# How has this board changed over the years **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 16, 2018, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276 "2018-05-16T11:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/61 "2018-05-18T01:37:10Z")
Moderation has tightened and become more codified over the years. Hell, over the past 12 months probably. When I joined, there was a pro-mod consensus among the vocal. Complaints in the pit would generally be lodged by newbies, with much hilarity. Moderator sponsored smack-downs were epic. At some point, the weight of vocal opinion shifted against the mod staff, for reasons that I personally ascribe to butthurt. Later, criticisms of moderation shifted from the Pit to ATMB. Butthurt hit a crescendo, then tapered off over the years. And here we are. Board activity has declined a lot over the past 2 years. I have mixed feelings about that. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/62 "2018-05-18T02:29:21Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > At some point, the weight of vocal opinion shifted against the mod staff, for reasons that I personally ascribe to butthurt. Later, criticisms of moderation shifted from the Pit to ATMB. Butthurt hit a crescendo, then tapered off over the years. And here we are. To be fair, the quality of the board’s moderation dropped significantly three or so years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/63 "2018-05-18T03:05:21Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Let’s not forget there’s a generational change. Grabbing my extra wide sawdust broom, there’s a younger generation afoot with such a self-absorbed and short attention span, in-depth debate, argument, even silliness, is lost with them. This makes me wonder how the age demographics have changed over the years. Back when I first joined, the World Wide Web was relatively new (or at least a toddler); but now that it’s been more than a decade and a half, and the Internet has evolved. . . have the age statistics changed? I miss the change in “post formatting.” Back in the day if you were responding to a Doper, you **bolded** their name. If you wanted to quote them, you didn’t just ‘carpet quote’ the whole thing. . . you took the time to address the sentences or paragraph one at a time–not a full rambling page in one quotation block. I think that made it more personal and legible. Nowadays, I understand that people are just so used to smartphones that they just go with what’s easiest (smartphones weren’t around as much in '01). Tripler But what the hell do I know? I double space after my sentence-ending periods. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/64 "2018-05-18T04:15:36Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > But what the hell do I know? I double space after my sentence-ending periods. What **Tripler** said. And Oxford commas, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/65 "2018-05-22T19:59:29Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > To be fair, the quality of the board’s moderation dropped significantly three or so years ago. Well, dem’s fightin’ woids, it seems to me. Does one Pit mods in ATMB (a paradox indeed) or an ATMB mod will eventually say “that’s it, take it outside?” I can’t remember such intense developments here, although there must have been. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/66 "2018-05-22T20:08:13Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > To be fair, the quality of the board’s moderation dropped significantly three or so years ago. Yo! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/67 "2018-05-22T20:09:23Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Well, dem’s fightin’ woids, it seems to me. I think you missed the self-referential joke in that statement. 😉 Then again, there was more than one mod that started around that time. 😃 > [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Does one Pit mods in ATMB (a paradox indeed) or an ATMB mod will eventually say “that’s it, take it outside?” I can’t remember such intense developments here, although there must have been. You used to be able to Pit mods, but that didn’t work out very well. So now you can discuss moderation in ATMB, but you can’t just insult mods or their moderation. You can’t Pit a mod anywhere on the SDMB. That rule only applies to moderators while acting as moderators. You can Pit us (in the Pit, of course) for things we post while not acting as moderators. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/68 "2018-05-22T20:28:04Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > This makes me wonder how the age demographics have changed over the years. Back when I first joined, the World Wide Web was relatively new (or at least a toddler); but now that it’s been more than a decade and a half, and the Internet has evolved. . . have the age statistics changed? I think it’s fair to say that the board has gotten older over the past 20 years. There used to be waves of new members timed with the pace of the school year. Not so much any more. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/69 "2018-05-22T20:31:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Heh, heh. > > You have no idea. The Pit used to be a free-wheeling cage match, no holds barred. Today’s version is Saturday Morning Kiddy Show by comparison. > > As for the political nature of the Pit, ask old timers about the late **Reeder** and his obsession with “W.” Or “My post is my cite” **Aldebaran.** Anybody remember Cervaise’s great [The Telemarket Speaks, I Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=51270) thread? You can’t use language like that anymore, even in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/70 "2018-05-22T20:49:35Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I think you missed the self-referential joke in that statement. 😉 > > Then again, there was more than one mod that started around that time. 😃 > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Yo! Yo^2 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/71 "2018-05-23T02:24:06Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Yo^2 I was going to start some “yo mama” jokes here but I thought better of it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/72 "2018-05-23T13:30:21Z")
And _I_ was going to post some Yo-yo Ma jokes, but thought cellist of it. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/73 "2018-05-23T13:52:01Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Yo^2 I think perhaps a vacation is needed. I’ll start a GoFundMe page and begin twisting Ed’s arm. We have your back here. ETA. We did this to you. You may have a [redacted word that can’t be mentioned]. Consult a lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2018, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/74 "2018-05-23T14:10:37Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > I think perhaps a vacation is needed. I’ll start a GoFundMe page and begin twisting Ed’s arm. We have your back here. > > ETA. We did this to you. You may have a [redacted word that can’t be mentioned]. Consult a lawyer. You get me. _sobs_ ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/75 "2018-05-24T00:10:46Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > And _I_ was going to post some Yo-yo Ma jokes, but thought cellist of it. Perhaps it has been longer than three years, come to think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/76 "2018-05-24T01:25:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Sometimes that is true, but sometimes (as in the case of all the 911 threads) nothing new is ever presented, So? > [@Czarcasm](#): > > and yet we are expected to start all over again with arguments and cites. I don’t think so. If someone is starting a new thread, I double if what they have in mind is an expection. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > In cases like that, I think a simple “Here are a few links to where we already discussed all this. If you have anything new to add, please let us know” is the proper response. Is the proper response after new voices have had their chance to offer opinions, argue it out, and raise unanswered questions. I wouldn’t immediately hop into a discussion with friends or at work, and tell everyone that _I_ have already studied the question and know all the answers: I don’t think the same thing is appropriate here either. (And I don’t think that in-jokes and off-topic comments by the moderators are a good look either, but I doubt if that is something that is new) ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/77 "2018-05-24T06:48:51Z")
When I came from Usenet, there were tons of jokes (like 1920’s Death Ray) that were easy to pick up on and fun. Very few now. No one mentions Monty Python anymore, hardly. And we no longer get an influx of new posters in September. We used to get that when kids went to college and discovered the Internet. My perception is that posting volume is down. I can actually keep up with most threads now. Not sure if that is just my perception, though. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/78 "2018-05-24T14:31:09Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > I actually miss hosting dopers at my place. > > When I started here I lived NW of Washington DC on a bunch of acres and would, twice a year, host enormous parties with up to 200 guests. Inviting dopers - we called ourselves MADs for Mid-Atlantic Dopers - would up both the guest list and how interesting it was. I miss those parties! > [@](#): > > I’ve tried to do it a few times over the last few years but I think the depth of penetration here in the south is much lighter. Or we’re just less social now. Both, I think. > [@](#): > > In addition, several of the attendee of those parties are now gone. Dances\_with\_cats, Opal, some others. **Dances\_with\_cats** , **Opalcat** , and **Norinew** died, you moved away, a couple of well-known MADopers got banned, parenthood sucked away most of my free time and energy for several years…just one thing and another. There’s some DC-area Dopers I’d really like to meet, but haven’t had the energy to organize something myself. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/79 "2018-05-24T17:14:04Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Both, I think. 10 years ago, Dopefests were so common that [a sticky thread was needed to remind the Teeming Millions that TPTB are neither associated with nor responsible for such gatherings](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=457122). Not so much these days. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/80 "2019-02-24T16:23:25Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > But I do miss some of the posters we don’t see anymore like stoid eve esperix … Popped by for the first time in a billion years. Vanity search…thanks! Nice to know a body or two cares… this is my 20th year on the Dope. Which is astounding. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276.md?page=5)