# Where Did Weird Earl's Go? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 19, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633 "2014-12-19T02:24:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/21 "2014-12-20T01:46:30Z")
i’ve used it a number of times. Twitter sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/22 "2014-12-20T01:55:35Z")
Add a Weird Earls Forum to the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/23 "2014-12-20T02:12:10Z")
Constant zappings and now this. I’m starting to regret I recently reupped for two more years. Can I get a refund? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/24 "2014-12-20T02:16:29Z")
> [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > \< . . . \> Plus changing it was one more little chore. That said, it wasn’t a HUGE chore (provided we got enough volunteers sending us WE candidate links), so I had Jerry comment out the code, as opposed to just deleting it, in case there was a hue and cry to put it back. > > Which I’m willing to do. However, we need to be scientific about this and see whether the Teeming Millions really want it back, or just a handful of people. \< . . . \> I would imagine that people who come to SD then click on a Weird Earl would probably come back to SD when they’re done there. (If only to see what other Weird Earl’s there are.) So I doubt it’s really driving people away from SD. Was this an easier change than copying a few little image files to bring back our old smilies? If **Ed Zotti** has the clout to get Weird Earl’s taken out, how much effort does it take, comparatively, to bring back the old roll-eyes? Couldn’t you get a scientific measure of Weird Earl’s popularity by counting how many times SD visitors click on them? Can you get that kind of statistics from the the site software? ---
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/25 "2014-12-20T02:24:44Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Constant zappings and now this. I’m starting to regret I recently reupped for two more years. Can I get a refund? I will happily reimburse you for your membership if you stop yapping about that zapping shit. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/26 "2014-12-20T05:10:57Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Weird Earl’s is a lot better than a Twitter feed. I care nothing about Twitter, don’t subscribe to it and would rather have Weird Earl’s. Clearly. You don’t need to know anything about Twitter or have a Twitter account to read an embedded Twitter feed. It’s just the delivery method - just like people can read the boards here without an account. Not only will it be easier for the ptb to make updates, it could also bring more readers and/or interest to the site from people who prefer to explore the web via Social media. While simultaneously being available to those who don’t. And yeah man stop talking about the zapping. I got “zapped” like 50 times this month and it had zero effect on my ability to enjoy the boards. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/27 "2014-12-20T07:49:42Z")
Why does it have to be either / or? There’s lots of blank space towards the bottom of the page (at least on my laptop and in the 3 different browsers I just checked) and I have to scroll to see everything anyway, so why not have both? As for sending away traffic, you could always have the Weird Earl links open up in a new tab. That way at least some people would come back. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/28 "2014-12-20T10:56:53Z")
I don’t have, and do not want, a Twitter account. Never saw the point. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/29 "2014-12-20T12:15:05Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I don’t have, and do not want, a Twitter account. Why would you need a twitter account? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/30 "2014-12-20T19:59:31Z")
You don’t need a Twitter account to read a Twitter feed. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/31 "2014-12-21T05:12:31Z")
So far, a plurality votes Yes. And among the straight Yes and No votes, the majority goes for Yes. I’d say this is decisive. But what’s wrong with having both anyway, if you have to have Tweeter or whatever that’s called? ---
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/32 "2014-12-21T05:32:54Z")
Decisive? 42 votes out of the 100 or so who were arsed to vote? > [@Ed\_Zotti](#): > > However, we need to be scientific about this and see whether the Teeming Millions really want it back, or just a handful of people. Yeah, I’m gonna have to go with handful. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/33 "2014-12-21T05:36:40Z")
And while we’re at it, I don’t think Threadspotting has been changed for at least a week now. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/34 "2014-12-21T07:22:32Z")
May I suggest a compromise? The SD doesn’t put all that much content on a daily basis. So keep Weird Earls, but just tweet them with a #WeirdEarls hastag (Which is pretty much unused). You won’t be beholden to a schedule that way, either. They’ll stay on the front page until they fall off because of other content. People can still email them to you, or even just post the hashtag on Twitter, if they use that service. You’d either copy-and-paste or retweet. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/35 "2014-12-21T16:05:08Z")
It is inconceivable to me that TPTB would think that _this_ group of folk are Twitter users. Talk about not knowing your customer base. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/36 "2014-12-21T16:33:24Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It is inconceivable to me that TPTB would think that _this_ group of folk are Twitter users. > > Talk about not knowing your customer base. Do you think it’s about you? There are a couple hundred million Twitter users. There are 30 people who responded to this thread and a couple complaining about how much they hate Twitter. Ed already said one of the reasons is to build traffic. One way to do that is to go on social media to a site that has 200 million users. And it’s on the front page so it’s about the column not the message board.It’s not about anyone already here. Why would you think that? The Twitter feed is easy enough to ignore if you don’t care about it. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/37 "2014-12-22T03:23:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > So far, a plurality votes Yes. And among the straight Yes and No votes, the majority goes for Yes. I’d say this is decisive. > > But what’s wrong with having both anyway, if you have to have Tweeter or whatever that’s called? Fewer than 2 in 5 want it back. The rest don’t want it, don’t care, or don’t know what it is. Hardly a landslide in my book. But let’s let the poll run a while longer. Somebody in the poll thread gave me an idea: why not just an ongoing Weird Earl’s thread on the board? If people like it they can keep it going. Eliminates the middleman. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/38 "2014-12-22T03:40:12Z")
As a regular contributor to Weird Earl’s, I won’t say I wasn’t confused and disappointed to see them disappear, but I do understand the reasoning and validity of getting rid of them. Personally, I agree with the “make them part of the Twitter feed” thing others have suggested. The thread thing would also work. Or maybe have both the twitter feed and the thread for weird Earl’s. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/39 "2014-12-22T04:25:57Z")
Can the weird Earl’s archive be made available somehow? I like the ongoing thread idea also. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2014, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633/40 "2014-12-22T08:24:02Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It is inconceivable to me that TPTB would think that _this_ group of folk are Twitter users. > > Talk about not knowing your customer base. Why in the world do you think the SDMB is their customer base? For one thing, most of us don’t really check out the front page all that often, and for another, those of us who do already will and don’t need the advertisement. I just assumed the whole time that the place had Twitter, but just didn’t put it a feed on their page. It’s insane for any company that produces online content to not have a Twitter page. I still say tweeting works better than a thread, since a thread will just be buried. Plus, how hard is it to click on a link, see if it looks weird, and then retweet or copy and paste it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-weird-earls-go/707633.md?page=3)