Looks like we all went through some things.
What’s new around here since 2008 or so?
Well, it’s not just your imagination, the board is running totally different software.
We (the board) aren’t on The Chicago Reader any more, or Creative Loafing (the folks who bought CR) either. It’s, umm, somebody else. Dang. I forget who.
That Ed Zotti guy isn’t writing columns any more.
Welcome home, though. Nobody kicks the habit permanently 
Of the people who were posting in 2008, lots have died, lots have been banned–and a great deal more have left. The number of new members hasn’t made up for these departures–so overall there is less discussion.
The Dope, and the SDMB, are now owned by the Chicago Sun-Times.
As noted, we switched over to new board software (Discourse) this past summer; the old software and servers were dying – we were experiencing lots of time-out errors for the last year or more that we were using the old software.
Just after we made that switchover, TubaDiva (Jenny), who had been the SDMB admin for some time, died suddenly.
We are allowed to fucking curse now. And we now get badges for doing things and reminders of events. Like today is my anniversary of joining the board. Aint that the shit!
Welcome back!
People here are still pretty friendly, but some of the old panache is gone.
If you’re an old-timer who remembers jokes and memes like 1920’s death rays,“Hi Opal!”, “bring pie”, --well, we’ve kinda grown a bit stale and boring.
But we’re still the best dinner-table conversation anywhere on the internet.
I dunno - I think most of those memes were getting stale and boring, and for the most part it’s just as well we have moved on from them. Though I do have a soft spot for ‘Hi, Opal!’ as a kind of memorial (on the other hand some rightly bemoan the fact that many people’s most lasting memory of an extraordinary person is a trival meme), and a well-placed reference to one of the other classics in an unrelated thread is often welcome.
As to the OP - just jump right in, it’s like getting back into a swimming pool - it will soon feel like home and is much the same as when you left. Probably fewer turds floating around, too.
Welcome Back Crenshaw. Do you need your Subject fixed? I’m thinking retuning was supposed to be returning.
This is true (except at a dinner with the smartest, hippest humans I gave birth to).
Kudos to Crenshaw for posting this! I, too, have been away, I was hospitalized twice this spring and missed my renewal date. (It was not Coronavirus related,) Then, I tried to reach out to TubaDiva for assistance. I am deeply saddened to hear of her passing. She was of great value to managing the SDBoards. She will be missed, although I did not know her outside this Board. It is good to know, however, the SD found greener servers to reside on! These technical blips always seem to work out for the best in the long run. Godspeed, SDMB!
The other day I caught a rerun of “The Office” where Creed, in one of the talking-head shots, says something about going to the quarry and throwing stuff in there. And it got me to thinking, I haven’t seen Snowboarder Bo post that in quite some time, followed quickly by “thank goodness!”
Welcome back Crenshaw!
Gee, I hope not. “Retuning” works as well or better than “returning”, and is a fresh twist.
Yesterday…
Funny that I came across this thread after also spending a long time away. Spending much of my time on fark.com recently. But looking for a more varied conversation that is NOT facebook. Truly sad to hear about Tuba Diva.
Another big change is that GD, Elections, and the Pit have been pretty much wall to wall Trump, as well as some infiltration into other forums, but hopefully that will peter out in a couple of months. 