This Week at the SDMB (an idea)

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1

I’ve been able to spend more time here than usual in the past few days, since I’ve been at home ostensibly studying for the Step 2. It has made me realize that I miss a lot. Even if someone had the time and inclination, it’s hard to keep up with all the threads in all the fora.

My usual SDMB habits are such that I stop in most days, but often only for a little while. I’ll usually start by checking GD and the Pit; I might make it to IMHO or GQ if I have time. I rarely make it to MPSIMS.

During other, busier times, it might be weeks between my visits to the SDMB. I know it’s “just a message board”, as they say, but I think of myself as a semi-regular, and I’m usually curious to see what I missed.

For all these reasons and more, I think it would be cool to have sort of an SDMB Digest. It could come out by e-mail or on the site once or twice a week. In it, correspondents from each forum would let everyone know what’s been going on in that neck of the Board.

The ATMB correspondent could keep us abreast of technical board news and the discussions thereof. The GD correspondent could let us know what debates were hot this week, what interesting new subjects came up, or what new points were made on old subjects. The MPSIMS correspondent could keep us up on Dopefests, major life events, and other important bits of mundane pointlessness.

I see it as a fun, stylistic endeavor; I imagine the Pit reported as “Who’s Bitching About What”, and MPSIMS in Jackie-Harvey-from-The Onion or small-town paper gossip-column style. Of course, it opens itself up to the usual trouble of subjectivity on the part of the correspondents, but I think it would work out very well.

Any thoughts? I’d love to spearhead a project like this, but my current copious free time is unfortunately short-lived.

Dr. J

2

It’s interesting in concept, but probably horrifically unwieldy in application.

Just the writing alone would require untold hours of perusing and digesting. Then once a “digest” was posted, you’d get the inevitable “why did you include X but not Y”, “if you thought Z was worthwhile, you’re obviously a facist”, “you never think anything I write is digest-worthy, you must be part of the clique” replies.

Soon enough the digest would be self-referential and Douglas Hoffstadtler would have to get involved.

It would be like a mod’s job without any of the glory. :smiley:

3

I’m in the same boat as Dr. J- I hang around just enough to miss a lot. I think a digest would be a good idea, as long as everyone realizes it can’t be complete.

4

The problem with this idea is obvious, and probably insurmountable. Why A Duck nailed it: who would research and write such a thing? Even handy wouldn’t have the time; he’s too busy posting himself.

5

I’d have enough time to do GD for anyone who really wanted it. I read all the threads even if I don’t participate in them. And I check in about, oh, three times a day.

Interesting idea. 'Course, last idea I volunteered for got the shit kicked out of it, so maybe I should “clear post” :wink:

6

Well, GD would be easy, right? It’d just read, “This week in GD, the topics of abortion, gun control, civil liberties, and the benefits/drawbacks of (fill in religion here) were discussed, but no definitive answers were reached.”

7

I probably have some time to help out. Although the only forum I always read top to bottom is the Pit, and I’m not the most representative person from that forum :slight_smile: