# Why Don't We Have A Computer Forum on SDMB?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 12, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465 "2004-12-12T17:19:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JimMacMillan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimMacMillan)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/1 "2004-12-12T17:19:05Z")
Maybe I overlooked this question but why not simply have Computer Forum on SDMB? I don’t think the questions are ever going to stop. Why not give them an appropriate place?
Jim
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/2 "2004-12-12T17:32:08Z")
You might want to e-mail a Moderator and ask that this thread be moved to **About This Message Board** where you might get a faster answer.
As a WAG, I would think that the computer question traffic does not yet rise to the level that requires the SDMB to dig up another Moderator or two or to expand their databases to handle one more Forum. (We get lots of grammar questions, too, but we’ve never quite felt the need to open an English Forum and there are other whole message boards and newsgroups dedicated to computer questions) I am not opposing your suggestion, just pointing out some issues.
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### Author:  [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/3 "2004-12-12T17:33:41Z")
I think it’s a good question, more suitable for ATMB.
I would also want a “current affair/news” for discussing just that. So many things end up in GD or the Pit, which aren’t neither pit worthy, nor a great debate, just a doper wanting to draw attention to sometyhing in the news and have other dopers react to it. I guess MPSIMS could be the place for this, but it’s not the feeling I get when I browse the htreads over there.
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### Author:  [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/4 "2004-12-12T17:39:54Z")
I _think_ one of the admins addressed this question once in the past. IIRC, the answer was along the lines of: The internet has no shortage of computer related wewbsites, discussion boards, etc. The SDMB really doesn’t need to try to compete in this regard, as there are much better sites for this purpose.
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### Author:  [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/5 "2004-12-12T17:43:20Z")
And of course, **wewbsites** are the hot new standard on the world wide web.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/6 "2004-12-12T18:29:26Z")
First, as already mentioned, we don’t get enough computer questions to warrant a separate forum. And there are plenty of sites that have professionals or techie-nerds aplenty.
But, basically, we don’t generally categorize posts by traditional “topic” classification. We don’t have a forum for Sociology Questions, History Questions, Science Questions, etc. We find that most of the questions we get sort of defy those traditional classifications. Instead, we classify based on the “tone” of the question.
Thus, comments on Cecil’s Columns or Staff Reports, those are obvious.
General Questions covers questions that presumably have an answer that someone knows. Hence, “How do I clean out cookies on my computer?” would go into General Questions.
Great Debates covers questions that presumably don’t have absolute answers. So, “Is a human being smarter than a computer?” would go there.
IMHO covers questions that not only don’t have definite answers, but where there are lots of opinions. Thus, “Which printer should I buy?” would go in IMHO.
MPSIMS covers personal anecdotes and the like. So, “My computer crashed, literally, it fell off the table and through the floor into the apartment below” would go in MPSIMS.
And the PIT, of course, is for “My $#\*@ing computer keeps freezing up!”
So, we cover computer questions/comments the same way we cover almost everything else – base on the “tone” of the question.
The one exception, of course, is the Cafe Society forum for handling arts and entertainment. “How do I overcome the elevator shaft in Spider-Man 3 computer game?”
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### Author:  [@Berkut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Berkut)
#### Post date: [December 12, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/7 "2004-12-12T18:31:59Z")
Previous threads on the subject:
> **[Is it wrong to want a separate Msg Board for Computer Questions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=263986)**
>
> Can we take a vote or something on the creation of an additional message board specifically for technical questions? Since they are actually specific questions they don’t really qualify as “General”… and I need to have quick access regarding such...
> **[Why doesn't Straight Dope have a forum for computer questions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=177652)**
>
> Seriously, I see so many here, there should be a sub-forum or forum for these questions, and they really don’t belong in a General Questions forum IMHO. Why are they allowed? There are so many other places on the internet to ask techie type...
> **[Has the SD Considered...?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=140089)**
>
> Has the powers that be at SD ever considered adding three new boards: One board should be for computer questions; the second board for sports questions; the third board should be for all the crude, perverse and/or generally sexually-explicit...
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### Author:  [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/8 "2004-12-13T06:28:28Z")
> [@Scruloose](#):
>
> I _think_ one of the admins addressed this question once in the past. IIRC, the answer was along the lines of: The internet has no shortage of computer related wewbsites, discussion boards, etc. The SDMB really doesn’t need to try to compete in this regard, as there are much better sites for this purpose.
Y’know, despite my chronic presence, this place has easily the highest average IQ score of any internet chatboard I have ever encountered. People here are almost absurdly smart, and, just as with any other subject, the wealth of good knowledge about all things computer makes it tough to resist not turning to the SDMB first for answers.
Mac-devoted fora I’ve encountered in other places do tend to be reasonably helpful, but some of the PC boards…good grief. If I get told “j00 suXors N00B” one more time I’m gonna get a migraine.
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### Author:  [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/9 "2004-12-13T08:06:27Z")
But **Dex** , don’t forget Cafe Society!
For example:
[Keanu surfer speak] So dude, do you think that Dell commercial is good enough to recommend me one? Or what? [/Beach Boy voice over]
😉😛😃
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### Author:  [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/10 "2004-12-13T17:51:05Z")
> [@Loopydude](#):
>
> Y’know, despite my chronic presence, this place has easily the highest average IQ score of any internet chatboard I have ever encountered. People here are almost absurdly smart, and, just as with any other subject, the wealth of good knowledge about all things computer makes it tough to resist not turning to the SDMB first for answers.
>
> Mac-devoted fora I’ve encountered in other places do tend to be reasonably helpful, but some of the PC boards…good grief. If I get told “j00 suXors N00B” one more time I’m gonna get a migraine.
I hear ya man. When this place went subscription, I took a hike for awhile. I looked for other boards, even signed up for a few. It just wasn’t the same. The lack of moderation, the avatars (MY GOD THE FREAKING AVATARS!!!)
I came home to roost. This place just rocks.
Other boards make my head hurt. Sometimes I can’t even tell where a particular members comments are in between the pics, sigs, avatars, etc etc.
I hear ya man.
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### Author:  [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/11 "2004-12-13T20:51:41Z")
Since this is my only board… what’s an AVATAR?
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### Author:  [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/12 "2004-12-13T21:11:22Z")
An avatar is an image or picture underneath your username. This image is supposed to represent the user, and sometimes it’s an actual picture of the user. On less moderated boards, avatars, or avs, can get out of control with regards to size and content.
Avs, coupled with huge images in sig lines and tons of other crap really clutter up any post, so much so that it becomes hard to tell where one post ends and the next one begins.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/13 "2004-12-14T00:29:34Z")
I always thunk the avatar was the person who flew one of them spaceships in the Star Wars movies…?
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### Author:  [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/14 "2004-12-14T01:32:16Z")
**Dex, Dex**!! An avatar is a human incarnation of a divine or supernatural entity. Recommended SF novel: Poul Anderson’s _The Avatar_, which deals with the life of an avatar who doesn’t know it.
Seriously, avatars are small graphic images used on other message boards to represent the person, located below the name at the left of the post. For a SDMB-friendly board that uses them, to give you a feel for what they’re like, see our SDSAB member **Una Persson** ’s [Unaboard](http://65.69.77.33/forums/index.php).
SDMB minimizes its draw on its servers by eliminating this VBB option, along with a number of others. (I know boards where people use enormous graphics in their signature – which is repeated _every freakin’ time they post_. Even the most beautiful graphic in the world gets annoying when you see it 15 times in a 40-post thread. Avatars are nothing compared to that.)
There’s more than a little virtue in the SDMB method of categorizing style of thread rather than subject matter – it makes finding things and moderation much easier. (And I never realized the virtue of the SDMB moderators until I encountered some highly prejudiced moderators elsewhere – this gang are like a breath of fresh air compared to some!)
I’m not altogether convinced that a few of the most common topics may not deserve their own dedicated forums – but I’m quite willing to live with the choices the management here has made.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/15 "2004-12-14T12:42:44Z")
No, no, **Polycarp** , an avatar is the guy who comes out in the bullfight; first the matadar, then the torreadar, then the cuspidar, and then the avatar.
I don’t mean to imply that we would never consider another “topic” thread, like Cafe Society. We aim for continuous improvement. But so far, there hasn’t been any one area with enough posts to really require a separate forum (which requires more moderators, etc.). If we get there, we’ll do 'er.
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### Author:  [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/16 "2004-12-14T17:51:43Z")
> [@Scruloose](#):
>
> On less moderated boards, avatars, or avs, can get out of control with regards to size and content.
I HATE huge signature images. You see them a lot on anime and gamer sites, and other boards that have a young userbase. On my site, I limit .sig images to 32 x110 pixels, no animation. Same thing with avatars; 80X80, 3K, and no animation. Too much visual bling-bling detracts from the content, and if it’s blinking or blashing, all the worse.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [December 14, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-we-have-a-computer-forum-on-sdmb/279465/17 "2004-12-14T18:30:31Z")
[qyuote]if it’s blinking or blashing, all the worse.
[/quote]
Lots of stuff here makes me blink, even without avatars and huge sigs and colored pictures. Blashing, fortunately, is confined to the Pit.