# Suggestion: Additional Member Status of 'Deceased' **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 18, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647 "2011-12-18T17:34:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/1 "2011-12-18T17:34:39Z")
Having been active on the Dope now for 7 years I’m noticing quite a few posters have died. A search for some old threads or posts of mine often includes somebody gone but not forgotten. We recently had somebody awaken a multi-year old zombie thread with significant contributions by now-deceased posters; he was embarassed to learn he’d tried to restart a conversation with a dead man. With the recent changes to a more zombie-tolerant moderating stance now the front page often contains threads with posts by the now-deceased. I’m going to suggest that the staff add a new membership status of “Deceased” and set a former member/guest’s status to that status when appropriate. It just seems respectful. A bit of a tribute. We know you’re gone, but you and your words are never forgotten. Comments? ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/2 "2011-12-18T17:37:58Z")
How morbid. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/3 "2011-12-18T17:59:57Z")
Or add ‘emeritus’ or something to their title. And no it isn’t morbid, it lets us remember they are dead. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/4 "2011-12-18T18:11:36Z")
Pining for the fjords. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/5 "2011-12-18T18:14:44Z")
What’s wrong with “banned”? ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/6 "2011-12-18T18:29:38Z")
Just wanted to say I wholeheartedly agree with this suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/7 "2011-12-18T18:33:54Z")
I like this idea. He/she is with Jesus, would probably not be the way to go though. :0) ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/8 "2011-12-18T18:34:37Z")
I like this idea. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/9 "2011-12-18T18:39:35Z")
I think it’s a good idea too, even though there would be some deceased members that the rest of the community doesn’t realise have died. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/10 "2011-12-18T18:43:54Z")
I don’t think it’s morbid; it seems like a respectful idea to me. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/11 "2011-12-18T19:38:56Z")
i think this is a good idea. after being caught up in reading a few zombie threads i tried starting to pay attention to dates. in the times that i didn’t, then i knew it was a zombie either by noticing postings by people no longer living or those with a BANNED membership status. a “Deceased” would eliminate some new people or people who frequents other board areas from replying to a silent keyboarder. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/12 "2011-12-18T19:52:00Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Or add ‘emeritus’ or something to their title. > > And no it isn’t morbid, it lets us remember they are dead. Which makes sense for people you knew. You have good memories that override the sad feeling. But when it’s someone you didn’t know, you now just get hit with a sad feeling for no reason. Or at least, I do. But, hey, I’m okay with figuring out how to deal with it myself if everyone else wants it. It’s not the first time I’ve created a script to “fix” something about the boards, and it probably won’t be the last. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/13 "2011-12-18T20:51:17Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > How morbid. Agree. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/14 "2011-12-18T22:39:09Z")
It would be easier for the mods not to have to do a new title. Why not just modify a current one? Make it BANNED FROM EARTH. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/15 "2011-12-18T22:43:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Having been active on the Dope now for 7 years I’m noticing quite a few posters have died. A search for some old threads or posts of mine often includes somebody gone but not forgotten. > > We recently had somebody awaken a multi-year old zombie thread with significant contributions by now-deceased posters; he was embarassed to learn he’d tried to restart a conversation with a dead man. > > With the recent changes to a more zombie-tolerant moderating stance now the front page often contains threads with posts by the now-deceased. > > I’m going to suggest that the staff add a new membership status of “Deceased” and set a former member/guest’s status to that status when appropriate. > > It just seems respectful. A bit of a tribute. We know you’re gone, but you and your words are never forgotten. > Comments? I think this is a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/16 "2011-12-18T22:45:26Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > … Make it BANNED FROM EARTH. That would be stating an eschatological belief that most of us would not share 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/17 "2011-12-18T22:47:19Z")
I think the Something Awful forums did this with custom titles, and someone immediately hijacked the account of a user who died in a motorcycle accident and spammed the forums with “HOW DO I RODE BIKE” everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/18 "2011-12-18T22:50:07Z")
Retired With Extreme Prejudice On Hiatus(many television shows go “on hiatus”, never to return) Moot Zombie-In-Training Ex-Member Guinness Book Of World Records Winner-Holding Breath ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/19 "2011-12-18T23:08:02Z")
How will deaths be ascertained? I should imagine many Dopers simply fade away and it’s anybody’s guess whether they’re dead or not. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/20 "2011-12-18T23:11:54Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > How will deaths be ascertained? I should imagine many Dopers simply fade away and it’s anybody’s guess whether they’re dead or not. We do have an “in memorium” sticky. I imagine any deaths verified enough to go there could warrant such a title. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647.md?page=2)