# SDMB improvement ideas **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 8, 2006, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558 "2006-02-08T17:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/61 "2006-02-15T16:16:08Z")
a) Full-blooded no-compromises true boolean search field. I want to be able to enclose a phrase with quotation marks and have it search for the full phrase. I want to be able to use AND and OR and have the search-engine bring only hits with both clauses if I use AND but either clause if I use OR. I want to be able to use NOT and omit things that would otherwise be hits. I want to be able to embed clauses in parentheses. > [@](#): > > “love letters” and (“Clogboy” or “Clog boy” or “Coldie” or “Coldfire”) and not (“hey everybody” or “hey everyone”) and “naughty” and (“mully” or “mullinator”) b) I’d like it a lot if the search-index would index the names of people being quoted by other posters using standard automatic quote tags. So a search for “Lynn Bodoni” would see this as a hit: > [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Hold down the “Ctrl” key and press the “V” key. Again, on a Mac, use the “Command” or “Apple” key for the “Ctrl” key. Whatever method you use, you WILL see your copied text if you have copied and pasted correctly. c) Once a year, I’d like the option of buying a DVD from the Straight Dope Message Board Store, containing the entire SDMB database in the form of standard tables. For those of us who tend to search for dimly-remembered threads or posts from back when, it would mean less wear and tear for the servers and better speed for us to be able to search local copies 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/62 "2006-02-15T19:45:06Z")
> [@Feydeau](#): > > Well, no. **Aldebaran** was a poster who claimed he was in the Middle East, both by his Location: entry and (apparently) by things he said. (I say apparently because I never really followed his stuff, me being totally apolitical and all.) > > **Lynn Bodoni** [called him on it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5064658&postcount=85) and said he was really posting from Belgium. Apparently, this made him flame out, and he was subsequently [banned](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=294554) . > > I’m not entirely sure how this connects, but I just wanted to explain who **Aldebaran** was. Holy crap, Aldebaran was from Belgium? I saw him burn out first hand but I never knew this. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/63 "2006-02-16T21:45:06Z")
Another vote for a barfy/pukey smiley. **Jjimm** did a [brilliant one](http://www.crowaptok.com/images/barfy.gif) a couple years back. I think it would see far more use than the Happy Orthodox Jewish Man, for example. Oh, and the ability to search on 3-letter words, at least when other words are also specified. “Zit” and “TMI” for example. How else are we to get emergency appetite-suppression when the munchies strike? 🙂 :eek: :barf: (see above) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/64 "2006-02-16T22:17:48Z")
> [@Mama Zappa](#): > > **Jjimm** did a [brilliant one](http://www.crowaptok.com/images/barfy.gif) a couple years back. (see above) Looks more like Kermit the Chipmonk to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/65 "2006-02-17T01:39:21Z")
In case y’all were wondering, if we got marquees, flashing text, dancing smileys, avatars or any of the sort, I’m pretty sure I would vow to never let the words “Chicago” and “Reader” flow out of my mouth or keyboard in the same sentence ever again, much less pay same organization for anything more substantial than a cup of coffee. In fact, I’d consider boycotting Illinois. Just sayin’. > [@DrDeth](#): > > :wally: really can’t be used outside of the PIT, so I think it’s about time to retire it. I disagree. IANA99er, but the way I understand it, :putz: was intended to be tongue-in-cheek and used in same way. The fact that it’s a pariah unto all forums outside of the Pit bothers me. Look at it! Isn’t it winking? It’s not serious! It doesn’t really think you’re a putz! I remember being shocked when someone got Pitted or warned or something when a Doper used :putz: in IMHO or something recently. It seems silly to me to ascribe so much burning rage to a smiley that’s _frickin’ winking._ > [@DrDeth](#): > > think that allowing editing would be the end of civilization as we know it, but really- I post on a lot of other boards and they mostly all allow it. Sure, but a lot of other boards don’t take themselves as seriously as we do. Some Dopers like that more than others, but the fact is that in GD, the Pit, and occasionally some of the other forums, words once uttered are serious stuff. I know I’ve posted things I regretted, and I wished at the time I could’ve edited them, but the fact is that most grammatical and spelling errors are minor enough that you can simply wait 60 seconds and then post a “Hee hee! I didn’t have my coffee this morning.” follow-up. I, personally, never miss editing unless I post something and then regret writing it–in which case I shouldn’t have posted it in the first place and that’s on me. You’ve certainly got a valid argument but I respectfully disagree. **Dr. PoopiePants** , I can’t say I agree with everything you say here on these boards, but I highly enjoy your sense of snark. FWIW I also concur with the calls for the Sports and Fix My Stuff fora. And the boolean search field. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/66 "2006-02-17T18:09:45Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > **Dr. PoopiePants** , I can’t say I agree with everything you say here on these boards, but I highly enjoy your sense of snark. :wally Until you **do** agree with everything that I say on these boards, you are dead to me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/67 "2006-02-17T19:08:16Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > You’ve been here for five years and you had no idea this feature existed? :dubious: The SDMB’s Braile version doesn’t have that feature. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/68 "2006-02-22T21:28:54Z")
M A K E B O A R D F A S T E R , **p L E A S E !** ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/69 "2006-02-22T22:09:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > \ Oh, yeah – THAT’LL help. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/70 "2006-02-23T21:32:56Z")
[ul] [li] **One-time membership fee:** Raise the cost if you have to, but making members try to justify the expense of posting annually is sure to drive off some people; I’m on the fence myself, mostly because I haven’t been posting much recently.[/li][li] **Close and archive threads old threads:** Once a thread reaches the cutoff time for resurrection, close it and stick it in an archive forum. Restrict access to archives to members only to reduce server load.[/li][li] **Avatars:** Small (say, 100x100 or so) and non-animated. Not included with membership; members must pay an additional (small) fee to have an avatar or to change their avatar.[/li][li] **Editing:** A five-minute window for post edits won’t allow posters to deny having said something in any but the most fast-paced of threads.[/li][li] **Reform the ad system:** Ditch AdSense. Allow users to pay to place ads. Charge a little for links to SDMB pages (e.g. individual threads) and non-profits, charge a lot for off-site and for-profit links (e.g. a poster advertising his company). Allow members to pay not to see ads.[/li][li]**Activate [img] tag:** Hotlinking/thumbnailing images from commercial image hosts like ImageShack shouldn’t affect the SDMB’s bandwidth. Non-work-safe images still subject to two-click rule with noncompliance punishable by suspension or banning.[/li][li] **Hide postcounts and registration dates:** Or only show them in profiles. Neither is generally relevant to a particular post.[/li][li] **Kill catchphrases:** Board culture is one thing. Trotting out the same years-old in-jokes loses its appeal after a while.[/li][/ul] That’s all I can think of at the moment. I’ll add more as they come to me. On attempting to preview, I realized what I’d left out. [ul] **SERVER UPGRADE:** Seriously.[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/71 "2006-02-27T23:20:35Z")
> [@Catalyst](#): > > **Kill catchphrases:** Board culture is one thing. Trotting out the same years-old in-jokes loses its appeal after a while. Taste the burning wrath of my 1920s-style death ray, heretic! ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558/72 "2006-02-28T11:08:33Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Taste the burning wrath of my 1920s-style death ray, heretic! Pfft, Og smashed your 1920s-style “death ray” in the Marianas Trench with his ensuing penis for 20 minutes while saying hi to Opal, and he did so with the fire of a thousand suns. Seriously, though, an occasional callback is cool, but when they’re in every other thread for upwards of seven years it gets kinda stale. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-improvement-ideas/343558.md?page=3)