# Splitting MPSIMS --\> Tomfoolery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 7, 2000, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703 "2000-04-07T14:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/1 "2000-04-07T14:53:00Z")
About a month ago we had a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005739.html) discussing whether MPSIMS should be changed or split. At that time I thought that there was no clear way to split up the range of topics here. With the recent board outages and the increasing volume of posts, I’ve come to reconsider my position. For discussion purposes only (recognizing these decisions are the sole province of the admins and the Chicago Reader), I propose that the following board be added: **Tomfoolery** It could be subtitled: **Idle and creative minds at work. This is the place for jokes, games, wordplay, theme threads, and and other frivolity** In Tomfoolery, we could have all of the three-minute mysteries, joke threads, sig line creations, song lyrics, flirting, Bricker challenges (real and knock-off), food fights, first lines of books, “Guy Stuff”-type threads and similar joking around. Just for the heck of it, I’d throw XXXth post parties (to the extent they will remain) and threads about real life meetings into Tomfoolery. I would leave MPSIMS to stuff that involves _sharing_. The anecdotes, touching stories, real-life questions and personal opinion threads would remain there. I’m not sure whether this would help the technical problems that the board is having, but it would cut down on the volume of MPSIMS threads, alleviating somewhat the problem of having tons of worthy threads drop out of sight onto page 2 if you don’t check the boards several times per day. Well, what do you think? * * * You don’t have a thing to worry about. I’ll have the jury eating out of my hand. Meanwhile, try to escape. _Sig by Wally M7, master signature architect to the SDMB_ ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/2 "2000-04-07T14:56:00Z")
Pride of authorship aside, I wouldn’t be heartbroken if the second “and” at the end of the subtitle were eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/3 "2000-04-07T18:27:00Z")
I like it! Excellent idea. * * * “That’s impossible! Cartman doesn’t know a rainforest from a Pop-Tart!” “Yes I do! Pop-Tarts are frosted!” ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/4 "2000-04-07T19:19:00Z")
Voguevixen, your sig line made me laugh outloud! I’m going to have Cartman moments running through my head all afternoon 🙂 * * * Ignorant since 1972 ---
**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:** [April 7, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/5 "2000-04-07T19:26:00Z")
I guess “Tomfoolery” would be for “funny stuff and nonsense, riddles, jokes, and silly things.” ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/6 "2000-04-07T19:38:00Z")
Dammit, Bill, I thought you were planning a get together at my favorite Plaza/Westport bar. Grrr… –Tim * * * You can’t accidently create a handicapped baby whilst smoking pot. - **Coldfire** ---
**Author:** ![Sake\_Samurai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sake\_Samurai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sake_Samurai)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/7 "2000-04-07T19:42:00Z")
Superlative idea, old Billdo! And then, after we split “MPSIMS” into “Tomfoolery” & “Sharing”, I further propose that we eliminate the “Sharing” forum. We need to get hardcore about goofing off around here! * * * Yet to be reconciled with the reality of the dark for a moment, I go on wandering from dream to dream. ---
**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/8 "2000-04-07T19:43:00Z")
My vote: Aye! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2000, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/9 "2000-04-07T23:53:00Z")
I agree that some sort of a split would be in order. The distinctions between the 2 “new” forums would have to be made very clear. The moderators have enough problems with threads that have to be moved. MPSIMS serves as kind of a catchall, and it should stay that way. We need a catchall. So, rather than splitting MPSIMS into 2 new forums, we should leave MPSIMS alone, and create a new forum that would absorb a large portion of what is currently in MPSIMS. (I think that that is what you were proposing, Billdo, but in this thread and the earlier threads, some of the suggestions seem to imply that MPSIMS should be eliminated in favor of a new forum or forums.) For the enjoyment of the peanut gallery, I took the liberty of copying in a portion of one of Billdo’s posts on the earlier thread: > [@](#): > > It seems like there are several types of posts here in MPSIMS. They include (all are recent examples, not intended to signify anything more than an example): > > 1. the true sharing of mundane and pointless stuff. See the “I like toast” thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005728.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005728.html) or the Bailey from WKRP thread. > > 2. the personal messages among the Dopers, including the wishes and prayers for Wally, [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005634.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005634.html) , the 500 post parties and a whole host of others, some of which are mundane and pointless, others of which are not. > > 3. the requests for mundane and pointless personal information, such as the question about things found in deceased relatives houses [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005738.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005738.html) > > 4. the jokes, games, and theme threads, like the Haiku thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/004814.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/004814.html) or Guy Stuff, all of which are pointless (though hardly mundane). > > 5. the requests for answers to personal (as opposed to general) questions, looking for advice, sympathy, and similar experiences, like the potty training veterans thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005719.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005719.html) or the Samantha (dog) misses Larry (dog) thread. Not very mundane or pointless at all. > > 6. the threads that start out mundane and pointless sharing, and then turn into support sessions, advice, debates (personal, as opposed to great), discussions, and other non-mundane, non-pointless stuff, such as aha’s tattoo thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005655.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005655.html) , which really started off as a rant about his son’s tattoo, but which turned into a thoughtful discussion of tattoos, support for him and his feelings, and general sharing and ideas. The above is a good round-up of what goes on n MPSIMS. But, how it should be divided, I don’t know… ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/10 "2000-04-08T01:48:00Z")
At the risk of sounding unpopular, I don’t think MPSIMS should be split. Removing old posts makes a lot more sense to me if the load needs to be lightened. Given that this board is dedicated to a column about knowledge and trivia type matters, why the admins should see the need to make even more “personal info” sections escapes me. Don’t get me wrong, I _like_ MPSIMS, I just don’t think that we need start saying “Here’s the warm and fuzzy section, here’s the games section, here’s the post party section… oh… and somewhere on this board is something about the column its named for.” * * * “I guess one person can make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.” ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/11 "2000-04-08T02:42:00Z")
What about just splitting MPSIMS into two identical groups? MPSIMS, and Other MPSIMS (or Random Inane Crapola). The understanding could be that we try to keep the number of threads equal in each one. (We’re a good enough bunch that I think we could pull off such self-policing.) It’s worth a shot, and it eliminates the problem of additional thread moving by moderators. Dr. J * * * “Seriously, baby, I can prescribe anything I want!” -Dr. Nick Riviera ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/12 "2000-04-08T15:16:00Z")
Why not split the Forum A-M and N-Z based on the subject line or the starter’s name? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2000, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/13 "2000-04-09T13:36:00Z")
I’d be in favor of **any** rational split. When threads drop off page 1 because they haven’t been posted to for 12 hours, that’s too fast to keep up with. ---
**Author:** ![tshirts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@tshirts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tshirts)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2000, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-mpsims-tomfoolery/15703/14 "2000-04-09T14:43:00Z")
How about one just for trolls. Should cut the main boards in half and keep the trolls happy too. (You don’t want to lose the trolls, since “a hit’s a hit” to greedy/clueless advertisers.