# Are we doomed? Will the SDMB die under the new ownership? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 4, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883 "2021-10-04T17:52:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/61 "2021-10-07T14:15:00Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > If they start asking for money I’ll be happy to give them some. I think many of us would be. Yes!! > [@Atamasama](#): > > Reddit is awful. The SDMB wouldn’t work there. It’s not a real forum. Ugh. Reddit is a mess. The phrase “dog’s breakfast” comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/62 "2021-10-07T16:30:26Z")
Should / Could we start working on contingency plans? for example let’s say they come out tomorrow and say “the SDMB will close on 2 weeks”, could we be ready with a plan for a migration/move to another site? ---
**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:** [October 7, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/63 "2021-10-07T16:33:13Z")
Who would be in charge? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/64 "2021-10-07T17:27:58Z")
Are you just looking to start a new site or move the archives? Because the archives belong to the current owner, and can’t be moved without their blessing. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/65 "2021-10-07T17:29:45Z")
And we certainly won’t be allowed to use the name. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2021, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/66 "2021-10-07T17:41:51Z")
Many years ago, during another period of uncertainty, one member did create a [lifeboat site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-can-we-prepare-to-rescue-the-sdmb/470004/4) . That particular domain is long gone, but there’s nothing to stop anyone from reclaiming it, or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/67 "2021-10-07T17:55:55Z")
Technically there are several places to check if the Dope went dark without warning. I think there are at 3 still active related message boards and a Facebook page. There were more in the past and an IRC channel. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/68 "2021-10-07T19:51:14Z")
That’s something we would need to discuss ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/69 "2021-10-07T19:52:15Z")
At the very least we could agree on a replacement name and designate a team to create a forum for us, we would need to find a way to communicate the url to all members too. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/70 "2021-10-07T19:53:27Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > If our beloved SDMB dies, I think we could migrate to Reddit, and make it work. Some of the snopes refugees tried that. It was unworkable. It wasn’t possible to follow this sort of discussion. > [@Max\_S](#): > > That’s like saying Reddit isn’t a forum. It’s not; not in the sense that these boards are. It’s not a single meeting place for one group of people. It’s a huge collection of groups, every single one of them with its own membership and its own rules. And within any specific one of them it’s only well set up for single topic discussion; and not well set up for that if one wants to be able to keep track of who said what at what point during the conversation. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/71 "2021-10-07T20:26:17Z")
I was a little surpriised to see that alt.fan.cecil.adams is still around. That goes waaaaay back, obviously. There was another newsgroup misc.facts.straight-dope, but it appears to have disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/72 "2021-10-07T20:30:34Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Some of the snopes refugees tried that. It was unworkable. It wasn’t possible to follow this sort of discussion. Agree. Also, because there was no planning, most of the members were lost and never heard from again. At least having a refuge space would improve the change of continuing, with or without an archive. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/73 "2021-10-07T20:34:12Z")
There’s already an r/sdmb. To say it’s lightly posted to is an understatement. It appears to be modded by @shijinn who hasn’t been around here in over four years but is active on reddit. > **[r/sdmb](https://old.reddit.com/r/sdmb/)** > > r/sdmb: The subreddit for the Straight Dope Message Board, a great place. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/74 "2021-10-07T20:35:29Z")
I’d check out giraffe board before reddit. It’s likely to get a lot of activity if this site suddenly dies. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/75 "2021-10-07T20:41:29Z")
And I’ll already be there of course. I’m one of the regulars. [Una’s Board](http://unaboard.coalgoddess.net/) is another place to check and even [Mellophant.com](http://Mellophant.com). I am almost positive skipmagic’s board is gone. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/76 "2021-10-07T20:42:31Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > I was a little surpriised to see that alt.fan.cecil.adams is still around. I checked that out, and was astounded to see that there are people posting in there regularly! It seems to be the same five or six people in every thread, though. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/77 "2021-10-07T22:06:50Z")
There’s also a Dopers group on Facebook, which seems to be used whenever someone is wondering whether it’s them or the SDMB that’s down. > **[Straight Dopers | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/2408464343)** > > A group for fans of The Straight Dope message board and Cecil Adam's The Straight Dope column. If you are a member of the SDMB and want to join this Facebook group, and your profile is completely... ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/78 "2021-10-07T22:15:55Z")
We could write a crawler to archive the current content. It would be nice if all of the HTML were nice and semantic, but Discourse is a piece of shit and breaks the internet, so it’s probably not really very semantic, either. I’m not looking at the source to figure that out. I suppose with some work, a motivated person could crawl the non-semantic HTML and figure out everything anyway. We’d miss private messages and nothing that a crawler couldn’t crawl, but it would be possible to save everything publically available. What’s our user agreement say? Does Chicago Reader et al own our content? Do we own our own content? Would scraping all of this stuff present legal issues because of the original authors? Does Sun Times or NPR otherwise have a claim to the content? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/79 "2021-10-07T22:46:54Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > What’s our user agreement say? I doubt it would matter. By basic and nearly universal copyright law, the poster owns the post. So to clone every post, you’d need to secure the permission of each poster or their estate. You’re not a library and no one is going to believe a claim of historical archiving when the stated intent is to rehost without the agreement of the current licensed host (the Dope). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883/80 "2021-10-07T22:49:30Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > What’s our user agreement say? Does Chicago Reader et al own our content? > All postings and other material on the SDMB are copyrighted by STM. Republication of material appearing on the SDMB without express written permission of STM is prohibited, except that users retain the right to republish their own work. By posting on this board you grant STM and its successors and assigns a nonexclusive irrevocable right to reuse your posting in any manner it or they see fit without notice or compensation to you. ~Max [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-doomed-will-the-sdmb-die-under-the-new-ownership/951883.md?page=5)