# How can I convince my brother to join the SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 21, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559 "2003-11-21T19:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/21 "2003-11-25T16:40:44Z")
Do you think, if you wrote his ‘theory of everyone else’s ignorance’ on this board (only intentionally doing a horrible job of explaining it), that would actually bait him into joining? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/22 "2003-11-25T17:18:30Z")
Only slightly kidding: Start using Dope-speak in everyday language. When he lemes the room, say “When come back, bring pie!”. Laugh hysterically. If you win a game or embarass him in some way, then scream, “Ha! I burning your dog.” When you make a shppoing list, put “Hi Opal” as #3. He will demand to know what the hell you mean. Tell him that he will have to read the boards to find out. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/23 "2003-11-25T19:22:57Z")
Maybe the reverse approach works best. Tell him you discussed it with us and we came to the conclusion we didn’t want him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/24 "2003-11-25T21:57:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shagnasty \* > \*\*Only slightly kidding: Start using Dope-speak in everyday language. When he lemes the room, say “When come back, bring pie!”. Laugh hysterically. If you win a game or embarass him in some way, then scream, “Ha! I burning your dog.” When you make a shppoing list, put “Hi Opal” as #3. He will demand to know what the hell you mean. Tell him that he will have to read the boards to find out. \*\* I’ve been here too long. I actually know what you are talking about. Except for the “shppoing list” – that’s something about hair, right? All our base are belong to… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/25 "2003-11-25T22:10:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Then it might surprise you when I tell you… _I_ am your father, **Kyla**! \*\* **Nooooo** … Oh, wait, wrong bizarre family drama. (Now, where did my hand get to… 😕 ) ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/26 "2003-11-25T22:17:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Tell him there are naked pictures of smart women, but he has to register to see them. \*\* Hey! I haven’t seen… oh… Yeah, that’s right. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/27 "2003-11-26T00:37:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Then it might surprise you when I tell you… _I_ am your father, **Kyla**! \*\* Well, that’s wacky! Maybe you shouldn’t lie on your location, ever think of that, Dad? ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/28 "2003-11-26T00:42:06Z")
Sorry, all my dad-pals thought it would be groovy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![groo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@groo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/29 "2003-11-26T16:38:32Z")
I put “Hi Opal!” on a bullet chart at work. Went over like a wet noodle. I don’t want to sound like a fortune cookie, but when your brother is ready, he will seek out the SMDB. When I stumbled on the SMDB, it was like discovering a secret portal to the promised land, where weighty political discussions go hand in hand with “Bailey vs. Jennifer” threads, where one can post questions about the daily life of Etruscans and, sure enough, a half dozen people who obsess over the Etruscans will spew forth pages and pages of details. Truly, we have a large population of intelligent, eclectic and (some political sniping aside) reasonable people coming together to engage in what I think are fascinating discussions. So, when your brother is ready, he’s gonna say, “Where can I communicate with people who aren’t idiots? (Or where can I find a place where the relative proportion of idiots is smaller?)” And then you can point him here. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559/30 "2003-11-26T17:50:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by groo \* > [The SDMB is] a secret portal to the promised land, where weighty political discussions go hand in hand with “Bailey vs. Jennifer” threads, where one can post questions about the daily life of Etruscans and, sure enough, a half dozen people who obsess over the Etruscans will spew forth pages and pages of details. I nominate **groo** to write our next advertising brochure. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-convince-my-brother-to-join-the-sdmb/214559.md?page=1)