Decades. I feel a little awkward about it too. 
Thanks for a great run, for setting us straight on so many things and for laying the groundwork for the great community that is here.
Yes, thank you, Cece’. Hope you keep contributing to the betterment of the thinking world.
The straight dope is something every human wants to hear. (Well if they are curious)
I hope a way is found for the column can keep on. Books are a good way, but the regular installments are what keeps things fresh.
It’s a sad day.
ETA, I am still a noob, I know a bunch ignorance that needs fighting!
I’m still in shock. The Straight Dope has been a part of my weekly ritual for so long, (early eighties?), that this is a little hard to accept. Who the hell thought that the Straight Dope was no longer needed?
Ah, well, thanks for fighting the good fight, Cecil. It really is taking longer than anyone might’ve thought. So, I guess you won’t be getting around to that question I sent in a few years ago? ; )
I’m disappointed the series has ended with an unresolved cliff hanger. The last line of the last column reads: “In some quarters at least, it’s evidently reassuring to know there’s a snake-oil salesman in the White House.” Now we will never know the name of this mysterious White House occupant.
Yup yup. I discovered the Straight dope while taking a particularly boring IT class…the class computers were reasonably locked down (for the time), but I managed to install Opera, and the SDMB was a link there. What a long road it’s been!
Write that book. You know you want to.
Thanks for the memories.
Do a history of the SD and related things (like this board) and you can put me down for 5 copies. Release it around September so I can read one and reorder for Christmas and you could multiply that by 10.
Wikipedia has updated!
Written in Wiki-speak though
… which surprised me, give the grace with which many of the contributors write here,
Thank you, Cecil.
Now it just says ““The Straight Dope” was an online question-and-answer newspaper column published from 1973 to 2018 in the Chicago Reader and syndicated in eight newspapers in the United States.”
Many thanks to Cecil, Ed, and Slug. Thanks to the SD Advisory Board staff.
I’ve been reading religiously for 24, maybe 25 years, it will be hard to replace my Friday knowledge fix.
Best wishes, and good luck.
Hey Cecil,
Thanks for being a source of truth. I relied on the Straight Dope for facts and entertainment (Factortainment? Edutainment?) to help me through the day. I was shocked when I saw the end of the columns, however why should I be shocked? Did I somehow think that you would write until the end? Or you would download your brain to robot Cecil Adams? Still learning and adjusting. Now I’m seeing that all will end/change eventually. For example, Stan Lee can’t make cameos forever, evidence to the contrary aside.
Still teaching me valuable life lessons.
Thanks for all the Straight Dope!
-Curious11 (My curiosity goes up to 11)
p.s. One of my favorite columns was the true story on ethanol.
^ You should know by now that Stan Lee is a cyborg and will have copyright control of his creations well into the 22nd century. And cameos galore. 
I’m pretty sure Cecil is immortal, like Santa Claus or Superman or The Phantom. Even if his column isn’t.
Powers &8^]
That’s a slight modification of the lede that’s been present for quite some time (just changed the tense and added the ending date).
The part quoted by Melbourne was added to the Newspapers section, but done improperly by the editor who did so. I just fixed it so it shows properly.
Powers &8^]
Came to through the books. Found this place later. Much joy.
Did anyone ask “the folks at Sun-Times Media” to think? “Meddle” would be a more accurate term. Cecil isn’t just a man, he’s an institution. Somehow, that reality has gone right over their heads.
I remember when “Oxygen” (Oprah) purchased “BreakupGirl” which, up to that time, was a thriving message board. Despite the fact that it was thriving, they decided that they had to meddle and change a bunch of things. “Why” will always remain a mystery. In any case, “BreakupGirl” was basically dead within a year.
I read about this in the newspaper in a nice column by Colby Cosh
Le sigh.
Bye, Ed.