# About dopers gone: died, inactive, whatever **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 3, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256 "2013-02-03T21:26:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/1 "2013-02-03T21:26:40Z")
This message board has put a lot of distance between its beginnings on AOL, its subsequent morph to the Internet ca. 1999, and now. Fourteen fucking years and still counting. I think the community has become stronger, and I hope that’s a good thing. I try to keep up with who’s coming and going, but there are too many current and past members for even a frequent poster like myself to keep track of every little detail. I see dopers with 5K posts that I don’t instantly recognize, and I feel inadequate. ☹ Recently, I posted in what I knew was a [zombie thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=241510) and I knew one doper had not been active for a while, but I didn’t know (or didn’t remember) he had died [(Walloon)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=662328). (If he _had_ replied, that would have taken the definition of a zombie thread to a new level.) There are some other names (I am making a list) of dopers – good ones, even – who I have not seen for a while. Are they dead, censored, or what? Their profile doesn’t give any hints, and inquiring minds want to know. So I thought I’d bring up this subject in the hopes there might be a good and simple solution. The first thing that comes to mind is that a mod could put a note in the poster’s profile, at least of a death or maybe serious illness (with permission, of course). Or perhaps a sticky in ATMB with information as to the whereabouts of missing, but well-known dopers, a thread heavily moderated to avoid errors and unfortunate, erroneous information such as…well, you know what I mean. A short story about WallyM7 might be appropriate, too, as well as a brief mention of some hoaxes. As for me, if something bad happens – not that anyone here cares – I have a note on my fridge that I hope someone will read, and email a mod. I hate a mystery and don’t want to be part of one. If I kick the computer, I want y’all to at least raise a toast and celebrate! ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/2 "2013-02-03T21:35:58Z")
The “In Memoriam” thread may help:[In Memoriam - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=510802) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/3 "2013-02-03T21:52:09Z")
Sometimes people leave the board or stop posting for one reason or another. Usually there’s no big announcement or to-do, they just drift away because they get busy or their priorities change and things of that type. Unless they announce why they will be leaving or posting less or someone tells us they’ve died, we don’t know any more than you do. If you look at a poster’s profile, you can see when they were last active on the board, and you can view their posts to see when the most recent ones were made. Posters can add notes to their profiles regarding illnesses or things like that. We do have a list of posters who have died, as **EmilyG** says. I don’t think any of us are comfortable with the idea of changing a user’s profile after he or she has died. It’s a little weird and I think it could be kind of confusing. If a poster has died, we don’t need to attach a note to every post they make, and that’d be the most visible option by far. And replying to someone who has died or left the board isn’t really a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/4 "2013-02-03T22:11:13Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > The “In Memoriam” thread may help:[In Memoriam - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=510802) That’s the closest to what I am talking about. I guess I’ll have to read it more often, or fall behind. > [@Marley23](#): > > Sometimes people leave the board or stop posting for one reason or another. Usually there’s no big announcement or to-do, they just drift away because they get busy or their priorities change and things of that type… I don’t expect a complete accounting of everyone, nor tabs kept in excruciating detail. But attaching a note to their profile, or a link to the _In Memoriam_ thread would be the easiest way for someone to find out and perhaps avoid embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/5 "2013-02-03T22:23:12Z")
I like the idea, but I think that it would be fairly difficult to put into practice. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/6 "2013-02-04T06:28:18Z")
You need a plugin that displays “last activity” next to their “Join Date; Location” data. And the Mods need a “deceased” button they can check beside a User’s account which will change their “Member; Guest; Admin” status. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/7 "2013-02-04T12:33:38Z")
Speaking of the In Memoriam sticky, I see Khadaji hasn’t been added yet. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/8 "2013-02-04T12:39:30Z")
It’s probably been brought up before, but is there a way to change the color of the name tag in the post from blue to maybe red if they are deceased? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/9 "2013-02-04T13:16:09Z")
\*- > [@Czarcasm](#): > > It’s probably been brought up before, but is there a way to change the color of the name tag in the post from blue to maybe red if they are deceased? I son’t think ao, no, not as software currently stands. And it’s not like we have a huge number of people who have passed on. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/10 "2013-02-04T14:00:46Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > I like the idea [a note in the profile?], but I think that it would be fairly difficult to put into practice. Maybe not. > [@TubaDiva](#): > > And it’s not like we have a huge number of people who have passed on. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/11 "2013-02-04T14:42:37Z")
The very first thing at the top of every posting is the date the posting was made. That’s a piece of important information and would answer a lot of the questions people have about the viability of that particular post but people rarely look at it. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/12 "2013-02-04T14:49:29Z")
I’ve often wondered about aha. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/13 "2013-02-04T14:53:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’ve often wondered about aha. You oculdn’t send him an email? He’s not been logged in since 2003 so I dunno that they’ll respond to a PM. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/14 "2013-02-04T14:58:56Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’ve often wondered about aha. [Wonder no more](http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=52398312)☹ > [@TubaDiva](#): > > You oculdn’t send him an email? > > He’s not been logged in since 2003 so I dunno that they’ll respond to a PM. I suspect he won’t be responding. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/15 "2013-02-04T15:04:48Z")
Nevermind about aha. Wrong member of the Five Americans, it seems. That was in another thread three years go. 😮 😮 (BTW, the aha is on facebook, should anyone wish to contact him.) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/16 "2013-02-04T15:27:27Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Nevermind about aha. Wrong member of the Five Americans, it seems. That was in another thread three years go. 😮 😮 > (BTW, the aha is on facebook, should anyone wish to contact him.) I thought he was Rabon. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/17 "2013-02-04T16:25:09Z")
What ever happened to Mr Cynical, anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/18 "2013-02-04T17:39:01Z")
I died three weeks ago. Just wanted to clear up the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/19 "2013-02-04T17:43:37Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I died three weeks ago. Just wanted to clear up the confusion. Thanks for letting us know. So, how’s the harp? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256/20 "2013-02-04T17:55:14Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Thanks for letting us know. > So, how’s the harp? Or trident, as the case may be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-dopers-gone-died-inactive-whatever/649256.md?page=2)