# Is this the real deal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 15, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294 "2012-07-15T12:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rmanbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e95f7d/32.png) [@rmanbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmanbike)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/1 "2012-07-15T12:19:16Z")
Interesting, I have been trolling the web since Compuserve days; and if my memory serves me correctly the first time I have come across this site! I have a general misliking of stupidity, not that im smarter than everyone else. I just listen more often. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/2 "2012-07-15T12:48:33Z")
I’m not sure what you’re asking, but THE STRAIGHT DOPE was started by Cecil Adams in 1973 as a weekly (later syndicated) column in the CHICAGO READER. Cecil has been writing one column a week ever since, answering all sorts of questions. You can learn more by going to “Who is Cecil Adams?” from our Home Page. Most of the past columns can be read in our [Archives](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/archive), where you can select randomly or by date or search on keywords. And then we have discussions here on the Message Boards. So, yeah, we’re the real deal. And I hope that you’re using the term “trolling” in the fishing sense and not in the annoying sense 😉 Welcome! ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/3 "2012-07-15T23:03:46Z")
nm ---
**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:** [July 16, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/4 "2012-07-16T01:19:11Z")
Is this the real deal? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality … ---
**Author:** ![Cognitive\_Interregnum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Cognitive\_Interregnum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cognitive_Interregnum)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/5 "2012-07-16T01:42:35Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Is this the real deal? > Is this just fantasy? > Caught in a landslide, > No escape from reality … … I’m just a poor boy 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/6 "2012-07-16T09:23:18Z")
I need no sympathy!!! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/7 "2012-07-16T13:30:20Z")
Because I’m easy come, easy go… ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/8 "2012-07-16T14:05:16Z")
slightly elevated slightly depressed ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/9 "2012-07-16T14:37:20Z")
> [@rmanbike](#): > > Interesting, I have been trolling the web since Compuserve days At least this one admits it! 😃 Don’t mind us, man-usual price of initiation here (yes I went through it too). ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/10 "2012-07-16T16:59:59Z")
Hey, I was on compuserve too. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-real-deal/628294/11 "2012-07-16T18:10:00Z")
Compuserve, Class of 1994