To think that MN users seem more intelligent than the average person?

[ethelfleda]

Ok hear me out...
In real life, I would consider myself to be fairly intelligent... I’d maybe even go as far as saying above average in comparison to the people around me.
However, the other users on MN make me feel less than average most of the time! So many articulate and well reasoned arguments - vocabulary that I hardly hear day to day let alone know what it means. There are also some very witty people on here too. So is it just me? Or do the posters on mn not represent the average person intelligence wise?

However, the other users on MN make me feel less than average most of the time! So many articulate and well reasoned arguments - vocabulary that I hardly hear day to day let alone know what it means.
Really? Are you including the posters who fling around 'fuck' and 'cunt' everywhere? I don't hear that sort of language in real life and it's not exactly articulate or well-reasoned. And using 'LTB', 'too many red flags', 'he's controlling' aren't arguments. They're knee-jerk reactions in an attempt to upset an OP. Yes there are some intelligent or just plain 'normal' posters, thank goodness. But MN is like any society - good and bad, decent & dregs. AIBU gets more dregs than any other bit. Philosophy & Religion on the other hand....

The average person only has an IQ of 90.

Saying cunt says nothing about someone's intelligence.

It's not a reasoned argument is it? It doesn't demonstrate a wide vocab.

On it's own it's not a reasoned argument but in the context it may very well be, and again one word doesn't really say much about someone's vocabulary. I don't think it's a very accurate way to judge it.

I've always liked you, OP.

Better educated yes. Not necessarily more intelligent though. In particular there is a clear lack of ability to read and understand an opening post and in some cases a clear lack of ability to be able to listen and respond to someone else's point in a reasoned manner. The feminism board though does have a lot of intelligent women contributing.

Sometimes I think so & then I read certain posts & think wtf do people actually think like that!

I've been here for thirteen years now, & I feel the same as you OP.

Yes there are wankers aplenty, but generally I find it an Oasis of informed opinion, paragraphs & excellent jokes.

Over the whole board I agree. There are people with knowledge and expertise, and interesting experiences and opinions. However, AIBU is appalling a lot of the time.
Reading comprehension skills lacking,
Disagreeing with an opinion about something innocuous by telling the OP to 'fucking get a life' , she's a cunt etc.
Hundreds of posts all criticising the OP when she'd agreed early on she'd been unreasonable.
Stating 'facts' about law and health which are factually wrong.
And some of the comments on holiday destinations are amazing. 'I went to ….large and beautiful capital city ….and there was nothing to do'.

See if you feel the same way in a month

I've been on here on and off for years, nothing will change in a month. You only have to look at numerous other sites to see that the general level of intelligence here is higher, posts are written in sentences with proper punctuation in almost every case, there is good advice available on pretty much every subject.

There are a small number of huns and the odd person who gives crap employment advice but overall I don't think you could dispute that for whatever reason MN attracts more educated/intelligent posters that some other sites

Saying hum is more about education and class than intelligence.

Generally, yes, there seems to be. A lot of it, however, will be down to the fact that you aren't speaking to people- they're typing, they have as much time as they want to research a topic and present an intelligent viewpoint, rather than saying the first thing that comes into their heads, like people do in real life.

Typo, I meant hun.

I is very smart too.

I think it’s more than likely you’re going onto threads that have a particular interest to you. If you feel that you’re intellectual, then you may spend more time on the political, FWR and other similar boards. They do tend to draw incredibly intelligent posters. I’m not very intellectual, I spend a lot of time reading, rather than commenting, if I feel it’s a bit out of my grasp. I would imagine I’m not the only one.

I started about 11 years ago and it struck me the same OP. I don't notice so much now, either because it's changed or I've got used to it.

I agree with what RavenLG said about the time factor, you've got time to think about what you post and adjust/edit if you need to before you post. You could also Google the point/topic and copy and paste. I've seen this on AIBU - not just posting a link or quoting something/someone properly, but posters copying and pasting big paragraphs from say Wikipedia, and posting as 'their own' opinion/knowledge. I've often looked the topic at hand up for reference and seen what someone has posted word for word.
I think an edit button which I'd love would probably make it appear more so, as you'd be able to go back and change things, spelling, typo's etc so the vast majority of posts imo, would be perfect.
I also think the spag police have a lot to do with people writing well on here 😁

Better educated yes, but my god don’t some of them like to shout about it.
I’d far rather read posts from someone who’s spelling isn’t that great, but who comes across as normal & nice.
It also seems like there’s two extremes of people, the really rich ( 4 kids all in private education ) & the ones struggling to feed a family of 5 on £15 a week.

Yes there are some people on here that I really would not like to meet. I only hope they are nicer in real life than they appear to be here. But I suspect not.

Really? This is where I come for my shit internet. You just have to consider the sheer number of peepers and antivaxxers this place attracts. That said, I have learned a lot about parking etiquette which is something I knew little about. It’s not all nonsense.

I think there's a mixture really - the know it alls are as irritating as the uninformed

Yup - a real mixture IMO (and I've been on here for years). Some people are extremely articulate, write very well, excellent spelling and punctuation, well reasoned arguments, clearly well-educated, fair-minded, etc. Others write incoherent drivel, don't read the OP's posts properly or deliberately misunderstand/troll hunt/generally derail perfectly reasonable posts - it drives me a bit nuts sometimes.

mobyduck aren't iq tests set so the average is 100?

#teamknowitall

Yes, average IQ is 100. I think there is a high level of intelligence and education here, to the point where you really notice the exceptions. There are also people who seem incapable of rational debate to the point where you want to beat your head on the table!

I think there's a mixture really - the know it alls are as irritating as the uninformed

Know-it-alls does not equate to intelligence and is a casual abusive term for someone one does not like/can't argue/ can't be arsed to argue with.

Uninformed is not the same as unintelligent.