Like many of you, I found one of the SD books and loved it. I think that was in the early 90s and I have since lost the book, no doubt by loaning it to some shiftless friend. The question I remember best is one about why pigeons bob their heads. One answer was “Because it feels good. Walter Pidgeon” For some reason, that still cracks me up.
Fast forward several years. At another msg board, someone posts a link to the thread about Wally. I don’t read it, but I must have filed away the idea that The Straight Dope has a site, because a few months later, I look it up. I planned to lurk, but one of the first threads I read I couldn’t resist, as it was about depression and medical issues, which is something I know a bit about. So there you are.
Background? Not a wunderkind or anything, but always pretty smart. Mostly, though, I am quick–I read fast and do well on standardized tests. I like school, too, so I kept at it until I got a Ph.D. and had to leave. I have always liked quirky facts and am pretty social, so the SD is a good home for me.
Used to read The Straight Dope all the time. Mostly ignored the Threadspotting and SDMB aspects. Finally joined up 'cause of the original Very Vaguely Creepy thread. I stay for the community. Y’all are very intelligent, or at least pretend well. It’s nice to have actual conversations, discussions and debates. People have been complaining about all the cutesy schmootsy “fuzzyhappyjoy” stuff going on lately… but hey, it’s not that bad. Other message boards are high on fuzzyhappyjoy and low on intelligence; we’re the reverse. (Part of me kept ordering me to put “obverse” there… is that even a word? If so, would it fit there? Reverse isn’t exactly what I meant.)
Background: I was one of those annoying little “smart kids.” Taught myself to read by age 3 and write by 4, read everything in sight (I’d read the entire 24-volume encyclopedia by second or third grade, and I used to read the dictionary), aced every standardized test they threw at me. I probably would’ve graduated college by now if it weren’t for the public school I attended getting my records mixed up when I entered 4th grade. Instead of continuing me in the “gifted & talented” program they stuck me in the class for “slow learners”. I don’t know how or why. Mom only found out this past year. Made her really angry. Anyway, upshot of that was I got bored with school… REAL quick. Stopped trying. I didn’t have to try, so I wouldn’t; why bother doing homework if you already know the material well enough to correct the teacher? Got beat up a lot too. So that’s me.
A friend’s brother told me about bored.com a little over a year ago. I had way, way too much free time and read all of Cecil’s columns that were posted, but ignored the message boards, thinking that all message boards were full of stupid people hitting on each other. When I finally stumbled on some of Scylla’s Threadspottings, I found out that at least the first half of that was false ;). I lurked for a few months, visiting more and more frequently (particularly GD), and then registered one night to answer some question about Judaism.
I love the Straight Dope for the random facts (my suitemates refer to me as the Random Fact Queen only because they haven’t met some of you people) and the general intelligence that most people bring to this place.
My story - I think that I think that I’m smarter than I actually am. Once I got to college and met a whole bunch of people much more intelligent and learned than I, I got a bit deflated, but probably not enough.