# How Many Dopers Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 15, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248 "2002-06-15T18:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LolaBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/1 "2002-06-15T18:32:00Z")
How many Dopers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Answer: 71. 1 to change the lightbulb and post it to the board that the bulb has been changed. 10 to respond and share similar experiences. 7 to caution about the dangers of changing lightbulbs. 9 to make a numbered list about how to change it just so they can list #3 as “Hi Opal!” 5 to point out **Gaudere’s** Law in the OP and other replies about changing lightbulbs. 3 to flame the spell-checkers. 6 to write to the administrator to complain about the lightbulb discussion and its inappropriateness to the forum it was posted in. 3 to defend the relevance of the lightbulb discussion in that particular forum. 7 to post website addresses where one can see different examples of lightbulbs. 14 to complain that the website addresses are incorrect and post correct ones. 3 to say they were offended by the OP and announce they are taking it to the Pit. 3 to “leave the board forever” because they can’t handle the lightbulb controversy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Blind\_Guardian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@Blind\_Guardian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blind_Guardian)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/2 "2002-06-15T18:56:57Z")
3 to post links to numerous previous discussions of lightbulb changing on the boards, complete with rolleyes smilies and snippy comments about people not using the search function. 4 to make followup posts as an excuse to use the new :smack: smiley gratuitously. 5 to carry on a debate in GD about the sociopolitcoeconomic ramifications of electric lighting, and the pros and cons thereof. 12 to discuss the merits of different brands of lightbulbs in IMHO, and preferences in incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen lightbulbs. 6 to cone up with a list of lightbulb-related songs and movies in Cafe Society 22 to post “How many \_\_\_\_\_ does it take to change a lightbulb?” jokes in MPSIMS. 2 more in the Pit to post threads asking if Lightbulb changers are taking over the SDMB. 2 irritated mods to check on the complaints about posting in an inappropriate forum and deal with the Pit threads. ---
**Author:** ![Clever\_Hans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Clever\_Hans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clever_Hans)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/3 "2002-06-15T20:41:49Z")
Damn, no wonder I haven’t changed the light bulb in my bathroom lately. I thought I was lazy but apparently I have a subconscious desire not to put the good people of the SDMB thru that. Be warned, my bedroom light has burned out now to so the leaving the bathroom door open is no longer an option. A resolution thread will appear shortly. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/4 "2002-06-15T22:48:16Z")
1 to post a link to a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66395&highlight=light+bulb) in which posters had the temerity to joke about this serious topic, and which contains further links to other joke threads. 4 to bitterly complain about the lack of a light bulb smiley. 6 to hijack the thread into an argument about split infinitives. 1 to complain bitterly about the existence of _any_ smilies, and threaten unspecified but gruesome torment to the light bulb-smiley advocates. (I know I saw **ChiefScott** around here earlier). On preview, that gives us 139. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/5 "2002-06-15T22:55:43Z")
1 to note that preview is his friend, and should not be neglected: [Properly-coded link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66395&highlight=light+bulb) That should give us 140, no? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/6 "2002-06-15T23:26:47Z")
Actually, only 1. They hold on to the bulb, and the world revolves around them. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/7 "2002-06-16T12:54:34Z")
What about the 40 who must read the strip and not comment for fear of making a bad joke or falling flat on their face as their joke is simply not conveyed over the digital divide? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/8 "2002-06-16T18:21:34Z")
Don’t forget about the ten who will post for no apparent reason just to pad their post count. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@Jello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jello)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/9 "2002-06-16T19:31:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LurkMeister \* > \*\*Don’t forget about the ten who will post for no apparent reason just to pad their post count. 😃 \*\* And the four who will quote the entire post directly before their own in order to add one or two new lines. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/10 "2002-06-16T20:23:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jello \* > \*\* > > And the four who will quote the entire post directly before their own in order to add one or two new lines. \*\* I hate when people do that. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/11 "2002-06-16T20:24:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LurkMeister \* > \*\*Don’t forget about the ten who will post for no apparent reason just to pad their post count. 😃 \*\* And that too. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/12 "2002-06-16T23:19:24Z")
Part of my job is changing light bulbs. The average Boeing 737 has 127 different part numbers for light bulbs. And I have change most of each at least once. Now that I have taken the steam out of this post, it may die gracefully. ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/13 "2002-06-16T23:48:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racer72 \* > \*\*Part of my job is changing light bulbs. The average Boeing 737 has 127 different part numbers for light bulbs. And I have change most of each at least once. > > Now that I have taken the steam out of this post, it may die gracefully. \*\* May I add my fervent hope that this does not herald a spate of “Ask the Light-Bulb Guy” threads? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-dopers-does-it-take-to-change-a-lightbulb/114248/14 "2002-06-17T00:18:37Z")
Don’t change the lightbulb!!! It’ll just cause a glare on my monitor! Now shut the door and leave me alone.