Poll on the SDMB community.

In My Humble Opinion
21

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
Cecil’s column. What else?

What do you keep coming back for?
the people, who are always informative and interesting, and often funny. I learn something new everyday on this board.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day? I check the board everyday, and will spend between 5 minutes and several hours, depending on whether there are any threads I want to post to or read.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
I’ve learnt a lot of stuff from this board, everything from the intricacies of Roe vs Wade, to what a Pierogie is.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
The intellectual calibre of its membership- that and the fact that correct speeling and grammar are the rule rather than the exception (typos excepted).

What other MBs do you go to?
I don’t. This is the only one- in the run up to my wedding I brifly frequented the knot, but I couldn’t stand the people who posted there, so didn’t return.

Which forum do you go to first?
GQ- I work my way down the list.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
I participate, not enough for anyone to really notice, but enough. mostly on medical/women’s issues/Irish stuff, but I’m not particular. If the thread topic interests me I’ll usually put in my 2 cents.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
No, I’m horrible at debating, I try not to debate, and usually only get involved if the person is obviously wrong and I have cites to prove it. I leave that stuff to the people who shine at it.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life? I’m 23, married, female, live in Dublin and am 6 weeks away from sitting my final exams in medical school.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life? I’m probably one of the people here who has no real friends and no real enemies, but I could be quite wrong. in real life I have a 2 or 3 close friends, lots of acquaintances and no enemies, so probably about the same.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?
Very. It’s easier.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
I think many people here think I have red hair and blue/green eyes, so yes :slight_smile:
I’m a lot more hyper in real life than I appear to be here, which will also come as asurprise to some people.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects? Generally I’m with the liberal majority here. I’m pro-choice, anti-Bush, pro-gay marriage, anti-racism and anti death-penalty. I have a strong religious belief, which puts me in the minority, though I try not to get involved in religious debates because it doesn’t really benefit anyone. On any given topic I usually know what the opinions of other long-term members will be.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
Nope, no beef with the Mods.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
The Mods, and the most vocal of the long-term members. There is definitely and “in crowd”, but it’s not like there is a group-think going on, anyone can say exactly what they think about anyone else.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
Eve for her courage under fire. She dealt with vicious personal attacks with more dignity and fortitude than a human being has any right to. Plus, she’s got a fabulous sense of humour.

Have you made enemies?
None that I’m aware of…possibly someone out there has it in for me, I don’t know.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?
I know what they tell me about themselves, and other than getting people with similar usernames mixed up, I’m usually pretty good at remembering things about them.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
Fairly, but it’s not hugely important to me. Put it this way, I’d prefer not to have my parents read the things I post, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they did.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
I’ve met a few Dopers in person, but it’s not really my thing.

22

A porn site directed me here. Intentionally, and the pornographer is a member of the site.

It’s a big group of people. Few things won’t get answers.

I’ll check it every day, and when I’m at the computer I’ll check it fairly often. I’ll also admit to checking in a couple of times while on holiday.

To answer all of them in one: nothing sets it apart other than inertia, and it’s not a special place (just a big one). I don’t go to any one forum, my bookmark is the ‘new posts’ search.

25, male, England. I don’t misrepresent myself, so no, I don’t think anyone would be surprised.

You’re assuming that we bother to get involved in heated discussions. Some of us don’t.

The Stalinesque refusal to talk about the capabilities of the server, and where our money actually goes.

No one.

Yes, yes, yes.

Yes, yes.

23

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
The trivia of the Straight Dope - I decided to Google it one day after reading the columns religiously. I lurked on General Questions for months, then began drifting to Cafe Society - I think it had just become its own forum pretty much when I was starting to come here.

What do you keep coming back for?
I like the posters, I find the ratio of interesting threads high enough to keep me engaged, I like feeling like I can add something, and I have come to appreciate how comparatively structured and well-mannered this board is.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
I pop over throughout my work day when I need a mental break. So if I spend 5 minutes a shot 10 or so times a day - that’s an hour or more…

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Well, to the extent that there are a diverse set of people with a broad array of expertise - yes. And, as another poster stated here, the fact that most posters will call Bullshit on misinformation - also yes. But for the most part, I value the breadth of post topics - dipping my toe in the SDMB feels like I can stay up on current culture, current events, etc.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
The relatively mature level of dialogue, the trivia and the overlap with my interests

What other MBs do you go to?
A few guitar-related and music MB’s

Which forum do you go to first?
Cafe Society, followed by IMHO and MPSIMS. I hit GQ, and the Pit weekly or so.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
Lurk. I spend 8 hours a day here and don’t usually post twice a day.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
I rarely post to GD simply because I doubt anyone’s mind would be changed and I am not particularly interested in engaging in a full-on thread debate.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
42, male, Northeast, marketing/strategy executive. In real life I care passionately about music, playing in a band/guitar and reading and collecting books.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
I think I am just a “regular” on the board - I don’t see myself as having any more or less standing that other posters, other than I have been here a while and therefore feel like I get how the board works and its culture. It is interesting to me that in real life I am a fairly high-powered executive on the leadership team of my company and here I am just another poster - I appreciate the relative anonymity - here, you’re only as good as your posts…

How honestly do you represent yourself online?
Absolutely. But I make it a point not to comment on things I wouldn’t want published about me if someone ever connected me IRL with my SDMB username. I am old school, pre-internet - I simply can’t imagine sharing things about my sex life, my inner fears and quirks, etc. - it is too easy to imagine folks in my real life finding out. I recognize that means that folks online might never gets a good sense of me relative to other posters who share a lot, but I am okay with that trade-off.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
Nah - I represent myself fairly accurately.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
In the areas I know very well, I would say I agree with enough other Dopers to feel like there are kindred spirits and disagree with enough others to keep it interesting.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
No

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
There are a number who I respect either because of their knowledge, their even-handedness or their skills as a moderator. I would list a few, but would be afraid of forgetting someone. Needless to say, there are enough folks I respect to keep coming back.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
Same as previous question…

Have you made enemies?
Not that I know of. I don’t think I push back hard enough or divulge enough to warrant any. I don’t know that I have ever been Pitted, but would be stunned…

Do you feel like you know the other members well?
Nope - I enjoy interacting with a bunch on the SDMB and have exchanged a few emails, but that is about it.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
I respect the fact of it but don’t divulge more than I would in any social situation in real life. I don’t hide behind the anonymity of the board.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
I would really like to go to a Dopefest, but would find it very difficult to make time - with my family, job and band I am very busy in my real life…

24

What first attracted you to the SDMB?

The absolute wealth of knowledge and experience represented by the members, and their willingness to share same.

What do you keep coming back for?

See above. The give and take of discussions, the hijacks, the puns, the thought-provoking questions.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week? day?

Very. My wife considers it my mistress. I am usually on the Dope about 3 hours a day, on average.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?

Information travels. Ignorance is fought. Pie is brought.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?

The level of acceptable argument is unbelievably high here. You can’t just assert something. The call of “Cite?” is everywhere.
What other MBs do you go to?

None to speak of.
Which forum do you go to first?

I usually start with GQ, then CS, IMHO, MPSIMS, The Pit, and every other day or so I’ll check GD just to see what’s happening.
Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?

I don’t lurk anywhere, except when the debate is over something I know little about. Otherwise I freely offer my ignorant opinion right alongside everybody elses.
Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?

Depends on the debate. I am a debate coach IRL, so that has some effect on my decisions.
Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?

50, male, Southern California, high school teacher. See my profile for the rest.
What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?

I see my satnding as one of the crowd, who stands out in certain situations and blends into the background in others. Just like RL.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?

Very. I can’t keep track of elaborate lies, so why bother?

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?

Nope. WYSIWYG.
Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?

Too open a question. Depends onthe topic and the posters.
Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?

*Dennis: I told you. We’re an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as sort of supreme executive officer for the week.
Arthur: Yes.
Dennis: But all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting…
Arthur: Yes, I see.
Dennis:…by a simple majority. In the case of purely internal affairs…
Arthur: Be quiet.
Dennis:…require two thirds majority. In the case of old ladys…
Arthur: Be quiet! I order you to be quiet!
Dennis’ Mother: Order, eh? Who does he think he is?
Arthur: I am your king!
Dennis’ Mother: Well, I didn’t vote for you.
Arthur: You don’t vote for kings.
Dennis’ Mother: Well, how’d you become King, then?
Arthur: The Lady of the Lake,… [Angel chorus begins singing in background] her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water signifying by Divine Providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. [Angel chorus ends] That is why I am your king!
Dennis: Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.
Arthur: Be quiet!
Dennis: But you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Arthur: Shut up, will you? Shut up! [Grabs Dennis and shakes him]
Dennis: Ah, now we see the violence inherent in the system!
Arthur: Shut up!
Dennis: Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help! Help! I’m being repressed! *
Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?

Oh, jeez. There are so many. Off the top of my head: Shodan, Left Hand of Dorkness, Sampiro, Miller, Qadgop, Bricker, twickster, Q.E.D., AugustWest, Cervaise, Liberal, the list goes on and on.
Have you made enemies?

I hope so. Otherwise my time here would have been wasted. :smiley:
Do you feel like you know the other members well?

Some. Some not at all.
How important is the anonymity of the board to you?

Meh.
Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Yes and yes.

25

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
Answering questions for my daughter brought me to the Straight Dope.
The 3rd time this happened, I started looking into the sight and I found the first non-Tech Message board that used proper English and didn’t appear overrun with stupid kids and sex hounds. I read it for a few days and I joined.
What do you keep coming back for?
I love the conversations about everything and anything. I have very eclectic interests and the SDMB feeds this.
How important is the site to you? How much time do you spend per week? day?
I love the site, I guess it is my #1 form of recreation currently and I spend on average close to 14 hours a week. (Kills my TV viewing time, no loss)
Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Fairly well but not consistently.
What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
Strong Moderating, large user base, the thought that we are trying to fight ignorance.
What other MBs do you go to?
Nothing major but Microsoft News Groups occasionally, Age of Wonders rarely, SnarkPit to lurk a little.
Which forum do you go to first?
Café, Pit, GD, but Mostly I use the New Posts links and so all forums.
Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
I participate a lot, in my profile: Baseball, Computers, Wood working, Wooden Sail Boats, Trains, Sci-Fi & History. I’ll add to that any Middle Earth / Tolkien Thread and many environmental threads.
Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
I enjoy debating, I only sometimes hold my own.
Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
Late 30’s, Male, Central Jersey, Computer Programmer. See Above.
What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
Somewhat known, newish poster that post too much, geeky. Standing in real life is Middle-age family guy and geek.
How honestly do you represent yourself online?
Very Honestly as in real life.
Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
No reason for surprise, I yam what I yam.
Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
I tend to agree with the average posters. I am a moderate republican and a green so politically I am a little to the right of the board, but the liberals seem to respect the fact I am a moderate and not a conservative.
Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
Maybe the no edit rule. I think within 5 or 10 minutes of the post we should be allowed to fix a post, but I am a poor speller and as I said, I post too much.
Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
The Admins and mods, QtM, Maureen, FinnAgain, LHoD, Shodan, Bricker, Una Persson, Q.E.D.
Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
I don’t really know about look up to, but I really respect many posters: Maureen, FinnAgain, Hal Briston, QtM, Silenus, Stranger on the Train, Marley23, Amazon Floozy Goddess for the Cartoons of course, I liked Frank when he was This Years Model but now that he is Frank the Mod, I am not so sure. :wink:
Sorry to those I forgot.
Have you made enemies?
Maybe one.
Do you feel like you know the other members well?
No, not yet.
How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
Not very.
Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Yes, many. I have met one member for Football already.

Jim

26

What first attracted you to the SDMB?

Interesting people, interesting arguments. It’s good to be able to hear (well, on occasion) a person with an alternative view to yourself on something explain why rationally so you can understand why they think that. Plus in Cafe Society there’s always a couple of fans of even the most obscure TV/film/book you like.

What do you keep coming back for?

See above, plus i’ve paid now, so I might as well get my money’s worth. :slight_smile:

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?

It’s usually always on in the background whenever i’m in, but a lot of the time i’m not really paying attention. I just refresh it every so often when I remember.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?

In GQ, definetly. In GD, to a much lesser extent. IMHO is good for learning about other members of the board. MPSIMS is good for finding out random things, for example, that anal bleaching is popular (thanks for that, Anastaseon :rolleyes: :stuck_out_tongue: ) In the Pit you learn everyone’s got a bit of a jerk in them, and to what extent.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?

It’s got a very wide user base, so chances are you’ll find someone who shares your obscure hobby. In general, the modding seems pretty good, and definetly impartial - no favours for mod’s buddies here.

What other MBs do you go to?

Just a couple of specific comics-based ones.

Which forum do you go to first?

Depends where I posted last…I tend to check back to see if anyone’s said “I totally agree with RT” or “RT, you are completely wrong and have the intelligence of a snail’s excrement” (althought usually, not being high-profile, (or my thoughts having little merit) i’m not mentioned). Other than that, depends what mood i’m in. If i’m down, I go to MPSIMS. If i’m angry, I avoid the Pit because I know i’ll post something I regret.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?

Most of my “specialist” subjects (general geekdom, psychology, manga) are covered by people more expert in the fields than me, so I usually just chip in a nitpick or advice when more than one opinion is needed. I think most of my posting is probably in the Pit or GD, because i’ll usually post once in a thread anywhere else but several times in either of those.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there

I do enjoy it, yes. I think I hold my own - I haven’t been pitted yet, anyway - but I’m certainly not up there with the top debaters on the board.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?

19, Male, UK, Student (Second year Psychology). IRL, I play ice hockey (though i’ve had to cut down on that, less free time this year), read books/comics, play computer games, and craft elaborate plots to take over the world (No, really. They haven’t got off the ground yet, sadly. :stuck_out_tongue: )

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
I’m still new. I flatter myself that some people might recognise my name, but I don’t think they’d remember anything about me beyond that. My standing in real life is as reasonable as a student’s can get, I suppose.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?

I can’t think of an occasion when i’ve lied. I think I portray myself pretty much as I am in real life, really, for better or worse.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?

Often on the internet, people tend to assume i’m female (i’m not). Other than that, I don’t think so.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?

Depends. Often I agree with people’s opinions, but I don’t respect why they hold that view, and vice-versa. Cafe Society is of course a hotbed of pro- and anti-everything posters - there’s always someone who dislikes your likes. :slight_smile:

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?

None that I can think of.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?

Well, the mods, I suppose. In GD and Pit terms, the lesser debaters like me tend to huddle around the superior debaters that we agree with, like Bricker or John Mace (while the insane wacko posters stay on their own side). Otherwise you’ve got the regulars like Kythereia (apologies for spelling), Anastaseon (apologies for spelling), et al. who are just plain fun!

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?

No-one in the “serious” poster group ( the GD and Pit people) - they (and I) have all made stupid mistakes at some point, and refused to budge on our points. I look up to the wittier members of CS and MPSIMS, just generally because I wish I could be as funny sometimes!

Have you made enemies?

I don’t think so. Too new, too nondescript, not batshit crazy.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?

Again, too new to know anyone, really.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?

Not hugely - I wouldn’t mind if we all posted under our real names, for the most part. However, you get the occasional loony (and i’ve heard stories of past trolls who ventured into poster’s real lives at times) and it’s possible some people here are high-profile enough to value their anonymity.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?

I haven’t. On one hand i’d like to meet a lot of people, but on the other i’d be worried that my own meager efforts at conversation would be outshone by these paragons of wit who tell a great story, so maybe not.

27

What first attracted you to the SDMB?

I was an America Online user; the Straight Dope was featured on the front page one day and I clicked the link and followed on to the message board and posted.

What do you keep coming back for?

Entertainment, community, to answer questions when I know the answer, to ask my own, and to kill time at work when things are slow.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?

I don’t know. I feel like I’m on casual-friendly terms with a thousand some-odd people (some odder than others, heh heh) but not intimate best-friends with any of them. I spend an astonishing amount of time here (see previous quip about bored at work): easily as much as 8 hours per day. I seem to be cutting back lately, but it ebbs and flows over time so that may not mean much.
Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?

There’s a pretty high commitment to accuracy, truth, and getting to the roots of things in here, at least in GQ and GD and (for the most part) CS. And there’s a strong spirit of “Sorry, you don’t get to take stuff for granted in here” that applies to a double-handful of perspectives and beliefs that are sacred cattle elsewhere. And a high level of respect for the voicing of opinions and perspectives that one doesn’t agree with, if presented with reciprocal tolerance for disagreement and a respect for verifiable facts and cited sources. Um, I didn’t specificaly give you an answer, did I? OK, short answer: yes.
What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?

See above. It’s a friendly, wacky bunch of people, but content matters.

What other MBs do you go to?

Mostly Macintosh-centric computer-geek sites. I’ve joined others but don’t have time for all of them, really.

Which forum do you go to first?

Not applicable. I hit “New Posts” and read the interesting posts on the resulting pages of hits, which are a mixture of different forums in order of latest activity.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?

Define your terms!? I certainly read more threads than I post to, does that mean I lurk more than I participate? I am particularly likely to post into threads revolving around one of the following subjects or perspetives: anarchy, religion and theology, abortion rights, feminist theory, gender identity and sexual identity, psychiatry and psychiatric oppression and psych drugs, macintosh and the mac operating system, filemaker pro, and various political subjects that impinge on the rleationship between individual and state. Those subjects tend to crop up in Great Debates. I’m afraid I tend to be staunchly serious and earnest and occasionally fiery-eyed fervent, rather than clever and fun and entertaining.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?

I enjoy shooting my mouth (or metaphorical equiv) off. I enjoy expressing my viewpoint and trying to lead others to understand it, if not necessarily adopt it as their own. I don’t really respond well to Who’s The Winner adversarial-style debating, but when there seems to be genuine interest in comparing and learning from diverging viewpoints, I find that addictive and I love it.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?

I’m a 47 year old male Manhattanite, a FileMaker Pro geek who designs and tweaks databases. My educational background is in feminist theory, sociology, social work, and social theory in general and those still comprise a lot of my interests.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?

I think I’m a perennial that people are used to encountering but not all the time, not every thread they dive into. I almost never get pitted or called out on it but I expect I generate some rolling eyes from some folks. I also think I’m admired by many who do not necessarily agree with me on much. People know my head better in here than most folks do in real life.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?

More so than anywhere else, if only because I can integrate more of what interests me into the board chatter than into office chatter or chatting with friends IRL.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?

No

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?

There’s an unusually high degree of concurrence in here with things I believe. Quite nice, actually. Except anarchy (very little agreement), religion/theology/spirituality (fair amount but with the huge spread of perspectives & opinions that still puts me in a small minority), I guess.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?

Well, I would be a more permissive Mod or Admin if I were one; I would err more on the side of allowing content. But no specific rule that I can think of.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?

Too hard to answer. Too many different ways of being a leader, too many ways in which a person can be a leader in one sense but not in another, etc.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?

Same.

Have you made enemies?

Naah…I’ve tried, but only managed to mildly irritate my opponents :wink:

Do you feel like you know the other members well?

Some better than others, and as with me I suspect some folks share aspects of themselves in here that people in their “real lives” don’t see.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?

Makes no difference to me personally; I’m glad it exists because otherwise many folks would not be here or would post very differently in here. My own identity is far from hidden, very easy to ferret out, and I have no secrets revealed online that I’d hate to have intruding on my everyday life so I’m making no effort to modify that situation.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you
?

I have, and enjoyed it somewhat, but the venue was too damn noisy and too many people simultaneously. I don’t do large and loud, I can’t hear people and no one can hear me and so I end up on the periphery. Maybe quieter restaurants and smaller groups though.

28

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
The quality - the intelligence, eloquence of the discussions, unlike on most other message boards.

What do you keep coming back for?
Information. Like many have said, you learn something new here every day.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
I think I average an hour a day, tops.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Sure. There’s a certain standard of integrity that people seem to demand here, especially on GD and GQ. I’ve never seen citation requests posted and answered quite as often, except on Google Answers.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
Again, quality of discussion. And I think we’re a bit older than the other ones I hang out on.

What other MBs do you go to?
Anabolex.com, Avant Labs, Basenotes.net

Which forum do you go to first?
When I browse, you mean? This one. Moves the fastest.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
My participation is mostly limited to the CS and sometimes IMHO and MPSIMS. I’m more of a lurker.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
Nope. I’m very verbose, anal and a perfectionist, and have no time or desire to accomodate the aforementioned personality traits when the time can be more productively spent reading or watching House, M.D.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
19/M/Hong Kong and other places (I’m here only half the time). I (re)start college in August or September. IRL I lift weights, collect perfumes and read a lot.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
I sort of blend into the background. In real life I am de facto leader of my social groups.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?
As honestly as I represent myself in real life. Many of my friends lurk here and they know who I am.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
Probably. I’m more…animated.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
On politics, especially American, I remain an amused and detached observer. I find myself more and more of a Liberal bent, though, the more time I spend here. I am most at home in the Cafe Society, where I indulge in great geekery with the others.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
I think I was warned once for calling someone a troll (it actually was one, IIRC). Never quite understood the taboo, but it doesn’t keep me awake at night.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
Moderators. Cecil, the SDSAB.

**
Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?**
The folks in Great Debates. They are indefatigable.

Have you made enemies?
Don’t think so. I’m not strong enough of a presence here for that kind of thing.

**
Do you feel like you know the other members well?**
Some of them choose to spill a lot of their lives on here. While I take a passing interest in these things, my memory tends not to retain the information very well. So, no.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
On a scale of one to ten, two. As I’ve said, some of my real life acquaintances lurk here and know my handle. I wouldn’t mind an SDMB party turning up at my doorstep one day.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Sure. But no, haven’t yet. It’s mostly a geographical problem.

29

What first attracted you to the SDMB?

Don’t remember how I found this board.

What do you keep coming back for?

The occasional funny stories, the takes on shows each week, different from my regular board.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
A few hours once or twice a week.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?

Yes. It’s broad membership seems to have squelched the sound of the stupid that frequent other boards.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?

The diversity of it’s members

What other MBs do you go to?

Thespaceport.us
and every once in awhile space.com

Which forum do you go to first?

Cafe Society

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?

Lurk mostly, don’t spend enough time here to get to know the regulars or them me.

Usually stick with ‘Cafe Society’, In My Humble Opinion’, and ‘MPSIMS’

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?

Not good in debates and generally avoid them, as it is rare to actually get someone to change their opinion.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?

44, female, Hampton, Va., former waitress now playing housewife, no kids, 2 cats.
A reading household, like to crochet, like movies, not terribly social…use to be but not so keen on people anymore.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?

Bystander/voyeur. Yes, I prefer to watch and observe. Sometimes I like to be noticed but only when I feel like making an entrance.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?

Me on-line is me off-line.
(Hubby will like to see the results of that question…doubts that anyone is really who they say they are on-line.)

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?

Not really.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?

I stay away from the debate areas.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?

No.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?

Couldn’t say.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?

No answer

Have you made enemies?

Not on this board.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?

In an aquaintance sort of way.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?

Not so much to me but I like to keep others I mention anonymous or pseudonymed.

**Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you? **

Went to a Doper’s lunch once or twice in DC. It was okay but didn’t feel like I fit with them…they allready knew each other.

30

What first attracted you to the SDMB? I’ve been a Cecil Adams fan since the late 80’s. I searched for him on the internet and found this board. I joined in 1999.

What do you keep coming back for? Curiosity

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day? It doesn’t rule my life by any means. Typically I’ll spend 30 minutes per day, unelss I’m on vacation from work and have the time to actually delve into some topics in more detail.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How? I think that’s the goal of The Straight Dope in general, not necessarily just of this board. I do think this board helps, though, as another means to enlighten people. On the other hand, there are times when I think this board’s motto should be “Bitch-slapping ignorance”… it’s not always pretty.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards? The intellectual curiosity of its members.

What other MBs do you go to? Just informational ones. I also used to be part of Elephant Talk, which is dedicated to the band King Crimson. I abandoned it years ago.

**Which forum do you go to first?**Cafe Society, even though 3/4 of it is of no interest to me.

**Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?**Lurk, mostly because I usually can’t dedicate the time it would take to really participate. My post count is only 800, spanning nearly seven years.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there? I don’t do much of it, partially because of my lack of time, and often because I (luckily) find myself on the same side as many of the best debaters on the board.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life? 47, male, Kentucky, health plan executive, married, two young kids. Interests are aforementioned kids, genealogy, keyboard instruments, prog metal, fusion jazz.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life? Pretty much an unknown on SDMB - I don’t post often enough to develop a real standing. I don’t think of myself as having a “standing” in real life - I think we’re all important.

How honestly do you represent yourself online? Pretty honestly, except that I have to refrain from certain discussions because my postings could jeopardize my job.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life? maybe.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects? Agreeing. There are a lot of atheists, humanists, jazz enthusiasts, and other open-minded people here.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with? I think that getting in trouble for noting that you’ve hit a thread count milestone is retarded. There are many other high-volume postings here which are way more trivial and, unlike thread count milestones, don’t do anything to increase the loyalty of the member to the SDMB.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board? Too many to list. Which is good.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why? Biffy the Elepephant Shrew, because I continue to be in awe of his musical knowledge (and tastes). I first encountered him on Elephant Talk.

Have you made enemies? Not that I know of - I don’t post enough to be taken seriously enough to make enemies. I think.

Do you feel like you know the other members well? No.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you? Pretty important. But with a little work, someone could figure out who I am here, so I still pull my punches.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you? I’d like to have a LexDope, and I’d like to attend a Doper klatsch in Cleveland. Also Biffy, and Cunctator… the latter because he helped me on an Australia issue. And JoJo from London, who was incredibly helpful a few years ago when I was planning a London trip.

31

What first attracted you to the SDMB? Someone sent an email to where I work which referenced the Dope. I hated my job and I wanted to see why someone might hate it.

What do you keep coming back for? It tends to keep me up to date on what is going on. Interesting people.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day? maybe an hour per day in total

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How? as well as any messageboard can…I suppose it depends on who participates in the thread.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards? The People

What other MBs do you go to? nada

Which forum do you go to first? Cafe Society

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject? Lurk in Great Debates, participate in the others.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there? I’m not very good at it. I don’t dislike it though.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life? 28, Male, Toronto, Sports Broadcasting (intern at the moment), movies

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life? I’m relatively quiet here as well as in real life, so yeah.

How honestly do you represent yourself online? relatively honestly. I don’t talk about politics (anymore) so I’m not sure if that’s dishonest or not.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life? I generally surprise people (it comes with being quiet I think).

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects? Agreeing

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with? none I can think of

Who do you see as the leaders of the board? mods and admins

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why? There are a couple but I would feel bad if I forgot anyone.

Have you made enemies? I’m reasonably confident a few people don’t like me but none I’m specifically aware of.

Do you feel like you know the other members well? As well as someone can know someone else on a message board.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you? not all that important. My old username had my name in it and this one is my initials.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you? I haven’t met anyone yet and I wouldn’t mind meeting a few people.

32

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
I Googled something and ended up linked to a SDMB discussion. After lurking around a little, I decided to get some questions answered, and I started joining in.

What do you keep coming back for?
It’s entertaining. I like getting everyone’s views on current topics, especially since there are so many different types of people on here. Also, I can usually get a question answered within an hour.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
It’s important in that I check it almost daily, but I don’t spend hours on here reading threads unless I’m really bored and have nothing to do. I guess in total it’s a couple hours a week.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Absolutely. There are enough people here with strong backgrounds in all sorts of subjects that we can always get a definitive answer. Also, the polls and debates and IMHOs help to open people’s minds. Well, mine, anyway.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
I’ve never really been to others except in passing. I find others loud and flashy and the amount of “lol” out there is absolutely appalling. I’d like to think we’re classier…

What other MBs do you go to?
None, really.

Which forum do you go to first?
GQ

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
I lurk more than posting, but anything about biology usually draws me out. And the Lost threads.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
I enjoy a debate but I’m scared of the GD forum.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
25, female, Montreal, nearly a medical technologist (just a little more school left first).

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
I’m a nobody who occasionnally has something to say. I’m more chatty in real life, but I don’t think people pay any more attention to me. :slight_smile:

How honestly do you represent yourself online?
I’m myself. What’s the point in faking? But I don’t share everything.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
No.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
A bit of both.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
Nope. They’re fair.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
No leaders, really. We all participate, some more than others, but nobody’s better than anyone else. Although some are worse…

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
Nobody. I admire the posting style of some and wish I could write like that.

Have you made enemies?
Nope.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?
Nope.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
Pretty important. I don’t like stalkers.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Don’t feel much desire to, yet. But I’m not against it.

33

These are all people I’d like to meet - I’ve never met any Doper in real life, except Lawoot.

34

What first attracted you to the SDMB?

  • Seemed like there was a lot of smart people here

What do you keep coming back for?

  • Palling about

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?

  • I don’t have to come, like to fill some addiction or anything, but it’s a fun place to hang about. How long I spend probably mostly depends on how much work I have but probably an hour or so a day just to see what all is new.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?

  • GD and GQ do. In the other forums I have seen some fishy things like recommendations for homeopathic remedies (without being called out), so I think that there people are just interested in socializing.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?

  • Everyone here is into being curious. Plus it is a decently old community so you know that no individual or sudden event is going to change it, and the people here aren’t going to poof.

What other MBs do you go to?

  • Just the one for my guild in the game I’m currently playing.

Which forum do you go to first?

  • Random by mood.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?

  • Random by energy level.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?

  • I do.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
26, male, Tokyo
Programmer
Most everything interests me, so it just depends on what I feel like working on at the moment.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?

  • I don’t believe that I am one of the recognizable names on the board (?) In life, how prominent I am largely depends on how prominent I need to be and no more.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?

  • Quite. Not that I don’t watch what I say, but that’s just prudent.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?

  • No idea.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?

  • Varies.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?

  • Not that is coming to mind.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?

  • The forum rules. I don’t really see any real leaders.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?

  • No one. I don’t really have a worldview where I would be allowed to get away with setting someone on a pedestal on feeling that doing so allowed me to stay below them.

Have you made enemies?

  • Not that I am aware of…

Do you feel like you know the other members well?

  • Not enogh yet.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?

  • Not terribly.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?

  • Not a great urge, but maybe one day. And no I have not.
35

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
I’m a sucker for useless information. [Sorry Cecil!] It probably wasn’t long after the board moved over from AOL that I found it, but I didn’t join immediately.

What do you keep coming back for?
I tend to loose interest or get busy doing other things. Inevitably I come back either when something particularly newsworthy happens and a I want to see what people are saying, or I have a question that I think I might be able to find the answer to. I usually poke around for a bit before I see my shadow and head back into my burrow and start the process over again.

How important is the site to you? How much time do you spend per week? day?
Not important at all. It’s just a diversion. When I’m active, I spend a couple hours per week, but over long periods it probably adds up to mere minutes.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Heh. It has its moments, but I’ve seen some of the Fighting Ignorant too.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
It’s the big leagues. It’s that simple.

What other MBs do you go to?
Nowadays, none.

Which forum do you go to first?
The Pit or IMHO.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
I don’t lurk much anymore. If I’m around, I’m likely to post.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
I like debating, and think I’m fairly competent at it, but I don’t have the time or the stamina to venture into GD. I don’t think a lot of what goes on in there can be classified as debate.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
I’m a 30ish Californian who has relocated to NYC. I think I’ll skip talking about my job or interests for now.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
I’m just another mope here. IRL my position is fairly visible.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?
99% That last percent are normally things that are too personal or identifying, so don’t put them out there unfiltered.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
I doubt it.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
I’m not a good conservative or liberal, and my centrist views are often unpopular with both sides. That’s OK. I see the extreme poles as being populated by fairly simple people who like a well defined platform to follow.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
Probably, but I rarely complain, and won’t do it now.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
As in members? No one.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
There are members I like, but it wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say I look up to them. I don’t know anyone well enough for that.

Have you made enemies?
I personally don’t have an enemies list, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were people who took a serious dislike to me and thought of me that way.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?
I used to. Not so much anymore.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
Highly.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Probably not. Meeting internet acquaintances hasn’t been a fulfilling experience for me in the past.

36

What first attracted you to the SDMB? The books.

What do you keep coming back for? the intelligence and wit found here.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day? Look at high post count.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How? Yes, indeedy so!

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards? It is a combination of the Ultimate Watercooler Conversation and Stuff You Need To Know For A Real Education!

What other MBs do you go to? fark.com, craftster.org, Knitty.com

Which forum do you go to first? SDMB.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject? MPSIMS and IMHO are my two comfort zones. I lurk in GQ and GD, but fear even putting so much a toe in there there lest all those brainacs savage me badly!

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there? Nope.

**Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life? ** 39, F, Michigan, SAHM.

**What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life? ** I kinda of flit from place to place in real life, just like here.

How honestly do you represent yourself online? I am the same.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life? Not sure.

**Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects? ** Agreeing. So many dopers here have such a way with words on subjects that are hot button that they manage to say it in an intelligent manner. I just ‘ditto’ them.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with? I think this is a well moderated board and i feel the Twenty Dollars a week per mod shakedown is a fair price for such modding.

**Who do you see as the leaders of the board? ** Too many to list.

**Who on the board do you most look up to? Why? ** Too many to list.

**Have you made enemies? **Nope.

Do you feel like you know the other members well? Some.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you? it is a comfort zone.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you? I have met a few and it was a lovely time.

37

What first attracted you to the SDMB?
We migrated over from AOL. We had a good community going there, except for a few bad apples. Pretty much the same as here.

What do you keep coming back for?
Something to do to keep from being bored but now it’s sort of an addiction.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
Way too much.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Mosty. Some ignorance refuses to be fought.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
Better class of people, from what I’ve seen. Except for those aforementioned bad apples.

What other MBs do you go to?
I’m also on a few gaming boards.

Which forum do you go to first?
Café Society, unless I have a vested interest in a thread elsewhere.

**Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?**You probably can’t tell from looking at my post count but I lurk until I see something worth replying to. The only particular forum I try to stay out of is GD.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
'Bout 60/40, which is why I try to stay out of GD.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
37, male, Mid-Atlantic, database editor, my computer mainly.

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
Solidly in the middle for both.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?
I may leave out some details but I am hardly ever dishonest.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
Some would, I’m sure.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
Neither. I work for the goverment so I’m not supposed to have opinions. :slight_smile:

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
A couple, yes.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
Cecil!

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
Cecil! Why else?

Have you made enemies?
Probably.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?
Some, yes.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
Quite important. I like being honest.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Yes, and I have.

38

What first attracted you to the SDMB?

The website itself, found it randomly on the internet.

What do you keep coming back for?

I enjoy many diversions in life. One is message boards.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?

Not imporant. Not sure how much time I spend here.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?

GQ certainly fights ignorance very well. Some of the other forums contribute so much to it I’m not sure if there’s a net loss or gain.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?

Well-defined forums each individual one serving a good purpose and being actively used.

Many forums have multiple sub forums but most of the time they get used incorrectly or not at all.

What other MBs do you go to?

Several, none I would mention by name.

Which forum do you go to first?

Totally depends on what thread is the last one posted in and catches my attention.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?

I lurk more in MPSIMS, GQ, CS, and IMHO. Participate more in GD and the Pit.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?

Yes, yes.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?

No answering

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?

Pretty low. I’m not a particularly well known poster, those who do know me probably despise me. It doesn’t correspond to anything in real life.

How honestly do you represent yourself online?

I don’t lie about my own life but I also consciously refrain from giving out certain details.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?

Yes, very.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?

Disagreeing on virtually all subjects.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?

The Don’t Be A Jerk rule, it is too vague and thus prone to being misused.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board?

I’m not really sure, I tend to read posts while sort of glossing over the names of the posters.

If I see BrainGlutton, Bricker as a thread starter I tend to be interested in reading said thread.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?

Not sure really, like I said I have a habit of glossing over names. I have a lot of respect for the people who have the guts to air deeply personal issues like you see sometimes in MPSIMS or the Pit. That can be a hard thing to do on a forum like this.

Have you made enemies?

I consider no one an enemy although I’m sure there are a few who consider me one.

Do you feel like you know the other members well?

No.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you?

Fairly.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?

No and no.

39

What first attracted you to the SDMB? Someone linked to it on another board I frequent.

What do you keep coming back for? The interesting, witty, intelligent posts.

How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day? It varies. When I’m sick or otherwise stuck inside, I can spend hours here. If not, I’m more limited. I do check in every couple days though.

Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How? I think the posters do a great job of it in the discussions here. Whether that translates over into the real world, I don’t know. I’ve learned many things here. So at least it’s fought the ignorance of one!

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards? The posters are more literate. People are asked for cites when they make claims. There are no annoying avatars.

What other MBs do you go to? A couple horse related boards.

Which forum do you go to first? Cafe Society or IMHO.

Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject? I lurk mostly, unless it’s a topic I’m particularly interested in. Even then, I can’t post from work so often what I would say has already been said before I get the opportunity.

Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there? I do enjoy debating in real life. I don’t really participate in GD. For the most part, by the time I get time to post in a topic, it’s moved into a discussion between a couple posters about what they’ve said or how they’ve said it. Plus, my google fu sucks. So there’s always some cite that I know I’ve read somewhere and just can’t find. That doesn’t fly in GD.

Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life? 39. Female. Maryland. Marketing Manager. I enjoy competing in horse sports (hunter/jumpers), singing, and knitting (badly).

What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life? I’m pretty invisible here. I hope that doesn’t hold true in real life!

How honestly do you represent yourself online? Pretty honestly. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life? Yes. I’m not invisible in real life! Seriously? No. As mentioned, I’m pretty honest about what I’m like.

Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects? It depends. On social issues, I mostly agree. On economic issues, I often disagree. On other political issues, I may tend to agree with some posters but their views are much more extreme than mine.

Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with? I don’t strongly disagree with any rules. Although I do wish we could edit our posts if only to save me from the embarassment of my typos! I understand why we can’t do it though.

Who do you see as the leaders of the board? There are some posters I think of as “leaders” (though “experts” may be a better word) on particular topics (like Qagdop on medical topics), but I can’t think of any the lead the entire board.

Who on the board do you most look up to? Why? I don’t know that I look up to any particular posters. There are some I find really witty, some I admire for their debating skills, and some seem like really great people. But I must not look up to them all that much since I can’t come up with their names right now!

Have you made enemies? Not that I know of.

Do you feel like you know the other members well? Not really. I get a general impression of some of the more frequent posters, but I’ve never met anyone in real life that I know of.

How important is the anonymity of the board to you? Very important. I wouldn’t post here if I thought it could be easily traced back to me. I don’t say anything too outrageous, but it would bother me to have my name identified.

Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you? I haven’t met anyone in real life. I’m not sure if I’d like to. I kind of like having the internet world separate from my real life.

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What first attracted you to the SDMB?
I took a wrong turn on the information superhighway and ended up here by accident.
What do you keep coming back for?
Habit/routine.
How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
Not very, although I like it. I go in streaks of no time at all, and streaks of logging on daily.
Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
Generally, no But I don’t think any MB can really do this *in a comprehensive way. * IMO, no credulity should be given a group of nameless, faceless, credentialless people on a MB. In my experience at SDMB you are just as likely to get [an empassioned but] faulty answer here than a highly qualified, correct answer. My issue is that many, many posters post with such zeal, aplomb and abandon on topics they know very little about. There’s clearly some very smart people. Very smart. And some really very, very smart posts.

But for the unitiated in a given topic it’s often difficult to tell the difference between the truly informed and the uninformed. Because I have little experience (none actually) with MBs like this one it’s difficult for me to determine if SDMB is unique in this respect or whether most MBs are like this. But from my seat in the peanut gallery it appears there is a lot of good information and a lot of bad information. Just like real life.

I see the SDMB like I see my neighborhood watering hole or barbershop—theres some really smart people, many interesting people and some cretins. It’s mostly an enjoyable experience. Theres some great information and some of dubious value. I’m on record here many time saying that little credence should be given to posts here----including my own—when the information is important to you. Go to the source. Don’t get your education from a MB.

What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
Don’t know really. I don’t visit any others other than specialized ones–like for photography.
What other MBs do you go to?
Several MBs for photography, engineering and economics.
Which forum do you go to first?
Used to be GD exclusively, but now by mood. I never read CoCC,CoSR, and The Pit sparingly. I look at the others.
Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
I post & lurk at a 50/50 ratio. Often I have little to contribute.
Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
I don’t know that I enjoy it, but I feel drawn to GD at times. I guess it’s for others to dertimine if I hold my own there.
Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life? 44/M/SW Ohio, but born & raised in Chicago/self employed contractor/ photography, music, reading, astronomy, traveling and lots of other stuff.
What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
I’ve never thought of that—I don’t think I have much of a standing outside of a very small group who cross paths with me regularly. I would guess most members have never heard of me. I see no correlation to real life.
How honestly do you represent yourself online?
Extremely honestly, however I post in a very narrow group of topics. So people see an honest, but largely incomplete picture of me.
Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
I think so. I have a posting style and ‘language’ that is very unlike how I come accross in real life. It’s wierd.
Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
I disagree most of the time, and about most topics.
Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
I know little about the rules, very little actually. I try to show respect and apologize when it’s in order. It seems to have kept me out of trouble.
Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
None that I can see. However, on any given topic there are members who are considered to be a ‘leader’ or clearly knowledgable in their vocation/field of study. They are often [rightly] deferred to for their knowledge.
Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
No one. However there are several posters here who I’ve come to respect and appreciate for one reason or another. I’m reluctant to nane them because I’m likely to remember some the second after I hit “Submit Reply.” Off the top of my head, Friar Ted, Polycarp, Diogenes, cosmosdan, JThunder are posters that I usually stop to read. There are others.
Have you made enemies?
Probably. Certainly not on purpose.
Do you feel like you know the other members well?
No, not at all.
How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
It doesn’t make much difference to me.
Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
Yes I would, but I haven’t.