# Why does it say "guest" under my username? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 12, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515 "2009-06-12T02:00:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/41 "2009-06-17T18:28:56Z")
Jerry restored someone who paid their subscription on time but due to technicalities on the PayPal side didn’t have that resubscription process before their subscription expired. That user followed the rules and resubscribed while their Charter Member subscription was still in force. If you choose to twist that into something with greater meaning to the process that is strictly your interpretation of events. The restored Charter Member followed the rules. He resubscribed before his subscription expired. He remains a Charter Member. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/42 "2009-06-17T19:35:54Z")
I think our esteemed colleague from Indian Land, S Carolina was referring to usage of the term “can’t” in previous posts from sdmb admins. Obviously most things “can” be done with databases etc. so the logical interpretation of the usage of the word “can’t” in this context is that even Jerry doesn’t have physical or logical access to the proper systems to revert a user back to “Charter Member” even if desired. If Jerry does indeed have the ability, then the proper term seems to be “won’t”. However, there is the possibility that, due to being in bankruptcy, even an apparent minor change like this would require approval of the trustee, thus the term “can’t” really means “we don’t have the authority to make arbitrary financial decisions, so as long as we are following the rules of payment then we can solve problems like this one, but we can not go outside of those rules”. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/43 "2009-06-17T19:52:39Z")
While CL is in bankruptcy, I doubt that whether the message board charges someone $7.48 or $14.95 is under the direct view of the judge. I can’t speak to what Ed or Jerry or CL can do or might do. I can only speak for what _I_ can do, what the rest of the staff can do for these situations. And the answer is there’s nothing we can do. Even if we could technically do what you’re asking for we’re not authorized to make the changes you’re asking for. If we were we would have done them already. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/44 "2009-06-18T06:53:30Z")
From your previous posts I understand your policy and the process to be thus: if a Charter Member doesn’t re-subscribe in time, the software automatically alters his status to Guest. If the reason that this has happened is because of delays in the way PayPal works, you can ask Jerry to reinstate his original status by altering something in the software. So Jerry \*can \*do this, and you \*can \*ask him to do this. You can’t actually implement the change yourself, but you can ask Jerry to do so. So it is possible to reinstate a lapsed Charter Member’s status, but only if you approve of the reason to do so. Is that correct? ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/45 "2009-06-18T08:43:24Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > So it is possible to reinstate a lapsed Charter Member’s status, but only if you approve of the reason to do so. Is that correct? I believe reinstatement, and the circumstances in which it might be done, is currently under administrator/moderator discussion. See **Dex** ’s post #29: > [@](#): > > So far as I am aware, the question has never been asked before. We’ve always assumed that “Charter Membership” meant the title, the lower fee, and the rights and privileges thereunto pertaining. We (mods and admins) have no power over the fees &c. We can do a title change. We will start discussion amongst the mods over whether we’d want to. > > There would be some logisitical and procedural questions to overcome (for instance, how to verify that someone WAS indeed a legit “Charter Member”) but let us discuss and see what we come up with. and post #32: > [@](#): > > Possibly, you could argue that: Anyone who HAD the title “Charter Member” but lost it due to late payment, who continues to pay full membership price, should be given the title of “Charter Member.” in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=519163) dated 29 May. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2009, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/46 "2009-06-18T11:00:00Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > While CL is in bankruptcy, I doubt that whether the message board charges someone $7.48 or $14.95 is under the direct view of the judge. > > I can’t speak to what Ed or Jerry or CL can do or might do. I can only speak for what _I_ can do, what the rest of the staff can do for these situations. And the answer is there’s nothing we can do. > > Even if we could technically do what you’re asking for we’re not authorized to make the changes you’re asking for. If we were we would have done them already. Well Jerry (a member of the staff) obviously can technically do it, and did. So I think a less ambiguous way to say what happens is that the staff isn’t allowed to do it. But then the question becomes, who doesn’t allow you? Because that’s the person to which former Charter Members should be complaining. But, if they don’t know, they’re just going to keep complaining to you, assuming you’ll forward it to the correct party. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515/47 "2009-06-19T11:58:16Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > So, the full truth comes out: > > Jerry has the capacity to take anyone who has been moved from the “Charter Member” pool to the “Member” pool and put them back in the permanently “Charter Member” pool (speaking of the subscription pool, not the pool that shows what you are in your member field). > > So, if Jerry wanted to, if the SDMB wanted to do so, they could indeed return the lapsed “Charter Members” back to Charter Member status. But, presumably, the people who make the business decisions about the Board would have to decide that that was how the current situation was to be handled. > > Which I believe is exactly what some of the agitators have been saying is true, and have been lobbying for, ever since the end of last month. Thus, the refusal to return them to Charter Member status is a business decision, and has nothing to do with the practicalities of the situation. Oh Jenny…this is really getting sad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-say-guest-under-my-username/499515.md?page=2)