# "formerly called 'Mailbag Answers'" **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 25, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119 "2017-07-25T23:48:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/1 "2017-07-25T23:48:13Z")
This is still included in the forum description regarding Staff Reports. How long ago were they called Mailbag Answers? I seem to remember they were called Staff Reports when I found this place about 15 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/2 "2017-07-26T00:44:54Z")
They were called mailbag answers when I first found this place. I remember when they were renamed, though I don’t remember exactly when it was (other than a long time ago). It took me a while to join the message board, so I’m guessing that I first found the Straight Dope web site sometime in 2000. Poking around on google, I found posts in 2003 referencing that Staff Reports were formerly called Mailbag Answers, so it was sometime between 2000 and 2003. I didn’t spend enough time on google to narrow it down further than that. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/3 "2017-07-26T00:50:52Z")
OK, I went off and had some fun with the wayback machine. Aug 17, 2000 still has it as mailbag. Oct 17, 2000 has Staff Reports. There are no wayback archives between those two dates, so I can’t narrow it down further than that. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/4 "2017-07-26T02:31:42Z")
It’s only been 18 years. Let’s not be hasty. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/5 "2017-07-26T02:47:40Z")
Whoa, the name changed that early on? It felt like there was a whole era before that. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/6 "2017-07-26T03:18:01Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > OK, I went off and had some fun with the wayback machine. > > Aug 17, 2000 still has it as mailbag. Oct 17, 2000 has Staff Reports. There are no wayback archives between those two dates, so I can’t narrow it down further than that. I joined the board on October 11, 2000 and my first Staff Report was published November 22 of that year. I don’t recall them being referred to as Mailbag Answers, so I can confirm it was some time before October 2000. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2017, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/7 "2017-07-26T16:35:03Z")
“Sometime in 2000” was what my fuzzy brain came up with as well, but stuff does look different looking back so I wasn’t 100% sure. Amazing that we’re still here, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/8 "2017-07-27T02:07:42Z")
Maybe that could be removed from the description of the forum? There seems to be little chance of confusion at this point, 17 years hence. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2017, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/9 "2017-07-27T03:13:29Z")
Better yet, update it to say something like “Staff Reports since 2000; Mailbag Answers in the previous Century.” If you’re serious Old School you oughta flaunt it, not bury it. Said another way: In internet years we’re already long dead. 🙂 ---
**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:** [July 27, 2017, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-called-mailbag-answers/792119/10 "2017-07-27T07:02:00Z")
The comic strip is still called [Barney Google and Snuffy Smith](http://comicskingdom.com/barney-google-and-snuffy-smith) even though Barney (and Spark Plug) only show up every 20 years or so. So it may be best to keep their options open.