# The pit used to be a lot better **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 24, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880 "2012-02-24T21:34:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/41 "2012-02-25T22:16:33Z")
So the charm of the Pit (or, indeed, some message boards) is being able to say and do whatever you want without consequence? (Sorry if this isn’t what’s being said, but seeing as how I _have_ seen it as a serious argument several times in other contexts…) ---
**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:** [February 25, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/42 "2012-02-25T22:20:34Z")
\*The Atlantic Ocean was something then. . . Yeah, you should’ve seen the Atlantic Ocean in those days. \* [- Burt Lancaster, _Atlantic City_ (about 1:10 in)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFXGBDhi6X8) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/43 "2012-02-25T23:07:54Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > No, I’m sure it’s been going downhill since the first member signed up. When I joined, everybody was already complaining how much better the board was back in 1999. And how the old AOL board had been much better than that. > > This place is going to be a complete waste of time in a few more years. Unlike now, when it’s Time Well Spent? (hell, I’m getting graduate english lit-crit credits for posting here)… But, seriously, I’ve been lurking here since the late 90s, and it ebbs and flows (and I did jump ship to the g-boards for a spell during a big ebb), but it’s surprisingly familiar. As long as 10% of the people here are indeed fighting ignorance (and having a snarky, fun time of it), then it’ll continue to be my favorite ‘almost complete waste of time’. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/44 "2012-02-25T23:13:00Z")
This message board started its long slide to the bottom when we switched from snail mail to this newfangled “interweb” crap. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/45 "2012-02-25T23:20:52Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > …And how the old AOL board had been much better than that… Grampa? What’s an “AOL”? ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/46 "2012-02-25T23:37:28Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > This place is going to be a complete waste of time in a few more years. So, you’re making the assumption that this board isn’t already a complete waste of time? Since when? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/47 "2012-02-26T00:10:56Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Grampa? What’s an “AOL”? _“Well, they were free disks that ya got in the mail…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/48 "2012-02-26T01:15:45Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > That might have been the greatest two days ever for the Dope, but by it’s very nature it couldn’t last; it’s ephemeralness(?) is what enabled it and made it great. It was right after my mother died, and I got some seriously heavy stuff out that weekend. Ya, I wish some of that stuff was still accessable. A true gong show but in the finest sense of the term. I’m glad you responded because in a way I was starting to think I’d dreamed it. Could you remind me of around when it was? ---
**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:** [February 26, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/49 "2012-02-26T01:53:16Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > So, you’re making the assumption that this board isn’t already a complete waste of time? Since when? 😛 I see I should have put a 😉 on that. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/50 "2012-02-26T02:09:10Z")
> [@digs](#): > > _“Well, they were free disks that ya got in the mail…”_ What the fuck is mail? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/51 "2012-02-26T02:14:09Z")
> [@digs](#): > > _“Well, they were free disks that ya got in the mail…”_ Oh, like this one, Grampa? _Teenage Lesbian Sluts in Outer Space, Vol. 6?_ ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/52 "2012-02-26T02:14:20Z")
darn diddly arn. this pit has sure gone down hill. ---
**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:** [February 26, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/53 "2012-02-26T02:14:23Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > What the fuck is mail? [You’ve got mail!](http://www.bueker-gmbh.de/pics/l/alias3/R55XL-lightweight-chain-mail-shirt-w-long-sleeves.jpg%0d) ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/54 "2012-02-26T02:40:40Z")
> [@Quint](#): > > Ya, I wish some of that stuff was still accessable. A true gong show but in the finest sense of the term. I’m glad you responded because in a way I was starting to think I’d dreamed it. Could you remind me of around when it was? [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481092) puts it at near the end of August, 2008. [This one](http://boardstest.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481403)talks about the Pit during AW. ---
**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:** [February 26, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/55 "2012-02-26T02:50:52Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=481092) puts it at near the end of August, 2008. Specifically, it was Labor Day weekend. Labor Day that year was on September 1, so the dates were August 30-31. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/56 "2012-02-26T03:18:00Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Double the blame, give both an equal share. Or we could just simply blame the Canadian. That’s right, blame Canada. :mad: (I’m sure mad a lot in this thread! These pretzels are so salty!) > [@digs](#): > > _“Well, they were free disks that ya got in the mail…”_ And then used for drink coasters. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/57 "2012-02-26T12:51:23Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [You’ve got mail!](http://www.bueker-gmbh.de/pics/l/alias3/R55XL-lightweight-chain-mail-shirt-w-long-sleeves.jpg%0d) Oh, so AOL was like one of those clubs from Role Models. Armies of Lore or something. ---
**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:** [February 26, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/58 "2012-02-26T17:30:17Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > And then used for drink coasters. Or used to make a [fish.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/somewhatfrank/2235614222/lightbox/) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/59 "2012-02-26T18:57:50Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Or used to make a [fish.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/somewhatfrank/2235614222/lightbox/) That was creative. Thank heavens AOL upgraded to CDs. The black floppy disks (that used to overflow our mailbox back in the day) wouldn’t make a very colorful fish… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880/60 "2012-02-26T20:09:37Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Or used to make a [fish.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/somewhatfrank/2235614222/lightbox/) OOOooooooh. Pretty! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-used-to-be-a-lot-better/613880.md?page=2)