Why do you use the Dope, and what do you get from it?
There are some Dopers whose post count is around - or over - the 30,000 mark and others whose post count/time on Board ratio comes to ten or more posts every day. That’s an awful lot of posting, and an awful lot more reading of posts, presumably, and therefore a long time spent on the Dope.
How does this impinge on your day to day life? Do you prefer to spend your time on the Dope, rather than socially interact in ‘real life’? Or do you manage what you consider to be a healthy mix of the two. As far as I can see, some people pop in, ask their question or express their opinion, get their feedback and retire. Others, I feel, see the Dope as way more important than that. They build up relationships and establish their personality. Do you find it preferable to do that on the Dope rather than in ‘real life’. Some people (maybe not on the Dope) build emotional and/or loving relationships through computers.
The thing about that is that it is a different way of interacting than in real life. There’s none of the visual and audial clues, such as mannerisms, facial expressions, intonation and verbal clues such as umming and aahing or chuckling to flesh out the meaning of what you’re trying to say. But, on the Dope, you can think about what you’re going to say, tweek it and preview it before hitting ‘submit.’ It can be much more considered.
I’ll start the ball rolling: I have depression, and can’t manage a social life of any kind (outside of my family). I am curious, and have a thirst for knowledge. I can fulfill those two needs through the Dope without having to socially interact beyond a very basic level. Having said that, there are some Dopers I have feelings about: admiration, distaste or empathy, for example. But whether they’re like their on line persona in real life, I have no idea. I use the Dope a lot (though I don’t post that much.)
(Disclaimer: I am not casting aspersions or making judgements on how you conduct your lives.)
Why do you use the Dope, and what do you get from it?
Fighting my ignorance . Last week my son asked me " Papa why is it called Great Britian?". I had read cecil’s coloumn on the subject just 2 days before that .
He is proud of my knowledge now.
Reading well thought out posts and pertinent comments from dopers … There is intelligence out here …
The benefits of friendships without the everyday responsibilities. For instance, I don’t post on weekends and y’all never miss me. That’s cool, because my weekends are busy. IRL, a friend would expect me to make phone calls and spend time with them that I don’t have. Also, nobody likes me.
IRL, I don’t think I know any atheists, anyone who reads a lot, anyone whose advice I’d want to take, or anyone funny enough to make me wet my pants. Here I do.
I’ve noticed that when something difficult crops up at work, I Dope for comfort. Too much, I think…
(1) Water cooler. I work at home and have no co-workers, so Dopers fill the bill. It’s also something light and fluffy and interesting to read when I take a break.
(2) Knowledge/opinion from a diverse, intelligent group of people, when I can’t find an answer elsewhere.
I wouldn’t say I’ve made any “friends” here though; I’ve had a few off-board conversations, but nothing terribly in-depth. I often don’t remember who said what or who has what personality or interests. Sorry, but I have no interest in going to a Dopefest; the Dope stays on my computer, and I don’t advertise that I come here to other people. If it comes up, I just say “some people online” or “this message board I go to.” And I doubt I’d be missed if I left the boards.
Oh shush, Dung Beetle. Who let you out of your cage again?
It’s good to hear from people that think differently. It’s got good folks and lotsa stuff to learn. It’s good to broaden your networks and learn things about stuff that I couldn’t personally experience.
I like the Dope because it serves an an “intelligance break” while I’m at work. Some people go for coffee, I go for a little intelligent and funny discourse. It’s mentally refreshing for me to not focus on my tasks at hand for a few minutes to that I can go back to work with my brain buzzing.
Plus I get dinner ideas, movie reviews, fun links, news stories, etc. all filtered through my kind of people.
I’m pretty much the same as Scarlett67 - the Dope is my watercooler since I work at home, alone, for a company comprised of just 2 other people.
Also, since I don’t have television, don’t get a newspaper and don’t regularly check news sites this board is a great way for me to keep current on the news. I can just scroll through subjects to see what everyone is abuzz about today and click through links to read more if I so choose. Plus the commentary found here is much MUCH better than any commentary I could find attached to an article on any news site.
I feel like I get a rounder view of what is going on in the world because I am not strapped to any single news source. Instead, I get everyone’s knowledge, extra research, personal anecdotes and opinions that lead me to feel more satisfied that I know the truth or at least have formed an intelligent opinion.
For me the Dope is many things. I enjoy reading the dope. I love the community of the dope. I read fascinating things from the sublime to the ridiculous. I have had many questions answered and I have answered a few myself. I play games here, debate on almost anything and love learning about things I never even thought about before.
I have made some friends here and I also look at the Dope as my corner tavern. I mix my heavy use of the Straight Dope with my social life fairly well. I have a family with two kids, I am active in a local environmental group and I see friends and family regularly for get-togethers and watching sports. I tend to spend a lot of time on the computer anyway and between doing other things I check back on the dope often. Probably too often.
Through Dopefests and activities I have been fortunate enough to meet many of the great members of the dope.
I started a new job about 10 months ago. I work in an isolated office with one other person. She is humorless, officious, and judgmental. The “work” part of work is fine, but I don’t want to have any personal relationship with her. She has no idea I’m on the dope, and I get all my work done well and in a timely fashion.
Other than a brief call to my husband now and then, I have no one else to talk to. I’m not a big talker anyway, and I write much better than I talk. I am exceedingly private and dislike being asked personal questions; here, if I don’t choose to answer, I can avoid a thread that is TMI or, if I do choose, like in the recent “Who taught you about girly stuff,” where I spilled, I felt comfortable that people would take my story as just another person’s perspective and maybe learn how to treat their own daughters. Instead of staring at me and badgering me with intrusive questions like people IRL tend to.
I browse around here to find interesting stories and opinions. If there’s a newsworthy story, chances are there’s already a thread started on the subject. Sometimes I’ll stumble across something which I had no prior knowledge of. Sometimes I contribute, and am mostly ignored, but that’s OK. It’s not like I actually “know” any of you. I can type whatever I want (within the rules) and it doesn’t impact me IRL at all. Some MPSIMS threads are funny as hell!
Mostly, the people here are the ones I would migrate to at a cocktail party. We’d be discussing politics one minute, sports the next, sprinkled with the occasional joke and then we’d top it off with a frank discussion on why Arlo Guthrie is underrated as a folk musician. (For example.)
As my life has progressed it has shrunk to a tiny fraction of what it once was. Consequently, my hunger for intelligent (or not so intelligent) conversation on topics of the day, both monumental and trivial, is not being met IRL. So, the SDMB provides practically my only opportunity for such nourishment, thin gruel that it is. Depressing, ain’t it?
.
