I don’t know if I’ve said this before. But the SDMB is very important to me. It is really unlike any other message board on the internet. It’s factual and accurate. And I think a lot of people here are doctors, lawyers, scientists and so forth. As a source of science and accuracy I think you’d have to agree it’s unrivaled.
In 1989, long before the wide availability of the internet, I came across one of Cecil Adams’ books in a local bookstore, really quite by chance. But I was immediately struck by the fact that we have nothing like his column in metro Detroit, we really don’t.
In the age of the internet in 2001 (or at least it was for me), I knew that I wanted to join the SDMB, and I did so without hesitation. (It says on my account that I joined in 2002. But this is due to a computer glitch that I had no control of.)
But you know really more than that we’re a family here, or certainly a community in any event. I can’t think of any other place I’d want to be, and I couldn’t imagine ever leaving.
Can anyone else relate to what I just said (by all means tell your own story too, if you have one )?
I owe my career and my principal hobby the SD books.
I spend time on the boards daily, and have for many years. I joined when it was pay-to-post but not early enough to join as a charter member. That is one of my life’s regrets.
There are posters here on the boards that I first met here and now communicate with off-board who I consider some of the smartest, most interesting people I know and it’s another of life’s regrets that these people are not IRL friends.
A fellow Doper once helped me when I was suicidal, although I doubt she’s aware of that. Had it not been for her wise counsel… I don’t know what would have happened.
I search the SDMB archives often for all sorts of stuff, from how-to instructions to recipes. I’ve never been able to figure out boards like Reddit and don’t have much use for social media, so I’m thankful the SDMB is here.
Yep, this place is like the Cheers of the internet to me. You can ask any question here and you will get a useful and sometimes witty response. A friendly place where everyone is welcome until they become an ass and then get banished into the cornfield. I like that we have a cornfield.
This place is very important to me. It’s changed me for the better and has opened my world view. If this place ever goes away I’ll grieve for it the same way I would for a lost loved one.
It’s weird. I wouldn’t say I’m close with any singular person here, but collectively, this place is very dear to me.
Absolutely. We get our share of nonsense, but we don’t accept it, it has no home here. I rely on this place for a real take on what’s happening in the world, from smart people who know their stuff.
This pretty much constitutes my social life. The people here are so smart (except for the “few total dipsticks”), literate, and funny! As I’ve aged, I’ve gone from having to be careful not to spit-take on the keyboard to pressing my thighs tightly together when reading some of the hilarious stuff people post. I love the spontaneous pun-offs.
But seriously, folks, I’m amazed at the depth and breadth of knowledge represented here. Whether it’s advanced math, literature, movies, music, Chinese translations, cooking, aeronautics, medicine, gardening, nature-- somebody knows the answer to your question and/or is willing to discuss the subject.
I’d still like to be able to pay for membership to make sure the board doesn’t go anywhere.
I found the site in 1997 and was thrilled by the backlog of columns to read while I was waiting for my work to arrive (at work) and so took the Straight Dope site home with me when our company was sold. Then, I received a notice from Tuba Diva that the site had been hacked and our email addresses taken. I responded that I wasn’t worried about it and TD asked me what my email nickname meant. I gave a long-winded reply only to discover that she already knew the answer and was involved in a different chapter of the same national club I belonged to. I kept up with the SD and TD got me reading and then eventually responding in the message boards. I was quickly hooked.
There are a lot of people who suffer from depression here, and I must admit that reading about your travails have helped me through my own but also reading about your laughs, seeing how other minds think, and the bad puns that I adore have all helped me to understand that I am not alone, that I have the capacity to get help (which I did) and to help others (which I love to do).
Thank you all for being you, for sharing your lives, and your thoughts, and helping each other. I’m not going away until my mind wanders off (a likely future). I think you all rock.
Also, I did meet the famous TubaDiva when travelling to Atlanta for work. Believe it or not, she and I have been mistaken for each other several times since; great hilarity for both of us brought about by the Dope. I am saddened by her untimely passing, but am so glad that you all are still here for me. Long live the Dope!
I found this site after getting generally pissed off with my previous virtual hangout for various reasons. I don’t remember exactly what led me to it but I do remember it was the result of searches looking for high quality discussion sites. I have no idea what keywords I used or what specifically led me here, but I’m glad it did.
I spend quite a lot of time here. Mostly early morning before work to see what’s going on. I love that you can ask anything, and also perhaps give some advice on some obscure knowledge that you have.
I don’t do FaceBook or Twitter or any of those. It’s just not my thing. But I can spend an hour a day here no problem. And that time is never wasted.
Oh, I found the SDMB by chance. Some one had ask the question (paraphrased) “Was math invented by man?” I found that intriguing and read everything on the site.
I like how there is a higher signal-to-noise ratio here than at other sites like Reddit. Not saying that there aren’t low-effort jokes and memes bandied about around these parts, but in general the posts here are more information dense and cut straight to the point. I appreciate that the members have a diverse set of interests, meaning pretty much any topic you can think of will get good answers.
Also, there are some posters (e.g.Ann_Hedonia, Francis_Vaughan, and JohnT, among others) who come up with fantastic long-form posts that IMO are even superior in quality to articles from in-depth publications such as The Atlantic.
Reddit likes to proclaim itself the “front page of the Internet”, but this board fulfills that role much better for me. Nowadays I get my news barely anywhere else, considering how much clickbait and manufactured outrage have taken over online news sites.
“Literate” is the term I use to describe you figments of my imagination to friends. The example I use is that I can say in a conversation on the board that “I’m running the Red Queen’s race.” and not only will people get the reference, but a couple who happen to have done their doctoral thesis on Dodgsen will show up with commentary, analysis and will take me to task for misspelling “Dodgson.”
The SDMB has gotten me through many a bad day, and it’s my go-to for celebrating (I fixed the garage door today, in the bitter cold, and my reward was to check new posts in Café Society and The Pit).
I’ve been hermiting (have a high-risk spouse and mother), and only texting friends. Who are amazed that I can sit home with no human contact… I’m always so tempted to tell them about this place, but they wouldn’t see the brilliance of y’all. And, if I thought anyone I knew was on here, I’d be too conscious about what I say.
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I spend too much time here, I can’t imagine how people have time for multiple sites.
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