You know, I initially didn’t care about being labeled a “Guest”. It’s one of those things that I tend to ignore. However, someone kindly reminded me that I’ve been posting on this board for 9 years or so now (minus the pay-to-post era). That hardly makes me a guest.
Could “Guest” possibly be changed to something a little more symbolic if you pass a certain threshold of time? “Guest” seems appropriate for someone that is relatively new to the board, is trying it out, and seeing what it’s like.
It vaguely bothers me as well, but I would advise to just try to ignore it, or pay the 15 bucks. With the board in the financial crisis it is, other stuff is much higher on the priority list than getting around to changing all the guests to members.
You can change it yourself, if you like. Just pony up the subscription fee. Until then, be our guest. Enjoy the boards.
Thank you. I will.
Is it the board’s contention that The Straight Dope would not exist without the current subscription fee revenue? I thought the reason it is now possible to post for free is because of the advertising. If everyone out here decided not to pay, the boards would still exist, everyone would see ads, and everyone would be a guest. That would seem strange.
In any event, it’s not something that will cause me to lose sleep. It was just an observation and a suggestion. I will survive as a guest.
March 2000,
SFP
I’m wondering about a scenario: say you run a business that has promised to provide a service in perpetuity to customers for a low, fixed annual fee. You then sell the service to someone else, who decides that, while he has to continue providing the idiotically low cost that you agreed to provide to these customers forever, you wouild do what you needed to do to encourage them to become “new” customers, i.e. to become ad-seeing guests rather than non-ad-seeing members.
So my question is: What would you do to encourage your members to give up their memberships?
Just for nitpicking clarity, lest people think they’re directly funding Cecil, the Straight Dope is independent from the Straight Dope Message Board.
I think the tag Guest makes it a less welcoming place. When I see Guest, I tend to think the person is new and want to welcome them accordingly. It is kind of hard to think of someone as a guest when you look over and their join date is Aug 2003 and they have 5,473 posts.
Rather like assuming someone is pregnant.
As far as a “Guest” being new, as you say, the join date takes care of that.
“What’s in a name?” is my general inclination. But I received and maintain my “Charter Member” title by fulfilling the conditions for it, and the only way I’ll give it up is when you pry it from my cold, dead hands (or I don’t renew, whichever comes first). 
As far as I’m concerned, those that have paid should keep their “Charter Member” status. After all, you 'ponied up" to have the ability to post. Those that paid and missed a cycle and are now “Members” should keep that title too.
I don’t deserve “Charter Member” status. I never expected that. I never really cared about Guest too much either, until I realized how long I’ve been out here.
But if TPTB think that people who are Guests are going to pay to upgrade to Member, I’d hate to be the one banking on a windfall from that revenue stream.
The only reason to pay is to be ad-free. Period.
And PS. I know the money doesn’t go to Cecil. However, thanks for that clarification, Una Person. Cripes… is there a legal case pending? Nitpicking indeed. But then again, you have a special title. Good for you! Thank you, great SDSAB person!
Guest,
SFP
:rolleyes:
How is it some of us, such as myself, still carry the “Member” tag? Did this “Guest” conversion happen only to charter members?
You either reupped to be adless or your subscription hasn’t run out yet. If you see someone who you know was a member or charter member who is now a guest, they’ve decided not to play 15 bucks and just use adblockers. Although, I think some people may have slipped through the cracks.
Since this isn’t the Pit, let’s keep this friendly.
You have a subscription that doesn’t run out until next year, so you’re still listed as a Member. Anyone who didn’t have a subscription when Jerry fixed the titles was moved into the Guest user group.
Ah, I see. Thanks. I had been under the impression that the “Guest” conversions were a mistake resulting from that one big Board crash some months ago, and for some technical reason it hadn’t been fixed yet.
Jerry fixed it toward the end of December, so it’s been a recent change. Anyone who believes they’ve paid for a subscription (Charter or otherwise) and is still listed as a Guest can let us know and we’ll take a gander at it.
Fair enough. I forgot my [sarcasm] tags. I didn’t mean to get snarky, but I stand corrected. My apologies.
:rolleyes: indeed
I have no idea. Ed has an idea, and I suppose the people at Creative Loafing and Chicago Reader do, but for the most part, the moderating staff is not involved in the monetary side of things. About the only thing that most of us can do is forward an email or thread link to those who ARE in the know about these things.
Now, sometimes, the moderating staff does get some inside info about what MIGHT be coming along later. However, mostly this info is still in the planning phase, and so we are cautioned not to release it until it becomes official. This is to decrease the wild speculations that always follow when we say that we’re thinking about giving out free chocolate to everyone who subscribes by February 14.
We ARE NOT, by the way, giving out chocolate. We are keeping the chocolate for OURSELVES, thankyouverymuch.
Free chocolate? Really? FREE CHOCOLATE? hmmm… upon further review, it’s not really free if I have to subscribe, is it? (You can’t get anything by me!)
OK… I’ve been here for 9 years. Kind of like a friend who was going to stay for a few days and ended up moving in. How about instead of “Guest”, you call me “Dupree”?
Thank you for your support.