# OK, everyone. How did you find this place **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 15, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855 "2000-03-15T17:55:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/1 "2000-03-15T17:55:00Z")
When I moved to Michigan, the local free alternative weekly paper didn’t carry the Straight Dope. (Their loss. I rarely make the effort to pick up a copy.) I tried [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) and here it was. This was a year and a half ago, so there wasn’t a message board here, and I didn’t have AOL access. But at least I could keep up with the column. ## How did the rest of you find this board? _It is too clear, and so it is hard to see._ ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2000, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/2 "2000-03-16T06:52:00Z")
My local paper doesn’t carry the Dope, so just how the heck did I hear about it? Well, I have a rotten memory and I’m just not sure. I’ve given this a lot of thought over the last few months (someone started a thread like this a while back, but that’s ok), and I think I’ve narrowed it down to two possibilities: 1. The AFU archive reprinted Cecil’s column debunking “gerbilling.” I’ve haunted the archive for a couple years now, so I may have picked up a link from there. 2. My husband came home about a year ago with the “Pluck Yew” story and I remember thinking the story sounded like crap and wanted to debunk it so I may have done a web search for “Pluck Yew” and was directed to the Dope. I think that _is_ one of the first columns I read here, so I think I’m leaning towards that possibility. Before I thought maybe I’d gotten the link from a skeptical web site, but no, I think it was probably more of an urban legends thing. Basically, I just stumbled here by accident and decided to stay 🙂 * * * “I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy [The Kat House](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/home.htm) [Join the FSH Muscular Dystrophy Webring](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/fshwebring.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Gr8Kat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gr8kat/32/18668_2.png) [@Gr8Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gr8Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/3 "2000-03-15T19:00:00Z")
OK, my memory is worse than I thought. The “Pluck Yew” (_Origins of 'The Finger_) column was originally published in Sept. 1998, quite a bit before I found my way here. Still, I might have found it in a web search… hell, however, I came here is moot, you’re still stuck with me 🙂 🙂 * * * “I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy [The Kat House](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/home.htm) [Join the FSH Muscular Dystrophy Webring](http://members.aol.com/gr8kat1/KatGen/fshwebring.htm) ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/4 "2000-03-15T19:03:00Z")
_How did you find this place?_ Turned left at Greenland. * * * Wrong thinking is punished, right thinking is just as swiftly rewarded. You’ll find it an effective combination. ---
**Author:** ![Squee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@Squee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/5 "2000-03-15T19:06:00Z")
When I was in college, I used to read the Straight Dope in one of the weeklys (the New Times, I think). When I moved, I could never find in the local rag, so I forgot all about it. About 6 months ago, my then girlfrind sent me the link. I’ve been reading ever since, but only recently started posting to this MB. * * * “Penises don’t belong in the mouth, girls and boys. You’ve got the wrong hole there. Just like you wouldn’t shove pizza up your nose.” -From the **Brother Jed** flyer- ---
**Author:** ![dragonfly98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7bcc69/32.png) [@dragonfly98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonfly98)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/6 "2000-03-15T19:13:00Z")
The local alternative paper here, [The Metro](http://www.metroactive.com) runs the Straight Dope column every week. It took me almost one year to summon up the courage to come here. I was unceremonioulsy and heavy-handedly censored by one of the moderators here (I won’t say who. We all have a job to do.). So I left in a huff of profanity and small-mindedness (sorry). I went off in search of other message boards as fulfilling and satisying as the SDMB is, but as you all might know all too well, came up empty-handed…again. So I unceremoniously returned. Anybody want to start up a “concept” album thread again? ☹ * * * “What’s right is only half of what’s wrong and I want a short-haired girl who sometimes wears it twice as long.” George Harrison - _Old Brown Shoe_ ---
**Author:** ![purrplebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90ced4/32.png) [@purrplebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purrplebear)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/7 "2000-03-15T19:25:00Z")
Until I started lurking, and then posting to this board, I didn’t even know about the SD._head hung in shame_ I know, I know. What can I say?? A limited upbringing, I guess. Anyway, I didn’t actually ‘find’ this board, I was invited to hop on, by Vestal Blue, my great friend from hi school days. Now, here I am, as addicted as the rest of you._sniffle_ Thanks, pal!! * * * Don’t make me come down there. God ---
**Author:** ![Sealemon88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Sealemon88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon88)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/8 "2000-03-15T19:29:00Z")
I’m a fan of Urban Legends, and on a couple of sites (including [www.snopes.com),](http://www.snopes.com),) I would find numerous references to Cecil Adams. I fianlly did a search on the name, read the columns and lurked for awhile, and finally joined up. * * * You say “cheesy” like that’s a **BAD** thing. ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/9 "2000-03-15T19:31:00Z")
I always said that a bus buddy of mine told me about this site, but he denies it… I guess I might have surfed here. I’ve never read an SD column in print or an SD book. But I did read the entire archive (circa April 1999). * * * You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you. With love from the poster voted as having the **"Most Confusing Username"** ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/10 "2000-03-15T20:02:00Z")
Dirty Devil showed me the board. He offered to loan me the books, but my reading platter was and still is too full to read them now. So, I have been reading the archives a bit at a time. Just finished the first one this week. * * * Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel, a beautiful red steam shovel. Her name was Mary Anne. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/11 "2000-03-15T20:08:00Z")
I’ve been reading the SD for about 15 years—first in a now-defunct NJ paper called The Gold Coast. First got it online at a magazine job I had in '96, but I didn’t discover the message board till last summer. Yes, I have all the books . . . ---
**Author:** ![TripleAnt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@TripleAnt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TripleAnt)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/12 "2000-03-15T20:17:00Z")
## I was in my desktop publishing class for high school and we had extra time to go on the internet. I was searching for sites that had jokes and I found The Onion, and somehow in that they mentioned SD and I checked it out. I actually found [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) from the SD site, so it just leads to another. I sent in a question to the SD a little after Christmas, and I got an email back saying I could also post my question on the message boards and that’s how I found this. I’m done. “I have a lot of good ideas, problem is most of them suck.” -George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![GRJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d07c76/32.png) [@GRJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GRJ)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/13 "2000-03-15T20:18:00Z")
I live in the UKk and had never heard of The Straight Dope. I stumbled across a link to the homepage at http:\[www.bored.com](http://www.bored.com) My internet time has increased by quite a lot since. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/14 "2000-03-15T20:20:00Z")
I’m also an urban legend debunker, and [www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) is one of my favorite sites. While reading their message board I think in Nov. 1999 about the “Up the butt, Bob” UL on the Newlywed Game, someone referenced Libertarian’s thread on that subject was getting good, so I checked it out. Lo and behold, I was witness to a great place of wiseacres, so I stayed. 🙂 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/15 "2000-03-15T20:22:00Z")
Two totally different sources led me here. #1 I had never heard of SD or Cecil Adams until last year. I was actually surfing on [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) for some “SD-type” books, such as the ones authored by Schenkman, Burnam, Poundstone, etc. [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) shows a list of other books that purchasers have also bought, and one of the books that showed up on the list was one (or more) of the SD books. #2 GRY! I have had fun with the -gry question for almost 15 years, and the (now) second to the last time it came up at work, I thought I would try to find a list of all the -gry words, since my source said that OED has many (about 100). Lo! I found it thru one of the search engines. One of the other links that showed up was “The Word Detective,” which, being the verbivore (with respect to Mr Lederer) that I am, I started reading. At the time he (Word Detective) had a link to the SD site (don’t know if he still does), so that was the other reference. That’s when I started reading this site. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleCrackwhore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@PurpleCrackwhore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleCrackwhore)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/16 "2000-03-15T20:26:00Z")
A Canadian Angel told me about it. 😉 * * * I really try to be good but it just isn’t in my nature! ---
**Author:** ![eggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@eggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eggo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/17 "2000-03-15T20:28:00Z")
i saw the tv show one night, and loved the blue guy. at the end of the show, they mentioned the AOL keyword, and i joined, my first question, if i remember correctly, was “what is space made of?” (username: mjm14) when the aol site died, i migrated here. * * * eggo My Web Page:[SMITE](http://www.angelfire.com/yt/smite) _WARNING_ it may offend you. ---
**Author:** ![neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neuro-trash_grrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/18 "2000-03-15T20:56:00Z")
I’ve been reading Cecil’s books and columns for a long time, and when I got “The Straight Dope Tells All” and read the message board excerpts, I thought “Gosh, that looks like a fun place to hang around. Too bad I don’t have net access…” Then I started college and had net access, but it was a while before I got around to wandering in here. Well, I’ve been making up for lost time ever since… * * * Heck is where you go when you don’t believe in Gosh. ---
**Author:** ![HeadlessCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@HeadlessCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeadlessCow)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/19 "2000-03-15T22:34:00Z")
I found The Straight Dope on AOL a 3-4 years back. I hung out occaisionally in the chat and read all the columns as they were posted. I never liked the AOL messageboard/USENet program so I never read the messageboards or newgroups until The Straight Dope left AOL and migrated to this site. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2000, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855/20 "2000-03-15T22:43:00Z")
I have been a fan of Cecil’s ever since I was a child. I would go every saturday to the Edgewater branch of the Chicago Public library to watch the movies they would show. I saw a lot of odd films there. And while I was there I’d check out a stack of books and pick up two copies of _The Reader_. My uncle told me always pick up two copies, because if your friends haven’t had a chance to pick one up yet they’ll steal yours. I also became fond of _Life in Hell_, _Zippy the Clown_, _Ernie Pook’s Comeek_, _Pheobe and the Pigeon People_ and the musings of _Basil Metabolism_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-everyone-how-did-you-find-this-place/14855.md?page=2)