# Longest thread started by a "guest"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [May 16, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598 "2003-05-16T03:14:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598/1 "2003-05-16T03:14:25Z")

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So I was searching for something else and came upon on of the _Greatest Threads Ever[sup]TM[/sup]_, [How to Kill Evil Nazi Groundhogs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=15906), when I noticed that the fellow that started it has never registered.

Is this the longest such thread? When did the SDMB stop allowing posts by unregistered guests? Is this guy around here somewhere now?

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598/2 "2003-05-16T03:21:24Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by USCDiver \*  
> Is this the longest such thread?

Don’t know.

> [@](#):
>
> When did the SDMB stop allowing posts by unregistered guests?

Since day 1 of the MB’s existence. What you see is an “artifact” caused by one of the bulletin board upgrades.

> [@](#):
>
> Is this guy around here somewhere now?

Watch out! He’s standing right behind you.

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**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598/3 "2003-05-16T03:55:39Z")

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It appears that that thread was started by none other than **Scylla**.

He’s very much [around](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=4005). Infact, right now, he’s attacking the [Walmartians](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=184365).

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598/4 "2003-05-16T04:52:19Z")

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“Guest” posters in the present tense have never been allowed in any of the incarnations of the we board since its inception in February or March of 1999. But software changes during the board’s lifetime have left some posts bereft of association with their current or disregistered\* originators.

\*not necessarily banned, just inactive since the software/database upgrade.

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-thread-started-by-a-guest/175598/5 "2003-05-16T04:57:37Z")

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Hmmm…, how to clarify? A lot got dropped.

Some old posters who’ve not been back show up as “guest” while others, such as myself, are back in the system but still have old posts show up as “guest.”

So, we’ve never allowed unregistered guest posters, but it’s a mix as to whether an old poster’s posts will show up as such or not.