# I Pit Anonymous User **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 17, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958 "2012-10-17T02:10:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/1 "2012-10-17T02:10:25Z")
(Mods, if this post is not sufficiently vitriolic, please feel free to move it elsewhere.) I pit Anonymous User. They join our fair message board, ask [a question](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=668830) in which they present themselves as a high school student who excels intellectually. When several posters proceed to comment on his grammatical mistakes and use of all caps, they reply: > [@](#): > > And grammar on the message board is not THAT important. This isn’t English class Wow, I’m insulted. You know, I don’t know about you all, but one of the things I really like about this message board is the fact that most of the posters **do** write well. They use good grammar, they organize their thoughts well, and they write interesting and thoughtful content. I also like that people generally seem to enjoy and respect this aspect of the atmosphere here. So, Anonymous User, joining this message board and soliciting our collective wisdom only to say that putting any effort into grammar on that same message board is beneath you? That’s like walking into a classy restaurant in a wet swim trunks and flip-flops and then putting your feet up on the table. It’s disrespectful. It’s a jerk move. You come off as arrogant and insecure. You solicit our advice only to reject large portions of it out of hand for being [wrong](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15597546&postcount=97). You describe the brilliance of your academic achievements in [great](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15593323#post15593323) [detail](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15593468#post15593468), only to reject the idea that your impressive abilities could carry the day [anywhere else](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15596593#post15596593). Plus, as I mentioned earlier, you [reject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=15597212&postcount=90) the idea that English or writing is important for a scientist or a mathematician, when an enormous part of anyone’s professional success in any academic field is their ability to communicate your results clearly. This frequently means writing. For instance: > [@](#): > > MIT doesn’t really care about English as well. They want mathematics and science, not someone writing 75 pages on a persuasive topic). Anonymous User, what exactly do you think a dissertation is? I’d like to comment on another subject, the question you originally asked about what it takes to get into MIT or any other top school. To answer your question, the grades, the SAT scores, the extracurriculars, and so on, are important, but not enough. What top colleges really prize is true intellectual passion. They want to find people who care about a subject from the bottom of their heart, in a deep, all-consuming way. From everything you’ve said in your thread, you are not that person. What comes through [loud and clear](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15593468#post15593468) is that the only reason you’re pursuing any and all of your activities, with the possible exception of math and violin, is to get into MIT. It sounds like you’re focused on the results and outside recognition instead of the process of becoming a better mathematician/scientist/violinist and what that means to you. But, not even this would be enough to guarantee admission to any school. If you’re asking on this board for the one super-secret thing that will guarantee you admission into MIT, you won’t find it, because there is no such thing. There is always the luck of the draw. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/2 "2012-10-17T04:05:37Z")
He’s a high school freshman. Is it really worth a pitting? ---
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/3 "2012-10-17T04:09:39Z")
You’re right, he’s not. I just got all mad about what he implied about the Dope and got carried away ☹ ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/4 "2012-10-17T04:51:49Z")
Eh - I notice large numbers of the supposed geniuses on this board using atrocious grammar/spelling/punctuation. I didn’t find the examples in the link that glaring, and the attitude is what I’d expect of a 15-year-old. Don’t you remember when you knew better than everybody else? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/5 "2012-10-17T04:58:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > He’s a high school freshman. Is it really worth a pitting? sometimes you just want to shoot the fish that are swimming in the barrel. ---
**Author:** ![supergirl123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@supergirl123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergirl123)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/6 "2012-10-17T07:00:35Z")
I do not for one minute believe AU is a 14 year old student. Just another internet troll with too much time on their hands. Why someone would go to all that effort, is beyond me. Attention seeker? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/7 "2012-10-17T10:12:28Z")
I enjoy the diversity of the board. That includes people who don’t have the writing or grammar skills of a college english professor. As long as you try that’s good enough for me. That said, SOME folks on this board need to pull the stick out of there ass as far as this whole Gramar Nazi thing goes. [I’m not implying that about the OP.] This kid though; he needs a healthy dose of humility. So I don’t feel bad about his pitting. /Oh, go on. Correct my grammar in this post if you must. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/8 "2012-10-17T12:22:16Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I enjoy the diversity of the board. That includes people who don’t have the writing or grammar skills of a college english professor. > > As long as you try that’s good enough for me. > > That said, SOME folks on this board need to pull the stick out of there ass as far as this whole Gramar Nazi thing goes. What, “diversity” only covers people who don’t care about grammar, with no place for people that _do_? Fascist. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/9 "2012-10-17T13:05:27Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I enjoy the diversity of the board. That includes people who don’t have the writing or grammar skills of a college english professor. > > As long as you try that’s good enough for me. Me too, which is why I cut people a break when they’re old and never learned to type, or English is their second language, or whatever. It’s only when they say, “who cares about grammar? It’s not English class!” that it bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/10 "2012-10-17T13:06:02Z")
> [@supergirl123](#): > > I do not for one minute believe AU is a 14 year old student. Just another internet troll with too much time on their hands. > Why someone would go to all that effort, is beyond me. Attention seeker? Sought and acquired, I’d say. Speaking of fish in a barrel… ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/11 "2012-10-17T13:52:21Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > /Oh, go on. Correct my grammar in this post if you must. And the spelling? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![supergirl123](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/db5fbb/32.png) [@supergirl123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergirl123)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/12 "2012-10-17T13:56:13Z")
I’m not familiar with the “fish in a barrel” phrase and had to google it. Spot on Vinyl Turnip 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/13 "2012-10-17T14:11:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Me too, which is why I cut people a break when they’re old and never learned to type, or English is their second language, or whatever. It’s only when they say, “who cares about grammar? It’s not English class!” that it bothers me. This. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/14 "2012-10-17T14:37:49Z")
> [@supergirl123](#): > > I do not for one minute believe AU is a 14 year old student. Just another internet troll with too much time on their hands. > Why someone would go to all that effort, is beyond me. Attention seeker? I believe he’s real. It’s possible he may not be, but I think he’s being honest. Thing is, it doesn’t matter to me whether he’s real or not. It’s situations like these where I take the Dan Savage way of thinking. He’s asked how does he know all the letters he prints are honest and not some troll trying to wind him up? And his answer is that he doesn’t know for certain. But what he knows is that even if this one particular person isn’t being honest, there are others out there who really have that particular issue and he’s answering it for them. So what if AU is trolling us? His problem isn’t so weird that nobody else is experiencing it. There are hundreds of thousands of kids out there right now killing themselves trying to get into an Ivy League school and our responses are for those kids who happen to stumble upon the thread just as much as it’s for AU. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/15 "2012-10-17T15:38:06Z")
Maybe that’s what will finally kill off Internet trollery: convince the trolls that they’re inadvertently providing a valuable service. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/16 "2012-10-17T16:07:52Z")
What, no comment that he thinks girls are a waste of time compared to academics? That’s just… psychotic. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/17 "2012-10-17T17:08:33Z")
> [@supergirl123](#): > > I’m not familiar with the “fish in a barrel” phrase and had to google it. Spot on Vinyl Turnip 🙂 You and [this guy.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Y5XjlO4vk) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/18 "2012-10-17T17:16:08Z")
> [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](#): > > You’re right, he’s not. I just got all mad about what he implied about the Dope and got carried away ☹ OH NOES!!! Quick call 911!!! Someone implied something about the most precious and sacred website in the entire universes!!! This travesty can not be allowed to stand!!! Mods, hurry up and ban the fucking troll who dared to have an opinion other than the dope is the fucking messiah!!! > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Me too, which is why I cut people a break when they’re old and never learned to type, or English is their second language, or whatever. It’s only when they say, “who cares about grammar? It’s not English class!” that it bothers me. > [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](#): > > This. You two are fucking pathetic. Why do you care so much aboot somone elses grammer and splelling? This isn’t english class and the fact that idiots around here get their panties so fucking twisted and up their asses over it puzzles me. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/19 "2012-10-17T17:27:44Z")
Somebody let me know when Funny Smurf gets here - this guy is lame. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958/20 "2012-10-17T17:38:32Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > You two are fucking pathetic. Why do you care so much aboot somone elses grammer and splelling? This isn’t english class and the fact that idiots around here get their panties so fucking twisted and up their asses over it puzzles me. I am shocked - SHOCKED! - that somebody with poor grammar and spelling skills disagrees with me about the importance of spelling and grammar. I am even more shocked that the guy calling me “fucking pathetic” thinks _my_ panties are the bunched ones. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-anonymous-user/637958.md?page=2)