# Any way I can write Staff Reports? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 5, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547 "2007-08-05T23:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/1 "2007-08-05T23:11:44Z")
Do I have to join the SDStaff? If so, is it possible? I have a lot of spare time and I’ve been told I’m a pretty good writer. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/2 "2007-08-05T23:31:09Z")
Yeah, you have to be part of the Staff Report crew…and I don’t think membership comes too easy. You being really new yourself, while I’m not a staff member here, I think there’s a zero to zero percent chance they’d let you. As far as I know, you’ll have to be a member here for quite awhile and become a pretty well known or at least regular poster. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/3 "2007-08-05T23:37:03Z")
Email **C K Dexter Haven** with a description of the kinds of things you’d feel qualified to discuss and he will send you some reader-submitted questions pertaining to them, if any exist. If it meets **Ed Zotti** ’s standards, it will be published as a Guest Contributor report. If you continue to provide good quality reports, eventually you may be made a full-fledged member of the SDSAB, with all the rights and privileges thereof (Har!) Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/4 "2007-08-05T23:49:22Z")
What’s C K Dexter Haven’s email address? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/5 "2007-08-05T23:58:15Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Socks] What’s C K Dexter Haven’s email address? [/QUOTE] [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/sendmessage.php?do=mailmember). ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/6 "2007-08-05T23:59:05Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Socks] What’s C K Dexter Haven’s email address? [/QUOTE] Your research skills may need work. [ckdexthavn@aol.com](mailto:ckdexthavn@aol.com) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a8b319/32.png) [@Captain\_Socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Socks)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/7 "2007-08-06T00:40:40Z")
I emailed \*\* C K Dexter Haven\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/8 "2007-08-06T01:29:52Z")
My understanding is that it’s not just an issue of being a good writer. It also helps if you have some kind of specialized knowledge on topics that are likely to be report subjects. Being able to write well is good; but being a physicist who’s able to explain what happens when a plane tries to take off on a treadmill is better. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/9 "2007-08-06T01:37:58Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] It also helps if you have some kind of specialized knowledge on topics that are likely to be report subjects. [/QUOTE] Eh, it helps, but good research and writing skills are much more important. I generally write on the subject I’m most knowledgeable about, electrical and electronics topics, but [not always](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mheavywater.html). ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/10 "2007-08-06T07:02:51Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Email **C K Dexter Haven** with a description of the kinds of things you’d feel qualified to discuss and he will send you some reader-submitted questions pertaining to them, if any exist. If it meets **Ed Zotti** ’s standards, it will be published as a Guest Contributor report. If you continue to provide good quality reports, eventually you may be made a full-fledged member of the SDSAB, with all the rights and privileges thereof (Har!) [/QUOTE] Yep, what **Q.E.D.** said. Hey, by the way, **Q** , it’s been a while since you’ve written one… 😉 In terms of topics, we try to test folks out (trial by ordeal) with topics where they profess some expertise, but many of the questions we get don’t fit neatly into standard academic classifications. **Ed Zotti** is master and editor of the Staff Reports, and his word is final. ---
**Author:** ![Puzzler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Puzzler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Puzzler)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/11 "2007-08-06T13:51:18Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] **Ed Zotti** is master and editor of the Staff Reports, and his word is final. [/QUOTE] Yes, but is he _perfect_ master? ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/12 "2007-08-06T14:41:34Z")
Are guest reports ever printed in the _Reader_? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/13 "2007-08-06T15:31:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Are guest reports ever printed in the Reader? So far as I know, none of the Staff Reports (guest or SDSAB) are published in any dead-tree medium. They’re online only. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/14 "2007-08-06T18:40:14Z")
No, **Ed** is not _perfect master._ Not by a long shot. To date, a handful of Staff Reports have appeared in print media, in response to the occasional request to reprint (with proper attribution) their words of wisdom. I keep hoping that Cecil will take on another book and perhaps allow some staff reports to appear therein, but… The response is always that he’s not ready to do another book until the stored copies of the last two books get sold. So, do your part, go buy more books! ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-write-staff-reports/414547/15 "2007-08-06T20:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=Puzzler] Yes, but is he _perfect_ master? [/QUOTE] Have you not seen the Highlander? 😉