# "The Reference Section" **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 3, 1999, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524 "1999-11-03T22:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/1 "1999-11-03T22:44:00Z")
We have a new department here at the Straight Dope Message Board, the first of our soon-to-be-expanded Straight Dope Archives. Consider it the depository of all ye need know. This section got off to a good start with Louie’s HTML tutorial. Thanks again, Louie (and everybody else that contributed), it’s a good job. What else goes into the section, well, to some degree that’s up to you. What’s really worth saving? What do you want at your fingertips? Among other things, we envision this being a place where you can find answers to the same old questions . . .like . . .oh god, I can’t even bear to say it . . . the g-- well, you know what I mean. ::: shudder ::: Instead of toasting the socks off the clueless newbie that asks the question we can simply send them where they need to go to get edjamacated. Suggestions for worthwhile material for The Reference section should be sent to yours truly, I’ll be happy to see it gets saved in the proper place. your humble TubaDiva/SDStaffDiv for the Straight Dope Order arising from Chaos, shipments daily ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/2 "1999-11-04T05:17:00Z")
IMHO, I’d recommend a “Best of” or “Great Posts” archive, like on OpalCat’s site. Sealemon’s chain letter thread comes to mind. * * * JMcC, San Francisco [http://members.tripod.com/~weirdstuff/index.html](http://members.tripod.com/~weirdstuff/index.html) “Hear the voices in my head, I swear to God it sounds like they’re snoring” ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/3 "1999-11-04T05:19:00Z")
Abbreviations. Explain the abbreviations. ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/4 "1999-11-04T06:39:00Z")
I concur with **Cess** on the abbrev. explanations, btw. Also, I thread on how to create special characters (example the " © " ). I could start on that if necessary in a few days. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/5 "1999-11-04T07:02:00Z")
Great ideas, well taken. Go to, folks. your humble TubaDiva/SDStaffDiv for the Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/6 "1999-11-04T07:08:00Z")
A link to Opal’s site, including regs list, chat room, and page o flames. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/7 "1999-11-04T12:00:00Z")
By the way, is the references up yet? If so where? ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 1999, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/8 "1999-11-05T06:03:00Z")
An explanation of the moderator duties and a short biography of the moderators. For example, I was interested to read recently that Nickrz had written some books. * * * J’ai assez vécu pour voir que différence engendre haine. Stendhal ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/9 "1999-11-04T19:25:00Z")
I’m surprised to read that too; Nick, you’re holding out on us! Fess up! your humble TubaDiva readying her bio soon . . . if I don’t sell it to Hollywood first (don’t they need more science-fiction fantasies?) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/10 "1999-11-04T21:40:00Z")
In [this thread](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000031.html), **Nickrz** says > [@](#): > > I have dealt with this subject in great detail in a book I wrote in 1967, “The Difference of Man and the Difference It Makes,” and in another book in 1990, “Intellect: Mind Over Matter.” * * * J’ai assez vécu pour voir que différence engendre haine. Stendhal ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/11 "1999-11-04T21:58:00Z")
As much respect and esteem as I have for Nickrz, my official guess is that he is _not_ Mortimer Adler * * * Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/12 "1999-11-04T22:03:00Z")
Well, **slap me silly**! I misread the post. When Nickrz said “I wrote…”, he was actually quoting Mortimer J. Adler. You know, I \*thought[/] those titles sounded familiar… * * * La franchise ne consiste pas à dire tout ce que l’on pense, mais à penser tout ce que l’on dit. H. de Livry ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/13 "1999-11-06T04:34:00Z")
IMHO=In My Humble Opinion Sorry. Man, the first time I use an abbreviation, I get yelled at. The man (or woman) upstairs is telling something. ---
**Author:** ![Momotaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Momotaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Momotaro)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/14 "1999-11-06T05:04:00Z")
Put this with the abbreviations: definitions of oft-used words by the posters of this board that most people don’t understand. e.g. troll and trolling, flame and flaming (for people who don’t know the internet well), fletching :o, etc. “Edjamacated”? * * * Only humans commit inhuman acts. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/15 "1999-11-06T05:37:00Z")
It’s the feathers on an arrow, of course. What else could it possibly be? 🙂 Yes, “edjamacated.” Sometimes it has bearing; I got it from Bullwinkle, I think. your humble TubaDiva/SDStaffDiv for the Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/16 "1999-11-06T16:39:00Z")
If there’s a way to have Louie’s excellent “Fun with HTML (tutorial) : All Ye Need Know” single-post thread" stay on top of the list of threads on the ‘About This Message Board’ board, that would be useful. It’s the first thing people should see when they come to ATMB, since it will answer most of their questions right off the bat. Other than that, I concur with Cessandra and Sterling that a list of abbreviations would help. Many are obvious: most people can catch on to BTW, IMO and IMHO, FWIW, IIRC, etc. from context, but I’m still trying to figure out what AFAIK (‘as far as I \_\_\_’ ?), and a couple of others that I can’t recall right now, stand for. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/17 "1999-11-06T17:56:00Z")
Know. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/18 "1999-11-06T21:40:00Z")
Out of curiosity alone, why was the “Slow Down!” thread archived? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 1999, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/19 "1999-11-06T23:58:00Z")
I like the idea of the reference section, but what about devoting some resources to fixing the “Search” feature??? PLEASE. * * * Sue from El Paso [members.aol.com/majormd/index.html](http://members.aol.com/majormd/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 1999, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-reference-section/524/20 "1999-11-07T00:07:00Z")
Also, there seems to be a glitch in the reference section. When I go to the reference section, then choose the “Slow Down” thread, then go to the bottom to the selection bar to choose which forum or archive I want next, the bottom 2 options are: Archives: General Questions Archives: Comments on Mailbag Items clicking the General Questions line leads to a screen saying “We could not find that archive. Perhaps it has recently been deleted. Please your back button to return.” * * * Sue from El Paso [members.aol.com/majormd/index.html](http://members.aol.com/majormd/index.html)