# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/101 "2019-05-10T17:08:56Z")
> [@Esprix](#): > > And then those annoying people show up every couple of years to renew their subscriptions and bump old threads. Those people are the worst! šŸ˜‰ > > Esprix Theyā€™re not always the worst - some are FAAABULOUS! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/102 "2019-05-10T21:38:48Z")
Hey, welcome back\*\* Esprix\*\*! Donā€™t make yourself so scarce. Thatā€™s something else we didnā€™t say in 1999. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/103 "2019-05-10T22:40:36Z")
> [@Esprix](#): > > And then those annoying people show up every couple of years to renew their subscriptions and bump old threads. Those people are the worst! šŸ˜‰ > > Esprix Nice to see you again. You were one of the reasons I got to like it around here. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/104 "2019-05-11T00:05:40Z")
I miss the jokes and banter. Thereā€™s so much negativity and anger in a lot of threads. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/105 "2019-05-11T01:18:16Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I miss the jokes and banter. > > Thereā€™s so much negativity and anger in a lot of threads. I think thereā€™s still plenty of jokes and banter here, you idiot. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/106 "2019-05-20T01:56:05Z")
Regardless of the veracity, Charles H. Duellā€™s alleged comment that ā€œeverything that can be invented has beenā€ is pretty analogous to todayā€™s SDMB topics. A once a month perusal will usually suffice nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/107 "2019-05-20T02:50:49Z")
Well, the front page states 21,475,053 posts. You have to expect that some of the newness has worn off. At, say, 100 words each (balancing the character-limit batshit screeds with the ā€œthisā€ posts), thatā€™s over two billion words. Almost as long as A Song of Ice and Fire will be. Nobody has come close to reading it all, so weā€™re each making assumptions about the tiny fragments we have read. And those may well not be representative of the whole or of other peopleā€™s experiences. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/108 "2019-05-20T17:19:24Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > I think thereā€™s still plenty of jokes and banter here, you idiot. šŸ˜› reported šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/109 "2019-05-20T18:08:26Z")
There used to be a lot more fun(ish) threads about weekly TV episodes, now itā€™s just a few with far too draconian rules about ā€œspoilersā€ just for comparing a show to whatever source material it came from so theyā€™re often not even worth clicking on. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/110 "2019-05-20T18:12:35Z")
Actually, back in 2000, we did say things like ā€œdonā€™t make yourself so scarceā€, or ā€œitā€™s been a long timeā€. Itā€™s just that, back then, that meant someone had been gone for a month, instead of a decade. EDIT: **TBG** , the Game of Thrones threads were a LOT less fun before those draconian rules. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/111 "2019-05-20T21:26:17Z")
I used to enjoy following along with the religious debates in GD. I miss reading some of the old membersā€™ thoughts- **Liberal, SentientMeat, Polycarp, Diogenes the Cynic** ā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/112 "2019-05-21T01:12:20Z")
> [@Trom](#): > > I used to enjoy following along with the religious debates in GD. I miss reading some of the old membersā€™ thoughts- **Liberal, SentientMeat, Polycarp, Diogenes the Cynic** ā€¦ +1, since I know everyone is clamoring for the function. But seriously, that is spot on. It was a straight line for me from ā€œHey, whatā€™s this Straight Dope online column, that Cecil guy knows some cool triviaā€ to ā€œWhat is this message board all about?ā€ to ā€œWait, thatā€™s a damn good question.ā€ The SDMB is (almost) singlehandedly responsible for me leaving behind fundamentalism. I miss the debates. I donā€™t know if they were better back in the day or if itā€™s just rose-colored memory, but I miss them. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/113 "2019-05-21T01:42:32Z")
> [@Mars\_Horizon](#): > > The SDMB is (almost) singlehandedly responsible for me leaving behind fundamentalism. I miss the debates. I donā€™t know if they were better back in the day or if itā€™s just rose-colored memory, but I miss them. **Mars Horizon** , were you around for the Fundie vs. Board wars? Theyā€™d sweep in with multiple posts about God and a dozen supporters for each one. We, and I mean ALL of us, would fire back: from **Espirix** on the liberal end of the theological scale, me somewhere in the middle and\*\* Czarcasm\*\* on the other end, and everyone else not backing down. It was the most unified the SDMB has ever been, except for the times we all wanted to know, ā€œWhat does the sale of the Chicago Reader mean to us THIS time?ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Mars\_Horizon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mars_horizon/32/2804_2.png) [@Mars\_Horizon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mars_Horizon)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/114 "2019-05-21T09:22:44Z")
I remember those, yes, but I couldnā€™t tell you when they were. I started reading the boards in mid ā€˜99 before registering to post in June 2000. Iā€™ll bet a little searching could dig up those old threads. Fun times! ---
**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 21, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/115 "2019-05-21T12:54:31Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > **Mars Horizon** , were you around for the Fundie vs. Board wars? Theyā€™d sweep in with multiple posts about God and a dozen supporters for each one. We, and I mean ALL of us, would fire back: from **Espirix** on the liberal end of the theological scale, me somewhere in the middle and\*\* Czarcasm\*\* on the other end, and everyone else not backing down. It was the most unified the SDMB has ever been, except for the times we all wanted to know, ā€œWhat does the sale of the Chicago Reader mean to us THIS time?ā€ > [@Mars\_Horizon](#): > > I remember those, yes, but I couldnā€™t tell you when they were. I started reading the boards in mid ā€˜99 before registering to post in June 2000. Iā€™ll bet a little searching could dig up those old threads. Fun times! We do seem to have less ā€œpile-onsā€ across the board and not just in GD. I didnā€™t realize I miss them until I stopped to think about it. Mine were more the 20-page MMPs but I remember a few smoking threads that went nuts from the very beginning post. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/116 "2019-05-21T13:35:20Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I donā€™t discount your experience, but mine was different. When I joined I felt very welcomed, even when I got push back for weak arguments and the like. My second post here had a grammatical error, which funny since I was commenting on how much a priority using good grammar was, and I was teased, but not abused. > > As JC said, report abusive posts so we can look at them. > [@kayaker](#): > > Which funny, huh? > > šŸ˜ƒ > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Dammit. And I had just edited out another error. Seriously. I should never mention grammar. > > (Furiously proofreads post) If you ever consider changing your custom title, you could go with ā€œPoster Child for Gaudereā€™s Lawā€ā€¦ šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/117 "2019-05-21T19:24:46Z")
I think the board changed when technology changed. Before Wikipedia and Snopes, this used to be a treasure trove of factoids, trivia, and little-known things that would be discussed in detail. Cecilā€™s columns were our sermons and etched tablets, but now thereā€™s plenty of debunking sites, and heā€™s been rendered obsolete. There used to be more blog-level posts, as insightful as newspaper editorials and as funny as stand-up comedy, like the posts by Master Wang-Ka, Scylla and a few others. I remember one story Opal had about showing her Muslim neighbor what porn was and how she reacted to it. Another (canā€™t remember posterā€™s name) found out she had a sister in China, and told a heartwarming tale of finally meeting her. This was before the advent of Facebook, so thatā€™s probably why thereā€™s so few of those magnificent stories these days. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/118 "2019-05-21T19:52:35Z")
> [@Esprix](#): > > And then those annoying people show up every couple of years to renew their subscriptions and bump old threads. Those people are the worst! šŸ˜‰ > > Esprix Duuuuude!!! šŸ˜ƒ šŸ˜ƒ šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/119 "2019-05-21T19:55:12Z")
The biggest change of all was a societal one: ā€œTLDR.ā€ Most everything today is Short Attention Span Theater and anything longer than a Tweet is too much for a lot of people to handle. So is holding two divergent opinions in one brainpan. Are we dumber today? Yeah. Not so much the Doper reading this; yā€™all are the last holdouts, though. Most other folks canā€™t be bothered. Just my jaundiced worldview. But you know Iā€™m right. Dammit. Jenny your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276/120 "2019-05-21T20:33:26Z")
So, not only is it taking longer, weā€™re losing ground. Well thatā€™s good news??? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-this-board-changed-over-the-years/814276.md?page=7)