# Chicago Straight Dope--gone **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 24, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148 "2018-08-24T00:17:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/1 "2018-08-24T00:17:53Z")
the short-lived column, _The Chicago Straight Dope_ is no longer accessible. I had Cecil answer my question there. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/2 "2018-08-24T12:40:56Z")
Any explanation? I’m wondering if the phrase “Straight Dope” was a problem. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/3 "2018-08-24T14:06:20Z")
No, “Straight Dope Chicago” and the message board forum associated with it were removed because … well, frankly, there was little traffic on the page. Lack of interest by natives of Chicago (and most everyone else) meant that when the site was redesigned last year these pages were omitted. Consider it one of our experiments that didn’t work out so well. Seemed like a good idea at the time … “And we’ll have content that’s meaningful to Chicago.” Not so much, it turned out. Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/4 "2018-08-26T18:51:20Z")
Yeah, I miss that, too. I had several questions addressed there. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/5 "2018-08-26T19:00:52Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Yeah, I miss that, too. I had several questions addressed there. Too late to edit, but I had an additional thought: Maybe we could start an unofficial, member-supported omnibus thread for questions and answers about Chicago? And threads for other cities and regions, too? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/6 "2018-08-27T00:39:19Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Seemed like a good idea at the time … Or was it “hold my beer while I create this site”? Not you of course but some of the others … 😉 ---
**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:** [August 27, 2018, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-straight-dope-gone/820148/7 "2018-08-27T02:31:27Z")
We actually had meetings over this and everything. People sitting around a conference table debating what people would want to read. Turned out we were all wrong. I’m in favor of any thread y’all want to start asking any question about anything or anywhere that people could contribute to. There’s a lot of smart people on this site who have been places and done things and can tell good stories as they answer questions. That’s a good deal of what the message board has always been about and now it’s needed more than ever. So please, go for it! Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator