093762137855956638937787083039069792077346722182562599661501421503068038447734549202605414665925201497442850732518666002132434088190710486331734649651453905796268561005508106658796998163574736384052571459102897064140110971206280439039759515677157700420337869936007230558763176359421873125147120532928191826186125867321579198414848829164470609575270695722091756711672291098169091528017350671274858322287183520935396572512108357915136988209144421006751033467110314126711136990865851639831501970165151168517143765761835155650884909989859982387345528331635507647918535893226185489632132933089857064204675259070915481416549859461637180270981994309924488957571282890592323326097299712084433573265489382391193259746366730583604142813883032038249037589852437441702913276561809377344403070746921120191302033038019762110110044929321516084244485963766983895228684783123552658213144957685726243344189303968642624341077322697802807318915441101044682325271620105265227211166039666557309254711055785376346682065310989652691862056476931257058635662018558100729360659876486117910453348850346113657686753249441668039626579787718556084552965412665408530614344431858676975145661406800700237877659134401712749470420562230538994561314071127000407854733269939081454664645880797270826683063432858785698305235808933065757406795457163775254202114955761581400250126228594130216471550979259230990796547376125517656751357517829666454779174501129961489030463994713296210734043751895735961458901938971311179042978285647503203198691514028708085990480109412147221317947647772622414254854540332157185306142288137585043063321751829798662237172159160771669254748738986654949450114654062843366393790039769265672146385306736096571209180763832716641627488880078692560290228472104031721186082041900042296617119637792133757511495950156604963186294726547364252308177036751590673502350728354056704038674351362222477158915049530984448933309634087807693259939780541934144737744184263129860809988868741326047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**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/134 "2008-09-04T13:05:03Z")
I wasn’t here for the very beginning, but when I found this wonderful place, I lurked for a bit, did my 30 day trial membership, then joined for a year. I ran into some financial har times and couldn’t afford to re-sub for a while, and then when I _could_ afford it, just kept putting it off. But I’m back! I’ve been reading pretty steadily, seen a few threads I REALLY wanted to participate in, and now… I’m waiting… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/135 "2008-09-04T14:35:05Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Welcome and welcome back, everyone! 🙂 🙂 > > :: readies _vat_ of orange-pineapple-ginger ice cream, and _many_ dishes and spoons :: I think we’re going to need a bigger squid. ---
**Author:** ![John\_D\_Adamo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@John\_D\_Adamo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_D_Adamo)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/136 "2008-09-04T15:06:56Z")
> [@Kismet68](#): > > I’ve lurked for a helluva long time. I think I began reading just after The Winter of our Discontent or something like that. I feel such a closeness with many of you. I’ve seen your pictures, “oohed” at your kitties, laughed with you, cried with you, mentally sent my support (and sometimes my curses). I know many of the injokes and I certainly recognize a lot of the names of those returning now and yet… I don’t really know _any_ of you. > > Anyway, um, Hi! Nice to meet you! ^ This. In spades. I’ve been lurking for about two years and have watched the epic sparring in Great Debates, don’t even bat an eyelash at YMMV or “Hi, Opal”, and have just been in awe of the different world perspectives of the members here. It is really great to be able to post. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mallurox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@mallurox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mallurox)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/137 "2008-09-04T15:16:00Z")
Lurking for a while now. Started posting only now that it is free to post. It was an economic decision. I could not afford the ~15 Billion Zimbabwe dollars required to post. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/138 "2008-09-04T15:21:18Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I think we’re going to need a bigger squid. Bigger, damn, I just collected 15 large squids to help with the Welcoming Committee. Now what am I suppose to do with these things? ---
**Author:** ![accidentalyuppie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@accidentalyuppie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/accidentalyuppie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/139 "2008-09-04T15:31:40Z")
I was a “regular” on the old old AOL site, then drifted around various assorted doper boards. I don’t post here much but I maintained a subscription for the past few years, the subscription fee was pretty much an insignificant expense to me…although in retrospect I was probably paying over a dollar per post. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753/140 "2008-09-04T15:37:14Z")
> [@Kismet68](#): > > I’ve lurked for a helluva long time. I think I began reading just after The Winter of our Discontent or something like that. And the '99ers think that they’re something special. Here’s somebody who’s been around since 1485 or so! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-here-if-you-have-been-lurking-for-the-duration-of-the-paid-memberships/461753.md?page=8)