First off, I love this board. Where else can you read imaginative rants and get info on virtually anything under the sun?
However, since this board is a victim of its own success, sometimes I can’t get on. Or I can’t read a thread. Or I can’t post a reply. Or I post a reply and it takes forever to go through. Sometimes I zip right on. Other times (like lunchtime EST, when it’s the only time I’m supposed to visit it during the workday) I sit forever, patiently waiting.
So, where else do you vist when you can’t visit here? I’m not leaving here, I’m just looking for similar message boards. I know the SD Powers That Be are doing the best they can, and I truly appreciate it. I would just like to know where the similar options are.
During the infamous Crash last February, a lot of us hung out at OpalCat’s board,http://fff.fathom.org/forums/. I still go there, but mostly lurk. It has a lot of the same folks as here. It has a similiar feel, but is a bit more low-key, and much less traffic. The Fathomites are really nice, though.
Anthracite AKA Una Persson maintains the UnaBoard: http://65.69.77.33/forums/index. It’s a really good board, with a lot of knowledgeable folks, but a much lower posting rate. It ain’t the kind of high-speed exchange you get here, but some great reading. I like to check it out periodically, but also mostly in lurk mode.
It probably varies from person to person, based on their interests. I like woodworking, so I go to the Woodnet Forums. What I have discovered however, is that the mental level of the SDMB is unparalleled. A recent post in MPSIMS compared the SDMB to a boot camp for message boards. The recruits enter and are trained in logic, and given a steady stream of good material to read and respond to. Graduating recruit training has sort of ruined other boards for me. I get awful tired of drivel, and it is by far the most common thing out there. The “groupthink” mentality is also tiresome, but all too common. Where else but the SDMB does anyone actually find intelligent posters articulately defending unpopular ideas? It’s far more common to see a bunch of “me too” responses which are little more than game playing. That sort of thing appears to comfort many people. It must, because it’s so common, but I like this place because my horizons are often expanded.
Sorry if my answer veered into an endorsement of this site rather than presenting alternatives. I think perhaps you should do a search based on your interests. If you like sailing, or woodworking, or bycycling, (or whatever) I’m sure you’ll find sites available you might enjoy.