# Why don't one of us start a board and be done with that shit?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [March 21, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178 "2008-03-21T02:43:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zeno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zeno/32/15040_2.png) [@zeno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeno)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/1 "2008-03-21T02:43:47Z")

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Look there are tons of boards and none of them are plagued with problems like this one. I would consider doing it, but how would we get our memberships over there intact? I’ll sell ads on it. :dubious:

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/2 "2008-03-21T02:47:29Z")

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Starting a message board requires capital and time. It’s a pretty serious commitment.

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**Author:** ![zeno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zeno/32/15040_2.png) [@zeno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeno)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/3 "2008-03-21T02:47:46Z")

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I meant to put this in the Pit

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**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/4 "2008-03-21T03:16:34Z")

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[QUOTE=zeno]  
I meant to put this in the Pit  
[/QUOTE]

Well, there’s reason #1 - you need to find people to moderate it 😃

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**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/5 "2008-03-21T03:48:19Z")

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You seriously want Dopers to agree on that? It’d be like herding cats with a cattle prod.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/6 "2008-03-21T03:57:15Z")

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[QUOTE=appleciders]  
You seriously want Dopers to agree on that? It’d be like herding cats with a cattle prod.  
[/QUOTE]

How about herding dopers with a cattle prod? Now _that_ sounds like _fun_!!! 🆒

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**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/7 "2008-03-21T04:20:21Z")

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[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]  
How about herding dopers with a cattle prod? Now _that_ sounds like _fun_!!! 🆒  
[/QUOTE]

What a _volting_ development that would be!

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/8 "2008-03-21T04:21:08Z")

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Forget your stupid board! I’m gonna make my own. With blackjack! And hookers!

In fact, forget the board!

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**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/9 "2008-03-21T04:32:16Z")

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[QUOTE=Koxinga]  
Forget your stupid board! I’m gonna make my own. With blackjack! And hookers!

In fact, forget the board!  
[/QUOTE]

Hey, you forgot the blow! :eek:

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**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/10 "2008-03-21T05:31:02Z")

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Over the years I’ve been through a few transitions and, from my experiences, new forums never end up having the same quality of posts or calibre of members.

It really sucks when a forum you regularly visit jumps the shark though. One of my favorites totally changed the format in January and now it’s overrun by n00bs (oh, it’s so horrible) and is harder to navigate.

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/11 "2008-03-21T05:35:17Z")

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[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy]  
Hey, you forgot the blow! :eek:  
[/QUOTE]

Robots don’t do blow.

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**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/12 "2008-03-21T07:14:22Z")

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I’ll just note that the reasons that no one does it is because a) it would cost more to provide better service than the Chicago Reader does, which b) the Chicago Reader has already shown isn’t terribly profitable a thing to do, and c) it would be an a-holeish thing to do to steal all their people via their own board.

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**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/13 "2008-03-21T10:44:36Z")

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Moved from IMHO to the Pit.

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**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/14 "2008-03-21T10:59:17Z")

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[QUOTE=Sage Rat]  
I’ll just note that the reasons that no one does it is because a) it would cost more to provide better service than the Chicago Reader does, which b) the Chicago Reader has already shown isn’t terribly profitable a thing to do, and c) it would be an a-holeish thing to do to steal all their people via their own board.  
[/QUOTE]

I’m getting very veclempht. A-hole does not equal jerk. Discuss.

Woohoo, a loophole! 🙂

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**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/15 "2008-03-21T11:46:26Z")

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[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan]  
How about herding dopers with a cattle prod? Now _that_ sounds like _fun_!!! 🆒  
[/QUOTE]

You try it and then come back to us. They scratch and bite more than cats. 😃

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**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/16 "2008-03-21T13:44:59Z")

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Oh a new topic, has anyone brought this up yet?

I’m sorry for being sarcastic to the OP, but we’re doing this topic to death. A worthy topic, yes. But I can’t even follow which threads have brought up which topics.

I’m like everyone else, sitting in a holding pattern waiting for an answer. I was surprised to learn that Ed Zotti wasn’t even a member of the [Chicago Reader](http://www.chicagoreader.com/readerinc/staff.html) staff. I’m trying not to mean any ill will, but from your language over the years I had assumed that you were part of the editorial staff and every time you had a meeting it meant that you guys were getting together to discuss policy.

My apologies, I misunderstood.

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**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/17 "2008-03-21T13:55:17Z")

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Well, I’d be willing to do it for $5 a year and keeping the same mods, same boards, same rules, etc. I like the way this place is run and for the most part, I like the moderators. They’re exactly the assholes you’d want running an Internet message board (that’s a compliment, guys). The only that’d be different would be the software and the functionality.

Any interest?

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**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/18 "2008-03-21T13:58:36Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Why don’t one of us start a board and be done with that shit? I would consider doing it, but how would we get our memberships over there intact? I’ll sell ads on it.

Build the site and they will come.

Okay, not really. I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally don’t buy art out of the back of vans, and I don’t follow Messiahs with bad grammar.

But good luck to you.

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/19 "2008-03-21T14:52:48Z")

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[QUOTE=PunditLisa]  
Okay, not really. I can’t speak for everyone, but I personally don’t buy art out of the back of vans, and I don’t follow Messiahs with bad grammar.  
[/QUOTE]

How 'bout me? Ya like blackjack? Ya wanna be . . . _cough_ never mind.

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**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\
**Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178/20 "2008-03-21T15:02:15Z")

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Opal and Una (and Skip!) have kind of already done that, haven’t they?

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-one-of-us-start-a-board-and-be-done-with-that-shit/442178.md?page=2)
