# Once More on the "a" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 17, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017 "2003-03-17T16:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watcher_of_the_Skies)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/1 "2003-03-17T16:01:15Z")
**I** will freely admit that starting a “b” thread this morning was a pathetic attempt to keep it going (just couldn’t let go). I’m certainly not trying to incur the wrath of the moderators, but I’d like to ask **Coldfire** to explain why it was necessary to close the post-mortem thread (I Can’t Believe It’s Over (Life on the “a”)). Regular a-thread posters might want to commiserate, at least maybe for a day or two. This was not an attempt to re-start the “a”. Yes, we all had fun with it and it was great while it lasted, and I thank you for letting it go on as long as it did. ---
**Author:** ![Harli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c0e974/32.png) [@Harli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harli)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/2 "2003-03-17T16:28:57Z")
Just let it die! I think it was pretty obvious that the post-mortem thread had the potential, and was beginning, to go the way of the original. I, for one, am glad to see that thread go. I visited it once early on and found it rather silly. I couldn’t believe the popularity of it and was very surprised it took so long to get closed. Thank you, **Coldfire**. ---
**Author:** ![Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watcher_of_the_Skies)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/3 "2003-03-17T16:53:24Z")
**Harli** you’re right, of course. But you must admit that we did set a new standard for mundane and pointless. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/4 "2003-03-17T17:30:58Z")
What the hell are you people talking about? ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/5 "2003-03-17T17:32:50Z")
I think the SDMB’s longest thread ever deserves some sort of post-mortem. Perhaps a breakdown of the most prolific posters and a blurb about how the thread was not started with intent to become what it became. It was an interesting chapter in SDMB history and it probably should be somewhat summarized for those who don’t want to read all 107 pages. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/6 "2003-03-17T17:46:00Z")
I finished #10 in the rankings to that [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=158752). My **major-league** board crush **swampbear** finished #7. Hats off to **twickster47** , the champion with 90 posts more than the nearest competitor. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/7 "2003-03-17T17:58:25Z")
For chrissakes kid. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/8 "2003-03-17T17:58:48Z")
Three cheers for post-count padding. Much like this. ---
**Author:** ![Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watcher_of_the_Skies)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/9 "2003-03-17T18:08:16Z")
**F** or the uninitiated, the a-thread began on 1/25/03 in MPSIMS when **Klaatu** accidentally hit the submit button with only the letter “a” in the subject line. Then **Hamlet** typed a “b” and said “I have absolutely no idea why I’m hitting the submit button.” Then **Homebrew** posted the letter “c” and said “'cause it’s the right thing to do.” And we were off and running with alphabetically sequential posts. Each post had to start with a word that began with the next letter of the alphabet, usually with the first letter capitalized, and bold. During the next seven weeks or so, there were 5,338 posts; some random thoughts, some conversation, some nonsequiturs, and some chat room. In all, 248 different people posted, with **twickster47** having the most (484 posts). During its run, it became a way of life for the repetitive posters (and you know who you are), getting to the point that some of us would check the “a” even before checking email when turning on the computer. Every couple of days someone would warn that the mods would or should shut it down, but that never happened until approximately 8:21am (local time) this morning when **Coldfire** brought us shockingly back to reality. I’m not really conversant with the SDMB record book, but I’m given to understand that the “a” broke all records for number of pages, number of posts, and longevity on the first MPSIMS listing page. RIP. May get over it by tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/10 "2003-03-17T18:28:36Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by: Homebrew_ > My major-league board crush swampbear finished #7. _sigh_ I’m **Homebrew’s** major-league board crush. Pardon me while I get all weak-kneed and giggly. The “a” thread was fun, but like all good things it had to come to an end. The fun thing about MPSIMS in particular, is there will be even more fun mpsimsing just around the corner. ---
**Author:** ![Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watcher_of_the_Skies)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/11 "2003-03-17T18:39:17Z")
It was all great fun, the many simulposts, the many times we screwed up the alphabet, and yes, there were several major-league board crushes on the “a”, not the least of which was my own with the sweet and lovely board champ **Twicks**. See, no bold first letter…(trying to get over it). ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/12 "2003-03-17T21:10:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mtgman \* > \*\*I think the SDMB’s longest thread ever deserves some sort of post-mortem. \*\* It got started by mistake. It was lacked any point or redeeming feature. It got stopped. The end. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/13 "2003-03-18T03:52:03Z")
Hey, what position did I end up at? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/14 "2003-03-18T03:57:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Futile Gesture \* > \*\*It got started by mistake. > > It was lacked any point or redeeming feature. > > It got stopped. > > The end. \*\* It was also quite amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/15 "2003-03-18T04:04:20Z")
Well, I for one never expected that the thread would go apeshit. I don’t feel any pride to be the OP of the longest thread, because it was a screwup. Sure, it was fun for a while, but in an empty kind of way. Sorta like Roger Maris, I will always have an asterisk 🙂 Now, if I had actually meant to start it… At any rate, I have an idea for a thread…\ never mind… ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/16 "2003-03-18T04:09:15Z")
484 posts in one thread? That’s some kind of messed up right there. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/17 "2003-03-18T04:09:34Z")
Oh, BTW, it was cool of **Coldie** to let the final run go to the end. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/18 "2003-03-18T04:12:01Z")
I wonder if people could _covertly_ restart an “a” thread? What if you were reading a thread and just happened to notice all the posts starting with sequential letters, minus the typical bolding of the “a” thread? Somehow I feel this isn’t over, you just can’t stop something that big, it’s like a runaway locomotive. If we want to forever put “a” to death, we just have to wait for the next fad thread to get underway. If there’s one thing you can trust those MPSIMS denizens to, it’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/19 "2003-03-18T06:07:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RexDart \* > \*\*I \*\*wonder if people could _covertly_ restart an “a” thread? What if you were reading a thread and just happened to notice all the posts starting with sequential letters, minus the typical bolding of the “a” thread? Somehow I feel this isn’t over, you just can’t stop something that big, it’s like a runaway locomotive. **J** ust you wait! ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017/20 "2003-03-18T06:15:57Z")
I said _minus_ the boldings, you’re gonna get this thread closed 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-more-on-the-a/162017.md?page=2)