Have y’all noticed that there’s a whole subpopulation of registered SDMBers who occupy only the Comments on Mailbag Answers or Comments on Cecil’s Columns fora and never, apparently, venture into the other fora? Why, do you suppose?
There are “Comment on…” links to those two forums at the bottom of each column and mailbag answer. Many of these people make their comments and don’t bother to explore the MB any further.
Yeah, I hate the one-dimensional losers who spend all of their time in one forum.
Oh wait. I just insulted half of this forum.
Ahem. Sorry. 
We gladly devour those who would subdue us.
I notice, beatle, there is another group of regulars over there. I read, but never reply, they are way over my head. Sometimes even trying to read the answers and responses is hard, but, anything to further absolve my ignorance. There are a few regulars in GD that I have not really seen elsewhere on the board, but I think a lot of them are LBMB ‘preachers’.
If your head is wax, don’t walk in the sun.
-Benjamin Franklin
It’s IQ-related. The smartest of us spend our time in GQ and occasionally slum in MPSIMS. The other forums are for the insecure. GD is for posters who only think they’re smart.
Any further questions?
“To do her justice, I can’t see that she could have found anything nastier to say if she’d thought it out with both hands for a fortnight.”
Dorothy L. Sayers
Busman’s Honeymoon
What pluto said.
I’d stay in GQ and the two “Comment on…” forums if there was more traffic there. It’s ironic that the forums that are most “in the spirit” of the Straight Dope, seem to be the least popular, these days. MPSIMS is a social club and the pit and GD are for people who like to argue. Unfortunately that’s where most posters seem to hang out.
Cecil’s answers are pretty good, so I don’t really want to debate them too much. Plus, too many restrictions. We let people wander off topic.
I’m guilty of this. I never leave the Board without checking the Pit and GD.
I rationalize it – my job requires frequent butt-kissing of obnoxious, ignorant jerks when I’d really like to be able to respond in kind. But I can’t.
So I let off steam vicariously – even if I don’t post groundbreaking wisdom (heck, I usually don’t say anything) or flame anyone (I’d be afraid to, some of those guys are good) I can sit back and mumble f**king idiots mumble and it’s a small release.
I know I could spend this time more productively by checking out the more informative sections of the Board, but let’s face it, life is short. And I’m basically a lazy bitch.
from beatle:
Aha, a question I’m imminently qualified to answer, having been one of said posters.
For most it’s probably a matter of time. It is time intensive to cruise through the MB reading all the threads - and some of these folders are pretty busy. Not everyone has 12 hrs a day to devote to the internet, much less just the Straight Dope site. So they (we) poke their heads in to read the informative columns, and perhaps peruse the comments to see further developments, but avoid the Pit as just a place to yell at each other (I don’t bother going there), Gread Debates is a place with topics that will never be answered (thus neverending topics), and MPSIMS is, well, mundane, and full of pointless stuff. If I’ve got a limited amount of time, why waste it on pointless stuff?
There are probably some who don’t care much for extended social engagement over the net as well. Maybe they have a life? 
Also, there are several posters who hang in the other sections and don’t frequent the comments columns, so it goes both ways.
Hey, this board has a lot of diversity, with things to satisfy all types. Be content that there are a variety of people with a variety of interests, and they seek what they want where they want it. It’s no biggie - just chill.
Every once in a while one of us segregationists will peek our head in to another forum and find out what we’re missing. ;0
I hear ya Irishman, go, don’t look back. Save yourself. I only read the articles and comments for over 2 years(having read all of Cecil’s books and seeing all the A&E shows) 
I happened in MPSIMS one day and read and read and have been addicted ever since…
BTW, I rarely reply in the comment’s for the same reason sunbear said. Cecil is the bomb.
If your head is wax, don’t walk in the sun.
-Benjamin Franklin