# If a poster is wrong more than half the time, would you take them seriously? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 7, 2013, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238 "2013-09-07T09:31:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/121 "2013-09-09T00:41:31Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Bricker and many others here gave good advice, which I intend to follow. Bricker’s advice was especially apt given that he’s apparently observed the same double standard I have. > > And I wasn’t told I was fine. Just a completely different tone. Being wrong is wrong, it’s not right. 😉 But as a famous man once said, “hate the sin, not the sinner.” I just don’t react angrily when I see someone say something stupid, or half true, or even outright misleading. I have a keyboard just like the other guy, I simply post a response with a different view. **So I have to wonder what kind of mental illness causes such harsh responses in a forum that presumably does not affect anyone’s life one way or the other.** > > It’s like this forum has the brains of a Mensa forum, yet the maturity of your average youtube video discussion. (Bolding mine. “I’m not going to let \*you morons \*win. I will actually get better at supporting my arguments, and I’ll _rub your ugly faces in it_” Like shooting fish in a barrel. You are a **complete** idiot, and such a flaming hypocrite you couldn’t possibly be unaware of it, could you? In any case, if you are determined to ignore and reject all feedback, why don’t you just leave us for the haven of this (still uncited) ‘other’ forum? I assure we’d all get over it. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/122 "2013-09-09T00:50:37Z")
Not seeing his posts unless someone else quotes them, which makes the whole thing endlessly more humorous. We’ve answered the OP question. No, no one takes you seriously when you’re wrong as often as **adaher**. There’s no reason to. The rest is just cake. The whining blame fest of “but other people are being mean to me!” is beyond childish. Truly a special snowflake. No, adaher, other people being mean to you about your lack of personal responsibility doesn’t discredit them. Your inability to accept your own failures and lack of credibility combined with your laughable whining about how bad other people are (as if this in any way lessens or excuses your own behavior) makes you worthy of the contempt and derision. At some point, anyone in position of authority, your mother, your boss, your teacher; must have said to you “But this isn’t about THEM. This is about YOU.” This is about you. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/123 "2013-09-09T03:35:55Z")
He’s pretty much admitting to trolling in **Special Penny** ’s Pit thread. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/124 "2013-09-09T03:57:26Z")
I’m fooling around. It is a Pit thread after all. Is fooling around against Pit rules? ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/125 "2013-09-09T04:01:39Z")
“I’m not going to let you morons win. I will actually get better at supporting my arguments, and I’ll rub your ugly faces in it” Like shooting fish in a barrel. You are a complete idiot, and such a flaming hypocrite you couldn’t possibly be unaware of it, could you? In any case, if you are determined to ignore and reject all feedback, why don’t you just leave us for the haven of this (still uncited) ‘other’ forum? I assure we’d all get over it. I’m willing to take you at your word that you’re trying to be an asshole. Occam’s Razor, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/126 "2013-09-09T04:37:10Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Right now in GD, **Evil Captor** has a thread titled: [GOP Platform Officially Endorses Banning All Porn](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=701692). > > In short order, it’s been demonstrated that he mistook a 2012 analysis for something current, and that far from banning all porn, the actual item in the old 2012 platform merely says that the GOP seeks to enforce existing laws. **Evil Faptor** is the **adaher** of the left. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/127 "2013-09-09T04:43:48Z")
> [@Cheshire\_Human](#): > > **Evil Faptor** is the **adaher** of the left. Not good from **Evil Captor** , but \*\*adaher \*\*can not hold a candle to him regarding accepting mistakes, check post #114 in this thread. We are talking “snowball in hell” chances that \*\*adaher \*\*would do an “oops my mistake” in the treads where he gets caught being wrong. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/128 "2013-09-09T08:03:08Z")
adaher, the fact remains that right after the 2012 election, you disappeared for months before sheepishly returning, pretending like nothing had happened. You didn’t come back the day after the election and say, “boy was I WRONG about that” like Klaatu did about his insane “landslide Romney win” prediction. I razzed you about it and a few others did and you kind of said, “well I did admit that the polls might be right” but that was it. You never gave a mea culpa or anything, and the fact that you avoided the boards entirely for months makes it seems like you were ashamed of being so laughably wrong and so vocally wrong at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/129 "2013-09-09T10:02:04Z")
Since I just see it on the way to the office or home, I wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/130 "2013-09-09T11:02:13Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I will actually get better at supporting my arguments, and I’ll rub your ugly faces in it when I best you, Maybe you should take a different approach, like getting better at supporting your arguments with the goal of participating intelligently in discussions about topics of current interest. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/131 "2013-09-09T11:04:40Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > True enough – but note also that while **EC** admits the date error, he has (the last time I looked, anyway) doubled down on the “ban all,” aspect. > > It would be great if he copped to that error as well, and then it would be crystal clear to adaher that the key is not failing to make mistakes, but reasonable admission of those mistakes. So, your example is of a liberal making a claim, which is immediately checked for being a year old, and in short order is called into question for misrepresenting the overall claim. Runs contrary to your cries of persecution. Counters your claim that liberal assertions are not scrutinized or challenged. Makes me think once again that your persecution complex rests on a foundation of confirmation bias and selective attention. ---
**Author:** ![sylmar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@sylmar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sylmar)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/132 "2013-09-09T11:36:28Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > I suspect it’s the same one where he made all his completely accurate pre-2012 election predictions. \* It’s also where his girlfriend from Canada posts\*. Associating with a Socialist? Isn’t that grounds for revoking his GOP ID/spy decoder ring /pepperspray canister and tin foil hat ? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/133 "2013-09-09T11:58:26Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Take the President for example: > > [PolitiFact | Barack Obama](http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/) > > He’s wrong more than half the time he opens his mouth. One reason people think you’re an asinine ignoramus is that you get your “information” from asininely ignorant sources. I don’t know if you ever consult respectable sources, **adaher** – if you do, consult them to learn that [Politifact.Com](http://Politifact.Com) is considered laughable. Let’s use the gibberish about Obama as example. Note that I took these examples from “False” not “Mostly False.” [ul][li] Obama speaks of doubling gas mileage. Politifact considers this “False” because mileage did not double during the mere four years of Obama’s administration. :smack: NCN.[/li][li] Obama blames most of the on-going deficit on Bush policies. Politifact considers this “False” in part because on-going spending in Iraq and Afghanistan is Obama’s decision rather than Bush’s. (Start a thread (in BBQ Pit please) if you don’t grasp why this argument is stupid.)[/li][li] Obama spoke of “families” when discussing tax policy but used the term to include single-person households. I’ll concede that “family” implies 2 or more people, but to feature this “Lie” near the very top of the list of Obama lies shows how desperate Politifact is.[/li][li] et cetera[/li][/ul] Under Obama “Pants on Fire” Politifact featured “Mitt Romney plans to fire Big Bird.” This obviously rhetorical remark doesn’t seem unreasonable to me – with all the waste in government, Romney’s focus on PBS subsidies was so wrong-headed it deserved ridicule. We know why all you have are sources like Politifact, **adaher**. It’s because you Google with search terms like “Democrats stupid liars” or “Republicans love God and America.” If you ever exhibit intellectual honesty instead, your reputation will improve. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/134 "2013-09-09T12:45:41Z")
Politifact is a bad source? Wow, you really are in a bubble. The “fire Big Bird” comment was humor, but it was part of a campaign to imply that Sesame Street wouldn’t exist if PBS subsidies were cut. It was a lie, and thus deserved the Pants on Fire rating. Of course, the President is not expected to be more reliable in order to be taken seriously on SDMB. Well, the last one was, but this one, he gets special consideration. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/135 "2013-09-09T12:49:43Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Politifact is a bad source? Wow, you really are in a bubble. > > The “fire Big Bird” comment was humor, but it was part of a campaign to imply that Sesame Street wouldn’t exist if PBS subsidies were cut. It was a lie, and thus deserved the Pants on Fire rating. > > Of course, the President is not expected to be more reliable in order to be taken seriously on SDMB. Well, the last one was, but this one, he gets special consideration. When the President starts posting here, then we will assess his reliability as a contributor. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/136 "2013-09-09T12:55:43Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > So, your example is of a liberal making a claim, which is immediately checked for being a year old, and in short order is called into question for misrepresenting the overall claim. > > Runs contrary to your cries of persecution. Counters your claim that liberal assertions are not scrutinized or challenged. Makes me think once again that your persecution complex rests on a foundation of confirmation bias and selective attention. On the contrary – please point out the posts in that thread that you feel genuinely criticize **EC** or the argument in anything approaching a harsh manner. The point is not that the liberal-friendly false claims posted are never corrected. It’s that their correction is seldom a point of ire or indignation; there’s no anger or vitriol associated with it. Conversely, while a conservative-friendly false claim is quickly debunked, it’s done with energy and vigor and most importantly ire. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/137 "2013-09-09T13:04:16Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > When the President starts posting here, then we will assess his reliability as a contributor. Copout. He may not post here, but his words are taken very seriously, despite a proven record of saying a lot of things that are false. GWB did not earn such deference, nor should he have. Why does the current President? ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/138 "2013-09-09T13:20:36Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > On the contrary – please point out the posts in that thread that you feel genuinely criticize **EC** or the argument in anything approaching a harsh manner. > > The point is not that the liberal-friendly false claims posted are never corrected. It’s that their correction is seldom a point of ire or indignation; there’s no anger or vitriol associated with it. > > Conversely, while a conservative-friendly false claim is quickly debunked, it’s done with energy and vigor and most importantly ire. Before we get into this, let’s establish the criteria for energy, vigor and ire that we will regard as relevant. I say any post with an energy of 7, a vigor of 6, and an ire of 5 should be the cut-point for this discussion. Once again, this is a free and open message board. If more people here have liberal or moderate views than conservative, is that unfair? Unfair how? What would you propose to do about it? Apart from that, most of the conservatives here, at least the loudest ones, bring nothing but vitriol, ire, and vigor. Look at **shodan** for example. His entire career here is essentially content free drive by posts with nothing but antagonistic vitriol about liberals. He adds nothing to discussions apart from his musings about usual suspects. Oh, the unfairness! I think I shall faint from the inequity! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/139 "2013-09-09T13:21:25Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > On the contrary – please point out the posts in that thread that you feel genuinely criticize **EC** or the argument in anything approaching a harsh manner. > > The point is not that the liberal-friendly false claims posted are never corrected. It’s that their correction is seldom a point of ire or indignation; there’s no anger or vitriol associated with it. > > Conversely, while a conservative-friendly false claim is quickly debunked, it’s done with energy and vigor and most importantly ire. What a bunch of bullshit. So now it’s not enough to debunk an assertion by someone you deem to be a liberal, it has to be done in “a harsh manner” with “anger or vitriol”? :roll eyes: PUH-leez. ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238/140 "2013-09-09T13:22:14Z")
Bricker, there’s also a bit of a difference to posting your own overreacting thread, and spamming every single political thread you can get your goddamn hands on with republican propaganda that is outright lies, derailing everything with pure and endless stupid. If adaher didn’t post so goddamn MUCH, and insist that every thread ever has to be about his stuff that is 100% lies, he wouldn’t be as hated as much. **Edit:** Basically, on the front page of Elections, what % of threads on US politics involve 5+ posts from adaher that contain nothing but deliberate lies? How many threads contain posts from Evil Captor at ALL? In short, adaher actively makes this board a worse place by his presence - Evil Captor just posts a stupid thread every so often. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-poster-is-wrong-more-than-half-the-time-would-you-take-them-seriously/668238.md?page=8)