# The SDMB community: how much does it mean to you/ **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 5, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686 "2002-12-05T14:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sebhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@Sebhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebhal)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/1 "2002-12-05T14:05:38Z")
_Originally posted by **iampunha** _ > [@](#): > > And really, all it takes is one person to say “Poster X has died/gone into a coma/broken his/her leg” and you’ll get people coming to offer their condolences/support/whatnot. It could be a newbie with only that post saying “my friend is sick” and you’d get support from other people. > > I don’t know of many other places online where that’s the case. I hope you don’t mind me quoting you here, **iampunha** , but this kind of clarified some thoughts I’ve been having about the SDMB of late. I see threads like [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148142) (which is where **iampunha** ’s post came from), I see that there are now in excess of 27,500 registered members and I think that’s amazing! I’m still a newbie, and not a prolific poster by any means, but I do feel part of this ‘community’. I haven’t been around long enough to be recognised, I know no one outside the boards at at all (even by email) but it seems that there is something unifying about coming here regularly! I also have a question: how much more is this the case for the long-term and prolific posters? I can get a reasonable idea from [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=146526) thread, but I’m still interested. N. ---
**Author:** ![TelcontarStorm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ab097/32.png) [@TelcontarStorm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TelcontarStorm)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/2 "2002-12-05T14:14:12Z")
You bet this place is important to me. It’s the first sign of civilization in my day as I get on it before breakfast even. I like to think of this place as my pub, and the posters as my Pubmates. I actually don’t go to bars, but the idea is the same. This is a place where I can get the news, granted with a bit of a slant, but it’s better presented than CBS. This si the place where I can catch up on gossip. Where I can share what useless information is floating around in my brain. as well as pick a few other brains for info. But most importantly, This is where I come to be amused. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/3 "2002-12-05T14:28:49Z")
With 27,500+ members, we really are like a small town. Question…if someone gets banned, does the number of registered members drop by one? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/4 "2002-12-05T14:40:05Z")
Nope that’s one of the reason that it’s so big. Add to that the number of people that posted once or twice to CoCC and then left of the numerous socks that trolls created and you’ve got a much smaller number. I’d reckon no more that 500-1000 active posters. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/5 "2002-12-05T14:41:55Z")
_sigh_ I think I’m dyslexic when I type. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/6 "2002-12-05T15:19:40Z")
Well, “regular posters” is a hard thing to guess, and it changes from month to month. There are an awful lot of folks you can bet get tired of it after a couple hundred posts and vanish - never to be seen again. Also, **yojimbo** forgot to mention Lurkers, of which there are a _great_ many. My wife is a lurker. How important is the SDMB to me? Dunno. During the work week I often post like crazy, but during the weekend I usually only post if I’m bored or drunk or both. It has become a much better place to me now that I know so many Dopers personally. I’m fortunate to be part of the NY crowd, at least for now, and have met many, many people at fests, dinners and just for the halibut. The SDMB really is made up of some wonderful people, and I don’t think I would have stuck around so long if I hadn’t gotten to know them. The threads are often informative or entertaining, but it’s nice to know that you actually _know_ some of the people you are talking to. Since I’m kind of alone right now, the SDMB makes up most of my “conversations” during a day. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/7 "2002-12-05T15:36:36Z")
It’s incredibly important to me. I can’t liken it to any “real world” communities that I am a part of. Come to think of it, this is my real world! The internet is no longer something separate from real life to me. It is an important part of my real life. This is partially because the board extends so much into my real life–the people I hang out with, the books I read, etc, and partially because of the time I spend here. It’s kind of weird that this is such an important part of my day-to-day existence, yet most of my friends and family don’t know about it. It’s kind of hard to explain to them, especially if they are not members of similar boards. It’s funny, but a family friend whom I don’t see often just told me about a cool mothering message board. And then she said, “But my main online home is the WELL.” I felt that I had found someone who at least understands what it means to have an “online home.” Maybe a lot of others do too, but don’t talk about it. Sometimes I wonder if someone I know IRL is a Doper reg and I just don’t know about it. At least my parents understand, or at least accept, that this is a big part of my and my brother’s lives. For example, we might be talking about something, like the January NYC fest, and my parents might ask what we are talking about, and we can just say “it’s a big board event,” and they understand. Wow, I’m rambling…sorry. ---
**Author:** ![rubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@rubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rubes)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/8 "2002-12-05T19:31:38Z")
I have found this board to be of great emotional support when needed. I have met some interesting people via various Dopefests. Could I live without the boards, sure, but why would I? I no longer visit as regularly as I used to (Different job now), but I still like to check in and see what’s going on. ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/9 "2002-12-05T19:37:13Z")
The 'Dope is the best thing ever. Apart from being a great source of entertainment, it’s also a place to find answers to nagging questions, a place to get your mind expanded, and … agh! it’s just so damn awesome! ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/10 "2002-12-05T19:50:46Z")
I’m amazed at how much I care for people I’ve never met. Seriously. I’ve wept over posts about people dying, giving birth, getting married, etc. Anytime something of note happens to someone, I definitely like to read about it. And it can be touching to me even when I’ve never said “boo” to that person. Kind of weird. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/11 "2002-12-05T20:03:33Z")
This is my home away from home. This is the place where I’ve met some of my closest friends (including two whom I may later on ask to be prominent non-bride parts of my wedding), and of course my spectacularly wonderful fiancée **fizzestothetop** 🙂 The amount of support, debate, challenge … real life stuff I’ve gotten from this board makes it as real as anything you could make bleed with a razor blade. And there are boatloads of people who are my family here (some who have gone or chosen to leave, but still). ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/12 "2002-12-05T20:05:04Z")
This place rules. Where else can you talk to so many smart people with such different backgrounds and experiences? I’d always hoped for something like this in Usenet or chat, but any interesting conversation there invariably gets drowned out by cretins screaming mis-spelled obscenities. It’s like trying to have a conversation in the middle of the worlds largest daycare center. This place is the Grownups Table. A sanctuary in the midst of chaos. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/13 "2002-12-05T22:15:08Z")
[quote] **I’d reckon no more that 500-1000 _active posters._** Oxymoron Alert! 🙂 I couldn’t live without this place. Yous guys and chicks have made me smarter, funnier, wittier, more skeptical, more spiritual and everything inbetween. Now we need to work on all of you coming over and cleaning my house 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/14 "2002-12-05T22:35:23Z")
Let me put it this way. I finally got home after being caught at a friend’s house by a rather large snowstorm. I’ve been up for about 12 hours, and the only nourishment I’ve had all day is a cup of tea. I’ve got to eat dinner, make up a massive batch of sausage rolls, and have a bath. What am I doing? Posting here. You people have shown me more respect, courtesy, and decency than almost any other group I know. In one of the circles I move in, people refer to FOO and FOC, Family Of Origin, and Family Of Choice. As I may have said before, it’s a pleasure knowing you FOCers! 😃 CJ ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/15 "2002-12-05T23:21:34Z")
I’m a devout junkie. I spend more of my time on the internet here than anywhere else. I suppose that some could consider it sad, but to be honest, I’d probably be the next Unabomber if it weren’t for the Dope. You guys keep me sane. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/16 "2002-12-05T23:48:36Z")
This is a great fun place, but in reality, it means almost zero to me. Kinda neat in one way, in that I don’t feel compelled to edit myself too much for fear of pissing anyone off or trodding on their tender feelings. Outside of work, where I’m trapped in the building till its time to go home and SDMB is a great time-killer, I don’t ever log on. Too much more important stuff to do in the real world. Sorry. * * * May the yuletide log slip from your fireplace and burn your house down. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/17 "2002-12-06T00:44:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\* The internet is no longer something separate from real life to me. \*\* I feel the same way and someday I might get over being surprised by that. If you’d told me two years ago that I’d have a whole bunch of “real life” friends (including the wonderful **Green Bean** ) and a boyfriend who I’d met on a message board, I would’ve thought you were insane. So yeah, even though I don’t post much, this place is pretty important to me. ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/18 "2002-12-06T01:43:15Z")
> [@](#): > > With 27,500+ members, we really are like a small town. Hell, this place is 3 times as bigger then my actual town! Be that as it may, I love the SDMB. If anyone has a problem, all they have to do is talk and there are thousands of people to lend an ear or donate suggestions. If I have a question, all I have to do is post. If I want to post a story or something stupid that happened to me, I know I’ll get dozens of responses. Even though I havent been here for long, and no one knows me by name, I still come here every day to learn new things. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/19 "2002-12-06T03:03:31Z")
> [@](#): > > my spectacularly wonderful fiancee **fizzestothetop** Um, **punha** , I reckon I’ll get to ask you next month, but this makes me rather curious. If nothing else, will he be there? I don’t remember seeing that in the threrad, though it has been lingering for some time. Sorry for the hyjack, folks. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686/20 "2002-12-06T07:56:49Z")
What does it mean to me? People on the other side of the world who’ve never even met me have offered me help - including money - when things haven’t been going well in my life. I am STILL awed and humbled by the supportiveness of this community, and I give thanks every single day for all of the people I’ve “met” through this place who I’m proud to call my friends (and ironically, some of my closest friends are people with whom I had flame wars when we first encountered each other). I feel incredibly privileged to be a part of this community, and my life would be very much poorer if the CR ever pulled the plug on this messageboard. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-community-how-much-does-it-mean-to-you/140686.md?page=2)