# Forum Numbers **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 27, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879 "2002-09-27T15:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/1 "2002-09-27T15:12:45Z")
Having a look at the links to the Fora, I noticed that they each have a number: 1 = Cecil’s Columns 2 = ATMB 3 = General Questions 4 = MPSIMS 5 = BBQ Pit 6 = Staff Reports 7 = Great Debates 12 = IMHO 13 = Cafe Soc. Do these numbers reflect the order in which the fora came into being? Are there four deleted/MIA/secret fora? Grim ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/2 "2002-09-27T16:07:51Z")
There is a forum not visible to us plebes that the mods and admins use. Great Debates, IMHO and Cafe Society appeared in the order you’ve listed. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/3 "2002-09-27T17:05:32Z")
Unless you hack around it, the Forums are numbered by the vBulletin software in order of creation. So you can tell which ones were made first, and last. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/4 "2002-09-27T19:18:20Z")
Shortly after the glaciers receded, when **Arnold von Winkelried** was merely a member and **Uncle Beer** was still a nephew, the decision was made to create three archive forums as permitted by the old software then used to run the boards, and to store the best of the early threads therein. These three fora did not survive the transition to vBB, and the lamentation of the **TubaDiva** was heard throughout the land. ---
**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:** [September 29, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/5 "2002-09-29T19:37:47Z")
> [@](#): > > These three fora did not survive the transition to vBB, and the lamentation of the **TubaDiva** was heard throughout the land. The fora didn’t survive, but in vBulletin, they’re not really needed. And from what I understand, most of the threads in those fora _were_ eventually recovered, and placed in their original locations. So no more lamentation on that count. And a good thing, too… You really don’t want to hear a lamenting tubist ;). ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/6 "2002-09-30T03:15:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*And a good thing, too… You really don’t want to hear a lamenting tubist ;). \*\* No, not if it sounds as bad as poorly played bagpipes and French horn all together. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/7 "2002-09-30T07:38:31Z")
Thanks for the info… Grim ---
**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:** [September 30, 2002, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/8 "2002-09-30T13:09:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flamsterette\_X \* > \*\* > > No, not if it sounds as bad as poorly played bagpipes and French horn all together. > > F\_X \*\* Hey. HEY! your humble TubaDiva “We gotta right to sing the blues.” (Usually sounds damn good too.) ---
**Author:** ![grirnpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e56c9b/32.png) [@grirnpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grirnpixie)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forum-numbers/129879/9 "2002-09-30T13:34:08Z")
Bagpipes are fun. I forget which are the french horns, but they sound like they should be fun as well.