# “Mundane, Pointless”, as in Beirut? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 5, 2020, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370 "2020-08-05T21:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/101 "2023-03-31T08:26:25Z")
> [@Gary\_Robson](#): > > > [@Hatchie](#): > > > > I didn’t know that Message Board nostalgia was a factor. Interesting. > > The more you explore the Straight Dope Message Boards, the more you’ll see that the nostalgia, in jokes, playful forum names, irreverent motto, and even the tone of the moderation contribute to the personality of this place. In fact, they contribute to it being a “place” at all, in the sense of the “third place” we all seek. > > Certainly I’d have no problem with the creation of a new news forum or the repurposing of an old special one, but I think the name MPSIMS fits well with the overall feel of the SDMB and I hope it stays. This pretty much sums up how I feel. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/102 "2023-03-31T12:27:20Z")
**Gary\_Robson**. Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time. A long time. I hope he’s well. Discourse doesn’t recognize him, at least not by that name. But I agree with his sentiment in the sense that the place has personality and we can’t shouldn’t just re-org it like some corporate departmental shake-up after a takeover without considering the effect on our plucky, but ever-shrinking, band of regulars. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/103 "2023-03-31T15:05:46Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I hope he’s well. Discourse doesn’t recognize him, at least not by that name. Yeah it does. Right in this thread actually. He’s not posted since 2020. > **[@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)** > > Not an SDMB mod anymore. Used to be known as “Invisible Wombat.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/104 "2023-03-31T16:50:41Z")
I’m going to be making an announcement shortly about the name change and we’re going with “Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share”. The actual change should happen within the week. The Mods and Ed agreed it was an excellent change and we like the fact the acronym remains the same. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/105 "2023-03-31T22:42:55Z")
Well. Pigs have taken wing. I’m happy this is finally being done. I wouldn’t have tried to save the acronym or initialism or whatever it is, but that’s fine. Could we have a time-frame? I want to watch as the odometer resets to zero. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2023, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/106 "2023-03-31T23:04:55Z")
I’m leaning towards Sunday, seems hopeful. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/107 "2023-04-18T21:16:23Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > **Gary\_Robson**. Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time. A long time. Of course I know him: He’s me. I stepped away from SDMB some years back for the same reason I stopped playing World of Warcraft. It was eating my life. I came back briefly right after TubaDiva died, but I had a lot going personally and I just couldn’t afford to let the Straight Dope take over again. Now that my ADD is finally diagnosed and being treated (SQUIRREL!!!), I can start doing things like SDMB and games again. I’m semi-retired, doing nonprofit consulting and voice acting part-time while finishing up the house my wife & I are building. It’s funny that an emailed notification from Loach would be the thing to remind me to check back in on the SDMB. It’s fun seeing all these familiar names. Hello all! -=- Gary -=- ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/108 "2023-04-18T21:44:55Z")
Welcome back! I started my sabbatical due to a severe SDMB addiction not long from when you did. I’ve been back ~9 months now. Lots of familiar faces are still here. ---
**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:** [April 19, 2023, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/109 "2023-04-19T14:40:56Z")
> [@Gary\_Robson](#): > > Of course I know him: He’s me. Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370/110 "2023-04-19T17:28:57Z")
Thank you! It’s good to see all these familiar names. I haven’t started really poking about yet, but it looks like there’s some new stuff to go along with the old and familiar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mundane-pointless-as-in-beirut/917370.md?page=5)