When some people receive an error from the compiler, they see it as an indication that they are doing something fundamentally wrong and should change their code. Others see such a message as a challenge to overcome and strive to find a way to trick or force the compiler to do what they want. You can probably guess what camp Jon's predecessors fell in ... 

Public Structure UserInformation
  Shared intUserID As Integer
  Shared strUserID As String
  Shared Username As String
  Shared Realname As String
  Shared Token As String
  'Don't know why we need this, but won't compile without it
  Public PleaseCompile As Boolean 
End Structure

And a note for the VB-deprived, Shared is the keyword for static.

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