# Trapped on a Desert Island with all the SDMB members? Virtual SDMB Civilization! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113 "2003-04-25T14:10:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/81 "2003-04-29T03:24:21Z")
But what of the Moderators? Can the fragile social network that is the SDMB long survive without the stern, guiding hand of the Moderators? Clearly, a rigidly formalized ritual hierarchy of some sort would be called for, to maintain order and harmony. I envision a regally garbed figure with an elaborate headdress striding into an unruly, argumentative crowd, shaking a ceremonial bone rattle and intoning loudly, _“This thread is **closed!** ”_ ---
**Author:** ![flybynight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@flybynight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flybynight)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/82 "2003-04-29T03:40:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > \*\*_nudges Branwen, while carefully not looking at anyone in particular_ So, umm…do you suppose there are any field mice on this island? 😉 \*\* Well if there are, I gaurantee _you_ won’t find them… _evil laugh_ Besides, what else would I do up there in the hills all by myself? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Branwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Branwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Branwen)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/83 "2003-04-29T03:55:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flybynight \* > \*\*Well if there are, I gaurantee _you_ won’t find them… _evil laugh_ Besides, what else would I do up there in the hills all by myself? 😃 \*\* NOOOO! Lovin’ those meeces to pieces is _bad_. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/84 "2003-04-29T05:12:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Terrifel \* > \*\*But what of the Moderators? Can the fragile social network that is the SDMB long survive without the stern, guiding hand of the Moderators? Clearly, a rigidly formalized ritual hierarchy of some sort would be called for, to maintain order and harmony. > > I envision a regally garbed figure with an elaborate headdress striding into an unruly, argumentative crowd, shaking a ceremonial bone rattle and intoning loudly, _“This thread is **closed!** ”_ \*\* And primitive, yet strangely effective, jackboots. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/85 "2003-04-29T06:18:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fern Forest \* > … I would worry about Zenster though. It appears just the thought of being shipwrecked with us has already gotten to him. Count your fingers when you wake up … Fingers? What fingers? We’re having sausages for brekkies. Try and count then! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Terrifel \* > … rigidly formalized … This sounds like a job for **Coldie Clogs**! ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/86 "2003-04-29T11:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Branwen \* > \*\*NOOOO! Lovin’ those meeces to pieces is _bad_. \*\* _Looks at **flybynight** _ Dude! She is _so_ yours for the asking! And, she calls _me_ easy! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/87 "2003-04-29T11:28:12Z")
Sadly, I would probably immediatly go MacGuyver, and start trying to create some form of explosive. Looking in bat caves for saltpetre etc., or looking for the ingredients for Nitroglycerin. I would also be on the look-out for iron deposits, and attempt to build a forge which I could fashion a gun from. (not that I would suceed with all or any of it, but I would still try). I just couldn’t stand the feeling that I wouldn’t be able to defend myself if a sabretooth tiger attacked or something. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/88 "2003-04-29T11:57:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Chaos starts to errupt, Opal Cat stands on a rock and calms people with her glittering feline wit, whilst Libertarian and Collounsbury just sit in the sand, staring out at the sea, waiting for the hoards to digress back into the forest to look for food so they can have a Rational conversation and try to make sense out of whats happening. Cal Meacham wonders over and sits down next to these two, and devises a plan to find our longitude and Latitude when night falls and the stars come out, Chronos soon joins him. Gee, you like me. You \*really really \* like me! I’m flattered. I do remember hoe Jules Verne described doing this in **The Mysterious Island**. Reading books like TMI and Connecticut Yankee always made me feel inadequate – I never seemed to know all those things about survival that the heros did. So I tried to remember them, in case I should ever be caught in a Falling Civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Branwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Branwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Branwen)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/89 "2003-04-29T13:54:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > \*\*_Looks at **flybynight** _ Dude! She is _so_ yours for the asking! And, she calls _me_ easy! 😃 \*\* Yes, because nothing says “Take me, I’m yours,” quite the way that telling someone not to have sex with disease carrying vermin does. Besides that, he’d only want me for one thing anyway…my boat.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/90 "2003-04-29T14:14:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\*Now what do you do? There is a man running around saying that he is **Cecil Adams**!! Some people believe him, then another man says “ **No, I’m Cecil** ” . \*\* The first guy is an obvious imposter. The second guy is obviously **Ed Zotti**. **Cecil** himself will hide away in the ruined temple and deliver oracular proclamations from inside the big stone idol’s head in return for offerings of burnt trolls. Me, I’ll be the clever, handsome and witty supporting character who accidentally stumbles across the island’s ancient and dark secret, approaches too close for my own good, and lives just long enough to drag my shattered body back to the main camp, utter something dramatic yet cryptic like “_My God - the writhing! The hideous writhing!_” and then expire before anyone can get any useful information out of me. Or maybe I’ll just collect driftwood for the fire. That would be okay too. ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/91 "2003-04-29T14:36:37Z")
I would be playing with **FIRE!!!** 😃 And making skeery animal noises in the middle of the night to fool you all… And I might decide that my only form of communication is to clap my hands and bounce, and say “da!” and “uh-pah-chaah!” You’ll have to invent Guinness quick… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/92 "2003-04-29T17:25:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tir Tinuviel \* > \*\*I would be playing with **FIRE!!!** 😃 > > And making skeery animal noises in the middle of the night to fool you all… > > And I might decide that my only form of communication is to clap my hands and bounce, and say “da!” and “uh-pah-chaah!”\*\* So no change there, then. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/93 "2003-04-29T18:48:08Z")
**Cal** - come on now, modesty went out in the 80’s. - [sub]just kidding-[/sub] But when it comes to getting the job done correctly, we’ll need experts, not laymen. I mean I could have asked the **Bad Astronomer** but I figured he’s had enough so why not give him a break on the star gazing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/94 "2003-04-29T19:03:42Z")
If **Bad Astronomer** is on the island, someone’ll have to be the whacko that comes up with zany theories, so BA can keep busy… ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/95 "2003-04-29T19:03:51Z")
I’d join forces with \*\*Fenris[/] to safeguard the colony’s precious comic book collection. Unfortunately, we’ll ultimately split on a Pre/Post Crisis debate, though we’ll be able to find common ground about Foglio. But I won’t share my XXXenophiles. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/96 "2003-04-30T11:30:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Branwen \* > \*\*Besides that, he’d only want me for one thing anyway…my boat.😃 \*\* “Boat”? Is that what they’re calling it, these days? Come on, admit it. You’re just dying to get your hands on his dinghy. 😉 > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Tir Tinuviel_ > \*\*I would be playing with FIRE!!! \*\* _Knocks Tir down and sits on her_ Where the heck is **Twist**? Someone’s got to look after _this_ one! 😛 **Tir** , honey, don’t eat the sand. It’s not good for you. ---
**Author:** ![Branwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Branwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Branwen)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/97 "2003-04-30T12:19:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > **"Boat"? Is that what they’re calling it, these days? Come on, admit it. You’re just dying to get your hands on his dinghy. 😉** That was funny, although I’m betting **flybynight** would be insulted to hear his ship called a dinghy. ---
**Author:** ![minega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@minega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minega)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/98 "2003-04-30T17:25:23Z")
As an African i would be the first under suspicion if a doper got cooked and eaten…The perks would be scaring you all with what my fearsome ancestors will do to you if YOU DONT STOP PLAYING 50 CENT! But in my spare time, when i am not carrying out thr 250 rituals i have to perform just to get by, i would be happy to fill in the obnoxious black man a la David Chapelle ---
**Author:** ![Branwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@Branwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Branwen)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/99 "2003-04-30T17:49:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minega \* > \*\*As an African i would be the first under suspicion if a doper got cooked and eaten… \*\* We could always eat you first, then you wouldn’t have to worry about it. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113/100 "2003-04-30T17:53:53Z")
**minega** - You think you’d be the only one under suspicion? 🙂 **"We’re all a bunch of savages!!"** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-on-a-desert-island-with-all-the-sdmb-members-virtual-sdmb-civilization/171113.md?page=6)