My point making the statement about being a newbie was that newbies are often scoffed at just for being a newbie. The scoffing over date status has often made me walk away from the forum from time to time and caused consideration to pull my monthly contribution off the shelf. It gets old quick. Yes you can learn for experience but when I get private emails telling me that someone has been here longer and gives more money it is a huge turnoff. There are several people around here who have been here a long time and behave like high school seniors hazing freshmen.
AOK, I understand now and agree with you. I've never understood the obsession some people have with sign up dates. I think it is nice to know when people signed up but to use that as some kind of yardstick for intelligence is goofy. Having a more intimate knowledge of what has gone on around here for several years, there are a few with very old sign up dates I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them.
As far as how much people contribute, I didn't know that was public knowledge. I can tell you from my own experience, it has nothing to do with any decisions Jim or the mods make.