# The Straight Dope from December 1996 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957 "2003-06-19T17:00:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/1 "2003-06-19T17:00:32Z")
Anyone interested in seeing the metamorphosis of The Straight Dope webpage? [Here’s the front page from December 20, 1996!](http://web.archive.org/web/19961230204507/http://www.straightdope.com/) Extremely mundane and pointless. But interesting to see how we’ve grown up. Note the lack of the message board! ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/2 "2003-06-19T17:18:16Z")
Haha…I remember that big brain from when I was on AOL. Good times! ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/3 "2003-06-19T19:37:12Z")
How bad is it? I mean, I can’t imagine it being racy or anything, but I still get this pop-up when I try to view it at work: “Access Denied: This site has been intentionally restricted by the Bank and deemed as not business related and/or inappropriate. Per Human Resources policy, please contact your manager for additional information.” Our HR is run by quacks…locally, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/4 "2003-06-19T19:42:20Z")
I think the “not business related” part says it all. Just be glad the haven’t blocked the current Dope on you yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/5 "2003-06-19T19:45:49Z")
The brain! I loved that brain. I disliked AOL with a passion, but the brain? Pure beauty. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/6 "2003-06-19T19:47:42Z")
Heh… this was about the same time I started reading the Dope online, mostly because there was no local paper that carried the column in print. And, yes, I do remember the TV show. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/7 "2003-06-19T20:12:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*I think the “not business related” part says it all. > > Just be glad the haven’t blocked the current Dope on you yet. 🙂 \*\* Then I’d have a post count of about 30. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/8 "2003-06-19T22:32:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*I think the “not business related” part says it all. > > Just be glad the haven’t blocked the current Dope on you yet. 🙂 \*\* Our IS dept just installed a new firewall and the Dope is blocked under the category “Entertainment”. What’s weird is that, if I go to CNN’s home page and click on the Entertainment button, I get the same message, but if I click on a story link UNDER the main button, I can read the story. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/9 "2003-06-20T01:58:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MsRobyn \* > **And, yes, I do remember the TV show.** The TV show was what turned me on to the Straight Dope. I used to watch it (and loved it). It was a sad day when that show died. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/10 "2003-06-20T03:40:15Z")
> [@](#): > > We’re not saying the service via AOL is dramatically better but you do get a nice selection of automatic responses. (“Congratulations! You are the one millionth person to ask what three words end in G-R-Y. Please send us your address so we can burn down your house.”) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/11 "2003-06-20T12:23:34Z")
Let’s see, there’s “angry” and “hungry” and… Well, how am I doing? ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/12 "2003-06-20T12:28:25Z")
I want the brain back! Does anyone still have a copy of it on their computer? Could we posisbly petition for its return? ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/13 "2003-06-20T13:06:35Z")
The brain was part of AOL’s graphic presentation, so I’m not sure (other than a saved screenshot–much like you just saw on the cached page) who could have saved it. And if I remember correctly (I may not), it was an animated brain. So, when your mouse moved over a lobe, the lobe itself moved a bit. For all I know, it was AOL’s creation, so if we wanted a copy (and it wasn’t their proprietary artwork), we’d have to petition them. But I could be wrong about that, too. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/14 "2003-06-20T15:16:57Z")
Cool. [http://web.archive.org/web/19991116205840/http://eminem.com/](http://web.archive.org/web/19991116205840/http://eminem.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/15 "2003-06-21T02:51:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ParentalAdvisory \* > \*\*Cool. > [http://web.archive.org/web/19991116205840/http://eminem.com/](http://web.archive.org/web/19991116205840/http://eminem.com/) \*\* What? ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/16 "2003-06-21T16:30:53Z")
I think your work proxy is blocking [web.archive.org](http://web.archive.org) as it would enable you to browse _other_ websites they don’t want you seeing - use it as a gateway, if you will. For the same reason they probably block other “redirection” sites like [www.anonymizer.com](http://www.anonymizer.com) and [www.tinyurl.com](http://www.tinyurl.com). ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/17 "2003-06-21T17:29:32Z")
[Here’s](http://web.archive.org/web/20000511140044/boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=5)what the pit looked like on August 15, 2000. This is fun, **Rico**! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-from-december-1996/182957/18 "2003-06-21T17:34:24Z")
Hey, I had forgotten they used to do [this!](http://web.archive.org/web/20010427045233/boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=58250)