Have we run out of stuff to talk about?

The BBQ Pit
41

It seems to me, at least, that the problem with the forums is that not so much that there’s a constant blizzard of new and mediocre threads (though that certainly is the case), but there’s just too many people posting CRAP lately.

I’ve been registered since August, and lurked for awhile before that. In almost half a year, I’ve amassed a piddling 100 or so posts. Why? Because I only post when I feel like I have something to add to the conversation. In my opinion, there’s just way way way too much of people posting “yeah! me too!”, or one-line posts that don’t have much to do with anything, or hijacks that go nowhere, or just stupid stuff that makes me just sigh and keep scrolling the thread in hopes of reading a response that’s actually got some meat to it. And I see this in every single forum.

Granted, I’ve been around a lot less than some of you old-timers, but it seems like I’ve noticed a big increase in this just in the time that I’ve been here. Some of it’s coming from newbies, yes, but it also seems like some of it’s not.

I guess my philosophy on the SDMB is, if I don’t think anyone else is going to give a crap what I have to post, I don’t post it. If I know an answer in GQ, I’ll post it, but I won’t toss out some WAG to see if it sticks. If I have a decent anecdote to add to an MPSIMS or IMHO post, I will, but otherwise I’ll just lurk. If I really feel strongly about something and feel like I can adequately express my belief, I’ll step up to the plate in GD or the Pit. Otherwise, I shut the hell up.

Too bad I feel like I’m in a bitter minority with that attitude. And too bad that it makes me feel like I’m lost in the anonymity of the masses here simply because I don’t post crap on every thread I can.

42

For several months now, I’ve been studying the activity logs on the SDMB server. I’ve looked at the peak usage times and slow times, and page loading times, and ping response times and just about everything else you can think of. I considered donating a pool of app servers, and throwing a load balancer on top of that. I considered reviewing some of SQL, which I might be able to tweak to increase the database speed a bit.

But, it turns out there is a very simple way to get this board back to running at the speed that it did 12 or 16 months ago.

I won’t charge anyone at the Chicago Reader for my services, I just see it as my duty as a good doper. I think that for this online community to continue to grow and have that “tight knit” feel that it used to, we could all do our part. I just feel like I did mine. I’m not trying to give myself all the accolades, but I am proud of myself for the conclusions I’ve drawn from my studies.

You can all thank me through email. We don’t need to tax these servers anymore than they are already being taxed. If you’d like to send me cash or gifts, let me know and I’ll email you my address. Or, I have a Paypal account under the email address in my profile.
Oh, the solution?

Ban Handy.

43

And me! I’m as mundane and pointless as ANYBODY.

44

I agree with the OP completely, even about the Dopefest threads, which I love to contribute to - they are no doubt lame as hell if you didn’t go.

I joined in Spring 2000, but in my defense I was a lurker for quite some time, and actually read Cecil’s columns every week in the Baltimore CityPaper. I’ve been a fan since I was 16, and even visited the old AOL boards, though I never registered until I was in college and bored. This site is also mentioned in Cecil’s column.

What burns my ass are the cliques that form, and I’m not talking about any particular ones. I post to threads that interest me, not threads that my friends posted to. I post when I think I have something to contribute, not to say “Me too!” or “LOL!”. I get so sick of seeing entire threads hijacked by bestest buddies who don’t understand that we don’t care. There have been a few times when I was included in a hijack, and responded (I think like 4 total), and it even bothered me then, just because I knew it was annoying to others. I did it in the BlowJocb thread, and when Alphagene called me on it, I wanted to cry, because I did the very thing I hate most. If it’s so fucking important, if you are best friends and just have to talk, do it in IM or e-mail. I have several e-mail buddies I love, and we share our MPS in private, because it really only entertains us.

Yeah yeah yeah, but the number one thing that drives me absolutely fucking nuts is when someone raises a question, in GQ or elsewhere, that Cecil has already answered. Okay, I understand that not everyone has memorized his columns due to their extreme beauty and wit, but come on! When the column of the week is “Why is shit brown?” and someone asks, “Why is shit brown?” in GQ, I feel like banging my head against my monitor. I feel like the fucking link Nazi when I say, “gee, Cecil answered that already,” but I’d like to think that in doing so, someone is perhaps inspired to actually read his fucking column! That pisses me off above all.

Anyway, I’m not a big fan of cliques IRL. I am at heart a loner, and content with having three best friends IRL and lots of other acquiantances. This translates OL. I stand by myself, I fight my own battles. I would never dive headfirst into a Pit Thread and expect someone or anyone to back me up. Unless you have some sort of valuable contribution to make, just shut up! You know what I’m talking about:

I’m so sick of the junior high mentality that leads posters to form these little groups and then dominate the board, and for everyone who is thinking, “Well, if people like to read it, then it’s cool,” I’d have to say that I see those people as mindless lemmings ISO some actual personality.

Because I’m 19, I’m really not going to say what I think about teenagers posting. But listen, if spelling “excitement” is that hardest thing you have to do all day, combined with punctuating properly, I’m pretty damn sure there’s a better MB for you somewhere. Personally, I avoid the typical teenage threads like I avoid the plague, because it’s usually the same lame shit.

I wouldn’t give up this board for everything. It’s become a part of my life. But these things, all of which seemed to have sprung up over the summer, IIRC, are irritating as hell and seriously detract from what makes this board worthwhile.

45

See, that’s what I’m talking about. Who are you to decide who is anybody’s favorite poster? Just because they are popular in chat? Because you think they’re amusing? It seems that you and I have widely seperate lists of favorites, as half the thread you make are about posters I’ve never even heard of! When did popularity take precedence over quality of posts?

46

Yes, no, pass! Shit! Can I call a friend? Poll the audience? I so hate being put on the spot like this kelli…

Have I discussed my latest hobbies? Would those be interesting? How about four new sexual positions I discovered one night with my blow up dolls? No? Well, I have a new soup recipe…

Damn it woman but you are really hard to please!

And Nacho4Sara: whoa, nelly! Calm down, calm down! So someone’s got a favorite (hell, it might be ME but I doubt it) but still, let them have their fun… lame, but fun. You’ve been around for a while now, you KNOW how it goes. Someone gets a hard on for someone, extolls their virtues and then gets shot so full of holes you couldn’t use them as a sponge… it’s kinda fun to watch! :slight_smile:

47

Ahhh, yes, the very first thread I posted to on the SDMB. And my naming thread too. Thank you for letting me relive that moment Krispy.

48

Well, it is kind of amusing…:slight_smile:

And in reality, I know that a lot of new members will lose interest and leave, while us hard-cores will still be posting when AOL heaves it’s last dying breath and our grandkids are members.

But gee golly, remember when the Town of Straight Dope had 6000 citizens? That was a few months ago and we’ve doubled. That is quite an influx of newbies.

I stand by my earlier statement though: For chrissakes, if you’re going to post to Cecil’s webpage, at least read his goddamn columns!

I love you guys!

Hugs!

49

Well, I agree with some of the observations, disagree with others. I just wonder what things will be like if and when the new server arrives cos if the speed of the Board now is discouraging new people from getting into the whole thing, all hell’s going to break out in a few months.
Also, I can’t see the problem with well titled DopeFest threads - you just don’t click ! While fighting ignorance is the main goal of the Board, I think anything (online) that fosters real world friendships has got to be healthy. I think for many it’s an alienating world sometimes, so anything that acts as a conduit for like-minded people to meet has got to be good. Hasn’t it ?

50

Talk about honey dripping in the Pit! EWWW!!! Get the niceness away from me! EWWWW! :wink:

Gee whiz Nacho, I didn’t think you had it in you! The oozing honey that is! And you know, after a year and a half, seeing those who come and go and those who stay I have to say I’m intrigued enough to linger for another year just so see how it all shakes out.

There are more and more who don’t know about WallyM7 and more, everyday, who don’t know about Satan, or TennHippie and a lot of the other “regs” who had to go for various, life demanding, reasons. I miss them but others, ah… they don’t know. It’s sad but also, the board is a continually evolving entity and it’s always fun to see the new blood splattered on the ice like crimson ribbons on the Christmas tree of life …

Okay, that was gaggingly, obviously, waxing poetic. But you get the gist! So… let’s rip open some newbie arteries and watch the arterial spray on the ice!

51

To see, not so see… ah, blow me!

52

Um, a few things about that:

  1. The majority of registered posters don’t post more than 100 times.

  2. The average poster has 80 posts to their record.

  3. There are a good number of registereds who don’t post at all. A fair number of them are banned.

  4. I was nearly the 7000th member, so I don’t remember the good ol’ days, but I did lurk. I don’t remember them being much different from how things are now. Good times, bad times, strange times, trolls, flirting, etc.

BTW, N4S, your simulated discussion was so funny! How U doin’?:wink:

53

I’ve got a way with honey, huh?

I’m looking forward to watching some new blood spray all over the Pit.

It makes me sad to think of all the newbies who didn’t know Wally. I remember the day he started a thread with my name, then had my new sig line. I shrieked and ran to my friend’s room, declaring, “I got a Wally sig!” whilst they looked at me in horror and confusion.

So as not to lose my edge, I must declare that these fucking piece of shit cliques and lame ass high schoolers who can’t spell or form complete sentences need to kiss my big fucking ass. You are not contributing positively to the Board. You are ignorance incarnate. You are the maggot festering in the trace dog feces in the wad of melted gum on the bottom of my old dirty gym sneakers. I spit in your direction, you brainless, idiotic, pointless, ridiculous dogfuckers.

I’m warning you guys, I’ll be here at least another year as well. The day I quit is the day I find myself in some clique-y junior high bullshit and actually liking it. The day I think, “Oh! Asshole #3 posted! Let me deign the Board with my mindless drivel just to be included!” That’s the day I throw in the towel.

54

As it seems, nearly every topic has been discussed here in one form or another, but have we run out of stuff to talk about? Nah - rest assured, there’ll always be more to talk about.

When I first started posting here, about a year ago, there were about 3,000 members. It was a neat little community. But now with 13,000 posters to contend with, us regs do tend to fade into the mix anymore. But eh…shit happens, Dope is popular.

Personally, I think we need more forums, or subdivisions of current forums, to cut up the ever expanding mix. Looking at our increasing member base for the past few months: I’ve noticed we obtain about 1,000 new members a month. So you think the place is crowded now…wait 'till we have 25,000 members.

55

Split decision here.
One inescapable factor is the enormous growth of the board. Which is great; new faces, new folks, new voices are positive! Sure, the familiar old faces sometimes get lost in the crowd but a lot of those new folks just as funny, bright and interesting. That said, the pure volume does intensify problems. Heck, available bathrooms suddenly become issues of vital importance at crowded parties.

This may not make me terribly popular (fortunately shy nerds have lottsa practice <g>) but the substance is still but it’s getting obscured by dreck. Flirtation just isn’t a spectator sport. Continuing the party analogy, when 2 people get a good flirtion going, other people don’t flock around to watch the show. They tend to smile, shrug and walk away to something that might hold some interest and relevance for them.

It does annoy me somewhat when flirtations are inserted into threads where they don’t belong. It is possible, honestly, for interested parties to post to the same thread without re-informing all and sundry that they have the hots. I’m not talking about a random wink or compliment, btw, just breaking into a conversation to flirt some more.

Post count parties started as a self-mocking joke. The point, long forgotten, was “celebrating” a total non-event. Read: “somehow the Nobel Committee hasn’t contacted me, but hey, lookit how many times I posted!” It was joke–but people started actually caring how many times they posted rather than whether they really had anything to say. The actual point of the joke was totally lost and a monster was born.

I’m not talking about creative blather, but the “post to post” syndrome just puts more strain on an already overworked server and puts a boring, frustrating layer of dreck over the environment. As far as a separate flirtation fora, maybe in a perfect world with resources to burn. This ain’t it. Frankly, I don’t think this is place for it; go to chat or email. In the immortal phrase: get a room.

Veb

56

Well, I think Contestant #3 has been replaced by Krispy Original but he’s still a HUGE asshole and just as much fun to mess with… :wink:

So, baby, can I squeeze your lemons? :wink:

57

But Mike, your registered date says March, 2000.:eek:

58

oh, shut up, punha.

59

Note to all: post not meant to be taken completely seriously.

  1. Firstly, they’re not restricted to high-schoolers. Lots of adults do the same thing. You misspelled lame-ass and high-schoolers in your post, for example, and you’re in college.:slight_smile:

  2. This board’s purpose (one of its purposes, at least) is to fight ignorance. How, exactly, are we supposed to fight it if people who have trouble spelling and/or forming complete sentences can’t post here? Yeah, I know, this isn’t the place for people to ask “How do I spell that big-ass word for taking down a church?”. At the same time, perhaps you recall a somewhat-recent thread started by Yue Han, who I think we can all agree is a respected poster here, who was looking for criticisms and suggestions for his college essay? There’s a happy medium in there somewhere, no?

  3. That line would have been so much better had you farted in their general direction:)

  4. What’s wrong with dogfuckers? My doberman’s a dogfucker.

  5. Please parse “fucking piece of shit” . . . do you mean people in cliques who are pieces of shit who fuck, people in cliques who are in the process of fucking pieces of shit, or something I haven’t covered?

  6. Maggots rarely fester in gum:)

60

I’m currently negotiating with someone who is loved and admired here to start a thread that will showcase her talents. Nachos, you do not have to drop by (although I wish you would), just know that I have no intention of wasting this board’s time with another “My Car Won’t Start” thread.