# Senor Beef and his crusade against knowledge **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 7, 2013, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743 "2013-05-07T21:08:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/81 "2013-05-08T02:09:05Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > And I’m glad to see it continuing. Damn straight! 😃 I knew this was coming, but I hadda do it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/82 "2013-05-08T02:16:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Why not just go back to one set of rules for everyone? Why make Sr. Beefstakio such a ‘special" OP? Let us just say "No spoilers’ like hundreds of thread have done? Why does even the mention of the “b word” have to set off a shitstorm? > > I have no problem at all with "No spoilers’. What I have an issue with is special rules for a special poster- \*just because he can’t read the book. \* It is not a special rule for a special poster. Everyone who is in those threads following those rules _want_ those rules in place. It is a set of rules that a group of people have agreed to for their own discussion. If SenorBeef was the only one who wanted those rules, the whole thing would have died out a long time ago. Really, it’s _you_ who is asking for special treatment because you’ve taken offense at what another group of poster have agreed to for one series of dozens of threads for “Game of Thrones.” ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/83 "2013-05-08T02:16:27Z")
I should read the next book the day it comes out and spoil it in every thread DrDumbass posts in. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/84 "2013-05-08T02:19:21Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Read some history if you want sleazy intrigue, and watch some porn if you want boobs. You might be related to the participants of either, which makes it more fun than fiction. What’s the difference between GoT and porn? One is a story about winter coming, and the other is by George R R Martin. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/85 "2013-05-08T02:19:39Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Everyone who is in those threads following those rules _want_ those rules in place. Sure. :rolleyes: Just keep telling yourself that. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/86 "2013-05-08T02:19:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Do we really have to have a special rule just for one TV show, just because one poster hasn’t read the books? 80% of the SDMB has read them. You misspelled “10%”. Most people here have not read the books, and there are plenty of other threads for those who did to spoiler away. This is one of the stupidest “problems” I’ve seen here in a long time. Talk about the motherfucking TV show and don’t mention the motherfucking books. IOW, don’t be a motherfucking jerk. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/87 "2013-05-08T02:21:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You misspelled “10%”. Most people here have not read the books, and there are plenty of other threads for those who did to spoiler away. > > . Sorry John, but another poster did a poll, and it came to 80%. Not my poll. Not my numbers. And like I said (hey, how many times is this?) I have no problem at all with “No Spoilers”. Gotta read the thread John. This thread has nothing at all to do with “spoilers”. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/88 "2013-05-08T02:22:06Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Nerd fight! NERD FIGHT! NERD FIGHT! I wager 300 quatloos on the newcomer! A nerdy joke for a nerdy fight! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/89 "2013-05-08T02:26:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I wager 300 quatloos on the newcomer! > > A nerdy joke for a nerdy fight! If you get grappled by a Gorn while playing Kirk in the new Star Trek game, you get the achievement/trophy “Arena.” Possibly the best part of the game. Anyway, I’ve never liked the sheer craziness about spoilers in things like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. It was really bad a couple years ago–I remember making jokes about it on poker nights. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/90 "2013-05-08T02:27:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure. :rolleyes: Just keep telling yourself that. Oh, really, all those people are being forced against their will? Oh, the humanity! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/91 "2013-05-08T02:30:04Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Ethilrist, Zeisamkeit basically nailed what happened in the first two seasons of “Game of Thrones.” SenorBeef and Snarky\_Kong tried very hard to set simple rules so that people who had not read the books would not be spoiled. Basically what happened is that every thread devolved into an interminable argument about what was a spoiler and what wasn’t. The final, workable solution was that for the purpose of the “no spoiler” threads, people were to post as if the books did not exist. It made for very happy posters. People who didn’t want to be spoiled were happy. People who didn’t care about being spoiled had their own thread. Wow, too bad I missed all that. Sounds awesome. So, we have a generally-accepted (but not universally-accepted) board rule now (more of a guideline, really?) that there are threads about a TV series based off of a set of books in which it is not permissible to even mention that the books exist. Completely ignoring the point that you don’t have to mention the books in order to provide a spoiler from them. “Well, it seems to me that if this episode had been written differently, Frodo & Sam wouldn’t even have been _in_ Osgiliath and they would have been released by Faramir once he realized he wasn’t strong enough to interfere with the ringbearers.” ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/92 "2013-05-08T02:32:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sorry John, but another poster did a poll, and it came to 80%. Not my poll. Not my numbers. That poll was two years ago at the beginning of season one, and the number is 62% not 80%. Not surprising most of the the viewers were book readers then. Let’s post that poll again, I’ll bet that number drops from 62%: **[Poll: Watching Game of Thrones? Did you read the book(s)?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610007)** ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/93 "2013-05-08T02:36:50Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Wow, too bad I missed all that. Sounds awesome. > > So, we have a generally-accepted (but not universally-accepted) board rule now (more of a guideline, really?) that there are threads about a TV series based off of a set of books in which it is not permissible to even mention that the books exist. Completely ignoring the point that you don’t have to mention the books in order to provide a spoiler from them. “Well, it seems to me that if this episode had been written differently, Frodo & Sam wouldn’t even have been _in_ Osgiliath and they would have been released by Faramir once he realized he wasn’t strong enough to interfere with the ringbearers.” Ah, but you see, as is evidenced by this recent thread- if you happen to notice something that others didn’t (but that happens to be in the books) you’ll still be accused. So, if you are literate or observant- both are a sin. Or if youre just a lucky guesser on what will happen next. Indeed, it was a little out of control that first season. But clearly the pendulum has swung too far to the other side. But, I have no problem with rules against spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/94 "2013-05-08T02:41:44Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That poll was two years ago at the beginning of season one, and the number is 62% not 80%. Not surprising most of the the viewers were book readers then. > > Let’s post that poll again, I’ll bet that number drops from 62%: > > **[Poll: Watching Game of Thrones? Did you read the book(s)?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610007)** Umm, not quite. That was poll #1. Here’s poll #2: > **[Game of Throne Viewers: How Many of the Books Have You Read?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=647157)** > > At DrDeth’s request, a poll. One poster contents that 90% of Game of Thrones viewers are not book readers, and another figures the non-reader figure is less than 50%. Let’s see, shall we? How many of the Songs of Fire and Ice books have you read? ... Only 20% had not read any. So, the % went up. Still, its just a tad higher than 10%. Oh, and I have no problem with rules against spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/95 "2013-05-08T02:44:07Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > So, we have a generally-accepted (but not universally-accepted) board rule now (more of a guideline, really?) that there are threads about a TV series based off of a set of books in which it is not permissible to even mention that the books exist. No, this is neither a rule or a guideline for the board generally. The only general rule or guideline is that OP’s are allowed to request that certain rules be followed in a thread and that it’s jerkish to post in violation of that. The “Game of Thrones” no-spoiler threads are the only ones that have been set up with these specific rules. > [@](#): > > Completely ignoring the point that you don’t have to mention the books in order to provide a spoiler from them. Why would you do that unless you were intentionally shitting on the whole thread? A spoiler is still a spoiler. It’s just that the spoiler rules are stricter. If you are posting in the thread, post as if that the books don’t exist. That doesn’t mean that you’re still allowed to post spoilers. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/96 "2013-05-08T02:46:37Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That poll was two years ago at the beginning of season one, and the number is 62% not 80%. Not surprising most of the the viewers were book readers then. > > Let’s post that poll again, I’ll bet that number drops from 62%: > > **[Poll: Watching Game of Thrones? Did you read the book(s)?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610007)** That poll also ignores what I did for the first two seasons—watch the show and then read the book. If I were to answer that poll, at the end of the second season, I would have to say that I had read two books. But that ignores the fact that I was unspoiled for the first two seasons of the show. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/97 "2013-05-08T02:47:38Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No, this is neither a rule or a guideline for the board generally. > > The only general rule or guideline is that OP’s are allowed to request that certain rules be followed in a thread and that it’s jerkish to post in violation of that. > > The “Game of Thrones” no-spoiler threads are the only ones that have been set up with these specific rules. > > . 1. Yes, exactly my point. 2. No, except for “no spoilers”. Posters have asked for no jokes and this has been trampled on like mad. Can you show me another 'rule" the Op can _make_ other posters follow? 3. Yes, exactly my point. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/98 "2013-05-08T02:49:08Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That poll was two years ago at the beginning of season one, and the number is 62% not 80%. Not surprising most of the the viewers were book readers then. > > Let’s post that poll again, I’ll bet that number drops from 62%: > > **[Poll: Watching Game of Thrones? Did you read the book(s)?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610007)** The claim in the OP was that 80% of the SDMB had read the books, not 80% of the posters in the _GoT_ threads. And… an internet poll? Can you say “self-selected”? _Puh-leeeeeze!!_ And… there is no telling who is going to join the threads in the future. Rules should be generic to suit the whole board, not some subset who just so happen to be posting at any given time. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/99 "2013-05-08T02:51:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The claim in the OP was that 80% of the SDMB had read the books, not 80% of the posters in the _GoT_ threads. > > And… an internet poll? Can you say “self-selected”? _Puh-leeeeeze!!_ > > And… there is no telling who is going to join the threads in the future. Rules should be generic to suit the whole board, not some subset who just so happen to be posting at any given time. Sure, but still we have numbers of 60+% and 80 some odd %. Right, exactly my point. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743/100 "2013-05-08T02:52:41Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I have no problem at all with "No spoilers’. What I have an issue with is special rules for a special poster- \*just because he can’t read the book. \* It occurs to me that perhaps, just maybe, he doesn’t want to read the book(s). The television program can be enjoyed independently, can it not? As far as your assertions of illiteracy go, think about where you’re posting those assertions. On a message board. Composed entirely of text. Where said illiterate has 20,515 posts to date. The only evidence of ignorance is that he’s a Cleveland Browns fan. While that speaks volumes, it’s not indicative of illiteracy, just psychosis. If you still maintain that he has embarked on a “crusade against knowledge”, take solace in the fact that you are better and smarter than he is, and let everybody else enjoy their ignorance secure in the knowledge that you, and only you, are the beacon of enlightenment when it comes to a popular culture book/TV show. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senor-beef-and-his-crusade-against-knowledge/657743.md?page=6)