I started reading the books when they first came out, then discovered the usenet forum, then showed up here as soon as I heard about the web site.
I can’t say it’s always been fun, but I’m glad the SDMB is still around.
The first few registrations were test accounts to make sure that the board was set up and working-- That’s why there are others before Ed. And most of the rest of the first wave of members were already established Dopers, coming over from the AOL boards, with their order of registering mostly just being an artifact of who happened to be online first.
Wait, I just checked, and I partially take that back: Member #2 was Lynn Bodoni, who was very much not a test account.
In 1999 the sixth (and sadly last) compilation of columns was published: Triumph of the Straight Dope. I quickly purchased a copy, and just as quickly was HORRIFIED that one of the answers contained numerous errors, so many that it was likely the WORK OF AN IMPOSTER! I was posting on the alt.fan.cecil-adams USENET group at the time, and a short time later there was an announcement about the establishment of this message board. So I quickly scurried on over here and duly reported the CATASTROPHIC ERRORS to which I had been subjected.
Cecil admitted that there were in fact some issues, so he and Little Ed [del]immediately[/del] [del]soon thereafter[/del] two years later published a correction column.
Correction: Triumph of the Straight Dope was the fifth (and, still to date, last) book.
Monty is Staff (SDSAB). I believe the earliest-registered non-Staff poster still posting is GusNSpot (#33).
I forget how I stumbled on this place, but I’m pretty sure it was a reference from another site. I had never heard of the column or books previously. My first post was 17 Aug 2000.
Also pretty sure that if there were some sort of award for “least-noticed long-time poster” I’d be solidly in the running. Don’t even want to think about how much time I’ve spent around this joint, but it’s been well worth it, IMO.
The first registrations were our original chat hosts and moderators from AOL, members of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board (SDSAB), and Chicago Reader personnel.
When we opened it up to non-staffers I believe our dear old friend GusNSpot was the first to sign up.
Jenny
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
Been reading a bit longer than registered, charter member since 04, I think I actually started reading in late 01 early 02.
I had read the books, and it was sometime in the spring of 1999 that a co-worker (who had done the same) mentioned that the Straight Dope was now online, “and it has this really great forum!” He registered immediately, but wasn’t so quick; I read the columns, and lurked on the forum; and while it did fight ignorance, it also looked like just plain fun. I finally took the plunge in September 2000.
I’ve been here ever since, and it’s been terrific. I’ve learned a lot, and made a number of friends. And through here, I’m still in touch with that long-ago co-worker.
Do we have a history of the Dope on AOL? I was on there, too.
I discovered the Dope on AOL just before it transitioned to the web. Was a lurker then, still one today 
I’d never heard of Cecil before I found the dope. I was searching the web for an answer to a question I had about something in the Bible. I clicked on a link that seemed to have a good answer and it was a post by Dio.
I took a look around and decided this was a cool place to hang out. I lurked for awhile to learn the board culture before I joined. And here I still am. 
Happy Anniversary everyone!
I believe I had just upgraded from a 386 with a monochrome amber monitor to a 486 with a colour monitor, Windows 95, and a 14.4 Fax modem which came with a free AOL trial. I still have nightmares of staring at the Netscape Navigator logo while waiting for Webcrawler to return search results! :eek:
Anyway, I had read the books up until then and I seem to remember an ad in the back of one saying something about “The Straight Dope now on AOL!” so I checked it out. I believe it was there that I read about the creation of this site and the message board.
I only got to read the columns occasionally so I got the first two books (as gifts). Lots of fun.
Then in the late 90s: I noticed a fellow CS prof reading the column online. Cool!
I later lurked the message boards a good while before joining. This hesitancy is why this is merely my 18,587th post.
Just in our collective memories. Though I do have a box of Zip disks … how’s that for some history?
Not even sure if those disks will read after all these years. i need to find some time and check it out. If i can extract anything from them I will put them up somewhere. It should be content from the original AOL board and … chat logs. From when we did chats every night.
No promises, I’m so busy right now I don’t know whether to shoot myself or go bowling … but I will give it a shot in the near future.
Jenny
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
I don’t post a whole lot but I’ve been here since August 2003.
I don’t think they’re older than the Dope, but I did join a couple of fan boards for specific authors before I joined up here. I joined the first in 2001 and the other in 2002; they’ve both been migrated to new platforms a couple of times because of changes in ownership but both are still going today on TapaTalk. They’re very much smaller than the Dope but with a strong sense of community, although new members are very rare.
Anyway, congratulations to the Dope! And all it’s contributors over the years.
There’s still some holdouts on alt.fan.cecil-adams, believe it or not. It reminds me of the few long-time residents who stubbornly stay on in ghost towns and urban prairies.
Yes, Happy Anniversary everyone!!!
If nothing else, if you really need to know if .999 equals 1, then this is the place to ask it. 
I have been reading since 1999, although I lurked for a long time. Sent in a question in 1999 that Cecil answered. Didn’t realize I came in so close to the beginning! Happy anniversary, everyone! Love you all (almost)