I guess I’m the only Actual Veteran to have issues with this.
Visit Google. Type in Veteran. Upper or lower case doesn’t matter, Hit images. Scroll to the bottom, Change page. Change again, What do you see ? Must be my active Military service that raises the hackles. Maybe it’s just an American thing.
Mentor, Tutor, Teacher, Expert, Wizard, = Fine
Expert might be a good choice… 
I am with you on wizard. I’d work hard for a good hat!
Veteran, as much as it does not have the same strong military connotation than in the USA in ol’europe, has a retired or nearly retired connotation that I feel does not match the intent of the badging process.
I understand your concern, Bob. No one here means any disrespect and most people I’ve come across here appreciate Veterans for their service. My father, my son, and myself, are all Vets. The term ‘veteran’ though, can be applied to people in various fields.
vet·er·an
ˈvedərən,ˈvetrən/Submit
noun
Oh, and THANK YOU for your service as well. 
Didn’t take any offense and I know most feel much the same I just needed to voice my opinion as it woke me up in the night with a nagging little unhappy voice in my head. Best to just give him voice so he doesn’t fester in there. LMAO
I’m from a long line of Vets, from my brother just before Desert Shield/Storm, my Dad in Korea, my Grandpa in WWII, and up. Believe me, I have the utmost respect for Veterans. In a forum longevity sense, no issues for me but I understand Bob’s little voice in his head for sure.
Have a badge!
I swear I read this whole thread, really I did, but I can’t remember if anyone has given the suggestion of a “trusted advisor” title yet…
What do ya’ll think of that one? It can easily be modified if/when sub categories arise, such as “trusted advisor - coil building”, “trusted advisor - mixing”, etc., or if the person has no specialty but still has much to offer, just leave their title as “trusted advisor”
Keeping in mind that I am wee and small here and my opinion is not based on deep historical knowledge here and carries little weight… that specific title reads like one such member should be heeded above those without that title. As if contrary advice offered by others should be diminished in relation to one with such a badge.
I understand that is not the staff’s intent with the new badge, just saying how I perceive that title specifically.
Apart from a military force veteran, the definition of “veteran” is a person who has had long service or experience in an occupation, office, or the like… It does not automatically mean a military service veteran.
EDIT: If you are intent on finding another term to describe long standing experienced members of ELR, here are some suggestions:http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/veteran?s=t Personally, I think veteran is fine.
My bad, that is not my intention…I was just trying to think of a word that would not offend anyone…guess advisor wasn’t it!!! I was just speaking with my student advisor on the phone and it gave me the idea so I thought I would throw it out there…I only thought that this title may give a new member an idea of who is well-versed in any certain category they wish to gain information on, not that they would be the only person that could provide the information, just that they are trusted by other members…usually people can determine who is giving them good advice, and I am sure if a person with a badge gave anyone bad or wrong advice they would get their asses chewed by the wolves!
Personally, I do not mind veteran, as it is a word with various meanings, but we all know that the main meaning for the word that pops into most people’s minds when they see it is a patriotic one…and because I do not wish to offend anyone, I was just trying to think of something else. However, I am probably not the best person for thinking up new words at the moment as I have just finished writing a 22 page final paper for a sociology course and my brain is currently fried! I was just reading the newest posts on this thread and @Bob_Bitchen’s post got me thinking…
Btw…you are not wee and small here by any means…I view you as a well-respected, helpful, productive, and all-around great member of this forum…
I am also a veteran, but like the term veteran much better than mentor.
There is no such word that will offend no one. (I am not offended by the way, just offering insight. Whatever staff wishes to use, it is their right exclusively and I appreciate that). But never will an entire community be fully satisfied. There are always those that will be offended, about anything. Fact of human nature there.
Oh, so a forum veteran then? Kidding, kidding. Thank you for the kind words! But I don’t mind still being wee here. Acceptance takes time, I get that.
You are absolutely right! You can’t please everyone all the time! Like I said, I have no problem with the term veteran, I am just a very caring person and do not want anyone to be offended…this is why I am glad it is not my decision to make because I wouldn’t be able to do it, and for this I say “hats off to the mods that do have to make the decision”!
This is where debate could again begin to spin up, and that isn’t my intention. But I generally speak up so I’m going to say it anyway.
First off, from my perspective, the biggest issue with this new group was how it appeared to be presented. It came off sounding like some members were going to be designated as responsible for replying to threads above others. I understand now it was NOT intended that way.
Second, since everyone will never be satisfied at the same time, there is no title that will appease all. Which leads into my third point.
Staff here is staff here because @daath wants them to be. They are the stewards of the forum as designated, and their word is gold and final. This is not a democracy. It is a forum. It’s a grand, awesome forum and very fair, but still, all members participate of their own will and agree to abide by the rules. Staff has the exclusive right to dictate any and all policy, and too bad if we disagree. We can leave if we are unhappy; there is no signed contract.
I think the staff should have simply made the decision and announced it rather than seeking input. It’s awesome that they considered the opinions of the general community, but the fact is, what they want is what is final. All this ancillary debate is basically just noise. Staff should be granted the luxury of general user community support, and thanked for what they do, since it is a pretty thankless job. This thread, and even my own criticism, is proof of that.
Whoa…I was only saying “my hats off to the mods” because I do appreciate them, and they should be thanked for all of their hard work!!! I do not know anyone here that I interact with who would disagree with me…you said yourself that they should be supported and thanked for what they do because it is a thankless job, and that is just what I was doing!!! They do have the authority to simply make a decision and announce it to us whether we like it or not, but they also have the respect for the rest of the members here to care what we think, which in the long run probably makes their job that much harder…but I appreciate them even more for it!!!
Idk what I said to set you off!!! All I said was that I am happy I am not a mod because I wouldn’t be able to do it!!! WTF!!! I didn’t know this was a debate, as you said, I just thought it was a thread for suggestions, and that is just what I was doing!!!
Sorry! I’m not set off at all. You didn’t do anything and I’m sorry if you think you did. I was just making a general statement about supporting the staff, and supporting your last post. I guess I was just thinking about how this played out and I wanted to be sure everyone knows I support the staff and am grateful to @daath for giving us this communtiy.
Okay, I’m sorry…sometimes words on a screen do not convey emotional meaning! With that said, it seemed as if you were directing it at me because of the statement you quoted!
I know I apologized in the PM, but I just wanted to do it again publicly as well…I am super sorry, I feel like an ass! I totally read that wrong and I have had a very long last few days…as I said before, I literally just finished writing a 22 page sociology paper a little while ago and my brain is fried! But that’s no excuse really, I’m sorry. I’m usually a very nice person, but I will hold my own if I have to!
