# Why not a "News and Sports" forum? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 7, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131 "2004-06-07T17:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shadez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Shadez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadez)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/21 "2004-06-10T03:35:54Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > I’ll float the idea of re-naming MPSIMS among the mods, and see where that gets us. Yeah, I remember when my roommate showed me this place. There was some very not mundane topic in MPSIMS (I think someone passed on, not sure) and I was like, how is _that_ mundane or pointless? But you get used to it. CK, I “reported” two posts about gardening and cooking in CS, to which you said [paraphrase] _nod_ They really do go there, I swear! [/p] Still can’t figure that one out. :dubious: But eh, maybe it’s the “entertainment” part… /Shadez ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/22 "2004-06-10T12:59:01Z")
When I raised the issue about “Mundane and Pointless”, one of the mods noted that “Cafe Society” is no longer really an appropriate title, either. > [@](#): > > But people don’t naturally think of the cafe set getting their hands dirty with garden spades or cooking either. Sipping absinthe? Yes. Impassioned about the latest films? Absolutely. Bottled cat piss as garden repellents and the best recipes using canned mushroom soup? No. To which the reply was: > [@](#): > > Of course not…it’s the end result that matters. Discussing Proust in a rose bower is only possible if you can transplant, fertilize, and deadhead your hybrid teas. And if you need a bowl of gratinee after a long night of absinthe, you gotta slice onions. ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/23 "2004-06-10T14:08:09Z")
Does _apathetic_ mean “no, leave the forum names alone” or “sure, we’ll change it if somebody comes up with something better”? If it’s the latter, may I propose that MPSIMS be renamed **Current Events**? This avoids the “mundane and pointless” label but can be applied to everything from the gravity of 9/11 to the silliness of “ooh, look at this huge booger I just pulled out!” In my mind, Cafe Society has always had a rather ill-defined purpose. It seemed (and I’m guessing here, since I’m a mere member) that it was originally created to contain arts and entertainment-related topics, but somewhere along the line, food and cooking topics got squeezed in – and fitting rather uncomfortably with the forum title, IMO. Perhaps something such as **Lifestyle, Leisure, and Entertainment** would work better. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/24 "2004-06-10T14:50:04Z")
> [@Earthling](#): > > Does _apathetic_ mean “no, leave the forum names alone” or “sure, we’ll change it if somebody comes up with something better”? > > If it’s the latter, may I propose that MPSIMS be renamed **Current Events**? This avoids the “mundane and pointless” label but can be applied to everything from the gravity of 9/11 to the silliness of “ooh, look at this huge booger I just pulled out!” Please don’t. As it is, everytime something happens in East Oshkosh (or gets posted to [Fark.com](http://Fark.com)), someone just \* has \* to post a thread. If I wanted news, or to read about how someone is outraged that someone did something horrible to someone else, I’d go read the front page or editorial pages of the Globe. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/25 "2004-06-10T16:17:01Z")
> [@Earthling](#): > > In my mind, **Cafe** Society has always had a rather ill-defined purpose. It seemed (and I’m guessing here, since I’m a mere member) that it was originally created to contain arts and entertainment-related topics, but somewhere along the line, \*\*food and cooking \*\* topics got squeezed in – and fitting rather uncomfortably with the forum title, IMO. Perhaps something such as Lifestyle, Leisure, and Entertainment would work better. _My bolding_ So what do _you_ do when you visit a cafe? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/26 "2004-06-10T16:43:27Z")
Drink, smoke, chase women, and just generally engage in a dissipative lifestyle – which doesn’t describe _me_ at all, btw, but when I hear the words “cafe society,” I think of artists like [Amedeo Modigliani](http://www.mystudios.com/gallery/modigliani/bio.html), for whom food is only of secondary importance. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/27 "2004-06-10T19:23:33Z")
How about simply revising the descriptions? This would be less disruptive than renaming the forums. This is akin to what was done when the words “factual question” was bolded in the GQ forum. What if the main page was changed from… > [@](#): > > **Cafe Society** > Our salon for art, drama, literature, movies, music – all the artistic disciplines – if it’s about art or entertainment, it goes here. > > **MPSIMS** > Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share. For general chatter, great thoughts, etc. To… > [@](#): > > **Cafe Society** > Our salon for art, drama, literature, movies, music, sports, food – all the creative disciplines – if it’s about entertainment, it goes here. > > **Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)** > For general discussion: from frivolous chatter to deep thoughts; from harmless diversions to life-changing announcements. This is just a suggestion. I have no strong feelings about it one way or another. Once one is here awhile it becomes pretty clear where things should go, whether it matches the forum description or not. Clarifying the description might make it easier for Guests and Newbies though. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/28 "2004-06-10T21:32:53Z")
It does seem to me that the forum headings currently say “art or entertainment” for Cafe Society, and both chatter and “great thoughts” for MPSIMS. Hence, moderator apathy (meaning, no one cared enough to make a reasoned argument one way or t’other, but we did get some laughs out of the process, or lack thereof) ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/29 "2004-06-11T04:34:54Z")
> [@Algernon](#): > > **Cafe Society** > Our salon for art, drama, literature, movies, music, sports, food – all the creative disciplines – if it’s about entertainment, it goes here. > > **Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)** > For general discussion: from frivolous chatter to deep thoughts; from harmless diversions to life-changing announcements. I like that. Any takers ? ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/30 "2004-06-11T04:42:28Z")
> [@xash](#): > > I like that. Any takers ? Um, me. Then again, I doubt my opinion is the one you’re looking for. But I hope other mods and admins jump on board. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/31 "2004-06-11T05:02:31Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > But I hope other mods and admins jump on board. 🙂 Good idea. We need to put this into action. Let’s form an army. You go left, I’ll sit right here 😛 CK told ya we wuz apathetic ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/32 "2004-06-11T05:11:25Z")
> [@Algernon](#): > > How about simply revising the descriptions? This would be less disruptive than renaming the forums. This is akin to what was done when the words “factual question” was bolded in the GQ forum. [Shameless self promotion] I wonder whose [idea](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=188567&highlight=factual+questions) that was? 😃 [/Shameless self promotion] ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/33 "2004-06-11T13:43:33Z")
I think **Algernon’s** idea – forum description tweaks, or something like it – is a good idea, too. BTW, I always thought the “…deep thoughts…” description of MPSIMS didn’t refer to deep thoughts as might be expressed in GD, but more of the kind of deep thoughts as composed by [Jack Handy.](http://expage.com/deepthoughts5) Otherwise, you are mixing the serious with the not. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/34 "2004-06-11T14:38:54Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > Obviously, Hawking radiation, piano concertos and annoying neighbors are _not_ news. (Well, unless they were all happening in the same place at the same time. 😃 ) [drive-by] The other night, my annoying neighbor was practicing for a performance of Philip Glass’ newest piano concerto, entitled “Hawking Radiation #1”. He was going until 3 in the morning, so I hardly got any sleep! How’s that? 🙂 [/drive-by] ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2004, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/35 "2004-06-11T21:48:36Z")
> [@xash](#): > > I like that. Any takers ? Me too. It’s better, IMHO, than changing the forum names. What are the people who debate the pronunciation of “MPSIMS” gonna do with their lives?! As for the OP, as Dex said, news threads, depending on the formats, will probably find a home easily enough in the current structure. Cooking, I would think would go in MPSIMS, but most of what I cook is pretty mundane, and since it is quite the art form to some, CS makes sense. General sports threads don’t fit too well, but there’s not nearly enough of them to create a forum for, so we might as well arbitrarily assign them to CS or MPSIMS. Again, I’d guess 'PSIMS, but what do I know. Of course, I think “Should baseball ban steriods” and “Fuck Tommy Lasorda,” would go in GD and the Pit, respectively. Sounds good? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/36 "2004-06-12T04:31:28Z")
Come in **Lt. SNenc** , come in, I have just intercepted a radio broadcast from the enemy. The size of our army has overwhelmed them and our target has been achieved. Return by dawn. Bring back that stick. We need to preserve all our ammunition. Over. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/37 "2004-06-12T05:38:03Z")
> [@xash](#): > > Come in **Lt. SNenc** , come in, I have just intercepted a radio broadcast from the enemy. The size of our army has overwhelmed them and our target has been achieved. Return by dawn. Bring back that stick. We need to preserve all our ammunition. Over. Not yet, sir\*! I can see the main menu page from my post and it remains unchanged! The fight must go on! \*or madam 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/38 "2004-06-12T14:08:05Z")
**Algernon** , thanks for the suggestions and congrats! The title and description of MPSIMS have now been changed, as you suggested. For Cafe Society, the decision was pretty much that we liked it as it stands, and didn’t see need for change. We specifically didn’t want to specify a sports forum, since (as noted above, by… by… oh, by me) there are different types of sports questions that might go in different forums. OK, so the same is true of movies, music, etc. But we’re willing to make a special case for “entertainment” and we’re not willing to specifically focus sports in one forum. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/39 "2004-06-12T19:19:57Z")
Whoa… so I sort of, indirectly, affected a change on this board? Huzzah!! **Algernon** , thank you for the suggestion that led to a rather brilliant compromise on the whole matter. Maybe someone should get you flowers _groaning at myself_. **xash, Dex** , thanks for whatever work you did behind the scenes to get the change made. I likes it! ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131/40 "2004-06-12T19:43:46Z")
I really like the changes. I didn’t notice them right off but I thought something seemed a little different on the front page. I hope this isn’t off topic but, while we are renaming stuff I was wondering if we could consider consolidating some of the stickies and possibly some title revisions? For example, in GQ I think Xash’s latest one is perfect. It’s direct and hits the mark. The others though, such as " Moderator’s Notes: On General Questions - reference sites", seem a little long winded. I think people would be more apt to read that one specifically if it had a title that hinted at what was inside such as, “User-contributed reference sites”, or even “Handy list of reference sites”. We all know that because it’s a sticky it’s going to be a moderator note and that because its in GQ it’s going to be about GQ 🙂 That’s just one example… Some of the stickies in this forum could _definitely_ be consolidated as well. It’s a jungle in here! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-a-news-and-sports-forum/249131.md?page=3)