Why The Cellar?
 

I first found the Cellar in February (I think) of this year. Grabbed it from Tony's sig on Slashdot, which pointed to Image of the Day. Only recently did I start reading out of that. Image of the Day was more something for me to see every day at work. I'd come in, drink some water (I don't do coffee), browse CNN, MSNBC, Slashdot. Some time during the day I'd remember Image of the Day, which I'd bookmarked. I'd look at it, marvel at the image, read the comments, and then get back to work. In June, I finally registered, but I never really posted until July or so I think. I might have registered to respond to something, but I really don't remember.

Anyway, what keeps me coming back is the discussion, the differing viewpoints, the images (IotD is what I check first and most frequently; it's probably my favorite site on the web right now).

Why do you come here? What keeps you coming back? How did you find it?

Just trying to get to know the fellow cellarites a little better...

--dave

Honestly, I got started here from slashdot too. It was long enough ago that I don't remember how long ago it was, but I got sucked into the genuine intelligent conversation (which has become the net equivalent of the coelecanth. It was common, then people thought it had gone extinct, but if you go really deep and hold your breath for a long time, you can still find some. It never really survives being brought to the surface, though.). Also, man, love you as we may do, that poll was a waste, and, as my friends over at planetgamecube.com say, Polls make Louie eat your face.

it wasn't designed as a poll. just a question. i threw in the poll for bad measure :)

I visit Slashdot as well, but don't think I linked to here from there. It might have been a link of the day at Userfriendly.org for the Image of the Day. I like the nice small feel of the Cellar, intelligent conversation, and, of course, the Image of the Day.

*thinks* What a long strange year it has been...

Lessee, I saw the Cellar in Tony's sig line on phl.media. I remember someone making a crack about something he said (or something like that...don't remember now). I happened to saunter over and have been here since...that was January. I remember when there were only like 30 people registered. I like the discussion. This is one of the few places I've been on the internet where I have found intelligent people talking about intelligent things...and a few whimsical things as well. The IotD's are great. And it was a good way for me to get to know some Philadelphians, given that I'm relatively new to the city and only have a handful of friends here.

Think I started not too soon after syc though Slashdot as well.
Keep coming back coz it’s the only place you can a coherent intelligent conversation on the net. The mix of people makes it interesting, if a bit firey at times (me having anything to do with that? never...)

I first heard about the Cellar on Fark a week or so ago. I was intrigued by the fact that most of the posters are seemingly intelligent. I am from rural Louisiana so it was like a breath of fresh air. If you ever need to feel good about where you live go to http://www.sabinenews.com/cgi-bin/Ul...UltraBoard.cgi and read what my husband and I have grown up listening to our entire lives. It's a wonder we don't drool.

Anyway, for what little time I have been visiting the Cellar, I have really enjoyed it.

That's 'cause we rule. :)

Seriously, if you ever need to feel good about where YOU live, look at Carroll County, Maryland. Where I grew up. God.

No competition, dhamsaic. My family has been in this parish for about 30 years and no one can remember having a sheriff who wasn't a convicted felon. The two sheriffs I have had the pleasure of knowing where both convicted of buying votes, at the SAME TIME. One of them was actually elected in the next election. The same one I might add that walks with a limp because his wife shot him when she caught him with another woman. Which wasn't very fair because he could defend himself since, of course, as a ex-con he isn't allowed to carry a firearm. It is also nice to have an elected official WHO CAN'T VOTE.

And that is only the beginning.

So what you're saying is... everything we've ever heard about Louisiana politics is TRUE!!??? I thought it was all myths made up to make it sound like our representatives were colorful and full of weird quotes.

You're not represented by that guy Billy Tauzin ... are you?

you know, Galadriel, every time you post, I think of Cate Blanchett, quite possibly the most incredible looking female ever.

I have no idea why I find her so appealing either. But MAN. Had to pick that name, didn't you? :)

Undertoad- Yes it is all true. Actually there is a lot you never hear about, mostly because there is a certain headstone in the cemetary here in my hometown to remind everyone what happens when you least expect it. You think the Sopranos is bad, at least they have a code of honor.

dhamsaic- sorry to disappoint you, but I look NOTHING like Cate Blanchett. She is way taller, paler, skinnier, red-header, and Britisher. The only celebrity I have been told I resemble is Demi Moore and I think that was just a veiled attempt to get into my pants.

austrailian :)

Ah..."Klanland" as my gf calls it (she's originally from Woodlawn). Another Maryland connection though...very cool.

Hell, not like I can talk...the KKK tried to buy time on my university's public radio station when I lived in St. Louis. Since they were banned from doing that, they "adopted" a stretch of I-55 in South St. Louis County. Their sign was torn down on several occasions to the point where the cops had to start keeping an eye on it.

I am proud to be from Missouri and from St. Louis; however, some things that involve Missouri make me want to hang my head in shame, like John Ashcroft.
Or the alderwoman that decided to take a pee, wrapped in a sheet using a trash can, during a Board of Aldermen session in St. Louis. Or $5 a gallon gas prices on September 11th. Or Rush Limbaugh. Not to mention, when I used to post to stl.general, some punk decided to use my name and contact info while trolling, carrying on some tirade about religion or something of that nature.
Galadriel: I take quite a few calls from customers in Louisiana on a daily basis. Strange thing is, most of them seem to be calling from Marrero, LOO-siana. I was speaking to a gentleman from there again today. Polite as could be...could only understand about 15% of what he was saying. ;) Generally, they are extremely friendly...until I deny their claim. Then they're rather vicious.

Louisiana seems to be one of the more colorful states in the US. Wasn't the gubernatorial election the one year between Edwards (the crook) and Duke (Mr. KKK himself)? Would love to visit there sometime...not during Mardi Gras though.

Jag, you're about 3 months behind me. I think I'm member no. 18 on this version of the Cellar. *looks at his member info* Yep...18. God, I can't believe I've been here for the better part of a year now.

And you people talk about a year and Slashdot
 

I've been calling here for at least 9 years, somewhere around 10 I think.

I started out calling when Undertoad had this on a 386 running waffle on some UNIX variant.

I called here when he had one of the FIRST Linux distros for download, which was sometime in 1992. It rocked. Many people downloaded it to put on their l33t 386 machines. CmdrTaco was still playing Tradewars 2002 on a BBS then :). Thanks to the Cellar, I learned a lot about UNIX and can actually admin a *UX box without causing havoc.

I called the Cellar on a Commodore 64. At 2400 baud mind you with an emulated 80-column screen. Later I used the isn.upenn.edu outdial (if you all remember those) to dial the Cellar from college on the university UNIX boxen :).

I miss having the ultimate troll, Barak, around, to annoy all white people especially any sense.

I miss the old-school users like Blu (who I remember giving a 1 Farad capacitor I ripped out of a 1970's era hard drive to), editor (the man who knows more about your PC than the engineers who designed it), keymaster (aka BrianR), bartz, kml, adamzion (an incredibly cool fellow), richlevy, and just a ton of other names.

At least we still have tw on a regular basis, who actually is quite intelligent and well-researched, unlike Limbaugh, who Howard Stern could rip apart just on facts alone.

Waitasec, didn't Eric Raymond have a cellar account too? I remember a LOT of people did who you'd not expect.

This may sound a little strange, but when you've been part of an online community for this long, it feels a bit weird to see it all change. There's still a few people from the old days, and people who predate it and who were using Apple II's with 300 baud AppleCat modems to call it.

Will people feel the same about Slashdot 10 years from now? I think not. Although they'll tell wonderful Natalie Portman jokes.

I'd have to say hell yeah. If only because Undertoad's kept it going so long, with a great mix of people. I like it here because the rabid zealotry that permeates places like Slashdot doesn't come here. And the trollage is much lower :).

Now if Undertoad asked for donations, I'd gladly give. I owe the guy. Bigtime. At least dinner for him and his wife at Morton's.

It's so incredibly rare to see an online community last in so many forms for so long.

Take care,

Mitch
Cellar. hell yeah.