Long time lurker, occasional post about various topics. I don’t know where else to put this post. Mods move as you see fit.
Wait…something about whale-meat comes to mind, or was it the post about ??? <secret thingy that only Dopers know about>
Anywho, thank you all for being oneself. It is much appreciarted (yes that is a word, I just made it up). If I wanted to buy the SDMB and leave it as it is, how much? Do I have to deal with suits and ties? How about Hawaiian shirts and a shrimp dinner?
Seriously. I have some extra pocket-change and with a little crowd-funding, this place would be ours to RULE!!!
On the other hand, I have to mow my lawn tomorrow. Get back to me on Wednesday.
Never really considered you a lurker. If I remember your name, I don’t really consider you a lurker. There are people who have been posting for a long time whose names I don’t know.
Yes. The SDMB has strict dress codes. Suits and ties are mandatory for all areas of the SDMB campus except the swimming lagoon and of course, the restroom facilities, where the attendants will provide you with a robe and sandals. The dining hall does not require reservations however formal evening wear is required.
The only other place that’s not regulated is the moderator’s dorm. They tried regulating it, but even getting them to clean up after Hal’s sheep was next to impossible. So, TPTB just declare that dorm off limits to mortals.
If you have to ask how much it would cost, then you really can’t afford it.
First, you’d have to go thru a full financial audit by one of the moderators. Pray that it’s not Colibri. Just two words about him in case you don’t know: Panama Papers.
If you’re asking how much to purchase the SDMB, I assume you’d have to buy the Chicago Reader. It was reportedly acquired by Wrapports for $3M in 2012. So, that’s a good place to start.
SDMB is run/owned by the Reader but could certainly be peeled off for a number much much lower than that. Honestly most of the value is likely in the branding of “The Straight Dope” so the board itself could be probably be separated from the brand and traded for a bag of old Archie comics w/ the pages stuck together.
There’s an interesting hypothetical. Suppose Sun-Times Media, LLC decided they wanted to hang onto the Straight Dope Brand, but offered to sell the memberships, databases, archives, etc. under the name of** Little Ed’s Message Board**. How much might that be worth?
Be warned. Before you make an offer, make sure you have a good idea of the maintenance costs. Make them show you receipts. Hamster chow ain’t as cheap as you’d think.
I just meant that in any transaction to this point the SD and SDMB have been lumped in with the Reader. Not sure if they’d be willing to extract those entities or if you’d have to buy the whole shebang if you are so compelled to own the SDMB.