We’re about to launch a new venture called Straight Dope Chicago. As one might suppose, it’s a Chicago version of the Straight Dope. In keeping with our custom in these matters, we offer the following FAQ:
Why Chicago? Why the Straight Dope? Why now?
(1) Because Chicago is where Cecil and I live. (2) The Straight Dope’s job is fighting ignorance. We’ve been whaling away at it mightily for 35 years. However, if you look around Chicago today, you see that considerable ignorance remains. It’s time to open a second front. (3) We agree that, from a macroeconomic standpoint, the timing is not ideal. However, when we see a sign on a store that says, “Established 1933,” we think: Now that took balls. We figure that, by setting up shop now, we’ll throw the competition off the track.
No, really.
Because our experience with the Straight Dope persuades us it’s the obvious next step. Since opening the Straight Dope Web site in 1999, we’ve attracted an avid online following. Each month nearly 1 million people (“unique visitors,” in trade parlance) read a Straight Dope column via the Internet. Another 100,000 peruse the Straight Dope Message Board. All told, the site generates close to 11 million pageviews per month. Two thoughts occur to us: First, if we could create an equally vibrant online community in Chicago, that would take us a long way toward this Journalism 2.0 thing that some in the news media think we should be heading toward. Second, seeing as Chicago is where our advertising base is, we could make a big pile of dough.
So how is this going to work?
The concept will undoubtedly evolve, but right now here’s what’s in the mix:
[ol]
[li]A weekly Straight Dope Chicago column by Cecil Adams on a Chicago-centric topic. In a way, this is a return to the Straight Dope’s roots 35 years ago, when the column appeared only in Chicago and the questions were largely topical and local. The complete Straight Dope Chicago column will appear only online, with teasers in the printed Reader. The first Straight Dope Chicago column is tentatively scheduled to appear next Thurs., Dec. 11.[/li]
[li]A Straight Dope Chicago Message Board, which will operate on the same message board platform as the SDMB. This will go live on the evening of Wed., Dec. 3.[/li]
[li]A Straight Dope Chicago home page - this will go live at the same time the first SDC column appears on Dec. 11. This page will feature links to Cecil’s Chicago column, his regular column (probably), interesting threads from the SDCMB, Chicago Reader blogs, and whatever else we think pertinent.[/li][/ol]
How will the SDCMB be different from the SDMB?
We expect the conversation on the SDCMB will center around Chicago-related topics – you’ll notice we’ve set up forums for neighborhoods, Chicago politics, nightlife, and so on. We don’t plan to enforce a rigid division between the SDMB and the SDCMB. If somebody wants to start an SDCMB thread on a general-interest topic with implications for Chicago – the Obama presidency, for example – that’s fine. Threads on topics specific to some other part of the cosmos we may move to the SDMB.
Will there be any change to the existing Straight Dope column or the SDMB?
No.
If I’m already registered on the SDMB, do I need to re-register on the SDCMB?
No. The SDCMB and the SDMB are part of the same message board system. If you’re registered on one you’re registered on the other. You can easily navigate between the two without having to change logins.
Do I have to live in Chicago to participate on the SDCMB?
No.
The Chicago Reader is part of the Creative Loafing chain of alternative newspapers. Will you be launching local Straight Dope columns in Washington, Atlanta, and so on?
If Straight Dope Chicago flies, and the publishers of CL’s other papers are interested, we might. What a local Straight Dope presence in another city would look like, and in particular whether it would feature a local Straight column, remain to be seen. We note, however, that Cecil comes from a large family, many of whose members are currently out of work, and if we can get these mopes out of the basement and into gainful employment, well, we might as well kill two birds with one stone.
