# What are your biggest specific SDMB annoyances? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327 "2011-07-25T23:46:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/81 "2011-07-26T18:22:05Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > or on the grounds that it’s a derisive, not-nice _way_ of saying that? Dunno about anyone else, but for me it’s this. I generally have a problem with the overall meanness around here, and this is just another manifestation. Having said that, I recognize that the mean factor is off the charts other places. But I don’t hang out other places, not least because of that. I hang out here, because I am a huge fan of the driving idea behind it, and I consider meanness to be fundamentally ignorant, so it goes against that. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/82 "2011-07-26T18:22:32Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > This (stick & slipper joke) is a big enough thing around here that it gets mentioned on a list of biggest SDMB annoyances? Am I just hanging out in the wrong threads or what? It was news to me, too, **MsWhatsit** ; I only included it because it was suggested in my pre-poll thread. > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > [DTMFA](http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=DTMFA)Google is your…ah, nevermind. > [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Except that not all of us can get to Urban Dictionary at work. Except that when I Googled DTMFA I got 57,500 hits. I didn’t want to link to all 57,500 so I chose just Urban Dictionary. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/83 "2011-07-26T18:31:16Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > People who use the term “woo” to derisively refer to anything that doesn’t fit their myopic view of medicine and science. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Oh, alright. From now on I’ll call them “medicine” and “science”. I think you’re missing the point here, **Really Not All That Bright**. The annoyance is not that folks refer to alternate views of science and medicine per se; it is that the term ‘woo’ is nauseating. mmm ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/84 "2011-07-26T18:46:14Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > In a similar vein, whenever people ask for suggestions on Cafe Society, it seems like a lot of posters throw out whatever they were looking for and just post their favorite show/movie/etc. > > “Hey, I’m looking for some good shows, preferably with a sci-fi bent.” > “How about The Wire, Breaking Bad, or Mad Men?” CS needs a disclaimer saying Joss Whedon, HBO and AMC are always automatically recced. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/85 "2011-07-26T19:04:36Z")
I’ll add some more. 1. Cite requests for personal experience, things that are obvious (“50 states? Cite?”), and other minutae. 2. Doperatti; celebrity Dopers whose threads everybody rushes to, no matter how unimportant the topic or how predictable the outcome. 3. Offenderati; whose who find racism, bigotry and sizeism around every corner. 4. Enablers. 5. Contrarians of the obvious e.g. “I don’t know where you’re getting this idea that Brazilians love soccer. I’m Brazilian, and I don’t like soccer, nor does anyone I know. I’ve never seen any enthusiasm for soccer in Brazil. In fact, most Brazilians I know really like hockey.” 6. The grass is always greener in “Europe”. After all, “Europe” is one big country, and it’s all like The Netherlands. :rolleyes: 7. Tolerance of single-issue posters. (atheism, disability issues, etc.) 8. Militant atheism. 9. Dopers that seem to get a “pass” from the rules. 10. 99er elitism. Who cares what year you joined? 11. Resistance to change of any sort, especially from the old-school pseudointellectual beardstrokers who think any change to the SDMB will mean the demise of the board; e.g. “Avatars will change the character of the boards! Even if I can turn them off, they’ll still affect the discussion in some negative way that I can’t describe.”, “Facebook ‘like’ buttons will attract the wrong element!”. etc. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/86 "2011-07-26T19:07:34Z")
I chose other for thread titles that start with “Recommend me…” Sets my teeth on edge, it does. What the heck is the problem with “Recommend a”?? ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/87 "2011-07-26T19:16:27Z")
1. The five minute edit window. 2. We’re soooooooooooooooo intelligent! We’re the most intelligent board on the Internet, with the most intelligent members! What’s your IQ? Mine is 165, but I have to admit I had four hours of sleep the night before I took the Stanford-Binet. I’m also in Mensa. Did I tell you my IQ? 3. “I don’t own a television.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/88 "2011-07-26T19:22:26Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > So far the “winner” is “Links with no description provided,” which is also one of my choices. Also one of mine and the one I’d pick if I could choose only one. I get not understanding how to make a descriptive link, but a brief sentence underneath a link would be nice. Bugs me to no end. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/89 "2011-07-26T19:26:18Z")
One of mine used to be “links that go to a PDF with no warning” but I don’t care as much these days since my computer these days can effortlessly open a PDF with no delay. In the bad old days of WinME, trying to open a PDF would crash my entire OS about 20% of the time, and would always make the processor slow to a grinding halt. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/90 "2011-07-26T19:27:40Z")
> [@Ambihelical\_Hexnut](#): > > It bugs me when people respond to other posts by typing their contribution above the quote. I’ll join you in that one. People who do this, have you noticed that everyone else quotes first, then responds? > [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Except that not all of us can get to Urban Dictionary at work. > > It means Dump The Mother Fucker Already. \ I think it can also mean Dump Their Mother Fucking Ass. > [@elmwood](#): > > I’ll add some more. > \ > 11) Resistance to change of any sort, especially from the old-school pseudointellectual beardstrokers who think any change to the SDMB will mean the demise of the board; e.g. “Avatars will change the character of the boards! Even if I can turn them off, they’ll still affect the discussion in some negative way that I can’t describe.”, “Facebook ‘like’ buttons will attract the wrong element!”. etc. I’ll join you in that one, too. Avatars are fun - why are we against fun here? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/91 "2011-07-26T19:29:47Z")
I voted other. People who get annoyed at dope (or other) trends such as “Mr./Mrs. username”. Or “ie” ending words and complain that they’re “cutesy” or used out of some incorrectly perceived laziness or something. Yes, people absolutely say things like that because they believe it’s shorter and less work, or they think it makes them “cuter”. :rolleyes: It couldn’t possibly be because it’s out of mere silliness and lightheartedness. People who have giant sticks up their butts, and for whom “humor” MUST be some complex, high IQ, serious, no-slang-allowed (or at least only slang that THEY personally approve) endeavor just bug me. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/92 "2011-07-26T19:33:29Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > It means Dump The Mother Fucker Already. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I think it can also mean Dump Their Mother Fucking Ass. And for a third point of view, I always thought it meant Dump That Mother Fucking Asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/93 "2011-07-26T19:49:12Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > 1. Doperatti; celebrity Dopers whose threads everybody rushes to, no matter how unimportant the topic or how predictable the outcome. Hmm. I have never noticed this. I know celeb dopers who have definitely started plenty of threads that didn’t take off; and plenty of long and fun threads started by dopers I have never heard of. Anyways, I would add Sneak Bragging to the list of annoyances. And false accusations of sneak bragging are even more annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/94 "2011-07-26T19:53:08Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > 1. The grass is always greener in “Europe”. After all, “Europe” is one big country, and it’s all like The Netherlands. :rolleyes: I know you’ve complained about this before (and not just about Europe, you also include Canada in Those Countries People Think Are Better) but I think you’re just being oversensitive. We don’t get this very much around here; in fact we get just as much American exceptionalism. Reread [post=14042641]this post[/post] by you and tell me if anything in the thread warranted it. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/95 "2011-07-26T19:59:25Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > I know you’ve complained about this before (and not just about Europe, you also include Canada in Those Countries People Think Are Better) but I think you’re just being oversensitive. We don’t get this very much around here; in fact we get just as much American exceptionalism. Reread [post=14042641]this post[/post] by you and tell me if anything in the thread warranted it. The [frumpy girlfriend thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=617428), where the offenderati came out in full force, took an inexplicable Europe-rules-America-drools turn in post 84. A variant: the British version is always better than the American version. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/96 "2011-07-26T20:15:24Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’ll join you in that one, too. Avatars are fun - why are we against fun here? > [@elmwood](#): > > 1. Resistance to change of any sort, especially from the old-school pseudointellectual beardstrokers who think any change to the SDMB will mean the demise of the board; e.g. “Avatars will change the character of the boards! Even if I can turn them off, they’ll still affect the discussion in some negative way that I can’t describe.”, “Facebook ‘like’ buttons will attract the wrong element!”. etc. I especially dislike the hate of img tags, especially with non-excuses like “I can ignore a wall of text, I can’t unsee goatse\*.” As if everyone here is a ticking timebomb just waiting to link to shock sites. Even moreso when it’s accompanied with things like “we tried that once… in 1999” when the landscape of the internet itself was much different, and a sense of etiquette and culture was still developing. Images are wonderful, they get a little out of hand sometimes, but there’s sort of a reason why most textbooks have diagrams and not just text, text and images is inherently superior to just test, “only communicating with your words” doesn’t make you smarter, it just limits the tools you have available. I know you can just link to diagrams or whatever but not only does it disrupt the flow of the thread, entire classes of threads (i.e. Let’s Plays, photoshop wars, “add to the picture” threads) aren’t even possible without them. - Don’t look it up Anyway, I also hate the sort of “this here’s rational country” mentality some people have. Every time there’s a “share your paranormal stories” thread some posters or other (some regulars, some random passerby, not naming anyone) just HAVE to come in and inform everyone “gaiz there r no gosts! Their naht reel! Stop posting teh stoopid!” Yes, we know, now go sit in the smoking lounge while we have our fun. That or they spend 3 pages derailing the thread getting into pedantic definition wars “okay, you’ve explained what ‘banshee’ means in this context, but you did it in terms of ‘ghost’ now what’s a ‘ghost’?” “But you just said ghost had property ‘x’, not ‘y’! Gotcha!” I understand sometimes definitions are important in hardcore scientific investigations and whatnot, but seriously, we’re not asking for everyone to be exactly on the same page, as long as your conception vaguely fits with the popular notion of the topic we’re fine, and if you don’t know the popular definition and were really, truly asking for a definition you wouldn’t spend 3 pages arguing, you’d accept what you were told. There are exceptions, I’ve gotten a good response once for being patient with someone on it, but usually it’s just trolling. This also leads into my other annoying, using the “this is a place for FIGHTING ignorance” meme to support… just about any personal view anyone has. Think string theory is bunk? “We’re **fighting** ignorance here. :rolleyes:” Think that conservatives might have a point about something? “We’re **fighting** ignorance here. :rolleyes:” Recommend against some \? “We’re **fighting** ignorance here. :rolleyes:” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/97 "2011-07-26T20:21:11Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I get not understanding how to make a descriptive link, but a brief sentence underneath a link would be nice. Bugs me to no end. I personally enjoy reading posts where people mention how smart the board is, then moments later read a post about how a long time member still has no idea how to make a fucking link. It’s hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/98 "2011-07-26T20:26:39Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > 1. Offenderati; whose who find racism, bigotry and sizeism around every corner. Yep. Double yep. And extend that yep to the world at large. Please. > [@](#): > > 1. 99er elitism. Who cares what year you joined? Wait, I get to be an elitist about that? Cool! What do I win, aside from your scorn? > [@bobkitty](#): > > I chose other for thread titles that start with “Recommend me…” Sets my teeth on edge, it does. What the heck is the problem with “Recommend a”?? THANK YOU! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/99 "2011-07-26T21:11:22Z")
For my “Other” option, I’ve got to say Sequential Threads. Been done to death. I quit reading them eons ago. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327/100 "2011-07-26T21:22:25Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Posting “I see what you did there” when it is usually obvious to everyone reading the thread what was done. Nuh uh. I need this. It’s an alert for puns and word-play, as well as sarcasm and insult. “I see what you did there” usually sends me reading back through the thread to see what I missed. Another thumbs-down for “Recommend me”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-biggest-specific-sdmb-annoyances/590327.md?page=6)