# SDMB "Norms" - Revised **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240 "2011-12-06T05:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/1 "2011-12-06T05:02:33Z")
I screwed up first thread. SDMB “Norms” This thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=632937&highlight=nipples](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=632937&highlight=nipples) [/quote] generated some discussion about whether and why the poll was outside the norms of the SDMB (and possibly society in general). This poll is an attempt to gather some data beyond just the opinions posted so far. There are two sections that are independent - 2 polls basically. One for SDMB boundaries and one for opinion of male thinking. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/2 "2011-12-06T05:06:36Z")
How’s life treating you, Norms? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/3 "2011-12-06T05:08:44Z")
I’m going to bump this one so the original isn’t on top. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/4 "2011-12-06T05:09:19Z")
The nipple thread was hilarious and completely inoffensive to me. Though to be honest, not much offends me. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/5 "2011-12-06T05:23:55Z")
At what percentage do we consider something a “norm”? Is 2/3 enough? Does it need to get to 3/4? To me, 2/3 feels a little light on calling something a “norm”, but I might be persuaded to think 3/4 is - not really sure. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/6 "2011-12-06T05:27:06Z")
You also need to determine what sample size is large enough to properly reflect norms. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/7 "2011-12-06T05:38:13Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > You also need to determine what sample size is large enough to properly reflect norms. Yep. It’s not going to be precise, but should be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/8 "2011-12-06T06:01:23Z")
Tell you one thing, complete “HORRID” end of the spectrum, complete “OKAY” end of the spectrum, or somewhere in the middle, it’s certainly sparked a LOT of interest. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/9 "2011-12-06T06:07:48Z")
What do you mean by “beyond most males’ thinking”? Is that “thinking about nipples that much is something beyond most males”, or “actually coming out and asking directly is beyond most males”? And “tip of the iceberg”? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/10 "2011-12-06T06:32:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What do you mean by “beyond most males’ thinking”? Is that “thinking about nipples that much is something beyond most males”, or “actually coming out and asking directly is beyond most males”? And “tip of the iceberg”? “Beyond most males thinking” is related to the variety of details represented in the poll regarding one body part. Some contend that most males would only consider one particular body part in considerably less detail, like “big vs small” or maybe color, but not to the extent that was represented by the poll. The “tip of the iceberg” is supposed to indicate that the level of detail in the poll wasn’t really that big of a deal, especially compared to the volume, variety and detail of sexual thoughts a typical male has. It’s not a very scientific distinction, but is trying to get at whether that level of detail can be considered within the bounds of “normal” for the full range of male sexual thought patterns. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/11 "2011-12-06T07:04:09Z")
Is the SDMB still hosted on the internet? Then that was easily par for the course. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/12 "2011-12-06T07:21:15Z")
Where is the option for “It read like the labels on the collecting jars when the police finally tracked him down”? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/13 "2011-12-06T10:21:17Z")
I actually find the specificity to be what makes it less sexual. It sounds like someone who is doing some sort of study, not someone who is getting off on it. I also think that a perv would know that what he’s asking is not the norm and feel a need to use a disclaimer and make up a plausible explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/14 "2011-12-06T14:08:29Z")
I didn’t answer the first section, because it’s right at the boundary. Evidence is that there are a lot of people on both sides of the question as to if it’s beyond the boundary! I personally think it was pretty far out there but wasn’t personally offended by it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/15 "2011-12-06T14:45:37Z")
I don’t think it crossed any sort of boundaries, but it was damned weird. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/16 "2011-12-06T16:31:57Z")
I voted that it crossed norms and that it was beyond most male thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/17 "2011-12-06T17:11:43Z")
It was weird, and “crossing boundaries” is not really the right phrase, because I don’t think the OP of that poll should be penalized in any way. He’s got a right to post his poll, just as I have a right to post and say I wasn’t going to answer because of the obsessive attention to detail. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/18 "2011-12-06T17:27:41Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > Where is the option for “It read like the labels on the collecting jars when the police finally tracked him down”? As relieved as I am that others are making this kind of joke, I feel it only fair to warn you that certain Dopers are going to take this the wrong way. **RaftPeople** , I’ve answered your poll but I don’t think it’s very well-written and I expect a lot of people are going to be confused by the questions. Had I not read the entire Pit thread I’d interpret the question about crossing boundaries as asking whether I thought the poll was in violation of the rules or if I thought it merited moderator action (locking for the thread or a warning for **Fear Itself** ). But even in the Pit thread it didn’t look like anyone thought the Mods needed to get involved. Having read your posts in the Pit thread I take it that you’re really asking whether we think the thread was weirder, creepier, more explicit, more disturbing, or more offensive than is the norm here, but I doubt this will be clear to people who don’t read the (now rather long) Pit thread before answering. And even having read the other thread and your clarifying post here I’m not sure what you’re getting at with the “Beyond most males thinking” question. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/19 "2011-12-06T18:06:14Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > Having read your posts in the Pit thread I take it that you’re really asking whether we think the thread was weirder, creepier, more explicit, more disturbing, or more offensive than is the norm here, but I doubt this will be clear to people who don’t read the (now rather long) Pit thread before answering. And even having read the other thread and your clarifying post here I’m not sure what you’re getting at with the “Beyond most males thinking” question. I tried to use the most neutral wording so as not to bias the poll one direction or the other. “Norms” and “boundaries” are not only the terms others used in the various threads, they are pretty standard terms for describing these types of things. Most of the people posting seemed to be saying one of two things: 1. “Creepy” was not due to content but rather context - that’s why boundaries, etc. 2. “Creepy” was due to a level of thinking that goes beyond most males sexual thinking patterns - that’s why beyond vs tip of the icebeerg ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240/20 "2011-12-06T18:47:52Z")
Thinking about what a woman looks like naked? Normal for men. Asking a woman about what she looks like naked? Not normal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-norms-revised/605240.md?page=2)