# Making guesses about poster's age, occupation, etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 24, 2004, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768 "2004-05-24T11:01:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/21 "2004-05-26T12:53:24Z")
> [@gobear](#): > > there are some areas of expertise that a teen cannot possibly know–how to deal with marital problems, home ownership, how to manage one’s career, what it was like to live through the 70s. It is fatuous in the extreme to pretend that some 16-year-old kid has anything useful to contribute to the discussion. That’s complete bullshit. At 14 when I became internet savvy I had the pleasure of watching several marriages of older people fall apart, listened to countless personal stories on how not finishing high school/not going to college has a far greater affect at 40 than at 20. No substitute for experience? I hope making stupid mistakes with my life is not a requirement for maturity. :rolleyes: I’ve also spent serious time studying the sociological environment of the 1970s, and could probably publish papers on what it’s like to live through the decade, even though I haven’t lived it myself (on particular, researchable aspects, not a blanket I-know-everything, of course). But that matters not because I’m young? Age discrimination seems to be the most prevalent form of discrimination left in internet communication, and it pisses me off, because like all other forms of discrimination, it’s completely baseless, ignorant, and harmful. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/22 "2004-05-26T13:17:47Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > That’s complete bullshit. At 14 when I became internet savvy I had the pleasure of watching several marriages of older people fall apart, listened to countless personal stories on how not finishing high school/not going to college has a far greater affect at 40 than at 20. No substitute for experience? I hope making stupid mistakes with my life is not a requirement for maturity. :rolleyes: I’ve also spent serious time studying the sociological environment of the 1970s, and could probably publish papers on what it’s like to live through the decade, even though I haven’t lived it myself (on particular, researchable aspects, not a blanket I-know-everything, of course). > > But that matters not because I’m young? Age discrimination seems to be the most prevalent form of discrimination left in internet communication, and it pisses me off, because like all other forms of discrimination, it’s completely baseless, ignorant, and harmful. Reading about someone else’s marriage is in no way a substitute for actually experiencing marriage. The thing is, anyone can publish a paper on research they’ve done on a particular topic. However, what they turn up in their research will be nothing more than the experiences of others. Great insights usually come from those who have experienced it firsthand. Let’s say one person, age 14 has recently researched the sociological impact of divorce. A second person has recently been divorced. There will be certain details that the latter will know that the former cannot, even though extensive (but secondhand, at best) research. Saying someone lacks experience is _not_ a form of age discrimination. People of any age can lack experience in something. I lack experience in marriage and divorce and therefore am completely unqualified to offer an opinion on either. It is logical to assume that a 14-year-old would share that lack of experience on both fronts and would be equally unqualified. The bottom line is that experience offers a perspective that mere research can never convey. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/23 "2004-05-26T13:27:31Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > That’s complete bullshit. At 14 when I became internet savvy I had the pleasure of watching several marriages of older people fall apart, And you think that makes you knowledgable about how to deal with problems within a marriage? ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/24 "2004-05-26T13:36:44Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > That’s complete bullshit. At 14 when I became internet savvy I had the pleasure of watching several marriages of older people fall apart, listened to countless personal stories on how not finishing high school/not going to college has a far greater affect at 40 than at 20. No substitute for experience? I hope making stupid mistakes with my life is not a requirement for maturity. :rolleyes: Actually, it is. Making stupid mistakes is how you learn in life. And watching a marriage fail is not the same as being _in_ a marriage that’s ending. And you watched through the Internet? Dude, you have much to learn about the difference between viewing and living. > [@](#): > > I’ve also spent serious time studying the sociological environment of the 1970s, and could probably publish papers on what it’s like to live through the decade, even though I haven’t lived it myself (on particular, researchable aspects, not a blanket I-know-everything, of course). So, what was it like to see Led Zep or Styx live? I know, but do you? What did you think of all Watergate all the time on TV and newspapers? When did you get your pair of click-clacks? That’s right, you never did. Watching isn’t the same as being. It’s like seeing a picture of India and actually going to India–not even close to being the same thing. To quote Robin William in _Good Will Hunting_: > [@](#): > > So if I asked you about art, you’d probably give me the skinny on every art book ever written. Michelangelo, you know a lot about him. Life’s work, political aspirations, him and the pope, sexual orientations, the whole works, right? But I’ll bet you can’t tell me what it smells like in the Sistine Chapel. You’ve never actually stood there and looked up at that beautiful ceiling; seen that. There’s tons of things I don’t know about–never raised a kid, never held someone’s hand as they died, never fought in a war. Some Dopers have and I bow to their experience in discussions because they know more than I. > [@](#): > > But that matters not because I’m young? Age discrimination seems to be the most prevalent form of discrimination left in internet communication, and it pisses me off, because like all other forms of discrimination, it’s completely baseless, ignorant, and harmful. Oh, get over yourself. you are not being discriminated against. Try talking to someone in their 50s trying to land a job that you suffer from age discrimination and see what happens. > [@](#): > > To be perfectly boorish about it, an ad hominem attack is an ad hominem attack even when there may be some substance to the attack. Frex, “It’s a black thing, you wouldn’t understand” is an ad hominem attack on white debaters, implying there are some elements of black culture white people can’t grasp **Evil Captor** , you misunderstand the nature of the _ad hominem_ fallacy. The _ad hominem_ attacks the character or circumstances of the person making the claim. So the “you’re a kid” can certainly be an instance of _ad hominem_–for instance: A: Bush is an incompetent president. B: Ah, you’re just a teenager, what do you know? Clearly, that’s fallacious _ad hominem_ reasoning. The age of the speaker has no relevance to his political views. But let’s try this: A: Parents have life much easier than teens do–no homeowrk, no school, no worries. B: Dude, you’re just a kid, so you really don’t know what being a parent is like. Not really an _ad hominem_ because the age and lack of experience are relevant to the discussion. And any white person who claims to know what it’s like to be black in America is a damned fool. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/25 "2004-05-26T13:37:13Z")
> [@gum](#): > > Hi **Aldebaran** And how are you, this fine Monday? 😃 You’re his (may I presume Aldebaran is male?) stalker. You should know better than he (there I go again with those presumptions) how he is doing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/26 "2004-05-26T14:01:39Z")
I hope to god I know enough about failed marriages not to become involved in one. Whether that means I divorce quickly, or don’t get married at all, or break hearts by being distant, I am _making decisions_ based on what I’ve learned, rather than diving in naively and screwing things up. You’re essentially making the argument that studying history or social theory is completely worthless, because it doesn’t change our ability to lead our lives. > [@gobear](#): > > Oh, get over yourself. you are not being discriminated against. Try talking to someone in their 50s trying to land a job that you suffer from age discrimination and see what happens. I was including them. Thanks for making the assumption that I wasn’t, simply based on my demographics. I don’t have to be 50 to understand that every day people are fired for being too old, sometimes for misguided social reasons (like believing “young and hip” writers will be able to write “young and hip” television), sometimes for financial reasons like cutting off a pension or health care costs. And I don’t know what it’s like to be black in America, but I’d _like_ to know, and I think it’s worth trying to understand, even if I can only scratch the surface. How dare you tell me that I should be forced to live in ignorance because I have the wrong skin tone, or the wrong age, or the wrong sexuality. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/27 "2004-05-26T14:06:46Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > How dare you tell me that I should be forced to live in ignorance because I have the wrong skin tone, or the wrong age, or the wrong sexuality. Where did you get that from? Nobody said that you should you be “forced to live in ignorance” nor that you have the “the wrong skin tone, or the wrong age, or the wrong sexuality.” You just to need to recognize that weven with the best will in the world, you;re going to hav elimits to your knowledge. Let’s say that you go to medical school and become a gynecologist. You might even become a renowned expert on women’s health issues, but if you are male, you will never, ever know what having menstrual cramps _feels_ like. ---
**Author:** ![Hamadryad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/28 "2004-05-26T15:51:11Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > You’re essentially making the argument that studying history or social theory is completely worthless, because it doesn’t change our ability to lead our lives. No, he’s not. He’s making the argument that reading all about France and learning French and eating only French food and living in a house designed by a French architect does not, in fact, make you French if you were born and raised in Duluth. You can attempt to recreate the experience as closely and authentically as possible, but you will still not know what it is like to live in France. You can definitely learn a lot about France. You can know far more than even the average Frenchman knows about France. You can speak with a great deal of authority on matters French. But you still won’t know what it is like, physically and emotionally and mentally like, to **actually live in France**. So a person who is actually from Avignon, for instance, will be able to more accurately and completely discuss local Avignon gossip and politics, no matter HOW much you know about French political theories and candidates and political parties. Wow, THAT was unnecessarily long-winded. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/29 "2004-05-26T16:44:14Z")
> [@Hamadryad](#): > > Wow, THAT was unnecessarily long-winded. Not to mention French! You infidel. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/30 "2004-05-26T17:17:04Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#): > > Hear ye, hear ye, to wit: > > I have it on the very best authority that Zoe’s recent trip to Paris was not the innocent foreign tour she would have us believe. Oh no, friends. There was much more to it than that. > > One of **Shodan** ’s spies followed our heroine through the slums of Paris and down the steps of many different cellars into dens of absinthe and iniquity. There, seated at scarred tables and slugging down water-glasses of that foul beverage, absinthe, amid clouds of hashish smoke so thick they could be cut with a knife, Zoe plotted the downfall of _civilization as we know it_. That wasn’t a spy; it was me. And that was my living room, and I cleaned it for the occasion. How the dickens did I get roped into this? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/31 "2004-05-26T20:26:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > That wasn’t a spy; it was me. \ > > How the dickens did I get roped into this? > > Regards, > Shodan You know very well how you got “roped in”! I’ve been sending you $100 per month to maintain your spy network, so we’ll know what the Brotherhood of Bush Bashers[sup]**TM[/sup]** and other subversives are up to. If you’d advertize more, we could spread the cost around… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/32 "2004-05-27T01:45:58Z")
> [@John Carter of Mars](#): > > You know very well how you got “roped in”! I’ve been sending you $100 per month to maintain your spy network, so we’ll know what the Brotherhood of Bush Bashers[sup]**TM[/sup]** and other subversives are up to. If you’d advertize more, we could spread the cost around… 😉 The first rule of the Brotherhood is that we don’t talk about the Brotherhood. Now your assignment is to go out and lose a political argument… Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/33 "2004-05-27T16:40:52Z")
Originally posted by **dropzone** > [@](#): > > \*You’re his (may I presume Aldebaran is male?) stalker. You should know better than he (there I go again with those presumptions) how he is doing. 🙂 \* Don’t forget; me and **Mehitabel**! We take turns in stalking. Mehitabel stalks Alde during the day-time posts, I do the night-time ones. We’re very busy with it. Work, social life, sleep, _everything_ must yield to our stalking. We’re exhausted. That’s why communications with our secret service operation sometimes fail. Ofcourse I know _now_ how Aldebaran is doing. We’re up to date again. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/34 "2004-05-27T16:53:04Z")
> [@](#): > > I hope making stupid mistakes with my life is not a requirement for maturity. It most certainly is. In fact, it is one of the _primary_ requirements. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/35 "2004-05-27T19:20:24Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > I hope making stupid mistakes with my life is not a requirement for maturity. > [@Ogre](#): > > It most certainly is. In fact, it is one of the _primary_ requirements. I know that I matured a great deal after making stupid mistakes with Rysler’s life. Sorry about that, Rysler, but it was REALLY helpful 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/36 "2004-05-27T20:10:05Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The first rule of the Brotherhood is that we don’t talk about the Brotherhood. > > Now your assignment is to go out and lose a political argument… > > Regards, > Shodan Can I join? Or am I too blond? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2004, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768/37 "2004-05-27T20:34:48Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Can I join? Or am I too blond? I can’t answer you - I am too busy beating myself up. Was that a weird movie, or what? Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-guesses-about-posters-age-occupation-etc/246768.md?page=1)