# Ode to the so-called Young People of the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 4, 2001, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155 "2001-07-04T01:11:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/21 "2001-07-04T05:27:49Z")
It is partly because I am treated as an adult (or at least more of one than on other sites, and in various conversations) that I keep coming back here. And that the older people here still know how to act like kids and teenagers:D I mean, where else could I engage in a debate about circumcision AND call someone a poopface? Really, now. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/22 "2001-07-04T06:01:42Z")
You people still intimidate me. I’ve always been fairly ahead of my time compared to my peers but then I get here and feel like an imbesile. I’m scared to say anything here because I know somebody smarter will come along and make me feel like an utter fool for opening my mouth in the first place, because I know all too well what it feels like to be categorized as the “stupid young teenager”. “Shut up child, you’re too young to know what you’re talking about.” Then later I’ll say something that comes out dumb, and since I am insecure anyways, I’ll begin to think they’re right. You people are too smart for me, and I know from experience that smart people have no tolerance with those who are not as intelligent as they are. All I ask is that some of you give me a chance. Get to know me a bit before you roll your eyes at some of the stupid things I have been known to say. That’s about it for now. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/23 "2001-07-04T06:03:40Z")
AHA! Take _that_ spell check. I knew you were there for a reason. \*Imbe **c** ile ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/24 "2001-07-04T06:40:17Z")
This here young’un (college senior in fall) thanks you, **dantheman**. And **ladyfoxfyre**? Just bear in mind that everyone here has said or will say something _incredibly_ stupid at some point. So don’t worry too much about it. ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/25 "2001-07-04T06:50:26Z")
I turned 20 well yesterdayish (havn’t slept yet…the last bit of my b-day was crappy. Still recovering. When I calm down I’ll go pass out.) so anyway, I guess I count. And I love you too dantheman. ---
**Author:** ![amati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@amati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amati)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/26 "2001-07-04T07:14:17Z")
well, i don’t remember any particularly ingenious comments i have made, but thanks anyway. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/27 "2001-07-04T07:30:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ladyfoxfyre \* > I’m scared to say anything here because I know somebody smarter will come along and make me feel like an utter fool for opening my mouth in the first place, Newsflash for you, ladyfox; it happens to every one of us. Nobody here is all-knowing. > [@](#): > > because I know all too well what it feels like to be categorized as the “stupid young teenager”. “Shut up child, you’re too young to know what you’re talking about.” People who say that here and are serious about it get taken to the pit. Age is not what matters but intelligence, wit, creativity, etc. > [@](#): > > You people are too smart for me, and I know from experience that smart people have no tolerance with those who are not as intelligent as they are. You don’t have very much experience here, yes? Observe what happens. There is no “teen” or “young’un” mark or label or whatever on posters, nor is there a “doctorate” or “certified old guy” sticker. Age is not an issue except when brought up in an IMHO thread:) Lurk where you’re afraid to post. If you have something to add, do so. So long as you try to learn, people will generally be accomodating. And the ones who aren’t . . . hell with 'em. > [@](#): > > All I ask is that some of you give me a chance. Get to know me a bit before you roll your eyes at some of the stupid things I have been known to say. We all say stupid things. Each and every one of us. Sometimes the degree to which they are stupid is a key factor, but nobody is universally perfect. The difference lies in the ability to recognize, admit, and attempt to correct the stupidity, and replace it with good stuff. I personally guarantee you, ladyfox, that I was nothing last year around this time compared to how I am now. A year of growing at the SDMB has fundamentally changed me for the better. And if you let it, and you want it, it will happen to you as well. ---
**Author:** ![TN\_hippie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TN\_hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TN_hippie)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/28 "2001-07-04T07:40:29Z")
I’m 42, but I have the emotional maturity of a 13-year-old. Do I count as young? ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/29 "2001-07-04T07:42:33Z")
Thanks, **iampunha** , I will do so. Still scared to test the waters, but I’m sure I’ll learn. Being a newbie rather sucks, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/30 "2001-07-04T08:06:30Z")
> [@](#): > > _ **Searching For Truth** _ > Maybe all of us younguns ought to unite. Oooh! A Dopefest for minors only! Sweeet… Uhh… I think you’ve overlooked a very important issue here. Who would buy the alcohol? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/31 "2001-07-04T08:15:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ladyfoxfyre \* > Being a newbie rather sucks, doesn’t it? In many ways it does. Manny of the jokes (like that one) are lost on you, and you don’t get people flirting with you quite so much. But then, if you fuck up, people are generally nicer about it than if, say, someone who’s been around for a while does the same thing. The best advice I can give you is to enjoy the SDMB for what it is to you. For some it’s a social atmosphere. For others it’s all about GQ and GD. Then there are people (my antitheses) who just read and don’t post much. Find your calling and (so long as it doesn’t involve being a jerk [which it doesn’t, in this case]) go for it. White Lightning: how ironic that you, of all people, ask that:D [sub]Anyone who thinks that was cryptic, look at the SN.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/32 "2001-07-04T08:17:44Z")
Yeah, well, I’ll sure as hell _drink_ it, I just can’t _buy_ it yet. It’s one of the great tragedies of our times, it seems. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2001, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/33 "2001-07-04T13:12:49Z")
**iampunha’s** got it all right, **ladyfoxfyre**. One of the coolest thing about this place is that you don’t suffer some sort of stigma by being a younger poster. Online already takes one barrier out of the way - physical appearance - in terms of honest, intelligent communication, and this place then removes the issue of age. There’s nothing in a person’s profile to suggest that person’s age (unless, of course, that person put it there himself or herself). As **punha** is demonstrating in this thread and has demonstrated all over this board, the quality of a post doesn’t have to bely the age of its creator. If there is any kind of stigma attached to this board, it is that of the newbie, the one who isn’t going to get some of the jokes. But people will **not** be told they’re stupid or uninteresting if they present themselves as honest, intelligent posters who are willing to learn and are not expecting others to do the work for them. In short, respect people who are on here, and you’ll get tons of it back. As **punha** also mentioned, this is the one place where you could ask a scientist about redshifting and your fellow posters about ridin the crimson wave. 🙂 That’s the beauty of this place! For all you newbies out there who feel intimidated and don’t know what to say, here’s a short guide. First, stick to forums like **IMHO** and **MPSIMS**. Tough to go wrong there, and people are easier to deal with because of the casual atmosphere. Next, if you see a thread that interests you, go ahead and post - if it’s a topic that you’ve experienced before, post about your experience. People will love that. Also, if something has happened to you recently that you want advice on - knowing, of course, that the advice you receive here is not to be taken as gospel, that you need to go to experts like real-life doctors and lawyers for that - then please begin a new thread about it, describing your situation. We all love creativity here. Be funny and irreverent. Now, I don’t mean that you should stick to those two forums forever, just until you are comfortable with the crowd here. Eventually, you can go into other forums as you learn more about the other people here and, more important, as you learn more about how the board operates as a whole. My guess is that the majority of people on this board are older than, say, their early twenties, and I think that any angst or other emotions you younger folk are experiencing at this time in your lives isn’t being felt by the rest of us on a daily basis. But while we may not feel the same things you do, we can understand you and the younger people in our own lives a little better if you’re able to explain on here what you’re going through. Maybe somewhere in the middle we can meet and help each other out with our different - but not necessarily differing - perspectives. ---
**Author:** ![N\_A\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/6de8d8/32.png) [@N\_A\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N_A_M)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/34 "2001-07-04T14:44:06Z")
I’ve lurked here without registering for oh… about a year, and I must say, my impressionable young mind has been influenced by the board. The mature arguments (the MATURE ones, now…) have changed my mind about some issues, and have sparked interest in others. If this board were not in existence, I’d still be the same greasy, prejudiced, hate-filled sloven I was a year ago. If this board were not in existence, I’d still feel as if I were an island, alone in this world with my problems. You guys have enlightened me to the fact that I’m really not as smart, open-minded, or clever as I believed I was, thereby giving me something to aim for in the future. Thanks. Hugs, all! ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/35 "2001-07-04T15:27:47Z")
And I second what **FireUnderpantsBoobs** and **iampunha** posted. I wish I could say more, but right now my mind doesn’t want to think. Hmm…if you guys ever do a Dopefest for minors, and get your alcohol, I can be your guide when you are drunk, ok? ---
**Author:** ![rayniday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecc23a/32.png) [@rayniday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayniday)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/36 "2001-07-04T15:32:00Z")
Sop-a-more in college, checking in! As a still aspiring newbie, I too, stick to MPSIMS and IMHO. I enjoy the casual atmosphere and the fact that I don’t have to site anything. 🙂 Every now and again, I venture out into the open. But thank you, dantheman. I and the others of whatever generation this is being called now (X, Y, Z? Who knows?) appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/37 "2001-07-04T18:22:49Z")
Know what I like best about the young people here, especially the teens? From this side of the computer, I can’t see those giant pants y’all are wearing nowadays. 😉 But seriously, the teen posters here constantly amaze me with their wit and wisdom. I _wish_ I’d been that amusing and smart when I was that age. You folks make me believe, deep down, that the future isn’t as bleak as some would like us to believe. Thanks for giving me hope, people! [sub]but c’mon, you know one of the best reasons for coming here is because you can say all the bad words you want and your moms won’t threaten to wash out your mouths with soap, isn’t that right?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Sterra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@Sterra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterra)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/38 "2001-07-04T19:09:47Z")
Going into my senior year of highschool here. I have the emotional maturity of a 10,000[sup]10[/sup] year old. ---
**Author:** ![Kricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kricket)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/39 "2001-07-04T19:43:28Z")
Don’t you guys realise that this thread is just so Dan the dirty old man can call out all the young girls? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lockz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Lockz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lockz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155/40 "2001-07-04T21:39:15Z")
I’m going into my first year of university starting in September, so yeah, I guess I count as a youngun. Thanks for recognizing us, dan! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ode-to-the-so-called-young-people-of-the-sdmb/71155.md?page=3)