Well the straight dope is certainly free spirited and one of the best places to get the “information that is really what’s going on from people in ‘The know’”. But as far as being open minded? Not at all, or at least not if your definition of open minded is willingly entertain without challenge any idea or opinion that anyone might have.
We are here to fight ignorance, it’s our mission statement, and that means if someone makes a statement that is controversial they will be required to back it up with facts. And if someone makes a statement that is widely publicized as being very very wrong it will be slapped down hard. If you think they were wrong to slap you down you can try to back up what you say with facts and cites, who knows you might even convince some of us. But be warned the Dope’s disputants are the best in the biz and play hard ball, so your cites have to be good and your arguments strong. If you think someone else said something that you think is wrong, you are welcome to ask them to back it up, and if you are willing to listen to them and keep an open mind (but not so open that your brain falls out) you might learn something.
So if you want a place to learn and challenge your beliefs with some of the brightest people “in the know”(plus a few dipshits) then you’ve come to the right place. If you want a place where you can spout your misinformation consequence free this ain’t the place for you.