# What is the purpose of the Straight Dope Message Board? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 13, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405 "2022-02-13T15:50:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/41 "2022-03-16T01:59:14Z")
What I’ve always enjoyed here is the high level of discussion, spelling and grammar errors are rare (even before built-in spellcheck) and there is a sense of honest-to-goodness **thought** behind most posts. There are many $20 words used, in proper context, whereas the majority of the rest of the internet commentariat is rooted deep in nickel country. Thank u all 4 not wRiTiNg liek dis (clever comedic effects R appreciated tho) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/42 "2022-03-16T05:41:59Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It doesn’t have a purpose. It’s a message board about ![](https://media4.giphy.com/media/baPIkfAo0Iv5K/giphy.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/43 "2022-03-16T05:56:35Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > But does it have a _special_ purpose. Hundreds of them. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/44 "2022-03-18T01:46:44Z")
Of course, the whole point of a SDMB is lost, _if you **keep** it a **secret**! Why didn’t you tell the world, **eh?!!** _ ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/45 "2022-03-18T23:12:28Z")
I may be the first here to recount this particular history - I started reading The Straight Dope in the Chicago Reader back in the 70’s. Cecil was erudite, clever, caustic (to the occasional idiot who wrote) and supercilious in an extremely entertaining way. He knew it all and he knew it. (Not far off in the pre-Google days). This was well before the Reader and the Straight Dope had an internet presence. The SDMB was first known as a Bulletin Board System, a BBS, and I’m not sure how it has changed and been modified over the years. Just to say that I consider the Factual Questions aspect of the site an enormously helpful and informative feature. I’ve asked questions here that wanted factual answers and yet received different types of answers and points of view. How enlightening! One other feature that hasn’t been mentioned - in recent years, each forum has had “moderators” who occasionally will call someone out on a breach of etiquette. No threats, usually, but a gentle warning. Be nice. If only that ethic were present in the rest of our world. And maybe it helps that there’s a forum, The Pit, that invites anger and invective and gnashing of teeth. But that’s only where that belongs. Maybe it defuses that attitude in the other forums. Although I don’t come here regularly, I love it. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/46 "2022-03-19T00:01:15Z")
> [@CC](#): > > And maybe it helps that there’s a forum, The Pit, that invites anger and invective and gnashing of teeth. But that’s only where that belongs. And everyone who doesn’t want to read flamewars can totally ignore the Pit. Which I do. Even if someone were to Pit me, I’m unlikely to respond there. I would probably read that thread just out of curiosity, but that would be all. ---
**Author:** ![cincinnatus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cincinnatus/32/7990_2.png) [@cincinnatus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cincinnatus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/47 "2022-03-19T00:50:03Z")
This board is to demonstrate that most posters, surely not all, surely, know to use paragraphs. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2022, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/48 "2022-03-19T01:17:42Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > And everyone who doesn’t want to read flamewars can totally ignore the Pit. Which I do. I avoided the Pit for years. I eventually warmed to it (no pun intended) and now I might spend most of my time there. I guess my time on the SDMB has corrupted me. **Or perhaps it revealed who I have always been.** ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/49 "2022-03-21T23:34:03Z")
To the OP (original poster): If the preceding was not enough, I’d recommend scrolling through a few posts, keeping in mind the nature of that forum. That should answer your question. ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2022, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405/50 "2022-03-26T01:50:52Z")
This is it, right here. This could be read at a podium by a charismatic orator. > [@Rant about SDMB and pandemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rant-about-sdmb-and-pandemic/961703/67): > > Well the straight dope is certainly free spirited and one of the best places to get the “information that is really what’s going on from people in ‘The know’”. But as far as being open minded? Not at all, or at least not if your definition of open minded is willingly entertain without challenge any idea or opinion that anyone might have. We are here to fight ignorance, it’s our mission statement, and that means if someone makes a statement that is controversial they will be required to back … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-purpose-of-the-straight-dope-message-board/959405.md?page=2)