# Who owns the SDMB?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [June 15, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341 "2021-06-15T18:10:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![oldoaktree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ccd318/32.png) [@oldoaktree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldoaktree)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341/1 "2021-06-15T18:10:14Z")

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Is it a for-profit business?  
A non-profit?  
does Cecil own it?  
is it crowd sourced volunteers?

what’s the deal?

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**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341/2 "2021-06-15T18:14:21Z")

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The SDMB & The Straight Dope are owned by The Chicago Sun-Times.

> **[Chicago Sun-Times: Chicago news, sports, politics, entertainment](https://chicago.suntimes.com/)**
>
> Chicago News, Sports, Politics, Entertainment, Weather and More

The Moderators are all unpaid volunteers. They are generally from the pool of long time posters willing to help and chosen & vetted by the Board’s administrator.

Ed Zotti was the editor of the Straight Dope Column and our board administrator.

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**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2021, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341/3 "2021-06-15T18:58:19Z")

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> [@oldoaktree](#):
>
> does Cecil own it?

Cecil is like the Dread Pirate Roberts, it’s the name that’s important. Also, he is fictional.

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341/4 "2021-06-16T00:27:23Z")

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> [@Ranch\_Dip](#):
>
> Also, he is fictional.

Cecil Adams is every bit as real as [Betty Crocker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Crocker), [Abigail Van Buren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Abby), and [Dr. Seuss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Seuss)

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**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341/5 "2021-06-16T18:23:26Z")

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I might disagree with Dr Seuss. That is a pseudonym, a nom de plume, that Ted Geisel used. The others, you are correct.

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [June 17, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-sdmb/944341/6 "2021-06-17T17:07:58Z")

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> [@Ranch\_Dip](#):
>
> Also, he is fictional.

Not true…Cecil and I have known each other well before he came up with the column and the message board.