# Will I lose my user name, if I don’t subscribe in a hurry? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 21, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503 "2004-03-21T03:03:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Janx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Janx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janx)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/1 "2004-03-21T03:03:28Z")
Being in a foreign country with no credit card, I don’t see how I can subscribe as a charter member. Ah well, I’m moving back to the States in about 2 - 3 more weeks, and $14.95 is hilariously cheap! I will be subscribing, I just want to know if in the interim some one else can snag my user name. It being so cool and all. Thanks in advance for your answer. Sad, but this may be my last post for a while. See ya SDMB! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/2 "2004-03-21T03:08:28Z")
If they’re setting things up the way I think they are, then you won’t lose your username, you’ll just be unable to post until you’ve paid the subscription fee. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/3 "2004-03-21T20:31:40Z")
And for that matter, if you’re moving back in 2-3 weeks, that still gives you enough time, because the discounted charter membership offer goes for the first 30 days. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2004, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/4 "2004-03-21T20:54:03Z")
I’m concerned about this too. I’ve been “Diceman” for a long time and I’d hate it if someone else nabbed the name away from me. Am I correct in thinking that all of us current memebers will automatically become “Guest Members” and will be able to keep our current user names, provided we pay the five bucks before the deadline? ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/5 "2004-03-21T20:59:54Z")
As Ed said [post=4657204]here[/post], > [@](#): > > On April 21, two more things will happen: > > (3) The annual subscription rate goes from $4.95 to $14.95. > > (4) All guests who registered before March 22 and haven’t subscribed will have their accounts inactivated. They’ll be able to read the board but not post. To reactivate their accounts they have to subscribe. So even if you don’t subscribe before April 21, your account will still be here for you to activate. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/6 "2004-03-21T22:39:42Z")
We don’t recycle user names, so this will not be an issue. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/7 "2004-03-23T05:02:34Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > We don’t recycle user names Someday the only user names will be something like **dsklfk03-6** ---
**Author:** ![Janx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Janx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janx)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-i-lose-my-user-name-if-i-don-t-subscribe-in-a-hurry/235503/8 "2004-03-23T14:36:51Z")
Thanks for the responses all, but I guess you can see the question is moot at this point. I’m an “official member” now WEEEEE HOOO! This is my first post as a paying subscriber! Yes, yes… You may kiss the royal fingers.