I think I’d agree that the quality of discussion (and perhaps therefore by inference the quality of the contributors, although exactly what quality it is hard to say) is way above anything else I have encountered on the internet, I attribute this to a number of reasons:
[ul]
[li]The board rules against spam, trolling, personal attack.[/li][li]The prevailing ethic that one cannot simply burp out unsupported opinions and remain unchallenged.[/li][li]The diversity of contributors - There seems scarecely a topic upon which we don’t have half a dozen qualified or knowledgeable members.[/li][li]The atmosphere (generally)of tolerance and understanding - we often see atheists and theists arguing the same side of a debate and people who show a great understanding of their opponent’s position.[/li][/ul]
So I think it’s twofold; objectionable influences get weeded out quite quickly, people who hang around here learn stuff and broaden their perspectives on many issues (I certainly have).
I’d have to agree with Mangetout that the majority of posters who stick around here seem to have an insatiable curiosity and a passionate desire to learn more about and understand both their own viewpoints and those of others.
I think that the members of this board are, like most people, protective of their own P’sOV, and like to defend them. I don’t recall anyone ‘changing their mind’ about an ‘opinion’ in the light of new or better information…they (and me) just dig in deeper with our own dogma’s (except in GQ where a person requests information, of course).
However, that being said, it is wonderful to see the variety of opinion that is available on this board, and that we can all ‘live’ in some sort of a harmonious co-existence. THAT to ME shows that we must be intellectually superior…that we can abide those who’s life-view is so diametrically opposed to our own.
Sometimes I shake my head in despair at what I perceive as the ‘ignorance’ of ‘social issues’ (ala poverty, homelessness, addiction etc) that I see on this board. At the same time, it brings me back to the reality of what the mainstream view of these sorts of problems are, and how we all come at them from different perspectives.
I cannot ‘convince’ someone who has grown up in a household with abusive, alcoholic parents that alcoholism is a disease, just like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis. They have a different view of the problem from my own. I cannot persuade some to understand that most people are poor through no fault of their own, that most people really do not like being poor, and wish that their lives could be otherwise. They see poverty as being self-inflicted or at least self-perpetuated, and nothing I can say, from personal experience or officially derived ‘stats’ will change their mind.
Some say that homosexuality is a ‘life-style’ choice, that parents who give Ritalin to their kids with ADHD are reprehensible, that smokers, drinkers, tokers, fundies, athiests, agnostics, libertarians, liberals, redheads, anorexics, weightlifters, cat-lovers, dog-haters, footy-fans, pro-lifers, rugby-haters, Muslims, Jews, pro-choicers, Buddhists, Chick’ers, Grammar Nazi’s, illiterates, Mac-users, Aussies, Iraqui’s, gun-toters, pacificists, are FUCKING WEIRD AND SHOULD BE SHOT. I’ve seen the lot on this board. And the bewdiful thing is, we’re all still here, still expounding our whacky points of view, and still OK. That shows that we must be a superior lot. IMHO, of course!
You left telemarketers of the list of “weird people who should be shot” kambuckta. 
:d&r:
Oh, you are SO going to pay for that Reprise.
It has happened though.
IIRC, dreamer posted quite recently that she had reviewed her own position in light of her experiences here and found her thoughts on certain issues changed.
I’ve always been amazed at the quality and range of debate. I love the fact that I can go to MPSIMS and read about peoples’ favourite jokes or most embarrassing moment, and can then go to GD and read amazingly well-informed debate on practically anything. I have to echo Mangetout (who is incidentally, one of my favourite posters, always well informed and well-written) on the cites thing. All in all it makes for a great read, and I’m honoured to be a part of it!
N.
And to answer the question, I don’t see any statistical reason why Dopers can’t be, as a rule, more questioning/ well-informed/ well-read. Sure, anyone and everyone will visit, but surely only those that want to learn or feel that they can make a valid contribution will stay.
<Greek Chorus>We Agree! We Agree! We Agree! The Wholw Gdamn Greek Chorus Agrees! ** </Greek Chorus> 
Well, after visiting other message boards (one in which I now semi-participate, but not to the extent I do here), I do have to say that, in terms of grammar, spelling, logical thought, level of intelligence (for the most part) and variety of opinions backed up by facts, the folks on this message board are far above what I deal with in real life.
Yes, there are some quacks and asswipes abounding, but hey, that’s what the <arrow down> key is for.
[If I may add in a kudos for the mods. After seeing some of the shyte spattered across my screen from some of the trolls out there on the less-attended boards, I am very, very, very appreciative of the moderators’ unpaid work here. Not only must they clean up after someone, but the fact thay they can help prevent a blow-up or get a thread back on track is a very good thing. My thanks to them.]
(Please forgive my personal lack of coherency - I only have decaf in the house, and it is not working right now. At least my job training does not start 'til 3 this afternoon.)
I to aggree that the mods have alot to do with how mannerly the board seems ( betchya 20 bucks I used that word wrong) It just seems like in most other boards that if you disaggree with someone they tell you to shove it up your A$$. But on this board ,if you disaggree they respect that (most of the time anyway)
No but as mentioned above it is much better managed and that sets a higher standard and attracts a “better crowd.” Folks that just want to bait and sling poop can find that elsewhere easy enough. In my modest opinion of course.
This board is certainly a good example of how the internet can be used as a way to communicate with an international group of people on an equal basis.
Granted, there are more US citizens on this board than any other nationality (although how all those Aussies found us is a mystery to me), but I appreciate the fact that I can ask a question about the most obscure subject and, in no time, I can get responses from every continent on the planet. It is really pretty amazing.
And I also want to thank the mods. I have seen other boards where one or two idiots can ruin everything very fast. I think the mods do a good job of being the “bouncers” at this very classy pub we call SDMB.
I think that by definition, the board must represent a segment of society more intelligent than average. At least, the curve is forced forward by the fraction of the population at large who are functionally illiterate. According to the CIA world factbook, that’s 3% of the population that can’t read, and therefore are not included in our ranks. We’re in the top 97%, people. This entails burdens as well as boons. I know somebody’s going to argue that being unable to read doesn’t correlate with stupidity, but in today’s society one almost has to make an effort to avoid literacy.
Speaking only for myself, most of what I read on this board is well above average in terms of grammar, spelling, and general coherency. When you discount those that don’t stay for long, the difference is even more pronounced. I think all y’alls jest smart’rn chimps with slide rules and taped glasses.
It surprises me that nobody has commented on this part of racekar’s post. My comment is that it sure is great now that school is back in session.
[sup]I also would like to express appreciation for what the mods do for this board.[/sup]
:rolleyes:
No. Pardon my saying so, but that strikes me as a rather elitist notion.
I think we probably do have a smarter-than-average crowd here.
I’m not sure how to phrase this without sounding horribly conceited, which is certainly not my intent, but on every other online forum I’ve ever been a member of I have stood out as a smart cookie. This isn’t just my own opinion, other people said so. My name frequently made “favorite poster” and “posters you most admire” lists.
Does that happen here? Nope. And that’s as it should be, because I don’t stand out here. There are plenty of Dopers as smart as I am. Another reason I don’t stand out is because I don’t post all that often, but that is because the quality of discussion around here is usually so high that I rarely feel the need. I was an unregistered lurker for months before I happened upon a thread that I felt needed me, so my SDMB lifetime posting rate average is even lower than it looks in my profile information.
I didnt mean to sound elitist. I just sorta meant that on this MB no one tells you that your opinion is $hit if you dont aggree with them. In that sense, those who really stick to the SDMB seem a bit more open minded. ( Or at least more politely minded)
So what is your opinion of the general level of intelligence and open-mindedness here?