# What would ditching the "Charter Member" status solve? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 14, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870 "2005-05-14T21:57:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/41 "2005-05-15T05:32:27Z")
Bring back the paperbacks and shut this place down. the press is dead ,long live the press. how dare you use electricity to vie for cecil’s black and white paperback omnipotence. let alone a self serving, pompous and ultimatly rediculous little title that you have given yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/42 "2005-05-15T05:35:41Z")
Bring back the paperbacks and shut this place down. the press is dead ,long live the press. how dare you use electricity to vie for cecil’s black and white paperback omnipotence. let alone a self serving, pompous and ultimatly rediculous little title that you have given yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/43 "2005-05-15T05:38:42Z")
> [@bob fortuna](#): > > Bring back the paperbacks and shut this place down. the press is dead ,long live the press. how dare you use electricity to vie for cecil’s black and white paperbackomnipotence. let alone a self serving, pompous and ultimatly rediculous little title that you have given yourself? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/44 "2005-05-15T05:39:12Z")
I don’t understand why people claim that “Charter Member” is so important. I’m one and I honestly don’t think anyone gives a shit about my posts certainly not to the point where someone would give more weight to my post then anyone else’s. It’s just a nice way to say thanks to the people that paid the cash to show their support to this place when everyone was crying “OMFG! Pay to be a part of the greatest message board on the net!?!?!? how DARE they ask for money for services?” Though truth be told I wouldn’t care if I lost the “Charter Member” if the mods decided to ditch it. I don’t think they should but I wouldn’t care if they did. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/45 "2005-05-15T05:42:04Z")
Aw crap… Goodnight everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/46 "2005-05-15T11:33:59Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > I don’t care about the title, however, I do find it very unfair that late-joiners have to pay more than early-joiners for the rest of their posting career. Joining early doesn’t mean you contribute any more to the discussion than someone who joined later. Many of the brightest community members are regular members. Why should we have to pay more? Because you joined late. The terms weren’t about post contributions, but about when you joined. If you want to be a charter member, then join in time. This whole idea of promising charter members charter member status, and now taking it away to assuage the ill-founded hurt feelings of crybabies with misplaced indignation is Neanderthal in its conception. Why should people who did it right be shortchanged to suit people who didn’t? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/47 "2005-05-15T12:14:17Z")
Could somebody possibly link to an instance of a poster lording his/her “Charter Member” status over someone? I’ve never seen such a thing. I don’t really care about whether my title says “Charter Member” or just “Member.” I don’t even care about getting the discount, although I can see how others would care. I do care about having join dates and post counts listed. And I’d be all for paying for a custom title. I’ve already laid claim to “Kvetchmeister,” and I’d love to use it! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/48 "2005-05-15T12:18:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Because people are almost using it as post counts-a way to be elitist. Oh, the irony. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/49 "2005-05-15T13:00:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Because people are almost using it as post counts-a way to be elitist. It’s just a fucking title. I’ve not seen this happening. Mind showing a few examples? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/50 "2005-05-15T13:33:52Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > WHAT! > > SOMEBODY owes me a goat, dammit! [Here ya go!](http://www.brownsnout.com/archives/oreo-goat-cam.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Eolbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@Eolbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eolbo)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/51 "2005-05-15T14:24:13Z")
I paid up at the time the board introduced subscription and thus became a Charter Member. I was recently ‘demoted’ to Member for not re-subscribing in time or something like that but I cant get excited over such a small thing. It’s just a word. If it was my board there would be no discounts given how little money we are talking about, you either pay or you dont, and if you were a Charter Member at the start then you always will be if you are subscribed. But really I dont see any need or point to a distinction between member types at all. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/52 "2005-05-15T16:08:19Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > I’d much rather have 13-0 under my name and we had it for one brief shining season, eh, **John Carter**? Now **that’s** what I’m talkin’ about! With the custom lines, you could even put a brief trivia question there. Something like: “What college football team beat Tennessee twice in the same season?” or “Why have they named the playing surface at Bryant-Denny stadium Tommy Tuberville field?” Yeah, with custom lines you could do neat stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/53 "2005-05-15T16:43:55Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Oh, the irony. WHAT irony? Okay, you’re right, people aren’t being snotty and saying, “Well, you’re only a MEMBER.” But it’s just the amount of bitching because people didn’t get “Charter” added to their titles, even if they still got the discount. That’s all. It’s just annoying, and making us all “members” might avoid all that. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/54 "2005-05-15T16:46:59Z")
Oh, bullshit, Guin. All it takes for snottiness to emerge is a whim and a modem. The BBQ Pit is a veritable river of snot. I haven’t seen anybody say, “Well, you’re only a member”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/55 "2005-05-15T16:47:46Z")
The irony? > [@](#): > > Because people are almost using it as post counts-a way to be elitist. It’s just a fucking title. Somebody with 23,000 posts complaining that now “Charter Member elitism” will push out “post-count elitism.” That’s irony. Or self-serving - sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Depends upon ones perspective, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/56 "2005-05-15T16:50:48Z")
That would only be ironic if I had made a big issue of my post count. I don’t believe I have. Look, I was wrong about the elitism thing. Mostly, I just think it’s clogging the boards up over a very, very stupid issue. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/57 "2005-05-15T17:11:37Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Okay, you’re right, people aren’t being snotty and saying, “Well, you’re only a MEMBER.” But it’s just the amount of bitching because people didn’t get “Charter” added to their titles, even if they still got the discount. That’s all. It’s just annoying, and making us all “members” might avoid all that. I haven’t seen anyone saying this. Are you going to show a cite or two or just keep alluding to it happening? ---
**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:** [May 15, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/58 "2005-05-15T17:12:52Z")
Whoops! Ignore my last post. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/59 "2005-05-15T22:19:23Z")
Oh great. Now they’re going to try to ban me so they don’t have to extend the discount. I never even noticed the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Black\_Train\_Song](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Black\_Train\_Song](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Black_Train_Song)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870/60 "2005-05-15T22:20:30Z")
Oh no, I’m just a MEMBER? How did that happen? See! It’s already started. Cast into the cespool. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-ditching-the-charter-member-status-solve/303870.md?page=4)