# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/21 "2011-12-18T23:14:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Ex-Member “Dismembered” ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/22 "2011-12-18T23:20:37Z")
I like it. Specifically the “Emeritus” title. ---
**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, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/23 "2011-12-18T23:32:09Z")
It would give a new twist to Zombie threads. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/24 "2011-12-18T23:35:49Z")
How about “Member Eternal”? ---
**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, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/25 "2011-12-18T23:44:28Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > How about “Member Eternal”? That nickname is already taken. Somewhere, I’m sure. ---
**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, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/26 "2011-12-18T23:58:37Z")
How about another additional status: _One Foot in the Grave_ ---
**Author:** ![Mewl\_Dear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mewl\_Dear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mewl_Dear)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/27 "2011-12-19T00:35:48Z")
Do I ge to decide who is dead? ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/28 "2011-12-19T01:32:06Z")
I think it’s a great idea. ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/29 "2011-12-19T02:19:52Z")
Talk about zombies… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/30 "2011-12-19T02:22:30Z")
Seems like we have a consensus. The motion has carried. Let’s do it. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/31 "2011-12-19T02:28:20Z")
I think I prefer _in memorium_ to “deceased”, but I think it’s a great idea. ---
**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 19, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/32 "2011-12-19T02:28:59Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I like it. Specifically the “Emeritus” title. That’s usually an “elder statesmen” type term, IMHO. Retired, not experied, y’know? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/33 "2011-12-19T02:53:26Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > That’s usually an “elder statesmen” type term, IMHO. Retired, not experied, y’know? “Really Emeritus”? ---
**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 19, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/34 "2011-12-19T03:06:12Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > How about another additional status: > > _One Foot in the Grave_ With dead as “_Other_ foot in the grave”? ---
**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 19, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/35 "2011-12-19T03:13:31Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > “Really Emeritus”? 😃 Eternal Flame Over the Rainbow ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/36 "2011-12-19T03:21:32Z")
I totally oppose using “Emeritus”; this does _not_ mean “dead”, it has never meant “dead”. I would be in favor of “deceased.” ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/37 "2011-12-19T03:39:27Z")
The spirit of the Dope is the desire for factual information, even if it’s painful or unpleasant. The SDMB is not a culture where people pussy-foot around or sugar-coat the truth - “deceased” is a perfectly fine, factual, concise way of expressing that someone is no longer alive. We don’t need flowery euphemisms. And, I second the idea. I want “deceased” as my title when I’m gone! ---
**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:** [December 19, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/38 "2011-12-19T04:10:23Z")
Honestly with no offense intended, I think it is a terrible idea. I don’t like the idea of changing someone’s profile info without their permission. It reminds me a bit of Mormons baptizing dead people. I don’t have a problem with a living poster requesting it. Or permission from the next of kin, but without that, it is not appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/39 "2011-12-19T04:54:50Z")
> [@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? (bolding mine) I’m fairly certain that I’m the embarrassed ‘noob’, if **LSLGuy** is referring to my post (#21) in this thread. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=473282](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=473282) I think that’s a great idea! 🆒 I certainly would have noticed and appreciated it. (Thanks **LSLGuy** for trying to save me further embarrassment.) > [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > How morbid. “Morbid”? I totally disagree. In what way is it morbid? :dubious: > [@DarrenS](#): > > The spirit of the Dope is the desire for factual information, even if it’s painful or unpleasant. The SDMB is not a culture where people pussy-foot around or sugar-coat the truth - “deceased” is a perfectly fine, factual, concise way of expressing that someone is no longer alive. We don’t need flowery euphemisms. … I concur! > [@](#): > > Posted by **DarrenS** … And, I second the idea. I want “deceased” as my title when I’m gone! Agreed! All those in favor? ---
**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 19, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647/40 "2011-12-19T05:04:15Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > I don’t have a problem with a living poster requesting it. … I don’t see how a living poster would request it, unless he was about to kill himself. However, you could have an opt-in or opt-out provision before you died. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-additional-member-status-of-deceased/606647.md?page=3)