# Why is the quality of posters high on this forum ? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2016, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231 "2016-04-05T04:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/61 "2016-04-07T18:52:42Z")
I don’t know if the average Doper is that smart. It’s just what George Carlin said - > [@](#): > > Think of what an idiot the average person is. Then remember that half the population is even dumber than that. The Dope is a set of nerds in search of the perfect one-liner. That, and we don’t allow avatars. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/62 "2016-04-07T21:00:52Z")
We’re smarter than average only in the sense that we filter out that sludge at the bottom of the gene pool Shodan just mentioned. Unlike YouTube’s comments that seems to attract them like flies to dog poop. As others have said, choosing “Don’t be a jerk” as the Prime Directive was the real masterstroke. All else flows from that. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/63 "2016-04-08T01:21:49Z")
All I know is I’m so smart my brain hurts. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/64 "2016-04-08T02:22:51Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > All I know is I’m so smart my brain hurts. So stop banging your head against the wall. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/65 "2016-04-08T02:25:01Z")
[del]Threat of torture.[/del] ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/66 "2016-04-08T02:41:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > As others have said, choosing “Don’t be a jerk” as the Prime Directive was the real masterstroke. Ah, but who decides that? I was once accused of being a jerk when responding to someone who was indeed being far more jerky. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/67 "2016-04-08T03:22:03Z")
what, he was dried meat? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/68 "2016-04-08T13:46:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > what, he was dried meat? Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2016, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/69 "2016-04-08T19:05:36Z")
Back to my related topic of SDMB traffic: So, Pope France released his “All You Need is Love” exhortation speaking to a more open approach to same-sexers and divorcees. I am not Catholic and only following the love for Pope Francis in an arm’s-length sort of way. But I think I am the first person to start a thread about his new Love Tract. Just seems weird - I would’ve assumed this would be discussion worthy by folks well before me. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231/70 "2016-04-09T14:27:48Z")
I’m not sure if this is typical but when I first found the Dope I lurked for several weeks, just reading some of the in depth, articulate and enlightening threads on various topics. There’s so much stuff on just the initial pages, without doing a search, so I got a real ‘feel’ of the Dope culture and how everyone treats each other with respect. Of course then I started posting and lowered the tone, but back then the Dope really sparkled. I only post a few times a week so maybe my negative influence on the quality is very minor, even unnoticeable to a casual observer. Nobody has called me up on my meanderings and nonsense, which means it’s comfortable to come back to.😃 I think it was several _years_ before I had been in and posted in all of the different sections, I guess love for the Dope is a slow-burning affair. Also I reckon the average age as well as IQ is higher here than other forums, and the knowledge bank of Dopers is so wide and deep there’s always something new to learn or discover, plus it takes a while to get through the longer threads and that kind of reading must suit a particular mindset. I rarely see threadjacking/shitting like you get where people (with shorter attention spans) tend to post short, snappy, snidey posts in quick fashion. And that’s about it, really. Just a big group of individuals all over the world (with a large base all over the US) who like to read and type in some depth. AFAIK there’s no real organising of new Dopers, people just wander into here and stay if they like it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-quality-of-posters-high-on-this-forum/751231.md?page=3)