# Apparently Cracked.com contributors read the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 23, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505 "2013-04-23T16:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/1 "2013-04-23T16:43:25Z")
I have suspected this for a while because I see a whole bunch of references in their articles that seemed to have originated here but I was never sure because maybe it is just some kind of convergence. In case you aren’t family with [Cracked.com](http://www.cracked.com), it is an extremely popular fact/humor website that specializes in daily articles often in a list format written in a provocative style. However, [this article today contained the following paragraph in their #2 example.](http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-emotions-invented-by-internet_p2/) _“I’m talking about when you suddenly realize, out of the blue, that some completely benign topic, or very mild joke, is the subject of someone else’s bitter, ongoing conflict. We covered a whole bunch of these before – for instance, you can’t show up in a public forum asking about tipping at restaurants, declawing cats, or circumcision without finding that you have accidentally taken one side in a long-running war where passions run high and both sides have long since abandoned rational discussion.”_ Sounds pretty familiar but maybe it is a coincidence. However, then it gives an example of people arguing passionately about font choices of all things. The very first example is [this thread from here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=635592) Who are our resident [Cracked.com](http://Cracked.com) contributors? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/2 "2013-04-23T18:00:52Z")
They could very well read it but it’s also possible the thread was just near the top of a Google search. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/3 "2013-04-23T18:56:16Z")
Yeah, what Quimby said. Also, those three examples are pretty famous forum trainwreck topics all across the internet. It’s a meme by this point. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/4 "2013-04-23T19:00:52Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Who are our resident [Cracked.com](http://Cracked.com) contributors? Seriously? I’m pretty sure that Cracked used “every general message interest board in the history of the world dating back the Usenet” as their reference but that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/5 "2013-04-23T19:02:28Z")
Yeah. A lot of board members like to think we’re in the driver’s seat of the internet, when really we’re just one of many, many passengers. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/6 "2013-04-23T19:04:22Z")
The SDMB can’t possibly be the first message board in the history of the internet to have an argument about sans serif. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/7 "2013-04-23T19:20:49Z")
Y’know, someone from here invented the term “Humblebrag.” ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/8 "2013-04-23T19:27:49Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Yeah. A lot of board members like to think we’re in the driver’s seat of the internet, when really we’re just one of many, many passengers. To my recollection, the stupidest example of this was when a Doper was at a big rock concert and one of the musicians said hello to his friend who happened to be named Opal. They were sure that it was a call out to the message board. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/9 "2013-04-23T19:56:49Z")
> [@Yorikke](#): > > Y’know, someone from here invented the term “Humblebrag.” Come on, man. I had a great case for thinking that. It totally wasn’t one of those, “we so special” things with me. Give me a break. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/10 "2013-04-23T20:02:34Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Come on, man. I had a great case for thinking that. It totally wasn’t one of those, “we so special” things with me. Give me a break. I’m just funnin’ ya… ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/11 "2013-04-23T20:05:56Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Yeah. A lot of board members like to think we’re in the driver’s seat of the internet, when really we’re just one of many, many passengers. We’re not even particularly close to the front of the bus. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/12 "2013-04-23T20:07:43Z")
> [@Yorikke](#): > > I’m just funnin’ ya… Well, at least you don’t post my heartache as your sigline anymore. You are cruel. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/13 "2013-04-23T20:13:11Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > We’re not even particularly close to the front of the bus. And it’s a \*really \*short bus. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/14 "2013-04-23T20:47:41Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > We’re not even particularly close to the front of the bus. The cool people NEVER sit in the front of the bus. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/15 "2013-04-24T05:46:54Z")
Now if they start making references to ‘penis ensued’ there would be proof positive. > [@Turek](#): > > And it’s a \*really \*short bus. 😃 Dammit! I was going to say that! ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/16 "2013-04-24T05:58:25Z")
Does Cracked have fixed contributors? I thought anyone can write an article and submit it, if they use it, they’ll pay you. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/17 "2013-04-24T06:47:10Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Does Cracked have fixed contributors? I thought anyone can write an article and submit it, if they use it, they’ll pay you. They seem to have regular contributors (today’s articles were written by David Wong, Soren Bowie, Kristi Harrison, and Chris Bucholz; all of whom I’ve seen featured many times for many different articles by each); but Cracked does solicit items from anybody at large as well. As I understand things, you have to pitch Cracked on your item, and while their editors will consider it, it is quite possible that they will reject it, so having your item published by Cracked is not as easy as it seems. There are other ways to get involved however–Cracked’s Photoplastys and Image Macro contests seem to attract a number of readers who can put together a one-shot image of something funny or interesting. I’m one of these; I’ve been a runner-up in a few of them, though I’ve never won one. Still, they’re a lot of fun, and it’s always nice to see my item posted as a runner-up. ---
**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:** [April 24, 2013, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/18 "2013-04-24T07:48:14Z")
Ironically, one of the other items mentioned in that same article was the way the internet can make you wonder if some online reference is about you. ---
**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:** [April 24, 2013, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/19 "2013-04-24T07:55:47Z")
The Straight Dope column does get referenced across the Internet, and I have seen some mention of the SDMB somewhat independently on other sites ([io9](http://io9.com/5850708/the-most-horrifying-crawling-over-a-pile-of-your-dead-alternate-selves-scene-ever-filmed), for example\*), but otherwise we’re nothing particularly unique. \*I don’t know if Charlie Jane Anders is an active member or just a lurker. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2013, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505/20 "2013-04-24T10:16:19Z")
I am pretty sure I have seen direct references to The Straight Dope (Cecil’s column), and I think also to the message board, on Cracked. Sorry, but I don’t remember enough to be able to find the articles again. Google clearly ranks the SDMB pretty high, and spiders it often. Unusual topics discussed here often turn up at or near the top of Google searches within minutes of the thread being started. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apparently-cracked-com-contributors-read-the-sdmb/656505.md?page=2)