AN APOLOGY TO THE STRAIGHT DOPERS

Great Debates
1

Hi folks, this is ANAI BENDAI. I realize this isn’t the place for personal posts, so let me get right into it.

If you remember me, this is for you. If not, then you may not understand this thread.

I was not aware that there was a certain posting etiquette here at the SDMB and that Esstriol’s invitation appeared to be an insult to the regulars at that board (and that it was misposted in the GREAT DEBATES forum). I guess where I come from, we welcome that kind of shameless self-promotion, and I’ll admit that it never occurred to me that our invitation could appear inappropriate and disrespectful to the veteran members who see annoying things like that happen all the time.

Believe it or not, I’ve followed Cecil’s columns and website for many years, and I have posted at the SDMB a few times under a totally different pseudonym (but I’m by no means a regular - but that was close to three years ago now - I think it’s moot for this discussion.)

However, when I WAS first posting at the SDMB, I did indeed enjoy the challenging intellectual quality of the debate - and I agree that there are some really intelligent people who could make a very valuable contribution to the overall wealth of insights that we are currently accumulating at our discussion site, “THE GATHERING” at:

http://www.deshain.homestead.com

Because Derleth, one of the veteran Straight Dope posters (who has joined us over at THE GATHERING), so eloquently argued in defense of the individuals who frequent the SDMB and explained to why they responded the way they did to our invitation (because they saw it as a huge chunk of hot, stinking spam), I offer an apology and also an invitation to join our debates and discussion at THE GATHERING if that’s some they feel that they would still like to do.

I can now see Derleth’s point that their whole tone of hostility was just generated from our misunderstanding of the SDMB’s etiquette and posting policies and my belligerent response.

I guess that I mistakenly thought that by throwing some “smack” around, the regular SDMB members wouldn’t think I was some new age pansy with a cult leader’s penchant for trying to save the world single handily with a single website.

Again, I invite you, respectfully, to visit our discussion board and post your deepest insights, observations, and above all else - your questions - for everyone to consider and respond to. All I ask is that you judge the message board by its content, not the lapses of it’s administrator.

We have just announced an Insight Incentive Award for the most insightful post of each quarter year. Please feel welcome to come check out the board itself and post your own valuable insights!

Anai Bendai

“QUESTION EVERYTHING - ESPECIALLY YOURSELF!”

2

Much better way to deal with us, Anai Bendai! Speaking purely for myself, apology accepted. I intend to post over on your site, as Derleth has done, but will most likely continue to do most of my posting (and thread following) on the SDMB.

I’ve spent some time navigating various threads over at your message board and I appreciate the general intelligence and good intentions of the membership. However —and please take this as the friendly advice it is intended to be— you would probably attract more 'Dopers and other intelligent posters if you would tone down the Welcome message a bit!

Some things that most of us have noticed about “fringe” url’s advocating particular extreme points of view is that they’re most often marked by heavy self-importance and absolute humorlessness. The fact that your mission statement is logically constructed, eloquently phrased and well-presented could have been helpful, but the New Age “feel” combined with the rhetoric made you seem as if, as you say, you had “a cult leader’s penchant for trying to save the world single handily with a single website.”

One of the things that makes the SDMB so pleasant to me is the “tongue firmly inserted in cheek” atmosphere of the staff. Sure, we’re here for FIGHTING IGNORANCE®, but it’s all done with a sense of humor.

I invite you to take part in the debates and discussions here. You’ll find that, as soon as you start posting here as intelligently as you do on your own board, we’ll quickly forget past indiscretions. Possibly you can inject some of the sense of purpose contained in your discussion site, and possibly you can take back some of the good things about this board. Perhaps both boards can gain something valuable, eh?

3

Now THAT is constructive criticism. I appreciate your candor. The mission statement is indeed meant to be a bit colorful and melodramatic - but I can see your point that the intended humor of it might not be as obvious as it could be. Point taken. Look for a modification in the future.

Anai