# Status of SDSAB? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 31, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529 "2004-03-31T14:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cards)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/1 "2004-03-31T14:56:38Z")
I saw **Una Persson’s** status of SDSAB, not charter member, admin, mod, etc. What the heck is that and can I buy one? ---
**Author:** ![Tamealien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Tamealien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamealien)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/2 "2004-03-31T15:02:24Z")
> [@cards](#): > > I saw **Una Persson’s** status of SDSAB, not charter member, admin, mod, etc. What the heck is that and can I buy one? Straight Dope Science Advisory Board I guess. ---
**Author:** ![mkl12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@mkl12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkl12)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/3 "2004-03-31T16:04:59Z")
> [@Tamealien](#): > > Straight Dope Science Advisory Board I guess. Yes, that’s what it said for a short time yesterday, before they changed it again. All the Ex-Mods and the contributors to the Staff Reports have it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/4 "2004-03-31T16:38:11Z")
[Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4704921&postcount=62) is an explanation from **UncleBeer**. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/5 "2004-03-31T17:42:45Z")
> [@cards](#): > > I saw **Una Persson’s** status of SDSAB, not charter member, admin, mod, etc. What the heck is that and can I buy one? You can’t buy one. You have to earn the damned title. Former moderators who are still in good standing will have one. In addition, those who have done several staff reports have them, as well. You want to write staff reports? Then you’re crazy, it’s like writing a term paper only more rigorous (though someone else WILL clean up your spelling and grammar errors, if they’re not too bad). If you still want to write one, or several, contact **Dex**. List your areas of expertise. It helps if you’ve answered a lot of serious questions on the SD, that way you can be judged on your accuracy and writing style. Serious questions are not necessarily in General Questions, they could quite conceivably be in any forum, though they’re unlikely to be in MPSIMS. I’m not saying it’s IMPOSSIBLE, but unlikely. If **Dex** judges you a suitable candidate, he’ll sift through the questions that Cecil has decided are not worth his time, and see if there are any in your areas of interest/expertise. Our Perfect Master gets a LOT of really strange questions, so we might not have any questions that need your expertise. Some people find this incredibly rewarding. Frankly, I enjoy having written a couple of reports, but I hate the actual process of writing them. I don’t mind doing the research, it’s the damned writing I hate. But then, English was never my favorite subject in school. Yeah, yeah, **Dex** , I’ll get back to work on that latest assignment. Slavedriver. (The worst part is, he looks at me with those mournful puppydog eyes.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/6 "2004-03-31T17:57:45Z")
Does this mean we get our $4.95 back? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/7 "2004-03-31T19:18:11Z")
The important things to remember about writing Staff Reports are: 1. Search the archives to see if it’s already been addressed. 0a) Search the Boards to see if it’s already been addressed, since a lot of good cites are found by Dopers. 2. Use multiple independent sources. 1a) Keep these available so when someone challenges you, you can quote from it. 3. Do not rely on IRL people/friends unless they are willing to put their name in your article as a cite. 4. Try to say the most possible in the least amount of words. 5. Write clearly and with good grammar and spelling and style. 6. Understand that a lot more people than read this Board read the Staff Reports. 5a) And sometimes the sole purpose of their signing up is to tell you how wrong you are. 7. Remember it’s the Facts and Truth\* that matter, not pride or self-esteem. So if you fuck up: - Admit to it. - Apologize. - Learn. - Move on. [sub]\*Although Dr. Jones says the search for Facts != the search for Truth.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/8 "2004-04-01T01:28:31Z")
Now how do we go about selecting the SDS **O** Bs? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/9 "2004-04-01T01:54:17Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > You can’t buy one. You have to earn the damned title. Hey! You mean that double sawbuck I sent to Cecil was _not necessary_? But he _promised me…_ I want a refund. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/10 "2004-04-01T06:09:59Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Hey! You mean that double sawbuck I sent to Cecil was _not necessary_? But he _promised me…_ > > I want a refund. 😃 You got what you paid for. I don’t see what your complaint is. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/11 "2004-04-01T15:04:14Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Does this mean we get our $4.95 back? 😃 You shoulda waited. By the way, have they sent you your coffee mug yet? ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/status-of-sdsab/237529/12 "2004-04-01T15:26:07Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > By the way, have they sent you your coffee mug yet? No, but my “SDSAB Sybian” arrived safely so, oddly, I don’t care. Talk about Corporate Branding…