# What Made You Join The Straight Dope? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420 "2010-04-26T17:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/61 "2010-04-27T06:24:15Z")
Back in the seventies, I read the _Straight Dope_ in one of the free papers. In the eighties, I read the books. I loved the sense of humor and writing style in which Cecil (whoever he was at the time šŸ˜› ) answered questions and was impressed with the quality of the answers. A few years ago, while looking up a link to use in response to some glurge, I followed a link to the Dope. I was hooked! It took a thread for a Nashville Dopefest almost three years ago for me to actually sign up. I think Iā€™ve found my people. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/62 "2010-04-27T06:26:39Z")
I think I was Googling for some random information when I stumbled upon Cecilā€™s articles. I didnā€™t really start posting until a few years after I started reading - around when I started grad school, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Containing\_Iron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@Containing\_Iron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Containing_Iron)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/63 "2010-04-27T07:23:25Z")
I donā€™t know the details anymore, but for some inexplicable reason I felt I needed to know why my alarm snooze timer was 9 minutes instead of 10ā€¦ Thus with some creative google-ing (googling?) I came to the main page, read a few articles, read some more because they looked interesting, and when I had a very boring internship i clicked on the messageboard linkā€¦ I have been lurking ever since šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Charley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/97f17d/32.png) [@Charley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charley)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/64 "2010-04-27T07:41:24Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Wow! Youā€™ve been a charter member since 2000 and only have 234 posts!?!?! You are a die-hard! > > Honestly, I donā€™t know how people do it. Lurk so much and not post, that is. šŸ˜ƒ I know! And the strangest thing is that in real life Iā€™m an extreme extravert and never ever stop talking. Iā€™m here every day pretty much, but I just donā€™t post very often. I have a suspicion itā€™s because Iā€™m very nosey and at the same time not willing to have my words held in perpetuity. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/65 "2010-04-27T07:50:42Z")
I saw the TV show on A&E, and found out there was an AOL element to it, and started in there. Gotta beā€¦fifteen years, now, or close to it. Crom. Actually, it was my question to Cecil that was the last article posted on the AOL page before it went defunct. I think Iā€™ll be here when they turn the lights off. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/66 "2010-04-27T09:52:20Z")
**MoodIndigo1** & her son had a messageboard. I remember him mentioning it in a post. I came, lurked, joined but I kept losing my password. When it went pay to post, I didnā€™t because I was on some messageboards that were free. Unfortunately they all collapsed. It was too frustrating lurking & not being able to post (the weak NZ dollar at the time) made joining just too expensive. But I happened by once, saw that the Dope was going to be free. So I waited - & now here I am. Ta dah! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/67 "2010-04-27T10:13:43Z")
I found The Straight Dope looking for an answer to a question, I think ā€œrunning vs walking in the rain.ā€ Google sent me to a Cecil column. I lurked at the boards for a while just reading the offerings. Someone started a thread asking for advice about giving up smoking. I had given up a while before using a technique not all that familiar to most people and registered so that I could tell them about it. ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/68 "2010-04-27T12:01:39Z")
I love all your responses - this has been so fascinating to read! Thanks so much for sharing! Am starting to feel compelled to check out one of Cecilā€™s books now . . . ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/69 "2010-04-27T12:47:48Z")
I believe I first visited after reading the [L-Space](http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/good-omens.html) website for Terry Pratchettā€™s writings. He references the Straight Dope books as the source of some of his info, so I did a google search and ended up here. > [@](#): > > ā€œIf you are the kind of person who enjoys learning this type of mindboggling trivia, then run, donā€™t walk to your bookstore, and buy the Straight Dope books by Cecil Adams. Your life will be vastly enriched. There is even a Pratchett connection as well: Terry uses the Straight Dope books as reference works.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/70 "2010-04-27T13:01:19Z")
I remember the TV show too. It was on at about 4:30 in the morning, I canā€™t remember why I was up watching it. I recall seeing a segment about how they put the writing on M&Ms, and another about where gelatin comes from (ew!). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/71 "2010-04-27T13:05:57Z")
I knew about the column, from finding one of the first books at a bookstore in Chapel Hill NC 20+ years ago (we at that time did not have a paper that carried it). When the internet became prevalent, I found the columns were available online. I saw the links to the message board but never thought anything of them. Then someone forwarded a link to **Scylla** ā€™s ā€œThe Horror of Blimpsā€. When my husband had to come running in from the other room to make sure I was OK (was laughing so hard I was wheezing), I knew I had to find more stuff by this funny fellow. Of course, back then, nonmembers couldnā€™t searchā€¦ so I had to sign up. **Scylla** is also responsible for my husband spraining his ankle. Not long after that day, **Typo Knig** (or ā€œPapa Zappaā€ as I referred to him then) happened to be near a Zany Brainy and thought heā€™d check to see if they still had any blimp kits. It had just snowed, and **Typo** missed a step onto or off of the curbā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/72 "2010-04-27T13:27:19Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > Thatā€™s from 2005, howā€™d you find that? I just did a ā€œFind all posts by Equipoiseā€ search to see it if showed my very first post, and the earliest is from November of last year! [Hereā€™s the oldest **Equipoise** post I can find.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=698182&postcount=9) Go to ā€œAdvanced Searchā€ Select for ā€œSearch all open Forumsā€ ā€œSearch for User Name Equipoiseā€ Leave ā€œkeywordā€ blank Sort Results by ā€œLast Posting Dateā€ ā€œIn Ascending Orderā€ Show Results as ā€œPostsā€ Searching ā€œFind all Posts Byā€ in a profile tops you out at 750 posts. ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/73 "2010-04-27T13:47:33Z")
I found it by reading a Cecil Column. I liked the way people treated each other as compared with other message boards. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/74 "2010-04-27T13:51:27Z")
I saw the TV show first, then I found the boards and lurked for a few years. I loved the skeptical nature of this place, but it was for Cafe Society that I finally joined. ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@Electric\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/75 "2010-04-27T15:15:30Z")
A friend of mine said it was a good forum to read during slow periods at work; Iā€™ve lurked for about a year now. Thought it was time to finally say hello. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![TheBori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheBori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBori)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/76 "2010-04-27T17:21:31Z")
I made it through the selection process for ā€œWho wants to be a Millionaireā€ and needed to find some mnemonics for trivia and such. Through my surfing I found this site as well as the now defunct [UselessKnowledge.com](http://UselessKnowledge.com). Always been a fan of trivia and, well, useless knowledge. Enjoy the range of inut here. ---
**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:** [April 27, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/77 "2010-04-27T18:12:31Z")
Way back in the dim dark days of AOL, I was a participant on several boards in a section called ā€œThe Exchangeā€. The entire AREA (practically a subdivision of AOL) was being nuked, killing off the boards I was on. So I needed to relocate my online activities. Around the same time, the Welcome screen would occasionally highlight various message boards that were otherwise buried in places youā€™d almost have to already know about in order to ever find them, and one day I saw SDMB being highlighted and checked it out and never left. Followed it here in '99. It was all essentially voluntary on my part though; I wasnā€™t coerced into doing it šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/78 "2010-04-27T18:22:55Z")
> [@Electric\_Sky](#): > > A friend of mine said it was a good forum to read during slow periods at work; Iā€™ve lurked for about a year now. Thought it was time to finally say hello. šŸ™‚ Welcome aboard! The fact that youā€™ve lurked so long before posting bodes well for the quality of your contribution to the community. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/79 "2010-04-27T18:57:50Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > \ > Itā€™s still that way after every post, right? šŸ˜‰ Absolutely! šŸ˜ƒ > [@Charley](#): > > šŸ˜ƒ I know! And the strangest thing is that in real life Iā€™m an extreme extravert and never ever stop talking. Iā€™m here every day pretty much, but I just donā€™t post very often. I have a suspicion itā€™s because Iā€™m very nosey and at the same time not willing to have my words held in perpetuity. Funnily enough, Iā€™m pretty quiet in real life. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420/80 "2010-04-28T03:37:25Z")
Like **maplekiwi** , I came from **MoodIndigo1** ā€™s messageboard. I was bored one night, and talking to one of its members on instant messenger, and she suggested I read here. I signed up immediately, and have been posting off and on since. > [@Not\_a\_Platypus](#): > > I knew Aesiron from another message board, way back when, and he mentioned it. I lurked for a few years and eventually signed up. Refresh my memory? I assume you had a different name there? Your current one isnā€™t ringing a bell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-made-you-join-the-straight-dope/537420.md?page=5)