[jyl]

This is a serious question. Why do you spend time here, debating or discussing or ranting over the issues we talk about on OT?

Why do you consider it worth your time and energy? Do you have the same discussions and arguments on other online boards? In your offline life? Do you take the same positions, or take them as strongly, in other forums? Why don't you just go watch TV, have a beer, read a book, etc?

I think it is an interesting question, considering how many people devote a substantial amount of their energy and free time to PPOT.

I'll start: I come here because I seldom have the opportunity to debate political, economic, etc, issues in my offline life. Being in Berkeley, I find that my friends tend to have views fairly close to mine, in many cases they are to the left of me. Debates are not very interesting when both agree. Here I get to hear from people with views very different than my own, and many express those views clearly and with supporting data and reasoning. Quite often I find that my own views are influenced by the discussions here, at a minimum I have to think harder about my views. A couple of years on PPOT has actually shifted me on some issues.

(Of course, PPOT is also a good place to answer "how to" questions like what do you use to shoot rats and so on. But I'm asking here about the political threads.)