# About This Message Board **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/about-this-message-board/8.md?page=377 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 378 --- ## [Can we please stop the name changing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-stop-the-name-changing/264128)
**Author:** [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 14, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-please-stop-the-name-changing/264128 "2004-09-14T00:42:54Z")
I would like to know why we allow users to change their names. It is confusing, and spawns new problems such as calling users by their old names as an insult, which has apparently necessitated yet another board rule an… --- ## [Are links to money-making sevices permitted in sig lines? Spam?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-links-to-money-making-sevices-permitted-in-sig-lines-spam/264239)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 13, 2004, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-links-to-money-making-sevices-permitted-in-sig-lines-spam/264239 "2004-09-13T13:16:22Z")
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5259038 The OP in the thread has links in his sig line that seem rather…spam-ish. :dubious: Does this violate Board rules? Can I link to my Amazon Auctions & Marke… --- ## [test post](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/264137)
**Author:** [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 13, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-post/264137 "2004-09-13T03:40:05Z")
:confused: Ricky :stuck\_out\_tongue: --- ## [What's this file that straightdope wants me to download?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-file-that-straightdope-wants-me-to-download/264145)
**Author:** [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 12, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-file-that-straightdope-wants-me-to-download/264145 "2004-09-12T17:38:38Z")
Everytime I try to go to www.straightdope.com, a box comes up asking me to save a 13.6 kb file named “straightdope”. What is it, a cookie? How come I never needed it before today? The only options on the box are “save… --- ## [SDMB Transitioning To New Host](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-transitioning-to-new-host/263536)
**Author:** [@jdavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdavis)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [September 12, 2004, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-transitioning-to-new-host/263536 "2004-09-12T08:43:07Z")
Wednesday, September 8th at 10:00 CST the Chicago Reader IS staff will begin a process to transition the SDMB to a new hosting provider. The SDMB should be down for about 2 hours. After the SDMB comes back up we fully ex… --- ## [Shades of Hell](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shades-of-hell/262263)
**Author:** [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 12, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shades-of-hell/262263 "2004-09-12T01:27:28Z")
I think it would be cool if users could rate on a daily basis the threads in The Pit, taking into account how excoriating the OP was, the heatedness and rancor contained in the replies, etc. Then the title of each thread… --- ## [Why can't we edit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit/263390)
**Author:** [@Hambil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hambil)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-we-edit/263390 "2004-09-11T23:16:06Z")
Argh. It’s a pain. I never see my mistakes until five minutes after I type them. Sometimes I leave out words or say ‘should’ instead of ‘shouldn’t’ and it changes the entire meaning of my post. Why can’t we edit?? --- ## [Wow!!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow/263865)
**Author:** [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2004, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow/263865 "2004-09-11T17:44:28Z")
Right now, everything is quick, quick, quick!!! :slight\_smile: :smiley: Is this the result of the change or Am I just lucky today!!! --- ## [Can we send you a money order?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-send-you-a-money-order/264017)
**Author:** [@observer11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/observer11)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-send-you-a-money-order/264017 "2004-09-11T13:26:42Z")
There were some postings about this during the SD’s transition to its paid format, but the answers seemed less than ideal. The question is: Is there a way one can subscribe to the Straight Dope anonymously, without using… --- ## [Woohoo! The new early morning non-blackout is great!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-the-new-early-morning-non-blackout-is-great/263756)
**Author:** [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2004, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woohoo-the-new-early-morning-non-blackout-is-great/263756 "2004-09-11T08:14:59Z")
Thanks, Jerrry! --- ## [Entity test](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entity-test/263939)
**Author:** [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/entity-test/263939 "2004-09-10T18:11:52Z")
100·5=500 résumé r#eacute;sumé In other words, character entities still don’t work right, I can copy UTF-8 into the box directly, and Firefox has an extension that will greek to my heart’s content. --- ## [Replies and views weirdness](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replies-and-views-weirdness/263853)
**Author:** [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/replies-and-views-weirdness/263853 "2004-09-10T01:46:52Z")
Notice how many threads since the transition are views = n, replies = n-1? Not a complaint, just an observation. It’s just that I felt silly when I saw a thread I started like this and thought to myself HOLY SHIT, I CR… --- ## [Interesting Whoopsie Associated with the New Server Transition](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-whoopsie-associated-with-the-new-server-transition/263688)
**Author:** [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 9, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-whoopsie-associated-with-the-new-server-transition/263688 "2004-09-09T13:27:56Z")
In this thread, zev\_steinhart and I exchanged some good-natured banter on gematria and Eliezer of Damascus just before the SDMB Tech Gods took the boards down to move them onto the new host server. When things came back… --- ## ["New Posts" Glitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-glitch/263657)
**Author:** [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-glitch/263657 "2004-09-08T23:38:13Z")
I like to use the “new posts” link. I tend to bookmark the first page so that if I log off the computer during the evening I can return to reading the 300 or so new posts that accumulated since the previous day rather th… --- ## [Why do we allow Thread Killer threads?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-allow-thread-killer-threads/262929)
**Author:** [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2004, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-allow-thread-killer-threads/262929 "2004-09-08T09:57:35Z")
We don’t allow post count parties because, hey, they’re lame. And people use them to pad their count, they’re a waste of bandwidth, etc. We minimize game threads because they tend to go on and on, and they’re kind of a w… --- ## [Bad link on today's classic question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-link-on-todays-classic-question/263396)
**Author:** [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 8, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-link-on-todays-classic-question/263396 "2004-09-08T00:54:39Z")
The “Message Boards” link on today’s question returns this error message: Did a hamster explode? --- ## [Last few posts of a thread displaying as bold where in fact they aren't coded as such](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-few-posts-of-a-thread-displaying-as-bold-where-in-fact-they-arent-coded-as-such/263494)
**Author:** [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [September 7, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-few-posts-of-a-thread-displaying-as-bold-where-in-fact-they-arent-coded-as-such/263494 "2004-09-07T23:16:40Z")
First time it’s happened to me… Here I even checked by clicking reply on one of the posts…there definitely aren’t any \[ b \] or \[ /b \]'s there… Not that it bothers me - Just trying to figure out if it’s a personal or … --- ## [Test. Please Ignore.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-please-ignore/263109)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [September 6, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/test-please-ignore/263109 "2004-09-06T17:26:06Z")
Weird Little Car. Just seeing if the link works. --- ## [Don't mind me, just troubleshooting my sig line](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-mind-me-just-troubleshooting-my-sig-line/263218)
**Author:** [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2004, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-mind-me-just-troubleshooting-my-sig-line/263218 "2004-09-05T19:06:54Z")
Here, little sig line… --- ## [What do you have to do to get banned around here?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-have-to-do-to-get-banned-around-here/263213)
**Author:** [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-have-to-do-to-get-banned-around-here/263213 "2004-09-05T17:07:52Z")
What is the story on “Nonpolar”? I have seen a few snippets about him being gone and then I saw Banned under his name on some post. What did he do that was so horrible? Did I miss something juicy? :confused: --- ## [OK, I need some help. My sig line is malfunctioning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-need-some-help-my-sig-line-is-malfunctioning/263219)
**Author:** [@The\_world\_s\_most\_deadliest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_world_s_most_deadliest)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-i-need-some-help-my-sig-line-is-malfunctioning/263219 "2004-09-05T16:53:19Z")
My sig line shows up when I preview my post, but not when I submit it. It doesn’t matter if I preview before posting or not, it doesn’t show up when my post is in the thread. I checked the User CP and I am set up to vie… --- ## [Posting your own copyrighted material.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-your-own-copyrighted-material/263137)
**Author:** [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2004, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/posting-your-own-copyrighted-material/263137 "2004-09-05T08:25:10Z")
The rule about posting copyrighted material is pretty clear and obvious. But what if you have the copyright? Can you post your own material? I’ve been toying with the idea of both posting and copyrighting some things I’… --- ## [Where is Lynn Bodoni?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-lynn-bodoni/260310)
**Author:** [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-lynn-bodoni/260310 "2004-09-05T07:11:24Z")
It’s 3 weeks since she left. Is she OK? --- ## ["New Posts" doesn't seem to bring up everything](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-doesnt-seem-to-bring-up-everything/249329)
**Author:** [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-posts-doesnt-seem-to-bring-up-everything/249329 "2004-09-04T07:03:36Z")
When I finally figured out what the “new posts” link did, I figued I’d get all the new posts that appeared since my last visit. However, it appears that I’m not getting all of the posts that have indeed been posted. Occa… --- ## [Drop-down box over thread titles](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drop-down-box-over-thread-titles/262854)
**Author:** [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drop-down-box-over-thread-titles/262854 "2004-09-04T01:16:40Z")
Is there a way to prolong the amount of time the drop-down box stays on the screen? I’m talking about when you hover the mouse over the thread title. It seems to disappear pretty quickly. Also, when using IE I can rea… --- ## [Can we turn on RSS feeds?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-turn-on-rss-feeds/256925)
**Author:** [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-turn-on-rss-feeds/256925 "2004-09-03T14:29:04Z")
Do you think it would be a heavy load on the server to generate them? It would be extremely nice. I’m also curious if the reader ever considered publishing a feed for the homepage. I guess a “downside” is that it woul… --- ## [Showing sig. (Always)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showing-sig-always/262749)
**Author:** [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/showing-sig-always/262749 "2004-09-02T23:02:33Z")
Somehow between my last sig line and my new one, I know have to click “show sig” after every reply. Is this new, or am I missing a simple, yet, unkno…well simple step? --- ## ["Doper X is not a member of any public groups"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-x-is-not-a-member-of-any-public-groups/260529)
**Author:** [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-x-is-not-a-member-of-any-public-groups/260529 "2004-09-02T21:53:05Z")
“Doper X is not a member of any public groups” it says as a default on most profiles I’ve checked. Are any Dopers members of these so-called public groups? How many chocolate and unmeantionable acts involving goats does… --- ## [Pay-to-Post's effect on bannings](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-to-posts-effect-on-bannings/262595)
**Author:** [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-to-posts-effect-on-bannings/262595 "2004-09-01T20:24:25Z")
Maybe the mods or possibly Earthling or some other enterprising individual might want to chime in. Has any Charter Member been banned since we went pay-to-post? has the rate of guest bannings increased compared to member… --- ## [Are stickies like kudsu?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stickies-like-kudsu/262129)
**Author:** [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stickies-like-kudsu/262129 "2004-09-01T14:15:32Z")
My wife’s uncle used to say that “Southern Baptists and kudsu are taking over the South.” (he was a S. Baptist by the way). Each time I visit this site it seems like there is another sticky. I might be wrong but I reme… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/about-this-message-board/8.md?page=376) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/about-this-message-board/8.md?page=378)