# Does anyone else avoid The Pit or GD? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294 "2006-11-30T05:45:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/41 "2006-11-30T16:50:11Z")
I think people are dismissing the give and take and learning that does go on in the Pit & GD too easily. Here is an example of today of [give and take](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8011680). I am even shocked to report that against my beliefs \*\*Martin Hyde \*\* appears to be acting like a reasonable person lately. This is quite a shock to me and I guess I have misjudged him. I appear to owe him an apology. In the [The ethics of “saving” a parking place](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=397658) thread **Elendil’s Heir** ’s mind was changed. Taking a quick look at GD, very few of the threads were started by guests or trolls. Here are the first 17 GD threads. What would a sentient robot/AI really want out of life? ( 1 2 ) by **GIGObuster** Do organized religious beliefs fade if not regularly “reinforced”? by **According to Pliny** Do Michaels Richards and Mel Gibson represent the modern rich white man? by **Martin Hyde** What if you learned that God exists, but he doesn’t like you? by **smiling bandit** Is God mad at us? by **Lust4Life** Mind Under Matter by **DSeid** What does the word ‘literally’ mean in metaphors and similes? ( 1 2 3 ) by **Stratocaster 1** House Majority Leader: Murtha or Hoyer? ( 1 2 ) by **Evil One** Do you think the Bill of Rights is subject to amendment? by **Elendil’s Heir** Legal rights of machines by **Evil Captor** The death of PC games is near - Revisited ( 1 2 ) by **xtisme** Death tax… Let’s replace the income tax by **Martin Hyde** Yellowcake, yellowcake, Bush’s plan … by **Evil Captor** Will language-translation software ever be perfected? by **China Guy** Would the religious right be more successful if it dropped the abortion issue? by **mstay** Should pharmacies sell magnetic and copper bracelets? by **Dr. PoopiePants** Should schools require the new HPV vaccine? by **Jackmannii** I guess I am trying to say. Do not be afraid, it is not as bad as it appears. You might occasionally insert your foot in your mouth, but an apology for ignorance or a mistake usually does wonders. Jim ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/42 "2006-11-30T17:05:29Z")
[QUOTE=Lobelia Overhill] I read GQ, IMHO and the Mundane Pointless one (I can never remember what the acronym is)… [/QUOTE] Same here (except I do remember the acronym). I’m always GQ first, MPSIMS second, then finish up with IMHO. [QUOTE=freckafree] I feel like I’m a wiimp for not wanting to engage in battle. Does anyone else feel that way? [/QUOTE] I don’t think I’m a wimp, no. I’m actually fairly good at arguing, as I think most engineers are. It’s an essential skill for the job. I just don’t enjoy the types of arguments in GD and the pit. I’m not afraid of the pit, I just don’t like it. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/43 "2006-11-30T17:15:35Z")
I spend time everywhere on the board. When I started here I used to be both impressed/intimidated by a lot of what was going on in **GD** , but in recent years I find myself less awed by the level of discourse. This is probably a result of both the fact that I’m a bit older and more experienced, but also the fact that there seems to be a lot less intellectual exercise and a lot more fighting over what facts are true and what aren’t, and opinion expressing. Also, with the **Pit** , there used to be an undercurrent of ‘fun’ that pervaded a lot of the threads there. Now there seems to be a lot more sincere hate-filled dialogue and snap judgements being made. But then again, I could be wrong about this, and it might just be my own perceptions that have changed. Letting the days go by… same as it ever was. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/44 "2006-11-30T17:30:57Z")
I try to avoid them but at weak moments I give in. I guess I’m an argueholic. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/45 "2006-11-30T17:52:16Z")
I have actively avoided Great Debates for about a year now, only recently have I been reading some of the posts, but I stay away from engaging and would probably not post. I read the Pit but also stay away from actively posting to threads. The atmosphere and denizens of both locations are too acerbic and there is no spirit of genuine inquiry and discovery, let alone compromise-- only prejudices sharpened or blunted and used to stab or beat. I honestly don’t see the point, the pit is just a bunch of debating club alumnus or alumni who are debating for academic reasons and trying to make points for the sake of some worldview they hold as dogma. Life’s too short… and my ego isn’t that big. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/46 "2006-11-30T17:54:54Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew] I honestly don’t see the point, **the pit** is just a bunch of debating club alumnus or alumni who are debating for academic reasons and trying to make points for the sake of some worldview they hold as dogma. [/QUOTE] That should read: I honestly don’t see the point, **Great Debates** is just a bunch of debating club alumnus or alumni who are debating for academic reasons and trying to make points for the sake of some worldview they hold as dogma. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/47 "2006-11-30T18:03:35Z")
There’s only one forum that I tend not to read and that’s MPSIMS. To much cat/baby/relationship-related stuff, flirting, ego reinforcing etc. going on for me. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/48 "2006-11-30T18:16:42Z")
The Pit is one of the two forums I’m mostly in (the other being CS), even though I don’t like saying mean things about people and only use insults that I feel are really deserved. The Pit is actually fairly reasonable, especially compared to most other message boards on the internet. There can be some good discussion there too. There are some posters there that I don’t like, but there are some posters there that I do like and it balances it out. I like seeing reasonable people there. Maybe I like order in the midst of chaos. I find the Pit to be more friendly than GD in some ways. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/49 "2006-11-30T18:33:17Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] The Pit is actually fairly reasonable, especially compared to most other message boards on the internet. There can be some good discussion there too. [/QUOTE] No kidding. Lately, there has been more reasoned debate going on in the Pit than I can remember. Polite debates, too. And not just the Usual Suspects from GD, either. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_a\_Platypus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@Not\_a\_Platypus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_a_Platypus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/50 "2006-11-30T18:45:55Z")
I tend to avoid GD, mainly because I have absolutely no interest in serious/semi-serious debating, and watching others do it bores me to tears. After reading this thread I might take a peek in there and see if I might learn something, though. When I first started lurking, the Pit was literally the only forum I’d look at, then after almost a year I expanded that to GQ (I don’t go there much anymore. I’m not sure why), then MPSIMS. I only recently started hanging out in IMHO and occasionally CS. IMHO and the Pit remain my favorites. You can learn a lot in IMHO without getting into long-winded debates, and the Pit can be an eye-opener (merging “zipper”, anyone?), too. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/51 "2006-11-30T19:04:49Z")
I’ve fixed the title to reflect the actual acronym for the forum Great Big Screaming Arguments About… er, I mean, Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/52 "2006-11-30T19:16:14Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] \(No personal offense intended, **Khadaji**!) I wind up wanting to Pit the people who reply in Pit threads more often than I agree with the OP. \ [/QUOTE] No worries. After all, if this is the worst thing to happen to me all day then…well, you know 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/53 "2006-11-30T20:24:27Z")
GD bores me. So does the pit, although sometimes it’s fun to watch people dig their holes deeper. I just can’t see the point in arguing on the internet with a bunch of strangers. You’re never gonna change anyone’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/54 "2006-11-30T20:26:27Z")
I hereby amend my response (above) to “rarely will you change anyone’s mind” rather than “never”. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/55 "2006-11-30T20:30:08Z")
[QUOTE=GingerOfTheNorth] I hereby amend my response (above) to “rarely will you change anyone’s mind” rather than “never”. [/QUOTE] Thank you for that. I think it might happen a little bit more than you think, but at least you rescinded the never. Now I have to toss out the angry retort design to dazzle you with my brilliance and persuade you that yes indeed, some people have changed their minds. Alas, what a waste. 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/56 "2006-11-30T21:51:16Z")
I used to hang out in GD every so often but it ended up feeling like the Pit without the fuckin’ swears. If I’m gonna deal with that level of bullshit then I’m gonna have to insist on being able to fuckin’ swear. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/57 "2006-11-30T22:41:45Z")
The greatest debates often appear in the Pit or IMHO. What happens in GD is something else entirely. Outside of a precious few, GD is populated mostly by obsessive compulsives with way, way too much time on their hands. If anyone from the SDMB were to climb the proverbial bell tower with a high powered rifle, my money would be on a GD regular. Bed wetters, chronic masturbators, people most likely to be found weeks after their deaths in front of a computer monitor with their pants around their ankles and cheetos dust all over their faces… same answer. Oh, yeah. I avoid it. I often avoid MPISMS too. It just isn’t me. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/58 "2006-11-30T23:18:36Z")
I used to like the Pit - the best discussions were in there. It has gotten boring since the mods tightened up enforcement so only true rants were allowed in there. I don’t go to GD at all, for all the reasons others have posted. I don’t mind looking for a couple of cites to support a point, but those debates there are exhausting, and there just isn’t much in the world that I care about enough to make herculean efforts for a post on a message board. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/59 "2006-12-01T00:06:58Z")
I’m a wimp. I read both those boards a lot but never post. Well, I’ve posted twice in The Pit but one of those threads got moved to MPSIMS, which is where I reckon I probably belong. ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2006, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294/60 "2006-12-01T00:30:56Z")
I am also a wimp. I do throw in my two cents on a pitting here or there (I think I did it once, actually) and I have pitted once or twice (probably once as well) but I stay out of Great Debates. I lurk around but never post, and I think I might have something intelligent to say, but man, GD and the Pit can be intimidating. I love reading GQ, and MPSIMS, IMHO, and CS are my playground…heh Brendon [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-avoid-the-pit-or-gd/382294.md?page=4)