The mission of the Straight Dope, and subsequently, it’s Board, was to “fight ignorance”.
Is this still the case? Or is the SDMB now just a place where those of us who like doing more writing than is possible on Facebook and YouTube comments can come to talk, regardless of whether they are fighting ignorance… or spreading it?
Interested in comments, but especially from those ‘in charge’ - mods, @Ed_Zotti , even @Cecil_Adams? (And yes, I know. But I still like to maintain polite fictions as long as they don’t harm anyone.)
Here are my comments: @JohnT, you know I love you, but this strikes me as a colossally pointless question. Are you trying to stir up a heated discussion? Are you bored?
This statement seems to imply that if the “Board’s mission” doesn’t “matter anymore” (whatever the heck that means), then the mission is reduced to a “polite fiction” (whatever the heck that means) and the maintaining of that “polite fiction” might hypothetically harm someone. And you’re okay with that (i.e., the “polite fiction” – see previous parenthesis) as long as it doesn’t. Harm anyone, that is.
Was the point ever really to fight ignorance? Did we ever live up to the stated mission? We are a bunch of smart, bored people shooting the shit and I think that’s all we’ve ever been.
Consider that this motto was for the column initially, and the column (mostly) fulfilled that mission statement.
The boards were originally an adjunct and realistically never completely lived up to that aspiration. General Questions/Factual Questions is the only real outpost of that ethos here. The rest of the board is looser, although still opposed to obvious contrafactuals.
Once a board like this becomes politicized it loses it’s mission. Impossible to fight ignorance when you are forced to defend it because of your party loyalty.
I keep trying to fight my own ignorance. While it’s been an uphill battle I’ve achieved far more in that respect than the rest of the world has as a result of the Dope. It appears that despite the effort by the board the world is actually becoming more ignorant and determined to speed up that trend.
Its been a long time since I first joined the SMDB, with it’s mission is to “fight ignerance.” Its a nobal persuit for sure and many times I’ve witnessed it’s goal has been met. Its of interist too note that my ingnorence has been sucesssfully fought many times over, especially with regard to gramatical’ errers. Its no mistook that my use of contraction’s in particliar has grately improved, thanks to the intellagent peopel on these boreds. Its a miracal.
I have suspicions about the specific examples of ignorance that our OP is wanting to fight, but that is and belongs in a different thread, although I sympathize.
I always take the OG SD column’s mission statement as that - a corporate mission statement. Sure, it fought ignorance, but in as entertaining a way as possible - full of snark, sarcasm and biting wit (at it’s best). Which means, as the follow up, we’re the same. Several posters may want more of the latter than the former, and it’s fun in the appropriate forums. Some want a much stronger emphasis on the former. And some people are the aforementioned dipsticks, whom shall not be named (and whose roles may very well change depending on the topics and forums being discussed!).
Combine that with the demands of a society that rabidly embraces being right on the internet and it brings us back to my first line.
Fighting ignorance is a mission statement, and as such, should be treated as literal to the same degree of any corporate mission statement. It may be a part of some sort of idealized direction for a person, company or board, but the nitty gritty is down in the laws, by-laws and interactions of those it serves.
ETA - while @Tibby’s post was well done, reading it hurt my eyes and brain.
To me the board absolutely fights ignorance. Not exclusively, but it occurs frequently as a part of what is going on here. I know I’ve learned a lot and continue to do so. It’s one of the main reasons I’m here and not on another site.
I strongly agree. The SDMB helps to fight my ignorance all the time (granted, not a very high bar to clear in my case ). I literally learn something new almost every day reading the board.
Why, just the other day I learned that vinegar eels are a thing that exists, thanks to this board!
Coming from you, I feel this question is about the frustration you feel when presenting sound, rational information to people and they don’t take heed and willfully ignore it. You are one of the members I look to for this kind of sound, well thought out information and your post are much appreciated.
While we do tend to get off topic and joke around a bit, that doesn’t mean we are not true to the mission statement. The fact that there is a very low percentage of people here that purposely muck things up or try to play devils advocate is one of the reason I stay here, we outnumber them and the moderators keep people in check. Over all the maturity of the board members and staff is in line with my expectations of how a board should be run.
We are never going to achieve perfection, but we can try by fighting ignorance.
). I literally learn something new almost every day reading the board.