# Shodan is not an asshole! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635 "2019-01-29T20:56:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/21 "2019-01-30T11:18:33Z")
**Shodan** is an interesting case. When he’s in a thread about anything remotely political, the difference between **Shodan** and the current Fox News world view is minuscule, and about as fact-based; he might as well be a bot, for all that he adds to the discussion. Get him away from politically-related stuff, and he posts interesting stuff and makes valuable contributions to threads. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/22 "2019-01-30T12:03:38Z")
Yes, some of these right-wing “imbeciles” actually have highish IQ’s. And walk through a jungle where dangerous animals lurk and their amygdala-based cognition might be handy to have around, especially compared with help from an all-thumbs left-wing geek! It’s too bad they lack human compassion, and too bad they can’t apply the tiny amount of cerebral effort needed to understand that Ann Coulter et al are just dazzling them with lies and laughing at their gullibility. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/23 "2019-01-30T12:46:15Z")
Cite? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/24 "2019-01-30T12:56:33Z")
**Shodan** is a good example of the complexity of human nature. I have found him warm and helpful and interesting in many discussions. Also, he thinks it’s perfectly fine to refer to some black people as n\*\*\*\*\*s. If anyone is a good example of how big and powerful negative factors in society and culture can twist otherwise decent people into believing and saying (and possibly even doing, though of course I have no reason to believe this with **Shodan** ) horrible things, **Shodan** is. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/25 "2019-01-30T13:11:01Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > **Shodan** is an interesting case. When he’s in a thread about anything remotely political, the difference between **Shodan** and the current Fox News world view is minuscule, and about as fact-based; he might as well be a bot, for all that he adds to the discussion. > > Get him away from politically-related stuff, and he posts interesting stuff and makes valuable contributions to threads. Are we including gender-related stuff in “anything remotely political” or not? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/26 "2019-01-30T13:39:37Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Not everyone has a scroll wheel, you insufferable elitist. This is cutting edge technology. It’s well worth the $7. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/27 "2019-01-30T13:45:01Z")
Hell, I could get a cuppa Starbucks for that! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/28 "2019-01-30T14:01:49Z")
I should clarify that a bit: it’s not just that **Shodan** ’s views are pre-packaged right wing stuff. It’s that so are his arguments. After all, we’re all predictable to a fair extent. If I tell you that I think Nancy Pelosi, Elizabeth Warren, and AOC are great, but I can’t stomach Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein, or Susan Sarandon off-screen, you can probably figure out where I’d come down on a given issue ~97% of the time. But I think I add enough of my own to the arguments that I make for the things I believe in that they aren’t just off-the-shelf arguments from somewhere else. Where’s the fun, after all, in getting in a debate in GD or Elections or even the Pit if the arguments I’m making aren’t _mine?_ But when the other person’s making the same argument that’s making the rounds of all the right-wing media rather than making their own, it’s really kind of a yawn. And doesn’t speak well for the other person’s intellectual creativity. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/29 "2019-01-30T14:17:48Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Frankly, the one that gets me is that weird little period, sitting all by its lonesome several lines down from the last line of actual text in a post. I’ve seen it lots of times from multiple posters. What is \*up \*with that?.. I often insert a period, albeit without any additional spacing, after a post. I do this because I often make typos or post without adequate thought, and therefore often find myself editing my posts. That places the “edited by” text immediately adjacent to my words, and I find posts easier to read with a single line break. As for those who prefer more blank space, iunno. I started doing it only when I actually edited a post, but got into the habit and now am more inclined to add a period/line break than not. . ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/30 "2019-01-30T16:38:27Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Yes, some of these right-wing “imbeciles” actually have highish IQ’s. > > And walk through a jungle where dangerous animals lurk and their amygdala-based cognition might be handy to have around, especially compared with help from an all-thumbs left-wing geek! > > It’s too bad they lack human compassion, and too bad they can’t apply the tiny amount of cerebral effort needed to understand that Ann Coulter et al are just dazzling them with lies and laughing at their gullibility. It is a shame that their intellects, impressive though they may be, are harnessed into service to their imbecility. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/31 "2019-01-30T17:28:31Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > It is a shame that their intellects, impressive though they may be, are harnessed into service to their imbecility. I’m guessing this is sarcasm directed against my post. Did I guess right? Did you notice that I wrote “imbeciles” inside quotation marks? ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/32 "2019-01-30T18:05:33Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I’m guessing this is sarcasm directed against my post. Did I guess right? > > Did you notice that I wrote “imbeciles” inside quotation marks? Not really sarcasm, just an observation that I’ve made in the world. People generally treat intelligence and stupidity as opposites. The more you have of one, the less you have of the other. I think it’s more like you have some intelligence and some stupidity and how “smart” you are perceived to be is dependent on which is driving the bus at any given period of time. Some things I’ve seen lately have to be regarded as the kind of stupidity that requires sheer genius to pull off. As for you use of quote marks around “imbeciles”, I presumed only, to the degree that I thought of it at all, that you were using someone else’s word and didn’t hazard a guess as to if you were concurring or dissenting with it. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/33 "2019-01-30T19:02:27Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Hey, I’m an asshole too! Where do I sign up to get paid? Hie thee to thy nearest consulting firm. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635/34 "2019-01-30T21:19:10Z")
He’s not an arsehole, he’s a fuckiing arsehole [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shodan-is-not-an-asshole/828635.md?page=1)