# 20 Years on the SDMB - almost half my life **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602 "2020-04-26T12:46:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/1 "2020-04-26T12:46:59Z")
We used to do “post parties” a long time ago, but they got stopped a long time ago. However, I just thought I’d post a little mundane thought about the fact that April 2020 is my 20th anniversary on this specific message board. Truth is, I was over on AOL as well and somehow didn’t register here from March 1999-April 2020, but was here the whole time. I’m 41. Was 21 when I signed up. Almost half my life and certainly more than half of my remembered life. It may seem silly, but it’s been a great place online for me and many others. Thanks, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/2 "2020-04-26T13:44:49Z")
That’s amazing! Happy Dope-birthday!! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/3 "2020-04-26T14:56:15Z")
Hey, you joined a week after I did. I’d been lurking without registering for a good 6 months. But for me, that 20 years is less than a third of my life. I joined at age 42. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/4 "2020-04-26T17:03:42Z")
I worked it out and I’ve been here just short of 30% of my life. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/5 "2020-04-26T17:11:13Z")
A little over 26% of my life so far. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/6 "2020-04-26T17:11:59Z")
I’ve been here 2-1/2 years. But my post count is high. I feel so old:( (It seems I need to get a life:)) ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/7 "2020-04-26T17:28:27Z")
Mine’s just under a month away. Happy Dope-Burfday! I was on the Innerwebz, but didn’t sign up until late. I think I was in Dayton, OH when I finally bit the bullet. Tripler Late-sign-er-upper. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/8 "2020-04-26T17:47:12Z")
In a few years it will be half my life myself. But what really baked my noodle this weekend was thinking about how ancient the American civil war seemed when I grew up, but World War 1 was still in living memory with lots of vets still around talking about it. Now, in a few years, World War 1 will be as old as the Civil War was when I was growing up, and while it doesn’t feel wrong intellectually - after all it is going to be firmly out of living memory by decades by then - it feels wrong era-wise since World War 1 seemed to be the start of the “modern” era. I’ve already experienced this with WW1 versus WW2 and that didn’t seem as much of a shock. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/9 "2020-04-26T17:48:29Z")
Only 20 years? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/10 "2020-04-26T19:50:28Z")
Newcomers. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/11 "2020-04-26T20:15:44Z")
I was on AOL too, but didn’t register for a while. I think I remember threads about Y2K. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/12 "2020-04-27T01:11:13Z")
Is there a way to see your exact join date? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/13 "2020-04-27T01:17:02Z")
I’m still a 15 year (!) newb. Someday I’ll learn to fit in here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/14 "2020-04-27T01:37:09Z")
Congrats! I’ve been here for over a third of my life. Holy mackeral! That’s over 20 years. Mostly, I just observe. My new job is so intense, I barely make it here once a week. But I’m here. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/15 "2020-04-27T02:20:58Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is there a way to see your exact join date? You joined 04/24/2000 ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/16 "2020-04-27T11:26:12Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is there a way to see your exact join date? It’s in your profile. Click on your username, it’s the first option. Or click on User CP on the menu bar, the profile link is on the upper left. Note these are options for the old user interface. I don’t know about the new one. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/17 "2020-04-27T15:38:58Z")
Nice! You beat me by a year. I’ll be 42 when I hit my 20-year mark next August. I remember I had been reading the Straight Dope columns online for a year or so, carefully working my way down an archive list, clicking on each link that wasn’t yet purple. I decided to send a question in to Cecil and was told nicely that it wouldn’t be answered in a column but why not check out the SDMB? Being the good rule-follower that I am, I came and stayed. I don’t think I read anything but GQ for over a year. So many boyfriends ago. So much life ago. Well, almost half a life ago! A couple things learned, here and there 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/18 "2020-04-27T16:45:23Z")
I’ve been here 19 years, 39% of my life(But I’ve been reading The Dope for 63% of my life). Do I get a prize, like a broken SDMB coffee mug, or a jackboot to the back of the head?😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/19 "2020-04-27T16:53:39Z")
I joined 4/10/2000, 2 weeks ahead of you. But you are a much more prolific poster than myself. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602/20 "2020-04-27T17:54:01Z")
Happy Dopaversary! This post made me realize that this month marks my 10th SD anniversary. Although I’m not nearly as prolific a poster as the OP. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-years-on-the-sdmb-almost-half-my-life/852602.md?page=2)