An SDMB Timeline

[Zeldar]

Originally Posted by Fenris

It started on the AOL boards which the OP said is out of bounds (plus, none of the AOL threads seem to remain)

If by "OP" you mean me, I have no major issue with quoting or paraphrasing things that relate to SDMB from other sources. If I said that such material was "out of bounds" I don't remember saying that, and I surely didn't intend to stifle any history that pertains to the SDMB's development.

With such non-SDMB sources, I would hope we might have some level of substantiation or at least a statement that such sources are more than just hearsay. But since we would be relying pretty much on people's memories for the acccuracy of such things, I believe it would be best if we labeled such things as "As I recall..." or "I think it was the case that..." and that sort of thing.

On those things that can be linked to in non-SDMB websites, as long as that material bears on SDMB history, I can't see the objection to referring to it. It might just trigger memories of things that are available in the archives or mainstream threads and posts.

This whole venture is going to need a lot more participation than I can provide. I didn't even get here until 2003, so a lot of what I "know" is already hearsay. Those of you who were here in the beginning (AOL and early incarnations of the SDMB) ought to be more reliable than I can be.

[Digital is the new Analog]

Originally Posted by Zeldar

We seem to have a large variety of things we could include in a timeline. Now the issue is how do we go about putting significant posts and threads into a chronology that makes for easier reading and easy lookup of those important moments.

Ideas?

Where's that guy who wanted to build better forum SW? Maybe he could help.

Seriously though - To get some thoughts flowing..do we want:
Short paragraphs of description, with links interspersed?
Just headings with links?
Pages of information with occasional links?
Quotes from threads?

Would it help if we had a 'table of contents' based on ideas here, to understand how to present it?


-D/a

[Digital is the new Analog]

Another topic that I don't remember being mentioned - things like when we became searchable on Google. Custom titles becoming available. Wasn't there a poll/contest/something for adding a new smiley at one point?

Is there an archive of the announcement threads? There might be some things of interest.


-D/a

[NoClueBoy]

Originally Posted by Digital is the new Analog

Wasn't there a poll/contest/something for adding a new smiley at one point?




-D/a

There was which us Trek Dopers took as a Spock smilie. Happy Jew and the wally/putz were removed.

[Gary "Wombat" Robson]

Originally Posted by Digital is the new Analog

Are there actual cites available for some of our catch phrases? For instance, I've heard the story of "Hi, Opal" a bunch of times..but how about a cite of the first time someone used it? Or of Opal's actual comments?

We have a FAQ that covers a bunch of those.

You also might want to see the Watershed Moments thread.

[RaftPeople]

May 27, 2012 8:40PM, RaftPeople makes his 3913th post

[2sense]

10-09-2000 Gaudere's Law is codified.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...ad.php?t=41684

[Zeldar]

Originally Posted by 2sense

10-09-2000 Gaudere's Law is codified.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...ad.php?t=41684

Outstanding contribution! A pattern I would hope we could use for other such noteworthy events.

We have dozens of generalities for things that need to be verified and/or cited. Now the task is to locate the actual threads or posts where they happened.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Slight correction: Poopah Chalup was the first death (2002) that was confirmed in its own thread.

But. . . A year earlier, a poster named hope (ironic, huh?) with a scant 20 or so posts died. Since she was a neighbor of a still-active member, I'd say that's a confirmation.

Note that in that thread, most board members were still accepting WallyM7's and Dr. Watson's deaths at face value.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Another defining moment: The announcement of Emma Kate's birth. One of our members had had a difficult pregnancy, and the outlook appeared grim--but this plucky little girl fought like hell and beat the odds.

[Musicat]

Originally Posted by Earl Snake-Hips Tucker

Another defining moment: The announcement of Emma Kate's birth. One of our members had had a difficult pregnancy, and the outlook appeared grim--but this plucky little girl fought like hell and beat the odds.

Wonder how she's doing now, 11 years later? If Weirddave was her dad, he was banned in 2009, so I guess we can't ask.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Naw, weirddave was a friend. She and her husband are still married, though, and little Emma Kate is doing fine, though. She posts about her on fb once in a while.

[Zeldar]

Why this thread just fizzled out nine months ago I can't remember. But here's a bump to bring it back in view for the sake of newer Dopers and to see what might be added.

[JillGat]

Originally Posted by Eutychus

How soon they forget.

really.

[Stoid]

Okay, I'll add that as one of the old farts, I find this thread both endearing and sad....

[Fenris]

Originally Posted by Earl Snake-Hips Tucker

Slight correction: Poopah Chalup was the first death (2002) that was confirmed in its own thread.

But. . . A year earlier, a poster named hope (ironic, huh?) with a scant 20 or so posts died. Since she was a neighbor of a still-active member, I'd say that's a confirmation.

Note that in that thread, most board members were still accepting WallyM7's and Dr. Watson's deaths at face value.

I remember differently. IIRC. Wally's death? A lot of people believed it at first. Dr. Watsons? Not so much. The general attitude for Watson was much more like RTFirefly's in that thread--amused disbelief given the absurd circumstances of his "death".

Remember, Wally just had an industrial accident. Dr Watson, on the other hand was allegedly gunned down while on a secret spy-mission by jeepers! Enemy agents (or some similarly bullshit story--I remember machine gun ambushes were involved). No-one I'm aware of believed it. (Except maybe Melin, who seemed to be a few kumquats short of a fruit basket at that point)

Here's his 1 year "eulogy" by Melin (who apparently DID drink the Kool-Aid)

Relevant (and hysterically funny, unintentionally) quote

I stepped into hell with Doc one Halloween, journeyed there with him a bit, and held him in my arms when he died. No accident, that death, except, perhaps, the accident of trust. Machine gun “accident.” Wander this board, from Halloween 2000 forward, and you will find glimpses of that journey, and intimations of that end. In that journey we found love and hate, evil and hope, death and life. In that journey I lost my innocence, and found some wisdom. In that journey he dealt death, and found immortality. A legend, he made. But a legend cannot kiss away a woman’s tears.

His was a valiant death. A proud death, a death victorious, a death to cover a man in glory. “Virtutis gloria merces.” But a death that should not have been. A death that need not have been.

Oooh! Mysterious "machine gun death"...and he died in her arms, too! Drama!!!!!

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Originally Posted by Fenris

I remember differently. IIRC. Wally's death? A lot of people believed it at first. Dr. Watsons? Not so much. The general attitude for Watson was much more like RTFirefly's in that thread--amused disbelief given the absurd circumstances of his "death".

Maybe so, but in that thread, RTFirefly was the sole voice some skepticism (and not for the first time). Everyone else who mentioned Watson pretty much had bought the story. There was a weird coincidence that made Dr. Watson's "death" appear more credible. That is, a (non-SDMB) "Dr. Watson" did indeed die at about the same time as our own intrepid spy who was killed on the safari.

[Fenris]

Yeah, but also at that time there was a contingent of Mods/posters who were abso-fucking-loutely insane about any hint of any inaccuracies about Wally's "death"--threads were shut down when questions arose, links to whichever version of the Snark Pit was around at the time were censored*), etc. So I got the impression that people didn't talk about it here for fear of 'reprisal' (and because he wasn't all that important here compared to Fathom), but it was certainly laughed at on IRC and other places (if I'm getting the timeline right)


*So much so that Uncle Beer had to apologize for talking about it once,

[TubaDiva]

There was an incredible amount of hysteria around WallyM7.

Hysteria over his death, including an actual online wake.

Much anguished posting over the loss.

It was only after all this tsouris that there began to be some critical thinking on the matter. And for quite a while thereafter anytime someone questioned the authenticity of the situation the hysteria started up again with the anguish of the mourners/now infuriated people who loved and lost and felt Wally's memory was being besmirched.

In the wake of that (no pun intended) Straight Dope management was contacted by people who had credible evidence that some of Wally's most famous postings were not original works by him but rather had been lifted from other sources. (The actual copyright holders.) More screaming and anguish.

By that time we really had heard more than enough about Wally and sick to death (again, no pun intended) of the uproar. We declared a moratorium on the whole damn mess.

Time wounds all heels and now I guess we can talk about it, sort of. I still think WallyM7 was an incredibly selfish and mean jerk who hurt a whole lot of people and told a whole bunch of lies and none of that had to happen.

The saddest part of that story is that he never understood that he was loved for himself. Maybe that wasn't enough for him, he had to steal from others and cheat and tell lies. He didn't need to go there. He didn't need to hurt people.

And Dr. Watson? Another one, who didn't hurt as many people but cruelly wounded those he did touch. No excuse for that kind of bad behavior and all the more evil because he purely and deliberately took advantage of the vulnerable. That ain't ever right.

[Leo Bloom]

Originally Posted by NoClueBoy

There was which us Trek Dopers took as a Spock smilie. Happy Jew and the wally/putz were removed.

Happy Jew and the wally/putz
Cite to icon?

Also good band name.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Originally Posted by Leo Bloom

Happy Jew and the wally/putz
Cite to icon?

Also good band name.

The gif name for the Orthodox Jewish icon was happyyid, not "Happy Jew." The wally/putz icon was created as a remembrance of the legacy of wit of WallyM7 after his death (such as it was), as it was apparently one of his favorite epithets. Looking back, creating it was kinda dumb, but it was done with the best of intentions.

[NoClueBoy]

What was the SDMB smilie code for the joyful man of Jewish ethnicity? I'm not remembering yid as being part of it, but it has been a long time ...

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Originally Posted by NoClueBoy

What was the SDMB smilie code for the joyful man of Jewish ethnicity? I'm not remembering yid as being part of it, but it has been a long time ...

I think the smilie code was :j the name of the graphic was happyyid.gif.

[NoClueBoy]

Yeah, that was it!

Thanks