# What is your least favorite Straight Dope message board? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784 "2008-01-31T23:51:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/1 "2008-01-31T23:51:08Z")
I almost never visit Great Debates or The Pit. Only if I’m extremely bored will I go there. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/2 "2008-01-31T23:56:32Z")
Great Debates. I come here to be entertained, not to argue. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/3 "2008-01-31T23:59:07Z")
Great Debates for me as well. It always makes my head hurt. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/4 "2008-02-01T00:00:17Z")
Comment on Cecil’s columns. Most of the time I don’t understand what the OP is arguing and don’t feel the need to look it up. SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/5 "2008-02-01T00:01:00Z")
Comments on Staff reports. There’s rarely anything there, I like lots of content! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/6 "2008-02-01T00:09:34Z")
Comments On Cecil’s Columns. There’s no there there. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/7 "2008-02-01T00:11:12Z")
Great Debates. I’m not into arguing just for the sake of arguing, and I seriously doubt anybody’s ever managed to change anybody else’s mind on any major subject there. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/8 "2008-02-01T00:19:52Z")
[QUOTE=rostfrei] I almost never visit Great Debates or The Pit. Only if I’m extremely bored will I go there. [/QUOTE] Ditto. I don’t care for the pit, and rarely go there. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/9 "2008-02-01T00:33:33Z")
Og love the SDSAB, they do a bang-up job, but I have to admit I practically never visit Comments on Staff Reports. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/10 "2008-02-01T00:51:03Z")
Great Debates. MPSIMS is a runner-up. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/11 "2008-02-01T01:30:31Z")
Great Debates and the Pit. I don’t think I ever went to the Pit, and I’ve only deliberately been in Great Debates once or twice. I learned from alt.conspiracy.jfk that Internet debates on controversial subjects were a waste of time and, after taking part in SFWA debates on GEnie, I knew the level of discourse would never be half as good. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/12 "2008-02-01T01:40:38Z")
I can never remember everything above Great Debates. Without looking I know there are two (three?) categories above GD and that two of them are about columns, but that’s it. Also, I find in general that Great Debates aren’t usually great debates. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/13 "2008-02-01T01:46:08Z")
[QUOTE=Phase42] Great Debates. I’m not into arguing just for the sake of arguing, and I seriously doubt anybody’s ever managed to change anybody else’s mind on any major subject there. [/QUOTE] That’s not correct, strictly speaking, but I will admit that it does take a lot of time and a willingness to acknowledge the opposing point of view to make progress. I’ve been persuaded to change my position numerous times on numerous subjects. That said, some of the people in there are Johnny-One-Notes, and they refuse to acknowledge anyone else’s ideas or the possibility that they may be valid. I find that to be tedious. I’m not too keen on Cafe Society or MPSIMS. Every so often I’ll post or start a thread, but for the most part it might as well be /b/chan for all the difference it makes to me. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/14 "2008-02-01T01:51:14Z")
Believe it or not: _this_ forum. On the rare occassion I drop in, I never see anything that interests me. Except, of course, for tonight. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/15 "2008-02-01T02:01:58Z")
GQ: I’m unable to ever answer anything and, with the format, it’s over too. soon. ---
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/16 "2008-02-01T02:04:38Z")
Cafe Society. I don’t watch TV; I don’t have time for movies; no one else likes my sports teams; book discussions in CS are relatively rare (and I usually haven’t read the book in question); I don’t listen to much music; and I sadly don’t have time for video games any more. I can’t believe so many people are saying ‘Great Debates.’ It just reinforces my suspicion that this board has two (or more?) fairly distinct populations. (E.g. The other day, I opened up a MMP and didn’t recognize half the posters in there, and they all had four-figure post counts!) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/17 "2008-02-01T02:25:53Z")
Cafe Society for me as well. I don’t even recognize most of the TV shows that are being discussed, and I’m astounded that people want to discuss in great detail every single episode as they air. Sometimes the thread even starts before the end credits are rolling. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/18 "2008-02-01T02:55:35Z")
[QUOTE=Randy Seltzer] I can’t believe so many people are saying ‘Great Debates.’ [/QUOTE] Maybe I can explain. I’ve registered on numerous discussion boards over the course of 11+ years on the Internet, but the SDMB is the only one I’m still visiting five years after signing up. Why? The simple reason is that every other board was a single-topic forum specifically geared toward one hobby/interest/fanwankery or another. And regardless of my level of interest in a particular topic, I eventually get to the point where I’ve asked all of my questions; it’s usually not long after that that the board sort of “turns over” and I start seeing the same questions/topics over and over, and nothing new. At that point I usually drop out and quit visiting that forum because I’ve gotten what I needed out of it, I’ve answered the same questions more than once, and it’s time to move on and let newer people do it. The SDMB caught my interest due to the immense diversity of topics. Every day I can pop into GQ or CS (my two main forums here) and find something new. I can’t always make constructive contributions, but I still read every thread that catches my interest. I’ve learned a great deal just from reading GQ threads. IMHO and MPSIMS less so, but they still have interesting and amusing threads. the BBQ Pit is pure, mindless entertainment. But Great Debates, for me, is too much like those single-topic boards I’ve abandoned over the years. Of course, it’s not a single-topic board … it’s a three- or four-topic board 😛 Seriously, in the whole time I’ve been here, it’s been basically variations on the same small handful of subjects: religion, politics, and sex (mostly gay sex). I imagine many other posters have similar feelings. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/19 "2008-02-01T03:14:05Z")
MPSIMS. Its like a chat room rather than a message board. An exchange of ideas and opinions about a topic of shared interest is one thing, but just chatting to chat? Not for me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784/20 "2008-02-01T03:15:55Z")
Easily Great Debates. I perhaps check that forum once a month. I just don’t have the energy to keep up with the arguments there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-least-favorite-straight-dope-message-board/435784.md?page=2)