Recently I’ve been banging on about this place (and emailing excerpts) so bloody much to my long-suffering brother [I’ll let him make up his own username], that he’s expressed an interest in joining.
My warning to him: it’s like candy-coated crack (thanks, kabbes). Although he doesn’t have internet at work, which might temper things.
Anyone care to give him reasons why/why not to join? And advice if he does?
Nothing like a vanity search to bring you into a thread 
Advantages to joining: you get to meet people unlike any others that you’ll meet. You’ll also get the chance to meet them in real life - people like jjimm himself who simply rules. If you find yourself in a quandry you have immediate access to a broad range of advice.
And most of all - you’ll find your preconceptions challenged and yourself becoming a better person. I can’t even begin to list the topics that I had major assumptions about that - even if my ultimate view hasn’t changed - at least I feel that I understand both sides of the issue and don’t condemn either.
Of course, this latter change tends to arise from threads one reads rather than participates in. Funny that - in a debate we appear to be shouting into a vacuum but who knows who is reading and taking note?
Disadvantages of joining: it really can take over your life. Your home and work can suffer. This isn’t necessarily the case at all and most of us find a balance in the end. But the addiction can be very real and scary. I never got that bad myself, but I did find myself looking over the edge at one point and had to self-impose a couple of months off. I can now dip in and out, so any addiction one encounters clearly isn’t that bad.
Also just a thought - sometimes it is nice that noone from my immediate life knows me here. I can talk about things that I otherwise couldn’t. Once siblings become involved on the same MB one no longer has this luxury. It depends whether you are the kind of person that likes to discuss personal issues or not (not that I really am myself, but the point should be raised).
pan
There’s no question. He must join, and soon.
Honestly, this board is a great education and a laugh as well. Provided he doesn’t have any strong web-addict tendencies he’ll be fine.
Regular crack tastes bad.:mad:
Candy-coated crack tastes good.
Bring 'im on!
It’d be great to have another family member on board. Then we could see if bein’ mental runs in the family, or if it’s just you who are special
Have a great weekend!
Interesting. I don’t encourage people I know to sign up because I consider it “my place.” I don’t want people I know doing searches to see what ridiculous threads I’ve created.
Luckily I have no secrets from my bro: he gets me in all my tarnished glory.
Feck off.
Advantage: You get to know people like us.
Disadvantage: You get to know people like us.
Just remember to never speak of
the secret handsh…
the illumin…
the leet soc…
Oh what the hell, jjimm, bring him on!
You should convince him to join immediately.
C’mon, he’s your brother. Now are you telling us he never, not even in his youth, did something rotten and skinky to YOU? Never swiped a favorite shirt? Never told a girl you fancied that you drink bathwater? Never ratted you out to your mother?
You’ve already been mind-warped by a bunch of Dopers with weird names and weirder quirks. You owe it to yourself, and to him. Turn him over to us.
Veb