# Has the SDMB lost critical mass? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 7, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502 "2007-11-07T02:50:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/101 "2007-11-07T20:04:54Z")
wrong thread ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/102 "2007-11-07T20:10:31Z")
[QUOTE=Sophistry and Illusion] wrong thread [/QUOTE] Yes, that’s how I feel about it as well. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/103 "2007-11-07T20:16:18Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] Well, I don’t enter those debates anymore, preferring when I need a good strong headache to just bang my head against the wall. But I _used_ to wade in because people tend to throw around a lot of “Christians do this” or “Christians do that” (for “this” and “that,” insert any extreme or fundie belief you’d like, from Biblical literalism to wishing death on homosexuals – doesn’t even have to be a true, verifiable Christian belief), and I foolishly thought there was some value to attempting to point out that not all Christians believe that (whatever “that” is). But IME the anti-religionists around here are not actually interested in what Christians really believe. Instead, the discussions are exactly the type you posit: One where no person of religion actually participates and anti-religionist sit around agreeing with each other about just how horrible religion is and how stupid/deluded people of faith are. But I don’t really see how you can call it a “debate” when you apparently would argue that one entire side is disqualified from participating at all. [/QUOTE] Yup. I don’t participate in such “debates” much because the mean spirited petty-mindedness of a large percentage of those whom I would otherwise generally support kills any hope of meaningful, entertaining and/or thought-provoking dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/104 "2007-11-07T20:16:51Z")
[QUOTE=Aeschines] The numbers are objective. It would be nice if the Reader or whoever told us the hits and the traffic, but they don’t. [/quote] So “the numbers” are nonexistent. And what you have is pure subjective crap. As I said. > [@](#): > > What I’m talking about is a LACK of content, not an excess of bad content.I don’t think of it as a Golden age goes to shit matter, because I never felt I was in a golden age here. But now there are just fewer posts and less interesting content. Many seem to agree. “Many seem to agree”? I’ve seen very little evidence that “many” seem to agree. Because, you see, the people who agree move on, they don’t stick around the Board and complain about how much worse it is now than it used to be. As **Una** says, this is an old song. And it’s a boring-as-shit song. So enjoy your wankfest, so long as you recognize that you are contributing to the very problem you deplore: Shitty content. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/105 "2007-11-07T20:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=Aeschines] Has the SDMB lost critical mass? [/QUOTE] Based on some of the diet threads and the number of trainwrecks resulting from insensitivity, perceived or real, to the girthily challenged, I’d say the SDMB hasn’t lost much mass of any sort. Sorry if the joke has been done, but I refuse to read this whole thread to find out. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/106 "2007-11-07T20:26:30Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] “Many seem to agree”? I’ve seen very little evidence that “many” seem to agree. Because, you see, the people who agree move on, they don’t stick around the Board and complain about how much worse it is now than it used to be. . [/QUOTE] well **Many** doesn’t post here anymore, so it’s difficult to know what **manhattan** would or would not agree to… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/107 "2007-11-07T20:28:18Z")
[QUOTE=Una Persson] AOL Dopers were Gods who Walked This Earth. [/QUOTE] Truer words hath never been saith. I just left and don’t post much anymore because I found out that there was a much more interesting world out there when I pulled myself away from the computer screen and looked out the window. May the same happen to you. If your life revolves around this board so much that you start to get any kind of emotional because it’s “going downhill” or because someone dares to assert that for them it’s “going downhill” then you really have a pretty sad life. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/108 "2007-11-07T20:28:39Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] Satanists don’t believe in God or Satan, so not really. You’re thinking of devil worshippers which aren’t the same thing. [/QUOTE] My mistake. Consider ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/109 "2007-11-07T20:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] “Many seem to agree”? I’ve seen very little evidence that “many” seem to agree. Because, you see, the people who agree move on, they don’t stick around the Board and complain about how much worse it is now than it used to be. [/QUOTE] Manny people ask me and now I wonder … Yours, ~ ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/110 "2007-11-07T21:02:50Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] So “the numbers” are nonexistent. And what you have is pure subjective crap. As I said. [/QUOTE] Jodi, please just stop being such a dick. Lots of things are subjective, and aren’t necessarily crap. In fact, _everything_ is subjective if you want to get down to it because everything from science to logic is based on agreed upon rules and principles that are subjective. Falsification, for example, the philosophical principle that underlies the scientific method, is not itself falsifiable. So c’mon, just because numbers are subjective doesn’t mean they’re nonexistent. Otherwise, poll results wouldn’t exist, and clearly they do. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/111 "2007-11-07T21:08:12Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] My mistake. Consider ignorance fought. [/QUOTE] Happy to help. Incidentally, I’m amazed that you managed to retain that information about me based on the couple of posts I’ve made that mentioned Satanism. You must have a great memory! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/112 "2007-11-07T21:11:29Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Excuse me, but skeptic and atheist are not synonyms. . [/QUOTE] I am both but I totally agree. In the same vein, I saw footage of a news reporter interviewing people about a psychic fair that was coming to town. She started out by asking, “are you open minded or are you a skeptic?” ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/113 "2007-11-07T21:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Jodi, please just stop being such a dick. Lots of things are subjective, and aren’t necessarily crap. In fact, _everything_ is subjective if you want to get down to it because everything from science to logic is based on agreed upon rules and principles that are subjective. Falsification, for example, the philosophical principle that underlies the scientific method, is not itself falsifiable. So c’mon, just because numbers are subjective doesn’t mean they’re nonexistent. Otherwise, poll results wouldn’t exist, and clearly they do. [/QUOTE] **Liberal** , I I will modify my behavior out of consideration of your opinion of my dickishness the day AFTER you stop being a meanspirited self-indulgent nutjob who pukes a super-sized helping of The Batshit Crazies all over the Boards about once every couple of months. Until that day, you can insert your opinion of my thoughts, comments, or behaviors as deep as possible up the closest personal orifice and I’ll let you know when I want you to pull them back out. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/114 "2007-11-07T21:18:20Z")
[QUOTE=Sophistry and Illusion] wrong thread [/QUOTE] I prefer to call it ‘_differently right_’. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/115 "2007-11-07T21:39:26Z")
_Winces at the bitchslap that Jodi just dealt to Liberal_ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/116 "2007-11-07T21:44:54Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] _Winces at the bitchslap that Jodi just dealt to Liberal_ [/QUOTE] I think you spelled “applauds” wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/117 "2007-11-07T21:50:53Z")
GD has gone downhill in recent months, but I don’t think that’s surprising. It’s got to be dispiriting to be a conservative these days, when Bush and the GOP have gotten pretty much everything they wanted, and have only succeeded in making a total fuckup of everything from Afghanistan to New Orleans. But it’s pretty damned dispiriting to be a liberal, too, given the willingness of the spineless Democratic Congress to continue to roll over and give Bush & Co. pretty much anything they want. So there’s a lack of enthusiasm on both sides nowadays, and I’m sure that carries over to the realm of political debate here on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/118 "2007-11-07T21:51:15Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] **Liberal** , I I will modify my behavior out of consideration of your opinion of my dickishness the day AFTER you stop being a meanspirited self-indulgent nutjob who pukes a super-sized helping of The Batshit Crazies all over the Boards about once every couple of months. Until that day, you can insert your opinion of my thoughts, comments, or behaviors as deep as possible up the closest personal orifice and I’ll let you know when I want you to pull them back out. [/QUOTE] Well, this right here is one of the reasons _I_ keep coming back to the SDMB. Well played, sir; well played. Yes, I know that **Jodi** is technically not a “sir”, but “Well played, madam” sounded stupid. Sue me. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/119 "2007-11-07T21:51:38Z")
Synopsis pleeze! ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502/120 "2007-11-07T21:51:41Z")
Sorry to induce the winces, but I don’t appreciate being called a dick by someone I wasn’t even addressing. I might be a little more tolerant of seeing **Liberal** heave that particular insult at my head out of left field if this were the first time it happened, but it [isn’t](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8936230&postcount=133). I let the first one pass – the second, not so much. I can play nice or I can play not nice, and I’ll roll whichever way he chooses. But he’d better climb the fuck down off my back if he expects me to return the favor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-sdmb-lost-critical-mass/425502.md?page=7)