# How about a "What If" board **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 16, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711 "2001-02-16T06:49:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/1 "2001-02-16T06:49:33Z")
I always enjoyed “What if” boards especially History “What ifs” Like what if Hitler hadn’t declared war on the US. How about getting another board like this ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/2 "2001-02-16T08:50:39Z")
Why? We don’t get that many questions on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/3 "2001-02-16T10:40:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Like what if Hitler hadn’t declared war on the US. Oh, you played _Command & Conquer: Red Alert_, too? Basically, the answer to your question is “such frivolity goes in MPSIMS”. A whole forum dedicated to sheer speculation, hypothesis, and conjecture goes contrary to the notion of “Fighting Ignorance”. However, I, for one, would greatly enjoy such a forum. Mayhap you can sign up with EZBoards and create your own message board? I’d post there. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/4 "2001-02-16T12:11:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Like what if Hitler hadn’t declared war on the US. > > Oh, you played _Command & Conquer: Red Alert_, too? > > Basically, the answer to your question is “such frivolity goes in MPSIMS”. A whole forum dedicated to sheer speculation, hypothesis, and conjecture goes contrary to the notion of “Fighting Ignorance”. > > However, I, for one, would greatly enjoy such a forum. Mayhap you can sign up with EZBoards and create your own message board? I’d post there. \*\* You might want to check out the newsgroup dedicated to alternate history: soc.history.what-if Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Show\_Biz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Show\_Biz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Show_Biz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/5 "2001-02-17T03:05:13Z")
I think the IMHO forum would be perfect for those. Here’s a historical What If I would suggest: What if Ben Franklin had never introduced the US to mustard after living in France? Just think of the consequences: Without a decent hotdog, Baseball would never have become the national pastime. And of course, without baseball to give us a sense of national superiority, we might have never started the war with Spain, and never picked up Puerto Rico. And, well, … Ok, bad example ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/6 "2001-02-17T05:13:51Z")
What if the Enterprise fought a Star Destroyer? _::d&r::_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/7 "2001-02-17T10:32:35Z")
Hey, you watch yourself, Monty! That’s a legitimate Great Debate that was inappropriately moved to IMHO! ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/8 "2001-02-17T12:04:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SPOOFE Bo Diddly \* > \*\*Hey, you watch yourself, Monty! That’s a legitimate Great Debate that was inappropriately moved to IMHO! \*\* Where would speculation about the outcome of a super-powered kung-fu outer-space smackdown between Uncle Beer and Coldfire go? Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/9 "2001-02-17T16:16:49Z")
The only rivalry I can imagine between me and UncleBeer is a serious drinking contest. And maybe, just maybe, someday we will have one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/10 "2001-02-17T20:59:51Z")
C’mon, Coldy. You know I’ve got about 10 years more experience than you, don’t ya? This wouldn’t even be close. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2001, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/11 "2001-02-18T00:49:09Z")
Here in the Old World, we start drinkin’ a bit younger, Yankee Boy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2001, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/12 "2001-02-18T01:07:00Z")
Can anyone give us the origin of the term “Yankee boy?” Oh, wait, I thought I was in GQ. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-what-if-board/54711/13 "2001-02-18T06:26:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Where would speculation about the outcome of a super-powered kung-fu outer-space smackdown between Uncle Beer and Coldfire go? I think a Star Destroyer would beat both their asses. Unless the two of them are already drunk.