# Rampant cliquiness on the Dope, is it real? Is there any danger from it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803 "2008-03-26T16:12:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/41 "2008-03-26T20:36:24Z")
_coughs_ Don’t you guys, you know, sit over _there_, with the rest of the dweebs? **susan** , it’s not that you aren’t memorable, it’s that your user name isn’t. And your location isn’t very enlightening. I tend to remember the posters with weird names, and the ones who are near me or places I’ve been/lived. As soon as I looked through your previous posts I remembered you, though. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/42 "2008-03-26T22:33:56Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] _coughs_ Don’t you guys, you know, sit over _there_, with the rest of the dweebs? [/QUOTE] \ not if that means sitting with YOU! Just kidding. I’ll sit with anyone who practices good personal hygiene and doesn’t want to get in my pants. (I do have my standards!) 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/43 "2008-03-26T22:36:49Z")
I think a lot of it will be washed away by the influx of bewildered newbies we get when the board goes free-to-post. But for now, I refuse to be a member of any clique that would stoop to consider admitting me. ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/44 "2008-03-26T22:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I think a lot of it will be washed away by the influx of bewildered newbies we get when the board goes free-to-post. But for now, I refuse to be a member of any clique that would stoop to consider admitting me. [/QUOTE] 😃 I don’t think it’s “cliquey”, but I do think it’s intimidating. Still, being intimidated never shut me up before so I guess it won’t now. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/45 "2008-03-26T22:56:06Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] Just kidding. I’ll sit with anyone who practices good personal hygiene and doesn’t want to get in my pants. (I do have my standards!) 🆒 [/QUOTE] 2 strikes and I’m out, then. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/46 "2008-03-26T23:00:08Z")
And then there is the **99ers** , a.k.a. the Nobility, or the Illuminati. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/47 "2008-03-26T23:03:50Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] You’ve hit it on the head, I think: a “clique” to me connotes exclusivity. I don’t get the sense that anyone isn’t welcomed anywhere, it’s just that some of us don’t fit in certain threads. I don’t know thing one about sports, but I still don’t feel like I _can’t_ post in a sports thread or that I’d be ill treated. I just don’t \*want \*to. The only reason the MMP feels even slightly cliquish to me is that I’m not up on the latest gossip, stories and whatnot that are shared there. And that’s just because, like any extended conversation that’s been running a long time, I don’t have all the backstory. In addition, it moves pretty dang fast, so I feel like I can never catch up. But I don’t feel like I’m being shut out intentionally, and if I really felt like it, I could dive in. [/QUOTE] You forgot “…and an abortion” in there somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/48 "2008-03-26T23:30:13Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] 2 strikes and I’m out, then. 😃 [/QUOTE] Maybe not. Are you cute? **Mangetout** : you and Groucho Marx! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/49 "2008-03-26T23:33:35Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] Maybe not. Are you cute? **Mangetout** : you and Groucho Marx! 😉 [/QUOTE] Cute covers a multitude of sins, but at least for me…lack of good hygiene practices is not one of them. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/50 "2008-03-26T23:35:27Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] And then there is the **99ers** , a.k.a. the Nobility, or the Illuminati. [/QUOTE] Dang, missed it by \>8 months\< that much. ---
**Author:** ![DiggitCamara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@DiggitCamara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiggitCamara)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/51 "2008-03-26T23:38:46Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] Yeah, but I think we’ve all experienced that. And I think your name is one of the more recognizable ones - or maybe you just happen to post a lot in the threads I’m interested in. 🙂 I was also thinking about the mafia “clique” as well, **Hal**. Although if you read past games, there are only a handful that have consistently played. There’s a high turnover rate, I think. :: does secret Mafia handshake with **Hal** :: [/QUOTE] :: does secret masonic Mafia handshake with **Hal** :: d&r ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/52 "2008-03-27T00:33:15Z")
When I first arrived, it seemed like everyone knew each other and had these huge back stories that intertwined. However, I realized with time that it just came across that way and that overall, the Dope isn’t cliquish at all. I’m sure I could quit posting tomorrow and no one would even remember I was here, because I’ve seen that happen with hugely popular members, let alone a little nobody like me. Perhaps a lot of people fall into that category. Or at least feel that way. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/53 "2008-03-27T00:54:09Z")
[QUOTE=HazelNutCoffee] When I first signed up, the whole SDMB seemed like one big clique where you were ignored unless your username was recognized. I don’t think people do it deliberately, though, but it can be a little daunting for anyone just starting to post. I started off in the MMP because it was much more manageable. [/QUOTE] I felt the same way, but far from doing it deliberately, I’ve not seen people do it at all. As you’d expect from a community this size, my posts have gotten a whole range of responses, but never “Who are you? I’m not listening to someone I don’t know” ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/54 "2008-03-27T01:06:07Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I think a lot of it will be washed away by the influx of bewildered newbies we get when the board goes free-to-post. But for now, I refuse to be a member of any clique that would stoop to consider admitting me. [/QUOTE] I thought you were part of the clique that is not a clique that has amassed over 30k clicks on submit reply. I think there is only three of you so far with 2-3 more getting close. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/55 "2008-03-27T01:13:43Z")
**Faithfool** I would definitely notice if you stopped posting, and lots of others who would consider themselves of little interest to others. Isn’t that the beauty of cyberspace and a place like this? Sure it always seems like no one notices our posts, or that what we were just about to say was said quicker and more eloquently by another, or that we are threadkillers. But I’m pretty sure that it only seems that way. Or maybe I just want to believe that, hmmm. But I’d be willing to bet that no matter how little you post someone, at some time, thought your input was just the right thing to say at just that moment, and they just didn’t point it out to you. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/56 "2008-03-27T02:05:39Z")
[QUOTE=DiggitCamara] :: does secret masonic Mafia handshake with **Hal** :: d&r [/QUOTE] ::does secret Masonic Mafia handshake with **Diggit** AND **Hal** :: We’re gettin’ the band back together!! I’m only recently starting to feel like anyone knows my name. And even then, sightings of this are rare. But that’s cool, because I’m really getting to know the Mafia crowd. Having a “clique” (don’t get me wrong, all are welcome–come and play!) makes it easier to get to know a group of people a little better. Otherwise, all several thousand of you start to blend together! ---
**Author:** ![Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ee7513/32.png) [@Crocodiles\_And\_Boulevards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crocodiles_And_Boulevards)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/57 "2008-03-27T02:17:32Z")
I doubt it’s recognized by its members, but I nominate the **Cult of Obama** as a clique. 😉 That’s tongue-in-cheek, by the way. Going by post history alone, it might seem like I belong to the **Clinton Apologists**. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/58 "2008-03-27T02:47:21Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] You forgot “…and an abortion” in there somewhere. [/QUOTE] Okay, you whooshed me. Care to 'splain? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/59 "2008-03-27T02:54:18Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Okay, you whooshed me. Care to 'splain? [/QUOTE] Me, too–but then I thought I had just missed something along the line. May I say I think there is a growing Mafia clique within THIS thread? \ ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803/60 "2008-03-27T02:55:46Z")
[QUOTE=DiggitCamara] :: does secret masonic Mafia handshake with **Hal** :: d&r [/QUOTE] Hey, I was a Mason too! Not with you guys though. **essell** , I didn’t mean people ignore newer posters actively; I meant more along the lines of the fact that posters will tend to skim threads and respond to other posters they are familiar with. I don’t think anyone’s ever been deliberately ignored because of their newbie status. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rampant-cliquiness-on-the-dope-is-it-real-is-there-any-danger-from-it/442803.md?page=4)