# So what made you join? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 25, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431 "2005-05-25T14:11:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EarthStone777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@EarthStone777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EarthStone777)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/21 "2005-05-26T01:35:05Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > I guess a related question is how long you lurked before you joined. I lurked for about a year, but I recall reading a post from somebody who had lurked for about five years, if that’s possible. And of course there are people out there – you know who you are! – lurking at this very moment, reading this. Gives me the chills. _Waving hand in air_ Hi, that’d be me, lurking since spring 2000. I don’t even remember how I found this place but it quickly became my normal weekday lunch activity to read the days question, then I started to work my way through the archives. When I finished them only the boards remained to explore … and my previous 15 minute lunches now stretch into an hour or more… There were many times I wanted to join and add to the conversation, but, well, I was too busy and I kept thinking I’d do it another day. Heck I once e-mailed **GingeroftheNorth** when I thought I might know her IRL based on something she said. (Nope, couple of thousand miles away from the person I knew.) So why did I join? I’ve spent the last year thinking about what’s important to me and my life. Slowing down and taking the time to do more things I’ve wanted to and less doing the things I _have_ to do. As part of that, (How many different theads can I slip this into?) as I’ve said in other threads, Mrs. Stone and I are moving to NC next week from the Boston area. We’ve decided to not get cable (stop watching TV) but have already arranged our internet connection to be hooked up the day after we arrive. Got our priorities straight! So last month I finally registered and I can hardly believe how much I’m enjoying taking part in all the discussions. But anyway, enough about me… Who’s next? Why’d you join and how long did you lurk? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/22 "2005-05-26T01:48:45Z")
I got hooked when it was free. I continue my addiction because it’s a steal. A better question would be how did I find this website? I don’t get the Chicago Reader or Cecil’s column anywhere I’ve lived and honestly don’t remember if it was a weblink or me stumbling across it back when I used to use ixquick or what. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/23 "2005-05-26T05:49:44Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > The usual. Read columns (online), got interested in posting, etc, etc… Ditto, I can still tell you the article that got me. [Can You Die From Picking Your Nost?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_270b.html) was posted on the main welcome screen on AOL (Keyword: Cecil). After that I kept going back and reading the articles and eventually ended up on the board over there. ---
**Author:** ![Mgcklmoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Mgcklmoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mgcklmoon)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/24 "2005-05-26T06:04:40Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > A couple years back, a friend sent me a link to the now-infamous Cafe Society thread about “What if different authors wrote Lord of the Rings?”, with Dopers posting hilarious excerpts in the style of familiar writers. I was pretty impressed with the humor and intelligence around here, and became a regular posted after that. Me too! Well, except for the regular poster thing- I stay in lurk mode more often than not. The humor, intelligence and yes, even the arguments have helped me stay sane when I worked night shift at an answering service just waiting for the phone to ring…all…night…long. Even just lurking made me feel like I was not quite so alone. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/25 "2005-05-26T06:20:38Z")
I got an email from some guy in Nigeria. One thing led to another, I gave him my checking account number and social security number and a few credit card numbers, and sure enough, he came through and I got my membership to the SDMB! Best $53,000 I have ever spent. ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/26 "2005-05-26T06:28:42Z")
I came over here when **Bricker** and **manhattan** along with some others invaded a now-defunct game website (Pyroto Mountain). They formed a sort of “teeming millions” clan there. I eventually had to leave the game, due to the pervasive conservatism (kidding). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/27 "2005-05-26T07:08:34Z")
It used to be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/28 "2005-05-26T08:53:42Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > A couple years back, a friend sent me a link to the now-infamous Cafe Society thread about “What if different authors wrote Lord of the Rings?” Same thing drew me here. I wasn’t going pay to post, but as it happened, the account my debit card was linked was getting eaten away by fees, so I reckoned instead of the bank getting it, I’d waste it elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/29 "2005-05-26T08:55:41Z")
Oh yeah! Now I remember, it was on [bored.com](http://bored.com)! THAT’s how I found the SD… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/30 "2005-05-26T13:37:19Z")
I signed up so I could enter the celebrity death pool. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/31 "2005-05-26T13:37:35Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > It used to be interesting. You used to be not quite so grumpy 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/32 "2005-05-26T13:51:00Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > It used to be interesting. > [@luluBahrain](#): > > You used to be not quite so grumpy 😛 His socks are too tight. Tight socks always affect him thusly. Go loosen his socks, **lulu**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/33 "2005-05-26T15:00:48Z")
I had read the books in college, and when one of the posters over on Heartless Bitches mentioned the Straight Dope site (I had had internet for something like a week at this point), I was over here like a shot. The Threadspotting thread that day was the celebrated Evil Nazi Groundhogs Thread. I clicked, I was lost, I never looked back. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/34 "2005-05-26T15:10:32Z")
Halfsie. I figured that any place that can make me almost pee my pants laughing like that is a place I want to be. Does anyone have a link to good ol’ Halfsie? I tried searching, but just came up with old threads talking about the original. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/35 "2005-05-26T15:53:55Z")
I started reading the board after having read the books and seeing the url listed somewhere. Unable to keep my fat mouth sht about anything, I dove right in. Too many good people around here not to participate. Well, that and the frre pastries every Friday! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/36 "2005-05-26T15:54:56Z")
And everybody here is so **very** forgiving of typos, too! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/37 "2005-05-26T20:22:42Z")
Fellow doper and my lovely fiancee **Alias** introduced me to Cecil and the boards way back in 1999. I joined up and sort of hovered around for a while. Once it went pay to post I figured I should actually start posting and get my moneys worth. I re-upped because I don’t get discussions like this irl. I get more exposure to different points of view. I get to use my brain from time to time. This place is friggin’ hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/38 "2005-05-26T20:35:25Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > You must be special. I got Lynn and a pointed stick. Huh. I got Coldfire and, if I recall correctly, a very large haddock. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/39 "2005-05-26T20:53:56Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > Halfsie. I figured that any place that can make me almost pee my pants laughing like that is a place I want to be. Does anyone have a link to good ol’ Halfsie? I tried searching, but just came up with old threads talking about the original. That’s [halvsie](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=51807&highlight=halvsie) sweetie I got Coldfire with pointy wooden clogs. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431/40 "2005-05-26T20:59:47Z")
Interesting. I got Giraffe pointing a gun toting Ed Zotti at me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-made-you-join/305431.md?page=3)