Poll: Are you desperate to be seen as smart on the interwebs?

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Johnny Novgorod

Bebop Man
Legacy
Feb 9, 2012
19,347
4,013
118
I care very little for my (and your) internet persona/s. Strong emotions like 'desperate' are restricted to my real life.
 

JagermanXcell

New member
Oct 1, 2012
1,098
0
0
No. But I hope to never contradict myself on the internet.

That tends to eventually bite people in the ass. A good example:

 

Mylinkay Asdara

Waiting watcher
Nov 28, 2010
934
0
0
Not really, no. Unless I'm exerting something I think will be assailed by a majority of the thread - in which case I often find myself half-writing a response and then deleting it anyway rather than bother with the time sink of responding to whatever would get generated.

I think part of why people on message boards particularly go for the longer, perhaps more carefully worded posts is that it isn't a short form writing thing like a text or a tweet where short is part of the definition, making the whole thing more like an actual e-mail or a written short prompt assignment from school days, and those are expected to be a 'better effort' type of writing. (Think of it: other than friend and family, when you have to send e-mail it's typically professional and writing for school prompts gets a grade)

The knowledge that what we say is being judged does compel some effort, and we know how harshly one can be judged by the anonymous masses.
 

Yopaz

Sarcastic overlord
Jun 3, 2009
6,092
0
0
I know I have more knowledge on certain subjects than the vast majority of the population and this forum, but I don't consider myself smart so I'm not desperate to be seen as such.

I guess I'm smart enough not to seek approval from complete strangers on a communication platform where everyone got a degree in whatever subject is being discussed.
 

King Billi

New member
Jul 11, 2012
595
0
0
Honestly I don't see how I could possibly hope to achieve such a thing since with each successive post I make I feel I'm only increasing the odds that people will finally see me for the unrefined yet stubbornly opinonated person that I am... If I haven't reached that point already of course. Everyone's a little clueless sometimes.

Really though if I wanted to look for some kind of personal affirmation of my worth as an intelligent human being then I don't think an internet message board is the best place to find it.
 

Canadamus Prime

Robot in Disguise
Jun 17, 2009
14,334
0
0
No. I don't think of myself as smart so why would I be desperate for others to see me as such. On the other hand it'd be nice to be seen as right once in a while.
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
19,316
0
0
I wouldn't say "desperate", although I do try to perpetrate the idea.

(I don't think it works very well.)

I'd rather be seen as funny-ish and/or interesting to talk to.

(I don't think that's working very well either.)

Now, ask me again when I'm ticked off. Then I'll move Heaven and Earth to be right.
 

Evil Smurf

Admin of Catoholics Anonymous
Nov 11, 2011
11,597
0
0
I act myself, educated, smart and funny.
Reaper195 said:
Couldn't give a shit what people think. I got me too much Swag for this shit. #YOLO!
http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/238/284/db1.gif
OMG TOTES #winning
 

Dead Seerius

New member
Feb 4, 2012
865
0
0
Smart? Pssssssshhh, naw!

I try to take a more light-hearted approach to most of my posts. Although if I'm posting in a topic that really interests me or someone is asking for advice, I do put some effort into what I say.
Not to seem smart, but informed.

Anyway, if people seem like they're trying to sound intelligent here, it's because this is the Escapist, where we have standards! *Turns up nose.
 

The Lugz

New member
Apr 23, 2011
1,371
0
0
if someone isn't as intelligent as you, you have little hope of convincing them of anything because to process what you've said the person has to first break it down into things he or she understands, therefore if they have no relevant knowledge of a topic they just think you're making up nonsense

it's an extremely arduous task to teach some people things, or make something extreme or cutting edge look anything less than geek fantasy

this is what happens about half the time when an intelligent person makes something for the internet
and that's a sad thought, isn't it?


so my answer is this,
i have no interest in what you think of what i think i look sound or act like, because it's ultimately self defeating and a waste of time to alter my behavior to look like someone i have no interest in imitating
 

uchytjes

New member
Mar 19, 2011
969
0
0
I can honestly say that I don't care what the people of the interwebs think about me. If they see me as smart, good for them and if they see me as a prepubescent troll with no social life all I'm doing is living up to a stereotype. Sure I prefer if they see me as smart, but it really doesn't matter.
 

A_Parked_Car

New member
Oct 30, 2009
627
0
0
I don't try to appear smart, but I only post if I have something intelligent to say. That would be why my post count is so low, even though I have been on this site for quite some time.

I do post 'walls of text' from time to time, but only when it is necessary. If the OP posts some complex topic/question that I feel the need to reply to, then I will give a full answer.

A lot of the time I delibrately avoid posting in threads that I'm extremely knowledgeable in. Although, that is mostly because I don't have the motivation to get into a debate over say, the Pacific War, with some moron on the internet.
 

kickassfrog

New member
Jan 17, 2011
488
0
0
Reeve said:
Are you desperate to be seen as smart on the interwebs?

Maybe I'm just a misanthrope, but this is what I imagine the motivation is for posters who post inordinately, long walls of text on, often, minor issues. I'm talking about the posts where they throw in "clever phrases" or what the poster seems to think of as a witty manner of speaking. (That feels like it has been ripped directly off the script of some random American TV drama)
TL;DR I just let my intelligence shine out for itself.

I was going to post a long essay with many words I looked up in the thesaurus, but my apathy got the better of me.

Edit: I do still try to appear funny at times, but not always successfully.
 

Darken12

New member
Apr 16, 2011
1,061
0
0
I would love to explain things to you with my armchair psychoanalysis. Repeatedly.

:)
 

Harlemura

Ace Defective
May 1, 2009
3,327
0
0
Pfft, no. I know I'm pretty dumb, that's why a lot of my posts are pretty short. The longer I go on, the more likely I am to say something completely wrong.
On a side note, knowing you're not that bright yet your friends thinking you're a genius because you were good at maths in school is really annoying.