# A Doper “In Memoriam” Forum? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 21, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461 "2023-03-21T20:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/1 "2023-03-21T20:12:06Z")
Has any thought been given to a dedicated forum for announcing and discussing the passing of board members? The frequency of such threads seems to be increasing exponentially as our membership ages. I’m never quite sure how to feel when I see that someone I have never met, but nonetheless have conversed with (sometimes for decades), has died. I don’t even need to open the thread; the tragic news is right there in the title. It’s jarring to see something so personal nested between threads about the mostly stupid stuff I come hear to argue, pontificate, and make jokes about. A separate forum would give us all the opportunity to brace ourselves for the latest loss. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/2 "2023-03-21T20:17:05Z")
> [@In Memoriam](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-memoriam/489917/): > > Over the years the Straight Dope community has included a huge variety of memorable and remarkable people. Posters come and go for their own reasons, but some have left us much sooner than we would have liked. This is a short list of friends who have died over the years. We miss them, but we’re glad to have known them in the first place, and thank them for helping us fight ignorance and pass many happy hours. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/3 "2023-03-21T20:26:19Z")
I’m not sure how that addresses the desirability of a separate forum or distancing such personal loss from the truly pointless and mundane. Unless announcements are strictly contained to that one thread. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2023, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/4 "2023-03-21T20:31:57Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Unless announcements are strictly contained to that one thread. That’s the thread I’ve been going to for the last 13+ years to see who’s shuffled off this mortal coil. I’m not sure just what you’re looking for in having a separate Forum for this. Could you elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/5 "2023-03-21T20:37:42Z")
I’d just like a way to avoid the bad news catching me unawares while I’m just looking for a few minutes of light diversion. If everybody used that thread instead of starting a new one, that would solve the problem for me. It just seems like it would be easier to move those threads into a separate forum than for a mod to tell an OP they shouldn’t have started a new thread. ---
**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:** [March 21, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/6 "2023-03-21T20:52:58Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’d just like a way to avoid the bad news catching me unawares while I’m just looking for a few minutes of light diversion. I do understand and sympathize with your particular point of view there, but personally I want to have my attention called to such losses, rather than eventually wandering into the Memoriam thread when I think to do so, to see if anyone has passed on. I’m not sure how to reconcile those two viewpoints. Perhaps a notice to visit the Memorial thread when there’s a new loss, but without specifics of who passed? ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/7 "2023-03-21T20:53:58Z")
Y’all could stop dying, there’s that. 😠 ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/8 "2023-03-21T20:55:01Z")
I like this idea best! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/9 "2023-03-21T21:03:58Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’m not sure how that addresses the desirability of a separate forum or distancing such personal loss from the truly pointless and mundane. MPSIMS is not about just pointless and mundane subjects, which is why people are continuously asking for it to be renamed. I mean, breaking news of all kinds are discussed there as well. Do we need a “super serious forum”? Would anyone even want that? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/10 "2023-03-22T00:56:40Z")
I thought you of all posters would be in favor of us dying but then being reborn. I’ve misjudged you **Dung\_Beetle** ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/11 "2023-03-22T00:58:10Z")
If this is about the name of the MPSIMS forum name then while I have always sympathized, I can tell you the name is not changing. ### But if this is about a simple way to index all such threads, a tag could be made and I can slowly go through and add it. I would probably use in-memoriam for tag. Please let me know. If enough people think it is worth it, I’ll do it. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/12 "2023-03-22T01:37:54Z")
I think it’s best we just nip this trend in the bud. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/13 "2023-03-22T03:03:30Z")
This wouldn’t help anyone who typically browses under the “latest” tab. Which I think most of us do. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/14 "2023-03-22T03:08:43Z")
Neither would a new forum by that logic. But if you want to check recent threads in the category, it would work. But then so does the [In Memoriam Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-memoriam/489917) itself. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/15 "2023-03-22T03:12:53Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > A separate forum would give us all the opportunity to brace ourselves for the latest loss. …I don’t agree with a separate forum, but I have been thinking about “in memoriam” in general for the last few days. Its like: how many years have I been posting to these board? Like, over twenty years? I’m nearly 50 now. My health isn’t that great. And of course it isn’t just me. We are ALL getting older. I couldn’t have imagined a separate forum for In Memoriam even a few years ago. But now I’m thinking “I don’t think its a good idea now. But what will these boards be like in 5-10 years time?” It will eventually get to the point where all of the originals are gone. It sent me into a mild existential crisis. I don’t quite know where I was going with this. It’s just a thought that’s been rattling around in my head. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/16 "2023-03-22T13:33:32Z")
I was thinking more about this. The tag idea is really dumb as I would end up bumping every thread I added the tag too. That would not be a good thing overall. The [In Memoriam](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-memoriam/489917) thread links to the threads already and does the job fairly well. Though a few links are broken, I might try to fix those. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/17 "2023-03-22T14:06:37Z")
You could watch the In Memorium thread so that you get a notification any time that it’s updated. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/18 "2023-03-22T20:09:16Z")
I can’t see messing around with any new ideas on this. It’s not like people are dropping like flies. Often the person that breaks the news is no longer/never was a board member so there would be no reason to expect them to know about any rules related to memorial threads anyway. If mods started moving them to a special thread I think fewer people would see them. > [@Grrr](#): > > This wouldn’t help anyone who typically browses under the “latest” tab. > > Which I think most of us do. It would be interesting to know. I have never used it, so it wouldn’t matter to me either way. For me, the only threads I have pinned are the memorial and achievement threads and glance at the latest date occasionally. Can’t say I’ve ever missed any announcement in either thread. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/19 "2023-03-22T20:14:06Z")
I fixed some of the posts in the “in Memoriam” thread where the links didn’t work. I stopped as it was making me sad. It was tough seeing some of those names. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461/20 "2023-03-22T20:21:41Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I stopped as it was making me sad. It was tough seeing some of those names. That’s why I made the suggestion I did in my OP. I don’t come here to be sad. I just like to keep the entertaining and the sad separate. I’ll concede that I might be alone in that desire. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-doper-in-memoriam-forum/981461.md?page=2)