# Why can't Siam Sam accept correction? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 15, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779 "2012-09-15T09:45:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/61 "2012-09-17T17:35:27Z")
> [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > In Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side, do all the coloured girls go Doot Doot Doot or Toot Toot Toot? Need answer fast, I am currently embroiled in a heated messageboard debate with a junkie transsexual from Brooklyn. It’s a tri-syllable?! Need genuinely fast answer; auction is about to expire! ---
**Author:** ![wellanuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@wellanuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wellanuff)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/62 "2012-09-17T17:35:52Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > I admit I have an inexplicable anti-social compulsion to correct errors. And I admit that incorrect claims that _I_ am mistaken infuriate me irrationally. Dopers don’t even know my true name, and it wouldn’t matter if they did … Why my irrational need to have my truths validated? I’ve often thought a BBQ Pit thread should be directed against me and my perversion. > > I don’t know how this perversion developed. Even at age 7 I was aware that I was more knowledgeable than some adults on some subjects, yet I remained an almost-autistic social misfit well into adulthood. Many Dopers are aware of this perverse obsession of mine. It also manifests in real life. When you make an honest acknowledgement of your own personal failings/weaknesses/eccentricities like this,you will find people are much more patient, understanding and forgiving if you apologize and offer that you realize you need to keep those compulsions under control and you are sorry for insulting people, and not act as if simply acknowledging your weirdness gives you cover to double-down on your oddities. It doesn’t. I assure you, nobody gives a fuck about who’s right about Thai farts or what paperwork you need to open a bank account. There is no contest for “Westerner Who’s Learned the Most About Thai Language and Society.” I do know that Siam Sam seems to be reasonably knowledgeable about Thailand, and not obnoxious about it. If he is right in the cases you mention or not, I cannot tell and do not care. You act as if you are trying to dethrone him and become the resident Thai expert, and really there is no such thing. It’s great to promote knowledge and share trivia, but if you can’t correct errors in a respectful, humble fashion that acknowledges that nobody is free from making errors, especially when the other person is obviously not a drooling idiot and just may be mistaken about something, then you just come across as a bit of a loon. I’ve been there, I understand where you are coming from, and your approach just doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![qbadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/fbc32d/32.png) [@qbadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qbadger)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/63 "2012-09-23T01:47:14Z")
The idea that a post that isn’t factually correct is more preferable to one that is, however obnoxious in tone, should be anathema to the Straight Dope. I “give a fuck” about the requirement to opening a bank account in Thailand, and you should too. Not because I think I might need to do just that in future, but because it’s part of fighting ignorance. Now of course if it were done gracefully and politely all the better, but it should be done regardless. Otherwise this is just another message board of thousands on the internet. I thought we set the standard higher than that. ---
**Author:** ![wellanuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@wellanuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wellanuff)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/64 "2012-09-23T03:27:18Z")
> [@qbadger](#): > > The idea that a post that isn’t factually correct is more preferable to one that is, however obnoxious in tone, should be anathema to the Straight Dope. > > I “give a fuck” about the requirement to opening a bank account in Thailand, and you should too. Not because I think I might need to do just that in future, but because it’s part of fighting ignorance. Now of course if it were done gracefully and politely all the better, but it should be done regardless. Otherwise this is just another message board of thousands on the internet. I thought we set the standard higher than that. Nah, I’m not saying I prefer factually incorrect posts as long as they are polite. That’s ridiculous. I said I don’t give a fuck about _who’s right_, not about the information being correct. But, I disagree that squabbling over the minutiae of bureaucratic procedures is part of fighting ignorance, at least at anything more than the most pedestrian level. That is the sort of information that can and really only needs to be accessed when it is relevant to the person who is seeking the knowledge, and does not rise above the level of obscure trivia. (Besides, anyone that is foolish enough to begin a bureaucratic process armed with information posted by some anonymous poster in the straight dope rather than getting the necessary information straight from the bureaucracy in question deserves to get misinformation, actually. 😉 “Wait, you mean I need to fill out form ZS-3/77.1 in blue pen? But on the dope they said black would be perfectly fine!”) After the edit window closed on my previous post, I did want to retract the bit about posting the correct information in a “respectful, humble fashion”…that was just a little too precious. Sorry 'bout that. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/65 "2012-09-23T08:44:30Z")
“Uns, Thais, Fee Tines a Mady…” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/66 "2012-09-23T12:50:35Z")
Fucking farangs. Get off my soi! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/67 "2012-09-23T14:50:00Z")
> [@wellanuff](#): > > Nah, I’m not saying I prefer factually incorrect posts as long as they are polite. That’s ridiculous. I said I don’t give a fuck about _who’s right_, not about the information being correct. > > But, I disagree that squabbling over the minutiae of bureaucratic procedures is part of fighting ignorance, at least at anything more than the most pedestrian level. I agree that this petty squabbling is useless. _That’s why I Pitted Sam._ In particular I’m annoyed that he always insists on having the last word, however repetitious it might be. And I do realize that Siam Sam is normally a gracious friendly Doper. Obviously I did something to annoy him, _but I don’t know what._ Using Search I located one of our earliest encounters: [this thread about language](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=624835). In that thread, Sam posts #14, #50, #52, #57, #58, #60. Septimus posts #28, #51. The interaction between Septimus and Sam is at 50-51-52, though Sam’s 57-58-60, related to someone else, also demonstrate his need to get the last word, even when wrong. I thought my post #28 was especially informative in that thread. Sam’s #50 (“No. Wela. Although no doubt you’ll defend the V vigorously.”) was rather perfunctory … and hints to me that I’d annoyed him earlier, though I don’t know when unless he’d been silently stewing about his own ignorance from the “fart” thread mentioned earlier. Read 28-50-51-52 objectively and tell me who’s discussing linguistics and who’s just on some ego trip. I am _not_ claiming Sam’s performance in that thread was a “big deal” – obviously we all frequently see far far worse at SDMB. But it’s the first of many examples where he demonstrates some obsession to answer me with snark whenever I demonstrate knowledge of Thai, etc. It’s too bad he’s put me on Ignore since I am curious what led to his attitude. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/68 "2012-09-23T21:48:39Z")
Siam Sam is one of my favorite posters. Nothing against septimus, either. I’ll spring for a short time hotel rom for you two to sit down and work things out. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2012, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/69 "2012-09-24T21:01:22Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > But it’s the first of many examples where he demonstrates some obsession to answer me with snark whenever I demonstrate knowledge of Thai, etc. It’s too bad he’s put me on Ignore since I am curious what led to his attitude. It’s because you’re an asshole. Have you already forgotten? > [@Is there a Federal law that every sentence needs maximal snark and hyperbole? (Re: greenslime1951)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-federal-law-that-every-sentence-needs-maximal-snark-and-hyperbole-re-greenslime1951/631456/1): > > I often read my own posts a day after I wrote them and think “What a pretentious hyperbolic sanctimonious asshole that **septimus** is!” Or here > [@Ron Paul attacks the 1964 Civil Rights Act; Ron Paul doesn't get America](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ron-paul-attacks-the-1964-civil-rights-act-ron-paul-doesnt-get-america/608262/83): > > I’d be happy to be friends with any of you, in real life, or, more likely, you’d not want to be my friend since IRL I’m still an obnoxious asshole. ☹ And now you’re bitching about **mmmbeer**? Do you not see the common thread in all these altercations? Look at your behaviour in that thread, every post you made in that thread was nothing but snark. > [@Is there anything wrong with "class warfare"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349/249): > > And please, **mmmbeer** (and any of his would-be defenders)… > [@Is there anything wrong with "class warfare"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349/249): > > Is it rational, or even sober, to respond with… > [@Is there anything wrong with "class warfare"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349/251): > > If you focused more on understanding, and less on finding humor… > [@Is there anything wrong with "class warfare"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anything-wrong-with-class-warfare/634349/251): > > In future I hope you reread posts that seem to make no sense, rather than delighting in what seems “funny” or writing “Jesus, Joseph, and Mary.” I do accept part of the responsibility for failing to write “(including payroll tax)” in a large font from the get-go. 😃 Lay off with the fucking smileys and writing in really large font and you’d probably have to start a lot fewer pit threads. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/70 "2012-09-25T01:39:35Z")
> [@wellanuff](#): > > But, I disagree that squabbling over the minutiae of bureaucratic procedures is part of fighting ignorance… This is the SDMB, squabbling over minutiae is what we do. ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/71 "2012-09-25T03:20:33Z")
[Yul Brynner] Is a puzzlement! [/Yul Brynner] ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/72 "2012-09-25T06:29:51Z")
> [@qbadger](#): > > The idea that a post that isn’t factually correct is more preferable to one that is, however obnoxious in tone, should be anathema to the Straight Dope. > > I “give a fuck” about the requirement to opening a bank account in Thailand, and you should too. Not because I think I might need to do just that in future, but because it’s part of fighting ignorance. Now of course if it were done gracefully and politely all the better, but it should be done regardless. Otherwise this is just another message board of thousands on the internet. I thought we set the standard higher than that. I was never able to open a straight up savings account in the USA because I had no credit history, they were not extending me any credit(no checks or debit card). I tried at several large and small banks, at each once the credit check came back no info that was the end of it. I cannot find any law or policy that attests to the fact you must have some credit history to open a bank account in the USA, but I promise you it is true. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2012, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779/73 "2012-09-25T07:13:29Z")
> [@emacknight](#): > > It’s because you’re an asshole. Have you already forgotten? I’ve admitted that I have a perverse compulsion to let a Doper know when he’s irritated me … and there are a lot of irritating Dopers ☹ . On some other message boards I’ve never been obnoxious. In real life, people frequently comment on my jovial friendly nature. (Though my Mr. Hyde side does emerge in a temper fit, only twice or thrice a year these days, when someone is particularly irritating.) There is a similarity between you and me, **emacknight**. We are _both_ assholes on this Board. There are also at least two major differences: (1) The facts I post are almost always correct. Yours are usually wrong or distorted … in the rare cases where your “facts” are more than just trite gibberish. Aren’t you the one that started and junior-modded a long thread on the dictionary definition of “risk”? (2) AFAICT, you don’t seem to even know what an asshole you are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-siam-sam-accept-correction/634779.md?page=3)