# On this board, are people who only know the military from SF always this tactless? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 3, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942 "2006-03-03T19:35:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/61 "2006-03-05T21:46:06Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > You consider the statement that good enlisted men are always stupid to be “extremely pro-military”? That characterization of the passage in question is incorrect. As for your other point, people can get ideas from anywhere. Someone who gets ideas about how the London police work from P. D. James’ books is only an idiot if they take that as gospel. Seems to me that someone questioning what they think they’ve learned is a far cry from being dumb. Someone who believes they know an author’s view on the military from a mischaracterized sentence on a message board isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/62 "2006-03-06T00:02:38Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Hold it there… did you read **Broomstick** ’s original comments to mean military people were the otaku wankers? Sounds like she was calling \*_Brainglutton_ an otaku wanker and saying the military folk souldn’t care less. Which may or may not be accurate but does not sound like an attack on vets… You know what? I think you are right. I just went back and read it and it looks like I did indeed read it wrong. I would apologize it it weren’t for one other little matter that I will not discuss here. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/63 "2006-03-06T05:12:38Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > You know what? I think you are right. I just went back and read it and it looks like I did indeed read it wrong. I would apologize it it weren’t for one other little matter that I will not discuss here. Why should some other matter prevent you from apologising for this particular incident? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/64 "2006-03-06T06:29:42Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > Why should some other matter prevent you from apologising for this particular incident? Actually I don’t really feel the need to apologize at all. I realized that I read her original post wrong and admitted it. As far as the bit about the airplane stories I really do think the are thinly disguised attempts to brag. And the “otaku wanker” part, well I still think it is silly. I speak a couple of languages besides english fluently\*, but I don’t go around peppering my post with insults in those languages. Broomstick, implied that she did it because she travels alot that she is familiar with other cultures. I say its a silly afectation. \*speaking fluently should not be taken to imply I can spell well in any language. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/65 "2006-03-06T06:40:17Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > I don’t go around peppering my post with insults in those languages. Broomstick, implied that she did it because she travels alot that she is familiar with other cultures. I say its a silly afectation. What? ‘Otaku’ is pretty well accepted as an English word in at least one subculture, and a definition is only a google away in any case. Using a word you personally do not know is neither affected nor a brag, and to state that it is pegs one pretty well as a yahoo. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/66 "2006-03-06T06:45:00Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > What? ‘Otaku’ is pretty well accepted as an English word in at least one subculture, and a definition is only a google away in any case. Using a word you personally do not know is neither affected nor a brag, and to state that it is pegs one pretty well as a yahoo. Yea wanker is english as well, and I know what it means. Still don’t see alot of americans calling people otaku wankers. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/67 "2006-03-06T09:58:34Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > As far as the bit about the airplane stories I really do think the are thinly disguised attempts to brag. Nothing wrong with that. If everyone kept their trap shut about what they enjoy doing, the libraries of the world would be missing some wonderful books. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/68 "2006-03-07T16:49:21Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > No offense, **Mo** , but you are talking about someone who gets his ideas about the military from science fiction. Sort of like Pitting someone for asking if the antebellum South is really the way it is depicted in Mandingo. Good grief! Somebody else read that? It’s good to know I am not alone. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942/69 "2006-03-11T10:17:11Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Here it would mean science fiction. Oh, you mean **SCI-FI**! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-this-board-are-people-who-only-know-the-military-from-sf-always-this-tactless/346942.md?page=3)