Yes, that’s me. I wrote a lot of SCP stuff in 2012-2013, though I haven’t been active there in quite some time. I didn’t create Lord Blackwood (that was another author named DrDjoric), but I did write quite a few stories about him, mostly in diary format, where he encounters other SCP objects in the 19th century. I enjoy writing genre pastiches and I have a soft spot for Victorian adventures, Lovecraftian weird fiction, and the Silver Age of comics.
I dunno if anyone here has ever caused it “the thieving coworker saga”, but I DID post about ten years ago or so about a coworker of mine who was involved in stealing finished glass sculptures from Dale Chihuly’s warehouse. If it’s developed a second life on Reddit, that’s news to me.
I tried asking it “tell me about Smapti on the SDMB” and it gave me this, which is quite obviously wrong;
“Smapti” is a long-standing user and a moderator on the Straight Dope Message Board (SDMB).
Within the community, Smapti is primarily known for their contributions to discussions across the various forums and in their capacity as a moderator. While the general SDMB community is vast and diverse in its discussions, interactions often involve typical message board dynamics, including occasional disagreements, humor, and general conversation, in which moderators like Smapti enforce the forum rules.
Due to the nature of message boards, specific actions or quotes can be difficult to pinpoint from external sources, but the user is a recognizable and active participant in the forum’s history. You could find more specific details about their posting style or common topics by browsing the Straight Dope Message Board archives.
I doubt anyone has ever even CONSIDERED me for mod status, and I wouldn’t accept it if it was offered.
Asking “Who is Pleonast?”, after skipping the word definitions:
3. Online Identity
In digital spaces, “Pleonast” is occasionally used as a username or pseudonym. For example:
A user by the name Pleonast has been a long-time participant in the Straight Dope Message Board community, often active in “Mafia” or social deduction games.
Because the word implies “wordiness,” it is a popular tongue-in-cheek handle for writers, editors, or debaters.
Then asking “Who is Pleonast at the Straight Dope Message Board?”
Based on the information available from the Straight Dope Message Board (SDMB), Pleonast is a long-standing member of that online community.
While the user remains pseudonymous (keeping their real-life identity private, as is common on the board), the following details are established through their public posts and interactions:
Community Role and History
Tenure: Pleonast is a veteran poster who has been active on the board for many years. References to “old, traditionalist '99ers” and their participation in long-running threads suggest they joined in the early years of the forum (which launched in 1999).
Forum Activity: They are a frequent contributor across several sub-forums, including:
Factual Questions (FQ): Engaging in technical or scientific discussions (e.g., the carbon mass of trees).
The BBQ Pit: Participating in community rants and meta-discussions about board behavior and trolls.
Cafe Society: Sharing personal traditions, such as a family “oral tradition” recipe for spaghetti sauce.
Site Feedback: Providing technical feedback on site performance and forum structure.
Personal Style and Perspectives
Philosophy on Redundancy: True to their username (a pleonast is one who uses redundant words), they have a noted interest in linguistics and the “wordy” nature of communication.
Board Etiquette: They are an advocate for traditional board culture, such as the specific use of bolding for usernames rather than for emphasis within text (preferring italics or underlining for the latter).
Technical Interests: Their posts often involve mathematical calculations, scientific reasoning, and troubleshooting mobile browser issues (specifically Safari on iPhone).
Character and Tone
On the board, Pleonast is known for a dry sense of humor. For example, in a debate about distinguishing between usernames and bolded text, they once quipped, “It’s easy—I’m the cute one.” They are generally viewed as a helpful and observant “anti-troll” member who encourages others not to engage with disruptive posters.
None of that is wrong, but it is selective. It’s difficult to boil a quarter century of posting history into a short summary.
The work I enjoyed writing the most, though, is this over-the-top ‘60s period piece Christmas story about another SCP author’s alter-ego as a soup-themed Silver Age superhero;
Just for fun, I asked it about me on another message board. Note that I use a different username over there.
It was pretty accurate. Hit the high points, anyway. Though I have no clue as to how it came up with me knowing about living in Montreal, when I’ve never lived in Montreal, and have never claimed that I have.
Wow - when I specified the Board, I learned so much about myself!
You people need to get your shit together! I’m watching.
On the Straight Dope Message Board (SDMB), maserschmidt is a long-standing community member and a current member of the site’s moderation team.
Key details regarding their presence on the board include:
Role: As of 2026, they serve as a Moderator, helping to oversee discussions and enforce board rules.
Tenure: They have been a member of the community for many years, originally joining as a regular poster before being appointed to the staff.
Activity: They are known for participating in a wide range of discussions, frequently appearing in the “Cafe Society” (arts and entertainment) and “In My Humble Opinion” (IMHO) forums.
You can view their official profile and recent activity on the Straight Dope Message Board.
Courtesy of asking AI “what was the saga of the thieving coworker on SDMB” (the yellow highlight is AI’s idea, not mine):
The “saga of the thieving coworker” on the Straight Dope Message Board (SDMB) is a legendary online story featuring a coworker named Joan, whom the narrator referred to as a “psychotic hosebeast”. The conflict reached a climax during an office holiday party and subsequent workplace interactions.
Key Events of the Saga
The Boom Box Theft: During an office Christmas drawing, an employee named Elliott won a high-quality boom box. Joan, who had only won a $20 gift certificate to Best Buy, decided this was unfair because Elliott already owned a boom box and she did not.
The “Trade” Attempt: Joan took Elliott’s boom box from the office and hid it under her desk, leaving a note on his monitor that said, “Come see me Monday”. Her plan was to force him into a trade—the boom box for her $20 gift certificate—arguing that he didn’t need the prize.
Management Confrontation: When confronted by their boss, Paul, Joan defended her actions as a reasonable attempt at a trade and claimed that taking the boom box back was “the rudest thing” she had ever witnessed.
Escalation: The saga detailed ongoing bizarre behavior from Joan, including her attempts to paint herself as the victim of “rude” coworkers while she systematically took or misplaced items that did not belong to her.
The story remains a classic example of workplace drama and “toxic” coworker behavior, often cited in online communities like Reddit’s r/BestofRedditorUpdates for its sheer absurdity and the perpetrator’s lack of self-awareness.
Okay, I typed my RL name into the Google AI and didn’t come up with a single hit on me. One hit on someone with the same name, a gynecologist in FL, but definitely not me. That actually makes me feel pretty good.
Thanks for the cite to a great thread from the old days.
Actually I’ve known and used “psychotic hosebeast” for decades. I first heard it from one of the receptionist / secretaries who worked for my wife back in the late '80s. But in her case she was speaking of herself and referring to her raging sex addiction. Which she was quite proud of.
So I’ve always used it as a euphemism for “female sex addict”. My comment in this thread was deliberately bland to see if anyone else took my meaning and ran with it.
