I think that our user profiles should be modified to include a place for our age. I also think that it should show up along side of our posts, as does the location.
I believe this would clear up a lot of confusion around here, as it seems some posters here are very young and it’s hard for others to understand where they’re coming from.
Do you agree?
Thanks.
Until it’s offered as an option in vBulletin, it won’t happen at the SDMB.
What’s going to stop people from leaving it blank or filling it out with an older or younger age though?
I would probably leave it blank, myself. I don’t think its pertinent to most of what I have to say on these boards, and if it is relevent, then I include it in my post. There is a bio section of the profile…I think thats where age should go, if anyone wants to know about it. Personally, I NEVER check user profiles, so I don’t think it would be much of a worthwhile change. Besides, half the people here don’t even show a location, or show a true one (e.g. Kat above) so why would they want to reveal their age?
I agree that it should remain optional. As long as they’re over the minimum age required by the SDMB it should not matter. Any particularly un-youngin’ type topics are generally labled well enough (i.e. TMI!! TMI!!!), if that’s what you have an issue with.
If it’s simply because you want to know the age of the person you’re talking with, oh well. It’s rarely necessary in general board chatter to know the exact age of the person you’re talking to. If it is necessary for some reason, it’s rarely considered rude to simply ask politely one’s age.
I don’t believe age is relevant here. I have read many well-stated posts by individuals that I have later learned were in their early teens. I’ve also seen some very “putzy” posts by people that are several decades my elder. (OK, well at least one decade older than me!)
If you think it’s appropriate to the discussion, ask. Otherwise, I fear that a lot of posters will be discounted solely because of their age.
Another vote against. I’ve seen many an intelligent post/opinion dismissed solely because of the poster’s age.
Someone who would discount a post because of the poster’s age is exactly the kind of person I don’t want responding to my posts anyway. 
My age and sex are in my profile. Unless people want to keep it a secret (which is fine) I suggest they do the same.
There’s a guy named Ben who wants to talk to you on line 4…
Huh?
Do you have an example of this confusion?
There’d have to be many cases of such confusion with severe consequences for the Reader to consider customizing the board software. Arnold W. would have a better idea than any of us as to what’s going on, and he’s already spoken.
You can always go to www.vbulletin.com and suggest they add it as a standard option.
Just to keep things clear, I’m a hot 18-year old blonde co-ed.
Well, he’s not that hot – more of a slutty, ‘I’d take him home after a few beers’ kind of look. And it goes without saying that the blond is from a bottle.
Those of us who have seen manhattan on Halloween 2002 know that manhattan has the “slutty, psycho, I wouldn’t take him home after a quart of Jack Daniels” look. :eek:
This does not reveal AHunter’s age but does reflect positively on his experience…
Bwahahahahah
If he had a quart of Jack, I might take him home. But I’d probably leave him on the front step. 
Seriously, I enjoy the fact that I often don’t know a poster’s age or gender or ethnicity or whatever. We have good contributors of a young age, and I filter that factor through when I am familiar with 'em. I like knowing that I really can’t guess about a poster’s gender from all that they’ve said.
YMMV
I don’t think it’s necessary to add age and sex fields (if they were possible). There’s already a biography field for people who want to give that information.
I dunno… If we had an age field here, I think I might just have to dig up my old IRC script to give my exact age in decays/nanoCurie. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to get it to update every few seconds like I did in IRC, but it’d probably still be sufficiently cryptic.
That, or the Kris Kringle answer of “As old as my tongue, and a little older than my teeth”.