Wait, some of you on DCUM are really smart!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another Ph.d. here, former professor of writing as well as my specialty area, and book author. Also terrible at math and also very happy in the DC-area because of the level of education. In my (not extraordinarily wealthy) neighborhood most people have at least a master's level degree/JD/MD.

It's just "author", you don't need to add "book" that's tautological.

[Anonymous]

I find great wit (occasionally) here on DCUM. Some true gems. I’m a lawyer mom, work too much and come here to see what others are doing as to college apps etc. but stay for the occasional humor. Posts are sometimes spoiled by trolls, or those with obvious political motivation. Disappointing. But generally I appreciate this board and the intelligence of those here. My posts would be much, much better without autocorrect and my aging eyes.

[Anonymous]

Well, you see, we are GenX. We all went to excellent schools, public and private. Then, universities actually expected you to learn. We went to excellent grad schools - and then, nothing. We either got pushed out of our tech careers by incoming H1B's or we just never found our niche. So, we are here, underemployed, but happy to be entertaining others with our vast knowledge and experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s why DCUM is a much better place than Reddit.

+1. Although the quality of responses has declined considerably in the last several years. I miss the days when DCUM was mostly full of highly educated DC-area posters.

When I first found DCUM I was delighted with the content and the intelligence behind postings. It's gone downhill.

Unless you have been around for 15+ years, this is what everyone says about every online community. I can guarantee you there were plenty of crappy posts/discussions back then, they just eventually get buried (as witnessed by people bumping some really dumb/divisive threads found via search engines).

Many of us have been on DCUM longer than 15 years. I started in 2004 when it was still an email listserve.

I'm sure someone has, that's why I qualified it! I'm going to guess "it was better back then poster" though hasn't and it's such a common trope in all communities that have stood the test of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use grammar cleanup and other tools to form intelligent communicationsn after grunting text into a field

DP. I used to care more but then my Samsung phone spellcheck program mutated into an eldritch horror that goes along behind me and slowly updates things incorrectly and I don't see what it did until it's too late. It loves to change verb tenses and plural nouns to singular. And substitutes ridiculous words for words it doesn't know.

Now my guilty pleasure is guessing what the real word is that spellcheck replaced. In my posts and those authored by others. The replacement words do sometimes give a fun little window into other people's lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s why DCUM is a much better place than Reddit.

+1. Although the quality of responses has declined considerably in the last several years. I miss the days when DCUM was mostly full of highly educated DC-area posters.

+1
I still visit but less frequently. The board is becoming more like Reddit everyday as the demographic changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use grammar cleanup and other tools to form intelligent communicationsn after grunting text into a field

This made me snort

On the other hand, I got some intel from one of my kids who stopped by to see G&G boxing day morning. He didn't get to go to regular Xmas because he had swapped holiday shifts with a coworker and worked both Eve & Day for 36 hrs. I'm not with my ex anymore and he's with someone else, so I don't go anymore. (He says it's too uncomfortable for everyone)

Backstory: my niece once said out loud at a holiday meal that she wanted to work with autistic children. (There are at least 2 in our family) My MIL said "oh no, that's not what you want to do! You want to go to medical school and become a surgeon who can cure autism!" It was one of those moments when your head has an involuntary shudder.

But you know what? That girl got out of college and is apparently an intake counselor for a local homeless shelter. Everyone's quite horrified because she's associating with THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE ... but HFS I am so glad for her. I just had to ask for her cell phone number from someone else because I was parted from the family before she was allowed to even have a cell phone.

I'm def in the family wings now, but now I'm thinking I want to spend some of her cheating uncle's money on putting together whatever they call those care bags or necessities kits with socks gloves toothbrushes combs fingernail clippers. I have so many points that he doesn't know about. I am so into this idea.

Sorry this was not an I am smart post. As years go on I think I get even more dumb ... but perhaps more kind and thoughtful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use grammar cleanup and other tools to form intelligent communicationsn after grunting text into a field

This made me snort

On the other hand, I got some intel from one of my kids who stopped by to see G&G boxing day morning. He didn't get to go to regular Xmas because he had swapped holiday shifts with a coworker and worked both Eve & Day for 36 hrs. I'm not with my ex anymore and he's with someone else, so I don't go anymore. (He says it's too uncomfortable for everyone)

Backstory: my niece once said out loud at a holiday meal that she wanted to work with autistic children. (There are at least 2 in our family) My MIL said "oh no, that's not what you want to do! You want to go to medical school and become a surgeon who can cure autism!" It was one of those moments when your head has an involuntary shudder.

But you know what? That girl got out of college and is apparently an intake counselor for a local homeless shelter. Everyone's quite horrified because she's associating with THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE ... but HFS I am so glad for her. I just had to ask for her cell phone number from someone else because I was parted from the family before she was allowed to even have a cell phone.

I'm def in the family wings now, but now I'm thinking I want to spend some of her cheating uncle's money on putting together whatever they call those care bags or necessities kits with socks gloves toothbrushes combs fingernail clippers. I have so many points that he doesn't know about. I am so into this idea.

Sorry this was not an I am smart post. As years go on I think I get even more dumb ... but perhaps more kind and thoughtful

If you are kind and thoughtful, why not use your own money to make care packages???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use grammar cleanup and other tools to form intelligent communicationsn after grunting text into a field

This made me snort

On the other hand, I got some intel from one of my kids who stopped by to see G&G boxing day morning. He didn't get to go to regular Xmas because he had swapped holiday shifts with a coworker and worked both Eve & Day for 36 hrs. I'm not with my ex anymore and he's with someone else, so I don't go anymore. (He says it's too uncomfortable for everyone)

Backstory: my niece once said out loud at a holiday meal that she wanted to work with autistic children. (There are at least 2 in our family) My MIL said "oh no, that's not what you want to do! You want to go to medical school and become a surgeon who can cure autism!" It was one of those moments when your head has an involuntary shudder.

But you know what? That girl got out of college and is apparently an intake counselor for a local homeless shelter. Everyone's quite horrified because she's associating with THOSE KINDS OF PEOPLE ... but HFS I am so glad for her. I just had to ask for her cell phone number from someone else because I was parted from the family before she was allowed to even have a cell phone.

I'm def in the family wings now, but now I'm thinking I want to spend some of her cheating uncle's money on putting together whatever they call those care bags or necessities kits with socks gloves toothbrushes combs fingernail clippers. I have so many points that he doesn't know about. I am so into this idea.

Sorry this was not an I am smart post. As years go on I think I get even more dumb ... but perhaps more kind and thoughtful

If you are kind and thoughtful, why not use your own money to make care packages???

I am the 60s age DCUM apparent zebra who is still married to my ex, we still have a joint checking account

It is technically my own money there, I guess. You are correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, you see, we are GenX. We all went to excellent schools, public and private. Then, universities actually expected you to learn. We went to excellent grad schools - and then, nothing. We either got pushed out of our tech careers by incoming H1B's or we just never found our niche. So, we are here, underemployed, but happy to be entertaining others with our vast knowledge and experience.

Such a cop out.

This is not true for most GenXers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another Ph.d. here, former professor of writing as well as my specialty area, and book author. Also terrible at math and also very happy in the DC-area because of the level of education. In my (not extraordinarily wealthy) neighborhood most people have at least a master's level degree/JD/MD.

It's just "author", you don't need to add "book" that's tautological.

I guess some people are driven by eye rolls, not lolz. Mechanics over wit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I use grammar cleanup and other tools to form intelligent communicationsn after grunting text into a field

DP. I used to care more but then my Samsung phone spellcheck program mutated into an eldritch horror that goes along behind me and slowly updates things incorrectly and I don't see what it did until it's too late. It loves to change verb tenses and plural nouns to singular. And substitutes ridiculous words for words it doesn't know.

Now my guilty pleasure is guessing what the real word is that spellcheck replaced. In my posts and those authored by others. The replacement words do sometimes give a fun little window into other people's lives.

I also have an Android and have this problem. It regularly autocorrect even common words with very minor typos into entirely different words.

Also my thumbs sometimes accidentally hit the predictive text at the top of the keyboard while typing, and if I don't notice and fix, this leads to all kinds of bizarre misstatements. I see it in other posts too.

It almost makes me miss T9 typing. It definitely makes me miss the old blackberry tactile keyboards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That’s why DCUM is a much better place than Reddit.

+1. Although the quality of responses has declined considerably in the last several years. I miss the days when DCUM was mostly full of highly educated DC-area posters.

+1. A lot more trolls with simple responses like “you idiot.” Old DCUM would have wit with their insult.

Perhaps respond: "Please do refer to Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1, and follow the good advice on marriage that Hamlet bestows on Ophelia."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another Ph.d. here, former professor of writing as well as my specialty area, and book author. Also terrible at math and also very happy in the DC-area because of the level of education. In my (not extraordinarily wealthy) neighborhood most people have at least a master's level degree/JD/MD.

It's just "author", you don't need to add "book" that's tautological.

So why does the movie exist which is called Author! Author!

Starring Al Pacino and Dylan Cannon

I know because sometimes when we come into some money I say “It means Geraldo gets a Snake”

(It’s a very fun movie. Also Tuesday Weld and a few kid actors who continued to act … it’s a good 70s movie) See also: Rich Kids, Six Pack

[Anonymous]

There's a few different ways of measuring "smart". I do find it kind of predictable that a line of DCUMers trots out, listing their PhD and other accolades, as if that is the most important signifier of "smart". It isn't.

If you were really that smart you'd not have fallen for OP's BS post.