I was browsing the urbanlegends.about.com site, and noticed that it quoted Cecil and refered to the site on many of its debunking articles, so I followed one of the links and was turned to the dope side of the force instantly.
From the voices in my head.
No, really I was a religious reader of the column in the Bay Area’s wonderful free publication The Metro and looked up the www site it listed. Much enjoyment of the archives ensued and eventually I started lurking the MB. Registered a year later and wander aimlessly amongst the smartest and wittiest posters on the planet daily.
Someone in the office asked why the sky was blue. I started searching and wound up there. I don’t remember when I discovered the MB.
I learned about this site from another message board when someone posted a link to straightdope. I was fascinated to find a site that allows curse words.
I was a regular reader of the SD in my local weekly. However, when I moved to England to get my MA, I found myself yearning for a Cecil fix. So I thought I’d try to google the articles and, well, here I am.
I was led here, and to the Landover Baptist site, by links from Dark Icon, which houses sub-par scifi and pretty damn good horror and fantasy stories, along with other interesting links.
I was lead there, in turn, by the site of my friend “The Flying Jinx,” which is now defunct, relocated, dead again, and merged with another site.
I knew about the website several years ago, but I didn’t spend too much time there. Then a couple months ago I read Cecil’s column about whether 0.999… = 1? I think in that column he says this issue was hotly debated on the SDMB. I figured if people talk about stuff like that on SDMB, I better check it out.
I heard about it on Fox news. Sometimes I’d visit these boards. I was suprised just how witty forumites were. In some threads in seemed like ever poster was capable of writing for a tv show. I later registered when I read Soapbox Monkey’s “I’m just about to give up hope” thread, since 99% of the advice given out could be applied to my life. That thread really did help me, and made me take a look at my dwindling social life. I felt pretty damn lonely the day I read that thread.
I was a casual viewer of the television show. I liked it, but I never knew when it would air, so I only caught it sporadically. I was bummed when I finally figured out the schedule only to have it cancelled shortly thereafter.
Then a couple of years back I saw a link to the SDMB on MsWhatsit’s website. I recognized the Straight Dope as being related to Cecil Adams, so I came and spent a couple of hours perusing things on the main SD site, then on the boards. I found the waters to my liking, so I jumped right in, and I’ve found it to be one of my favorite websites and pastimes. So some 2000+ posts later than polite, let this post serve as thanks to MsWhatsit for that link. 
Being invisible runs contrary to his sense of Fair Play.
I found the books while perusing the humor section of my local Barnes & Noble. When I got connected to the internet, www.straightdope.com was one of the first things I tried, and what do you know…it worked!
Please ignore that previous post that mentions “invisibility.” I accidentally cut-and-patsed into the wrong Internet Explorer window.