tomndebb
Now that I have initiated this “controversy” it never even occurred to me that there would be sub-genres. (Addams Family cartoon, John Astin ensemble and the Raoul Julia troop). Being a traditionalist I prefer the John Astin et al cast.
Then again, the Munsters had a reincarnation (the Munsters Today) some time ago with the “legendary” John Shuck portrating Herman Munster. I suppose I could ask if people preferred Fred Gwynne or John Shuck but I believe the question is unfair because nobody watched “the Munsters Today”.
wolf_meister, it is indelicate (to say the least) to mention that other show in the same post as The Addams Family. (I’d not mention them in the same thread, except that it would be confusing to establish a separate thread and have to link back and forth to discuss them.)
I tend to avoid GD, unless a thread I’m involved in in GQ ends up getting dragged in there. Sometimes I’ll participate on a thread where I may have some real expertise. But even there, most of the time I end up wasting a huge amount of time refuting someone who has no real knowledge or information on the subject, but continues churning out made-up stuff and bullshitting endlessly. The Fighting Ignorant just wear me out after a while.
I prefer the Pit. You do indeed have to cite your sources many times in the Pit. Depending on the thread in question, knowledge of a subject is quite often a must. And your cites had better be good.
Plus it’s a lot more fun to tell some cretin to go fuck him/her-self right in a thread than have to play nice and open another thread in another forum to slag the miscreant.
I rarely post in GD, but I read it a lot. I find it informative to a point, but mostly I find it a bunch of ranting without the “fucks” found in the Pit.
I like it, I think quite a bit and hold opinions and a wide variety of topics. None of my friends or people around me really like discussing things on a fair level. I tried debating them for years. They have no idea what a Cite is. Or they simply don’t care about “validity” and “accuracy” and just like to argue for the sake of arguing. To me that isn’t a debate. Getting close to a conclusion is, even if it is never actually reached. I can argue simple things like stuff you find on snopes and around here is common knowledge- like the fact that a ducks quack does echo, and they will not give in.
So I come here. I am wrong more often than I am right, but it is a learning experience. I may get blasted out and made to look like a complete fool, but I am anonymous really, so while embarrasing, it isn’t going to damage me. The amount I learn from the experience makes up for the slight embarassment though.
One thing I do notice is that people hold grudges there. Point out that you think somebody is wrong in one thread, and say it a bit too arrogantly or smugly, or say it with a slight crossed eye, and bam, holy hell and bloody vengance will descend upon you. And for the next six months, every thread you post in, and that is replied to comes off with a bit of snippiness and knee-jerkism that is a bit more than intimidating, it is outright scary. I have a thick skin, and I still get nervous and shaky while waiting for a thread to open.
Overall I say it is still fun though. Not to sound like a broken record, it is a learning experience. If you land hard (proven wrong), you will learn it more thoroughly, if you do research and develop a good enough understanding of a topic to defend or attack it, you learn something. Or like pervert said: It helps you figure out what you think about something and organize it while analysing.
I thought you had to have a chip on your shoulder or some agenda in order to want to go there. I love free discussion of ideas but I hate petty bickering and condescending know-it-alls. I’ll gladly admit when I’m wrong and I’ll concede when someone changes my mind. It seems to me that the disection and over-analysis of the posts I’ve read in GD, makes it more of a hostile environment than the Pit. Things are said as they’re meant in the Pit (mostly), GD seems to be more of a soapbox/podium for espousing political agendas. Why isn’t there a smiley for insufferably bored?
GD is a fantastic place. Not that I actually participate much. I reserve it for topics that I am really ineterested in, and those times when I do have a bit of time to compose my arguments carefully and read the cites made by others.
I appreciate the intelligence shown by some of the more regular posters. And I also appreciate the tact and dipolmacy that is sometimes displayed. OTOH, I agree that it does take a bit of effort, which is why my participation is so infrequent.
GD has caused me to reflect a bit more than I previously did. An argument that a year ago I would have passed off as to-the-point and watertight now strikes me as waffley and porous. It has changed the way I conduct myself IRL. That’s worth the $5 for the SDMB right there.