As for me, I kinda found it through a link/stumble.
I wish I could remember the details, but I was searching for an answer to something and landed on the phrase, “Well according to what I read on The Straight Dope”…, and it had the last three words linked, so I came here and never looked back.
Tried to a time or two, but the bond was just too strong, I reckon.
Q
Arrrghhhh! “Bulletin” NOT “Bulleting”
I was looking for an easy to understand definition of “passive aggressive” - the original definition, that is, not the term it’s become - to settle a friendly argument with a coworker. Found Cecil’s column from google and the message board from there.
I had read the first three books, I believe, search for the column on the Internet one day and came there from here.
Arrrrrgh! Message Board, NOT Bulletin Board!
Q
Forced memory implant during my incarceration in the Plrebbt.
None of the choices work for me.
First saw Cecil’s column in the local alternative paper, recognized the books in a used bookstore and was one of the first places I looked for when we bought our first computer.
Arrrgh! The BOOKS! The damn books!!!
Sorry, pat! Maybe one of these days I’ll get a poll right!
Q
I saw a link to the old “Lord of the Rings as written by other authors” thread elsewhere - probably on Slashdot, though I couldn’t swear to it. And that was that.
newspaper column then books then who knows what lead me to column on web then forum.
Another message board I belonged to mentioned it. There are a few others I know from that other place that post or posted here.
I was looking for forums to see how they worked technically. Do unanswered questions stay at the top. Do new responses bring the topic back to the top. That sort of thing. I didn’t have any particular reason. I was just curious. Found a link. Probably with Google.
I didn’t ‘happen upon’ it. I came upon it.
Didn’t you notice it was all sticky?
Reminds me of an ad I saw once, Johnny:
“For Sale: Used copy of The Kama Sutra. Some pages stuck together.” 
Quasi
You should have split the “linked to it by a search” option into two: “Linked to the board/a thread by a search” and “linked to an article by a search”. The latter is what happened to me.
Only at the top of each forum.
During the Winter of our Missed Content, wring came to hang out on the snopes boards. I was a member there then and she mentioned over here. I came to check it out and never looked back.
It was a dark and stormy night. I was all alone; and lonely <sigh> looking for a message board. . .
Found it oh so many years ago on a website called bored.com.
I discovered the main Straight Dope page while doing some urban legend debunking, probably as early as 1999. Took a while to become comfy enough to post in the message board.
I decided to read the bible this last summer to finally put to rest the question of faith. Do I or do I not believe. So, I’m reading the old testament and I’m so confused about what I’m reading that I googled in the hopes of getting a more clear interpretation of something in the book of Daniel. I got linked here. And started reading and got addicted to the dope.
You all entertain me, teach me and very often, make me laugh more than I have in years.