# Guaranteed hot-button issues on message boards **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943 "2006-12-05T15:31:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/1 "2006-12-05T15:31:12Z")
On just about every message board, there are certain topics that almost always seem to result in long, ugly threads, often culminating in thread closings and/or bannings. From what I’ve seen here, on the board I run, and a few others I visit, some of those topics include: - The desirability of overweight women (“People should be free to be attracted to whoever they want” vs “People who aren’t attracted to large women are shallow,” “One shouldn’t let society/peer pressure determine who they find attractive”, “What’s on the inside is what’s important, not what the person looks like”, etc.) - Circumcision - Picky eating (“I really can’t control it” vs. “It’s all in your head”, “Quit being a child”, etc.) - Flaws in the Linux operating system that hinder its acceptance among the general public (Regular users pointing out strange program names, awkward program interfaces, unintuitive directory structure, etc. vs geeks who proclaim its security, their love for command line interfaces, and their hatred towards Bill Gates) - SUV ownership SUVs (predictable response: tens of people chiming in to defend their SUV ownership by claiming they use them to pull large horse trailers up winding mountain roads every weekend.) What are some of the other forum hot-button issues out there? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/2 "2006-12-05T15:36:58Z")
Well, based on what I’ve seen here at the SDMB, two more would include: – Cellphone use in cars – Tipping ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/3 "2006-12-05T15:41:59Z")
Here, 0.999… is a very hot-button topic. And the Monty Hall problem can generate a lot of heated debate. Issues like that are much more seriouis than the existence of God, or the Iraq War. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/4 "2006-12-05T15:44:34Z")
[QUOTE=elmwood] What are some of the other forum hot-button issues out there? [/QUOTE] Religion: (‘I believe’ vs ‘only an idiot would believe without FACTS’) Discrimination disguised as religion or ‘national security’ issues: homosexuality (“God hates gays”) Islam (“all Muslims want to kill everyone so we have to Look Out for them”) versus voices of reason. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/5 "2006-12-05T15:46:48Z")
The abortion debates always get quite lively. ---
**Author:** ![Stout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Stout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stout)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/6 "2006-12-05T15:48:33Z")
Anything cenered around 'faith based issues" like ID vs Evolution, or the “morality” of the gay marriage question. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2006, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/7 "2006-12-05T15:50:14Z")
Anything involving personal taste and: movies, TV shows, books, theater, or any other form of entertainment. Any and all sports, and those who hate, mock, and pity those who play. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/8 "2006-12-05T15:56:43Z")
Airplanes and treadmills. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/9 "2006-12-05T16:26:44Z")
Not just the desirability of overweight people, but the topic of overweight and weight loss in general. IE: It’s easy to lose weight by eating fewer calories than you expend. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/10 "2006-12-05T16:34:10Z")
Cats. As in, “fluffy snoogy woogums!” versus “they are evil and should be drowned en masse, and oh yeah, their owners suck too.” ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/11 "2006-12-05T16:37:52Z")
Pets: Small furry children or just frakkin animals? ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/12 "2006-12-05T16:42:47Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Any and all sports, and those who hate, mock, and pity those who play. [/QUOTE] Is there a club of people who hate, mock, and pity those who play sports? I want to join, so I can have my fun but without the fighting. Anything about sex and the morality of the circumstances under which one should engage in sexual activity is a hot topic. Along these lines, the definition of love. Abortion has been mentioned, but I will add “When does life begin?” ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/13 "2006-12-05T16:45:08Z")
Mac vs. PC PS2 vs. XBox PS3 vs XBox360 vs Wii Ford versus Chevy Hitler Tailgating George W. Bush ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/14 "2006-12-05T16:52:53Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] Cats. As in, “fluffy snoogy woogums!” versus “they are evil and should be drowned en masse, and oh yeah, their owners suck too.” [/QUOTE] Two other cat-related train wrecks in waiting: - Declawing - Indoors / Outdoors ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/15 "2006-12-05T16:55:16Z")
[ul] [li]Steam engine vs. internal-combustion engine[/li][li]Chemical drain cleaners[/li][li]Incorrect and/or excessive use of “Hi Opal!”[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/16 "2006-12-05T16:59:24Z")
Britney Spears and her crotch. Weight Pets ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/17 "2006-12-05T17:01:37Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] Pets: Small furry children or just frakkin animals? [/QUOTE] Children - Large less furry pets or just frakkin annoying? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/18 "2006-12-05T17:04:57Z")
Gun control. Abortion. George W. Bush. Now if we had a thread about whether guns should have been used to force Barbara Bush to have an abortion while pregnant with George W., it might go on for 1000 pages. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/19 "2006-12-05T17:09:12Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] Children - Large less furry pets or just frakkin annoying? [/QUOTE] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943/20 "2006-12-05T17:18:34Z")
Illegally downloading a recording of George W. Bush having sex with an overweight woman on an airplane that’s on a treadmill. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guaranteed-hot-button-issues-on-message-boards/382943.md?page=2)