You guys are REALLY helpful, like really, really helpful. But I have to admit I’m a bit confused at why you spend all this time expertly answering people’s questions; that’s the job of a consultant, lawyer, etc. Like what is the difference between paying a lawyer to answer your question, and asking the same question on SDMB where you’ll get a whole bunch of expert answers? Is it out of the good of your heart? Do you just enjoy the discussion or debates? Or are you just tools? (joking, I just happened to start another thread about that word; totally unrelated, I’m still not sure exactly what it means!)
I’ve thought this question was a bit too daft to actually bother asking/posting, but then I just read the difference between “Guest” and “Member” which I always wondered but was too lazy to go look up the answer until now. “Member” means you’re PAYING to post on the board, just so you don’t see ads? I’m confused. You get PAID for expert consultation. You’re actually paying to answer other people’s questions? The revenue from the ads should GO TO THE PEOPLE who are being helpful to others and offering their time. Why is SDMB CHARGING you money? Just for the server costs?
I’ve heard it said that the Greeks defined happiness as using one’s talents to help others, and that rings true with me. In the summer, I enjoy roaming touristy parts of Chicago just hoping someone will need directions.
As it happens, I have amassed a fair amount of knowledge about a wide variety of things, but to just expound on random things smacks of Cliff Clavin. But if someone has asked a question, then it doesn’t seem boorish or arrogant to jump in.
Explaining things helps my own understanding. Very frequently, I’ll have an answer for something, but upon trying to explain it in simpler terms or doing some research to brush up on something, I’ll find that I didn’t know that thing as well as I’d thought. Actually typing out an answer forces me to go through this process.
It’s a little like practicing a speech or argument in the shower. And has the similar characteristic that I can do it in the nude.
Seriously, it is to see my idea or opinion expressed in an organized way, for me to look at and see if it holds together. At least half the time, it doesn’t, and I’m in a dead end and I abandon my post.
I also post sometimes for the purpose of introducing an aspect to a discussion that has not been addressed, which I think is salient to an overall conclusion. Not for the purpose of shifting a consensus toward my position, but to ensure that all angles are accounted for.
Members pay to support the board and help continue its existence. Without paying members, the SDMB would not exist. Members are not served ads and also have Marketplace privileges. These are benefits, but they aren’t the sole reason that people pay to post here. Before becoming a moderator, I paid to post here despite the fact that I always run an ad blocker and a script blocker, so I wasn’t going to see ads either way. I just like the SDMB and I want to see it continue.
Guests “pay” through advertising, and without that ad revenue, the SDMB would also not exist.
The SDMB is not a charity. We are corporate owned and we are expected to make a profit. It’s not just server costs that we have to cover. We also need to cover the cost of admin support, the cost of putting out Cecil’s articles, maintenance of the web page, etc. plus enough profit on top of that to make us a worthwhile investment to our owners.
As for me personally, I learn a lot from the SDMB and I have some knowledge that I can share in return, and I enjoy doing that. That’s what makes it worthwhile to me. I don’t have any interest in debates, so you’ll almost never see me in GD. Some people like debates. Some people like the flames of the Pit. Some like the sense of community. There are a lot of different forums and a lot of different reasons that people like to come here. Ask twenty different people and you’ll probably get twenty different stories. But that’s my answer - I enjoy reading posts here and I enjoy replying to them. That’s what I get out of it.
Yup. In my case it’s roughly equal parts missionary zeal to spread knowledge, insufferable need to show off how much I know, and this board being one of the few places where being smart actually makes you one of the cool kids.
^ This.
Example - years ago one of my daughters rescued an orphaned bluebird chick. I came here first to ask how to best raise the chick and got great advice, including the fact that hand raising a wild bird is nigh impossible. I answer questions because I see it as the “cost” of getting answers when need them. Just one example of many ways the board has helped me IRL, I hope my answers have helped others.
Since I don’t take smoke breaks I allow myself a few Dope Breaks throughout the day. And with this one I don’t have to worry when I’m asked to pee in a bottle.
(My old job a coworker overheard me talking with a third person about my Dope Breaks which resulted in the bottle routine)
