# A Word, Shodan

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [September 18, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537 "2009-09-18T02:44:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/21 "2009-09-18T13:05:36Z")

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> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Oh, but he can. And in fact, I just did.

Sorry, let me clarify then. Shodan cannot honestly be described similarly.

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/22 "2009-09-18T13:07:42Z")

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And what about that **Vinyl Turnip** guy? Jeez, talk about one-liners!  
I actually find him/her quite hilarious…

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/23 "2009-09-18T13:29:26Z")

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The guy’s got a Teflon coating, and anybody who takes him seriously doesn’t for long. Don’t waste your time. The scroll wheel on your mouse works, doesn’t it?

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/24 "2009-09-18T13:29:57Z")

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> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Sorry, let me clarify then. Shodan cannot honestly be described similarly.

I believe I am being honest. I believe that honest people can disagree about matters like politics and religion. I believe we lose sight of that sometimes, and end up sounding like Seminole versus Gator fans, or Cowboys versus Redskins fans. Shodan happens to pull for the team that almost nobody else here likes. After years of attempting to argue his side, he can hardly be blamed for developing some cynicism about posting his opinions.

I mean, just look at what happens to someone who dares even to defend him. You’re already calling me dishonest just for making what I believe to be a valid comparison. On a more conservative board, I think he’d be very highly regarded. I do like Poly. He’s a great friend. But he’s seldom been on the shit end of the pile-on stick and Shodan is such an easy target that I’m disappointed in Poly for this pitting.

This should have been an MPSIMS thread, where everyone can agree. Or at the very least, marked as RO. Because that’s what it really is: recreational outrage at a conservative poster.

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**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/25 "2009-09-18T13:34:00Z")

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> [@Liberal](#):
>
> How — other than political affiliation and philosophy — does Shodan differ from Elucidator?

I think **elucidator** can be fairly tedious myself, but, hey, from day to day I simply find him much less obnoxious. I mean, if we’re going to be perfectly honest here, at least some of us read political threads to see if there’s any entertainment to be had, not necessarily because we’re particularly het up about the burning issue of the last four hours. **Shodan** simply entertains me far less frequently that **elucidator** does, and the latter seems to have less of a habit of trying to derail threads where an interesting discussion is going on.

What particularly gets up my nose is his overuse of the ‘usual suspects’ meme. In my view, for the consistency with which he farts into any political thread that doesn’t meet his exceedingly narrow view of an approved subject, he’s the most usual suspect of us all.

I agree with the poster who said that at this point, the only worthwhile response to a typical **Shodan** post is to ask him to go away.

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/26 "2009-09-18T13:43:41Z")

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> [@Liberal](#):
>
> How — other than political affiliation and philosophy — does Shodan differ from Elucidator? Luc can be very deep and write meaningful posts, but instead chooses most often to leave behind one-liners that he has designed to convey a biting point with his ascerbic wit. But most people will agree with Luc, and therefore read his snips and quips with a grin and a snicker. Calling Shodan a troll simply because he does not attempt to engage fourteen people just itching to pile onto him is ridiculous.

I know there have been responses to this already, but I’m going to try my own.

**'luci** acknowledges that he is left of center, and with his warnings about ‘left’ media cites, gives the impression that a reasonable person may disagree with him.

**Shodan** suggests that there is nothing to discuss, that his Truth is self-evident, and if you disagree you’re stupid.

Also, **elucidator** is inventively funny. It’s a different joke each time. **Shodan’s** “jokes” are the same thing over and over.

Also, **elucidator** provides more cites, and seems to have actually read the cites he provides for content.

That’s my take.

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**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/27 "2009-09-18T13:52:03Z")

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**Liberal** , I don’t dislike reading **Shodan** ’s posts because they’re from a conservative p.o.v.–I dislike reading them because I don’t find anyone authentic there. I admit, I’m suspicious of most tighty-righties’ motives, but I’ll always look to see if **Bricker** is being judicious, helpful, serious, openminded, as he sometimes is, or is wearing his smirking kneejerk persona today (as he sometimes is). With **Shodan** , even if I agree wtih his position (sometimes I do, mostly on non-political matters), I never get the slightest recognition of a human struggling to understand something, just a know-it-all smugly squeezing in a wisecrack at someone else’s expense. Count on him to be thoughtlessly cruel, dismissive of dissent, thoroughly narcissistic. I don’t know if he’s actually a sociopath IRL (I doubt it), but he certainly plays one online.

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/28 "2009-09-18T13:57:51Z")

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Surely I’m not the first to notice the irony of **Liberal** claiming credible objectivity of judgment over someone else’s posting practices. Or honesty, for that matter.

You’d do better by keeping quiet on this one, ya know?

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/29 "2009-09-18T13:58:29Z")

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Shodan is one of those posters who put links in their posts, but never quotes anything from the link that actually backs up his assertions. It’s a waste of time to debate with him. He’s a thread shitter and a partisan hack.

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**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/30 "2009-09-18T14:05:11Z")

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_:shrugs:_

I explained, as clearly as I could manage, what the Constitution says about impeaching people. You can’t remove somebody from office if they aren’t in office. I would have thought that was obvious.

The rest of it is just a tantrum because the Constitution throws cold water on your revenge fantasies against Bush.

Have fun jerking each other off, you silly bitches.

Regards,  
Shodan

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**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/31 "2009-09-18T14:06:54Z")

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Shodan and I have locked horns more than once or twice- and, frankly, it got tiresome… so a few weeks ago, I tried to extend an olive branch. Apparently he doesn’t care much for olives, and he wanted no part of it.

Now I just report his threadshitting or trolling posts and ignore them. I encourage everyone else to do the same.

(I must admit I like tweaking him when he’s blatantly wrong, though.)

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**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/32 "2009-09-18T14:15:11Z")

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> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> You’d do better by keeping quiet on this one, ya know?

I’d do better in the sense of not getting eight counter-posts in a row, yes. But the pile-ons don’t bother me anymore. Neither do remarks like yours, implying a certain irony or hypocrisy to my defense of Shodan.

I do, however, look for and appreciate posts like the one from PRR, explaining in quite some detail how he differentiates Shodan from Luc. And though I do not agree with him in most particulars, I greatly respect him (PRR) for rising above the “Hey, he’s on Shodan’s side! Burn him!” that I’m getting from people like you.

And for the record, I don’t agree with Shodan politically either. On economic matters, he is far far too left for my tastes; and on social matters, he is far too right. So, I’m not defending his views here. I’m merely saying that giving suggestions of treating him like a leper or non-existent person is eerily Stormfrontish in their conception.

Why not just create a forum where people can post until they prove to our satisfaction that they’re on our side? That’s how Stormfront does it. And the two recent SDMB splinter boards have initiated similar forums. All three call their relegates “trolls”.

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**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/33 "2009-09-18T14:22:57Z")

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> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Why not just create a forum where people can post until they prove to our satisfaction that they’re on our side? That’s how Stormfront does it. And the two recent SDMB splinter boards have initiated similar forums. All three call their relegates “trolls”.

After you acknowledge that some people gave you substantive answers, you post this “ironic” response as though the existence of **Elvis1Lives** means the whole SDMB is just as you said.

Yes, the left does have its **Shodans** - if you had compared him to **Elvis** or **Der Trihs** or **Diogenes** , I’d agree. But then, you wouldn’t have a point, would you, because others wouldn’t defend them as they would **luci**.

The SDMB is not as you say it is.

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**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/34 "2009-09-18T14:31:04Z")

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> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#):
>
> **Liberal** , I don’t dislike reading **Shodan** ’s posts because they’re from a conservative p.o.v.–I dislike reading them because I don’t find anyone authentic there.

I’d like to emphasize this. It’s not the conservative viewpoint. I wish people would please get past this. If someone argues something well, I can recognize the thought and effort behind a well-reasoned, fact-based argument. We all NEED this, regardless of your viewpoint. If your beliefs don’t hold up under scrutiny, then they aren’t worth holding. When someone actually makes me revise my position, they’ve done something I can respect and appreciate. Merely popping into threads to gleefully regurgitate whatever you think will rile people up, however, should earn you silence. I wish folks would take the time to see such a post for what it is, and give it the treatment it deserves.

Shodan’s posts do not address anyone on any level beyond, “Let’s go fuck with people.” It’s to the board’s collective discredit that it’s gone on as long as it has. Finally, I have no sympathy for someone that goes out of their way to deliberately and repeatedly antagonize people and then gets dog-piled. A person capable of understanding cause and effect could see it coming.

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**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/35 "2009-09-18T14:38:26Z")

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> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Because elucidator, when it is relevant or necessary, actually cites things outside of his own ass, and is quite pleasant and positive, has wit and humor, and might be regarded as a valuable asset to the board. His brief comments are delivered in a manner that does not sufficiently detract from his more expansive comments.
> 
> Shodan cannot be similarly described.

Actually, I would say this is your positive ideological lends spinning your perception. Elucidator is an irritating cunt who launches stereotypical leftist sallies at everything.

I rather put Shodan and him in the same pot.

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**Author:** ![wmfellows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@wmfellows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wmfellows)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/36 "2009-09-18T14:40:19Z")

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> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> … He’s a thread shitter and a partisan hack.

Quite.

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**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/37 "2009-09-18T14:40:45Z")

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I’m finding it amusing that **Shodan** (or for that matter anybody else on this board) is still being accused of trolling, as if such an accusation carried any weight here any more. As **Kimstu** ’s post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11539904&postcount=233) noted, **Shodan** has made it abundantly clear that he intends to troll this board whenever he feels he can get his jollies from doing so. Of course, nothing was done to him then, and nothing is or will be done to him in the future.

Similarly, when I used to tangle with **Rand Rover** here, he quite candidly admitted that he “liked to get his troll on” whenever he felt like it. Again, no warnings from above (despite a “you cannot be serious” report to the mods).

Obviously the “no trolling” rule is writ in water here. I heartily suggest to future members of the SDMB that they announce their trolling ways in advance. If larded with heavy layers of well-poisoning and appeals to a small but vocal minority, they too will find their trolling defended in perfect seriousness by those who feel they are done wrong here merely by virtue of others holding opposing positions.

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**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/38 "2009-09-18T15:05:22Z")

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> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> And what about that **Vinyl Turnip** guy? Jeez, talk about one-liners!..

Yeah, how about that guy! Always with the content-free posts and the snarky one-liners. And bad puns! Real stinkers! Good catch there, **Fooey**! A lot more attention should be paid to what a no-goodnik\*\* Final Turnip \*\*is!

I mean, we all appreciate a bit of droll word-play, but the kind of weapons-grade stinkbombs that **Vinny** throws out? I’ve heard he has several indictments pending at The Hague, which might well have proceeded if their translators had not resigned in protest! Jesus Marimba, the guy actually posted a bad pun _palindrome!_ What kind of sick mind does it take, I ask you? Totally depraved, you answer.

You don’t get burdened with such stuff from **Libby** , nosir! A serious and lofty thinker, not inclined to soil himself with trivial joshing, when he could be reminding us, once again, of the vital importance of the Austrian School of Economics and the crucial significance of von whats-his-face. By comparison, you would think Vinny had no notions whatever of the Logical Positivists! Really, what a burke. **VT** , phone Hume!

**Shodan**? Who? Is that the giant Japanese pterodactyl?

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/39 "2009-09-18T15:20:53Z")

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> [@elucidator](#):
>
> Yeah, how about that guy! Always with the content-free posts and the snarky one-liners. And bad puns! Real stinkers! Good catch there, **Fooey**! A lot more attention should be paid to what a no-goodnik\*\* Final Turnip \*\*is!
> 
> I mean, we all appreciate a bit of droll word-play, but the kind of weapons-grade stinkbombs that **Vinny** throws out? I’ve heard he has several indictments pending at The Hague, which might well have proceeded if their translators had not resigned in protest! Jesus Marimba, the guy actually posted a bad pun _palindrome!_ What kind of sick mind does it take, I ask you? Totally depraved, you answer.
> 
> You don’t get burdened with such stuff from **Libby** , nosir! A serious and lofty thinker, not inclined to soil himself with trivial joshing, when he could be reminding us, once again, of the vital importance of the Austrian School of Economics and the crucial significance of von whats-his-face. By comparison, you would think Vinny had no notions whatever of the Logical Positivists! Really, what a burke. **VT** , phone Hume!
> 
> **Shodan**? Who? Is that the giant Japanese pterodactyl?

LOL, Jesus Christ you just made my day. If you’re not writing humor-based screeds for a living then you’ve missed your calling.

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**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-word-shodan/510537/40 "2009-09-18T15:25:15Z")

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nvm, better to not waste words.

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