with links if appropriate and you can find 'em…
a) Threads from which you learned surprisiing new factual evidence. Probably GQish but possibly cites on a GD thread, etc… what factual fragments revised YOUR worldview?
b) Threads where discussions or personal anecdotes taught you things you didn’t know about life, or other folks’ lives. Eye openers or sociological / anthropological data you never had before, courtesy of the dope? What did you learn about people, or subsets thereof, in here?
c) Threads where opinions presented or arguments outlined prompted you to rethink, if not necessarily your own held opinions, perhaps your opinions of the thought process or perspectives of your argumentative adversaries?
d) The TMI Zone. What horribly icky discomfiting squirm-making thing did you learn about your fellow sapiens on the Board?
e) Cultural Expansion. Recipes you’d never have tried, tunes you’d have never heard, lit that would have gone unread. What did the dope turn you on to?
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My contribs, initial post version (perhaps more to follow):
Division C, opinions etc in GD: I definitely came to the board as a pro-choice extremist, with an attitude towards pro-lifers akin to:
a) they hate women, and sexuality, and want to return culture to the 1950’s and could care less about fetuses, or embryos etc; they are the Patriarchy, Incarnate
b) they all have abortions when THEY get accidentally pregant, or else obtain them for their beloved deans-list daughters, without so much as a hint of a hesitation;
c) they are breathing my air
On the Dope I have read and learned from pro-lifers. Still am oceans away from agreeing with their viewpoint, but I am inclined to grant that they earnestly believe what they argue for and do care for the fetus etc and are NOT all just trying to eat away at sexual freedom and women’s sexual freedom in particular. (I still think they need to take a long cynical look at their movement’s leadership though). I think I am less extremist now. I have more of a sense of “I have to live on the same planet with these people”. I hope there’s some reciprocity there.
Division B. I asked several questions mostly in IMHO to gain insight into folks’ attitudes and experiences. Links in a later post, perhaps. Also polls and threads of a non-poll nature started by other people… sorry this isn’t very specific and I should come back with links.
Division E: I got my intro to goth music and to emo music on this board!