# How did the Old Dopers find out about OpalCat's passing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 13, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873 "2013-03-13T23:51:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/61 "2013-03-19T23:36:40Z")
Learned of Opalcat’s passing by noticing an update in the MPSIMS area that said Bye Opal. I first thought that maybe she quit the SD and wasn’t expecting what I found. In her memorial thread I just posted the odd coincidence that we adopted a cat named Opal the weekend that Opalcat left this Earth. She’ll never be forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/62 "2013-03-19T23:44:53Z")
_waves_ Hi **Francesca**! Also, whoa **Twisty** too! Edit: Err, Twisty posted in the other thread I guess. Or did I imagine that? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/63 "2013-03-21T09:36:50Z")
> [@Rasa](#): > > _waves_ Hi **Francesca**! Also, whoa **Twisty** too! > > Edit: Err, Twisty posted in the other thread I guess. Or did I imagine that? No you didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Juggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/juggler/32/3194_2.png) [@Juggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juggler)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/64 "2013-03-22T21:02:25Z")
I browse the boards a couple of times per month and noticed the thread today. Both the sad announcement and reading all the names of old brings back memories. ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/65 "2013-03-22T21:04:42Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > No you didn’t. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/66 "2013-03-22T21:36:15Z")
Hey **Rasa**! Hey **Twisty**! ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/67 "2013-03-23T05:17:22Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > 😃 I tried several different ways of phrasing it, each more awkward than the next, so I just decided to go with it. > > It really is good to see them, in very much the same way it’s good to see old friends/family at a funeral. I’m sad, and at the same time want to squee and give hugs. > > Thanks for sending out the “Dope signal”, **KarlGrenze**. I agree, it is heart warming to see so many old Dopers. Thank you for starting this thread. Imagine the Doper Signal ? Cut from a plate of steel. Turkey with a mortar board. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/68 "2013-03-23T07:51:05Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > I agree, it is heart warming to see so many old Dopers. > > Thank you for starting this thread. > Imagine the Doper Signal ? Cut from a plate of steel. Turkey with a mortar board. Indeed it is, I’ve missed you guys! Being 12-hours-plus off from the US means I have a very odd work schedule and don’t keep up well with _any_ social media, so I managed to miss discussion from IRL friends such as Vix, Gingerofthenorth, UncleBill and Geobabe. I’ve been away from SDMB for years but I do visit the main site almost every week to read the new column. And then I noticed the “Bye Opal” title in Threadspotting and my heart sank… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/69 "2013-03-23T16:17:59Z")
I missed it completely till last night. I spend too much time on STO, miss a lot of other things. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/70 "2013-03-23T19:09:03Z")
I dunno that I qualify as an Old Doper (only here since 2002, and not a prolific poster.) I drop in every month or so just to look around and see generally what’s happening, and I saw a mention in another thread. I was all WTF?? and had to go looking for info. I should drop by more often, but I spend most of my forum time on Ravelry these days. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/71 "2013-03-30T18:48:14Z")
Read about it on Gingy’s FB. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/72 "2013-03-30T21:46:42Z")
I read it on the Straight Dopers group on Facebook. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/73 "2013-04-15T23:51:20Z")
Believe it or not, I just found out today. I haven’t been to this board since the phony quad postings. I found out because I mysteriously went to the Giraffe board at lunch, for the first time since probably even longer ago, discovered a thread about it. She may have been one of the first person to respond to a post of mine, and I’ll remember her fondly. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/74 "2013-04-16T06:32:54Z")
Crap. Maybe I don’t count as an “old doper” (except in actual years), I wandered away for about a year just because I got out of the habit of opening the page and then decided to come back a couple months ago and then went several weeks again without checking the boards and came back again today and saw this. How very sad. I never interacted with her much but the “Hi, Opal!” meme was one of the first ones I learned about here. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/75 "2013-04-16T08:04:21Z")
I heard about Opal’s passing on the Unaboard. I guess I’m old timer enough. I was there when Opal made her first appearance in the Straight Dope world on the old AOLSD chatroom. I don’t remember if I was hosting it that night. She made quite a splash. She made sure everyone there knew she had been a stripper, had an open marriage with her husband, and posted a link to a photo of some fellow’s hand wrist deep in some woman’s anus searching for his wrist watch, I guess. Oh, and the latest report is Fathom went down today. I don’t expect it’ll be up again. There’s an emergency site set up for Fathom troubles that is still up. Surreal and Catzpjs or whatever their user names there are seem to be in charge and I suspect they’ll be maintaining it. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/76 "2013-04-16T19:23:52Z")
Just found out via this thread. So thanks for posting, or I’d have missed it altogether. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/77 "2013-04-26T00:18:01Z")
Sorry to hear about Opal. > [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Are you out of med school yet? Thanks for reminding me that I will NEVER remember that he changed his name. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/78 "2013-04-26T02:45:48Z")
I started reading the Dope in 1999, but I didn’t dare join because I was so stupid. I finally joined to answer a question that I knew the answer to that was not answered. I hardly ever post anymore due to my disability. I like seeing you guys again ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/79 "2013-05-11T18:17:21Z")
I just learned about Opalcat today. I noticed in a thread people were putting RIP after another poster’s name and that led me to the In Memoriam thread. Opalcat jumped out at me because she was a poster I couldn’t help but notice when I first joined. 1. Bye, Opal ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873/80 "2013-05-11T21:49:00Z")
1. I didn’t know about OpalCat’s passing until reading this thread. 2. I’m a 99-er from the AOL days. 3. Bye, Opal @-,–’------- [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-old-dopers-find-out-about-opalcats-passing/652873.md?page=5)