# Chicago Reader up for sale — effect on SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 12, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559 "2012-03-12T16:11:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/1 "2012-03-12T16:11:43Z")
So apparently the Chicago Reader is being shopped around again: [Chicago Reader up for sale: Report](http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-chicago-reader-up-for-sale-report-20120312,0,2685729.story) The transition to Creative Loafing seemed to go all right a few years back, so that’s somewhat reassuring here & now. It’s probably too early to say anything for sure, but are there any rumblings about how/whether the SDMB will be affected by another change of ownership? Come to think of it, are the boards financially self-sufficient these days? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/2 "2012-03-12T16:44:53Z")
I saw that too ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/3 "2012-03-12T16:58:15Z")
I’ll give you $40 for it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/4 "2012-03-12T17:31:27Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I’ll give you $40 for it. But then you’ll just turn it into a clone of your board. Nobody wants that. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/5 "2012-03-12T17:53:37Z")
Well, nice knowing you all! ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/6 "2012-03-12T17:59:55Z")
Don’t panic yet. (You’ll have plenty of time to panic later.) When we get more info we’ll let you know – right now you all have as much information as we do. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/7 "2012-03-12T18:31:29Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I’ll give you $40 for it. I bid $45. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/8 "2012-03-12T18:36:21Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > I bid $45. $50, a dead rat and a pack of Necco wafers. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/9 "2012-03-12T18:40:52Z")
$50, _two_ dead rats, and if I take over, we can say “fuck you” in the Pit again. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/10 "2012-03-12T19:26:04Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > $50, _two_ dead rats, and if I take over, we can say “fuck you” in the Pit again. > > Regards, > Shodan I’m out. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/11 "2012-03-12T19:41:19Z")
Will they take my check? ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/12 "2012-03-12T20:17:03Z")
I bid $300 billion dollars. Yea!!! I win!!! Zimbabwe dollars are cool - right? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/13 "2012-03-12T20:37:19Z")
This quote from the linked article got my attention: “At the time of the redesign, Reader editor Mara Shalhoup told the Tribune that the goal was to make the Reader less insular, moving away from a tone she described as ‘the smartest-kids-in-the-room kind of lecturing everyone else.’” So maybe they’d be happier if we dumbed it down a little… ---
**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:** [March 12, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/14 "2012-03-12T20:41:38Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > This quote from the linked article got my attention: “At the time of the redesign, Reader editor Mara Shalhoup told the Tribune that the goal was to make the Reader less insular, moving away from a tone she described as ‘the smartest-kids-in-the-room kind of lecturing everyone else.’” > > So maybe they’d be happier if we dumbed it down a little… Wow. Way to totally miss the point. I think that the emphasis is on lecture, not smart. It’s not the content, it’s the tone. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/15 "2012-03-12T21:22:55Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > This quote from the linked article got my attention: “At the time of the redesign, Reader editor Mara Shalhoup told the Tribune that the goal was to make the Reader less insular, moving away from a tone she described as ‘the smartest-kids-in-the-room kind of lecturing everyone else.’” > > So maybe they’d be happier if we dumbed it down a little… \*Au contraire \*(that means “on the contrary” for those of you who aren’t the smartest kids in the room.) They can dumb down the Reader for the chattering classes, while leaving the Board alone for its current, self-selected audience of know-it-alls, psuedo-intellectuals and blowhards. That widens their potential reach. It’s a win-win. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/16 "2012-03-12T21:30:27Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > psuedo-intellectuals This is the best thing I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/17 "2012-03-12T21:46:44Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > > [@kunilou](#): > > > > psuedo-intellectuals > > This is the best thing I’ve ever seen. I resemble that remark. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/18 "2012-03-12T21:52:32Z")
That should have been suedo iltellectuals. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2012, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/19 "2012-03-12T22:26:27Z")
I look good in suede damn it! A suede speedo - not so much. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559/20 "2012-03-13T00:19:57Z")
“sudo intellectual” makes your Unix system smarter, despite any permissions that may have been set to keep it dumb. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-reader-up-for-sale-effect-on-sdmb/615559.md?page=2)