# Ask Someone Who Gives A Shit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 31, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570 "2005-01-31T10:26:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/1 "2005-01-31T10:26:30Z")
I think these “Ask a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_” threads are lame, lame, lame. If anybody found you interesting, don’t you think they would have started an “I’m Asking A (whatever)” thread? This is nothing but begging for an audience to put yourself or your agenda in the most favorable, sanitized light, ignoring any shortcomings, warts, or otherwise distasteful aspects. So no, I’m not going to “Ask a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_”, thanks for the offer. ---
**Author:** ![rorty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@rorty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rorty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/2 "2005-01-31T11:04:48Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > So no, I’m not going to “Ask a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_”, thanks for the offer. Aww, and here I was hoping you’d start an “Ask an asshole” thread. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/3 "2005-01-31T11:09:50Z")
I don’t agree. For instance, I’m rather curious about Sufism and how it relates both to mainstream Islam and other ‘mystic’ traditions the world over. However, I don’t plan on starting a “Hey, all Sufis come here and tell me stuff!” thread. If a Sufi wanted to start a thread, I’d be happy to ask questions. YMM(O)V ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/4 "2005-01-31T11:15:09Z")
> [@rorty](#): > > Aww, and here I was hoping you’d start an “Ask an asshole” thread. I didn’t think my work had a wide enough following to justify it. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/5 "2005-01-31T11:19:14Z")
I disagree. I love good 'Ask the…" threads, because I often end up learning things from them. They signal that someone is willing to answer a bunch of questions about their area of knowledge, not just the one I thought to ask, and I like seeing what other people ask, too. “Ask the Gay Guy” and “Ask a Cop” are two that I found extremely interesting, but there’s others I’ve forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/6 "2005-01-31T11:23:22Z")
I don’t agree either. I once started an Ask the Libertarian Objectivist Christian thread, and took quite a bit of heat, including a Randian who I thought was going to blow a gasket. I think the threads can be very informative. Sure, there will be everything from hijackers to sycophants, but that’s true of any thread. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/7 "2005-01-31T11:24:25Z")
Why bother? ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/8 "2005-01-31T11:26:00Z")
I believe the correct term is ‘randroid’, or: follower of the Rand, Branden, and Holy Galt. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/9 "2005-01-31T11:30:09Z")
Randroid! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/10 "2005-01-31T11:43:40Z")
I love the “ask a…” Even the most recent one. I have left some feeling frustrated but I always learned something. Hey if I ever thought I knew anything I would start an “ask the kiwi” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/11 "2005-01-31T11:47:55Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > I think these “Ask a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_” threads are lame, lame, lame. If anybody found you interesting, don’t you think they would have started an “I’m Asking A (whatever)” thread? This is nothing but begging for an audience to put yourself or your agenda in the most favorable, sanitized light, ignoring any shortcomings, warts, or otherwise distasteful aspects. > > So no, I’m not going to “Ask a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_”, thanks for the offer. You can see if it’s an ‘Ask the …’ thread right in the title. If you don’t like them, then feel free not to click. lame rant ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/12 "2005-01-31T11:58:31Z")
There’s also the fact that it’s just quicker and easier. I could start a “Sufis tell me stuff” thread, and I’d have to wait for a Sufi to wander past it and answer. Chances are the thread would sink without ever getting a response. On the other hand, having an "ask the… " thread collects everything in one place, and it’s more likely that one can find people to ask questions than people to answer them. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/13 "2005-01-31T12:05:30Z")
I would like two bucketfuls of shit please. Not really. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/14 "2005-01-31T12:16:29Z")
Is that the “Ask 2 buckets of shit” thread? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/15 "2005-01-31T12:30:52Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > If anybody found you interesting, don’t you think they would have started an “I’m Asking A (whatever)” thread? This is nothing but begging for an audience to put yourself or your agenda in the most favorable, sanitized light, ignoring any shortcomings, warts, or otherwise distasteful aspects. Really? 'Cause if that’s the idea it seems a pretty pisspoor way of going about it. Since once you start one of those threads you open yourself up to all kinds of pointed questions about who you are and what you are about. All of whcih you will have to defend in public. And what is so terrible about offering the possibility of information before it’s asked for? _bete glares threateningly at her encyclopedias that are arrogently full of information she never asked them for_ ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/16 "2005-01-31T12:37:36Z")
> [@betenoir](#): > > Since once you start one of those threads you open yourself up to all kinds of pointed questions about who you are and what you are about. All of which you will have to defend in public. Yeah, or ignore them altogether. Or claim victimhood. I don’t think it’s quite as brave as people are making it out to be. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/17 "2005-01-31T12:48:26Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > Yeah, or ignore them altogether. Or claim victimhood. I don’t think it’s quite as brave as people are making it out to be. If an OP is a schmuck, a dogpile generally results. The SDMB is kinda self-regulating like that. Starting an “ask the …” thread is, IMO, an attempt to fight a little ignorance. Obviously, not all of us know what it’s like to be a left handed elephant trainer. (Where does one find left handed elephants anyways?). Some of us, I suppose, are curious about what it takes to train an elephant. And yes, you do open yourself up to scrutiny. It’s the Dope, after all. Our southpaw pachyderm instructor would proably get a few questions asking if he/she minded that animal training is cruel to wild animals, etc… And yeah, I’m sure a lot of OP’s of that sort are simple ego masturbation, but there doesn’t necessarily need to be a dichotomy between ego masturbation and the fight against ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/18 "2005-01-31T12:52:19Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > . . . there doesn’t necessarily need to be a dichotomy between ego masturbation and the fight against ignorance. And “Ask the Attention Whore” isn’t a specific enough title for a thread. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/19 "2005-01-31T12:53:32Z")
> [@Uvula Donor](#): > > And “Ask the Attention Whore” isn’t a specific enough title for a thread. Now that would be an Escher-esque thread. “Ask the attention whore what it’s like to be an attention whore.” ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570/20 "2005-01-31T12:53:40Z")
> [@NattoGuy](#): > > Yeah, or ignore them altogether. Or claim victimhood. I don’t think it’s quite as brave as people are making it out to be. Hmmmm…well, yes. Certainly depends a lot on how they respond to what they’ve started when they open a thread like that. Not necessarily brave. But, they are going out of there way to open themselves up to questions. So, not, as far as I can see, as cowardly and self serveing as you make them out ot be. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-someone-who-gives-a-shit/287570.md?page=2)