Glad to help.
What first attracted you to the SDMB?
- That there were RESTRICTIONS on posters’ behavior 2. that were enforced.
It was the late 90’s, a time when about 99.99% of moderators were completely clueless about the whole not-letting-the-inmates-run-the-asylum thing, and as a result I couldn’t find a message board that wasn’t a flamer-infested chaotic hellhole to save my life. And then I hear of this place called The Straight Dope. Within three minutes, I was hooked.
What do you keep coming back for?
Strict rules which are consistently enforced. Oh, and some of the finest discussions I’ve ever seen on the Internet. Which is largely a product of rules which are consistently enforced. As well as banning, which virtually never happens on any other board. (Someday I’m going to write a short biography of the one person that was banned from DDRFreak.com.)
How important is the site to you?How much time do you spend per week?day?
Well, I wouldn’t call this site “important”, except in the sense of getting news and viewpoints that I wouldn’t find anywhere else. If the SDMB is unique in that aspect, it’s only because it actually throws the bums out instead of that lame half-baked “ignore them” nonsense that didn’t work for anyone in grade school and it sure as hell isn’t going to work now. Suffice to say that I’d be pretty bummed out if this site ceased to exist for any reason. I try to visit daily but don’t stay long unless I encounter a particularly riveting topic.
Do you think it lives up to its stated goal of “fighting ignorance”? How?
It does what it can. Sadly, it’s going to take a lot more than a website, no matter how intelligent, to fight ignorance. I do appreciate the chance to take a respite from the appalling ignorance pervading our mainstream culture (it’s gotten to the point where I can barely watch TV anymore).
What do you think sets the SDMB apart from other message boards?
See previous comments. Seriously, that’s all there is to it. Throw out the garbage, you have a quality board. Make a thousand and one excuses for there being garbage everywhere, everything goes to hell.
What other MBs do you go to?
Bemanistyle - Generally okay, although there’s a ton of that “fixed quote” crap and a general attitude of snarkiness and rudeness.
GameFAQs - This actually used to be one of the best message boards on the 'net, and it turned into a living hell virtually overnight. I still look once in a while out of curiosity, but there’s rarely anything good.
VJArmy - Fansite based around a scorekeeping service for Beatmania IIDX. Not much action, but some pretty fun discussions. Overall attitude is pretty peaceful.
Which forum do you go to first?
Depends. Usually Cafe Society.
Do you lurk more or participate more overall? in any particular forum? on any particular subject?
I used to post all the time; now, with work (and looking for work) and other pursuits, only occasionally. To be honest, I’m afraid of getting knocked around, especially for things I never dreamed would cause controversy (I got taken to task for claiming that the USSR was Communist. Swear to God.). I never post in Great Debates anymore…I’ve stuck my head in that hornet’s nest enough times, thank you very much. Other than that, I have no favorite forum.
Do you enjoy debating, and do you think you hold your own there?
NO. I swear on my sister’s soul that I will never, never, ever again get into a protracted debate on any message board. If I want to spend an inordinate amount of time driving myself into a frenzy, there’s always the Nordictrack. 
Describe yourself - age, sex, location, occupation, etc. What interests do you have in real life?
31, male, Hawaii, recently got railroaded from an accounting position (don’t ask). Into video games, long walks, DVDs, comics, shopping, fanfic writing, fanfic reading, and wondering how the hell anyone over the age of 10 can stand being immersed in mainstream culture.
What do you see as your standing in the SDMB community? Does that correspond to your standing in real life?
Standing? Um…I don’t really go for that social-climbing thing. Too complicated for my tastes. As long as I’m not getting death threats or anything, I’m cool.
How honestly do you represent yourself online?
Honestly, I think I’m a bit too negative. There are a lot of topics that bring up really horrible experiences in my life, and not many that bring up the bright spots. I’m trying to be more pleasant, but it’s been a challenge.
Do you think people here would be surprised by what you are like in real life?
No. Unless they’re expecting me to be athletic and weigh 180 pounds.
Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing more often with other members? On what subjects?
There’s a far too great range opinions to give a blanket answer to this. I will say that total disagreements are far more common than total agreements (especially from the extreme conservative posters), but I have better sense than to actually jump into the fray.
Are there any rules (official or not) that you disagree with?
I’ve yet to encounter a single one. Frankly, I don’t know what the hell some people’s problems are. Even if some of the bans are a bit petty or questionable, they’re all things that no sane person is going to miss. If I ever get called on anything (I haven’t yet), my response will be to nod and never do it again.
Who do you see as the leaders of the board?
The moderators. Who, I should point out, have collectively done a fantastic job.
Who on the board do you most look up to? Why?
Aw, geez…unfortunately, I don’t post enough to name names. Suffice to say that anyone who’s civil and intelligent, who sticks to the topic at hand, and who knows where to draw the line is a worthy role model in my book.
Have you made enemies?
I don’t think so. I certainly hope not. I’ve had some heated scrapes in the past, but always bowed out before it got completely out of control. Now that I have a better idea of where not to go, I’m confident that there isn’t anyone currently out to get me.
Do you feel like you know the other members well?
Some. Depends on how often they post and how many subjects they cover. For example, I know that Omniscient is a hardcore football fan, but I haven’t seen enough of his other posts to form an opinion of him.
How important is the anonymity of the board to you?
Not as important as it would be on most other boards. There are some folks here that I’d rather avoid, but it’s not like I feel threatened or anything.
Would you want to meet anyone here in real life? Have you?
I don’t know. Depends on how pleasant they’d be in real life. I can get along with just about anyone who’s not a complete jerk, but finding shared interests might be a challenge. I’ll have to take a pass on this.
