How have the social forums on Anandtech changed your views?

[Miramonti]

Anandtech helped me through some tough times.

I was born and raised down in Alabama on a farm way back up in the woods. I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches. Papa used to tease me about it cause deep down inside he was hurt cause he'd done all he could.

My papa was a great old man, I can see him with a shovel in his hands. See education he never had. He did wonders when the times got bad, the little money from the crops he raised barely paid the bills we made. For life had kicked him down to the ground. When he tried to get up, life would kick him back down.

One day Papa called me to his dying bed, put his hands on my shoulders
and in his tears he said: "Patches, I'm depending on you, son, to pull the family through. My son, it's all left up to you."
Two days later Papa passed away, and I became a man that day. So I told Mama I was gonna quit school, but she said that was Daddy's strictest rule.

So every morning before I went to school, I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too. Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on, I wanted to leave, just run away from home. But I would remember what my daddy said with tears in his eyes on his dying bed. He said, Patches, I'm depending on you, son. I tried to do my best, It's up to you to do the rest.
Then one day a strong rain came and washed all the crops away. And at the age of 13 I thought I was carryin' the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.

And you know, Mama knew what I was going through, 'cause every day I had to work the fields. Cause that's the only way we got our meals. You see, I was the oldest of the family and everybody else depended on me.
Every night I heard my Mama pray, Lord, give him the strength to face another day.

So years have passed and all the kids are grown, the angels took Mama to a brand new home. Lord knows, people, I shedded tears
But my daddy's voice kept me through the years. "Patches, I'm depending on you, son to pull the family through, My son, it's all left up to you."

Lol

 

[Miramonti]

I honestly can't think of a single view of mine anandtech has helped change, but they have definitely reinforced a few. For better or worse.

 

[AreaCode707]

I changed my views on the Israel-Palestine conflict after getting some pretty basic facts and history from folks posting in P&N (both sides). I'd never really truly looked into it and was shamefully ignorant on the topic, but had an opinion anyway just by way of being part of a group that held that opinion. Being called out on my ignorance made me realize how little I actually knew, and it prompted me to research in a way that changed my mind.

 

[Agent11]

Strongly held views should be able to be articulated and defended if they are sincere. The process of doing so can be enlightening and transformative.

 

[esquared]

Anandtech helped me through some tough times.

I was born and raised down in Alabama on a farm way back up in the woods. I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches. Papa used to tease me about it cause deep down inside he was hurt cause he'd done all he could.

My papa was a great old man, I can see him with a shovel in his hands. See education he never had. He did wonders when the times got bad, the little money from the crops he raised barely paid the bills we made. For life had kicked him down to the ground. When he tried to get up, life would kick him back down.

One day Papa called me to his dying bed, put his hands on my shoulders
and in his tears he said: "Patches, I'm depending on you, son, to pull the family through. My son, it's all left up to you."
Two days later Papa passed away, and I became a man that day. So I told Mama I was gonna quit school, but she said that was Daddy's strictest rule.

So every morning before I went to school, I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too. Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on, I wanted to leave, just run away from home. But I would remember what my daddy said with tears in his eyes on his dying bed. He said, Patches, I'm depending on you, son. I tried to do my best, It's up to you to do the rest.
Then one day a strong rain came and washed all the crops away. And at the age of 13 I thought I was carryin' the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.

And you know, Mama knew what I was going through, 'cause every day I had to work the fields. Cause that's the only way we got our meals. You see, I was the oldest of the family and everybody else depended on me.
Every night I heard my Mama pray, Lord, give him the strength to face another day.

So years have passed and all the kids are grown, the angels took Mama to a brand new home. Lord knows, people, I shedded tears
But my daddy's voice kept me through the years. "Patches, I'm depending on you, son to pull the family through, My son, it's all left up to you."

Is it really you Patches?

Hallelujah!

 

[yhelothar]

Anandtech helped me through some tough times.

I was born and raised down in Alabama on a farm way back up in the woods. I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches. Papa used to tease me about it cause deep down inside he was hurt cause he'd done all he could.

My papa was a great old man, I can see him with a shovel in his hands. See education he never had. He did wonders when the times got bad, the little money from the crops he raised barely paid the bills we made. For life had kicked him down to the ground. When he tried to get up, life would kick him back down.

One day Papa called me to his dying bed, put his hands on my shoulders
and in his tears he said: "Patches, I'm depending on you, son, to pull the family through. My son, it's all left up to you."
Two days later Papa passed away, and I became a man that day. So I told Mama I was gonna quit school, but she said that was Daddy's strictest rule.

So every morning before I went to school, I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too. Sometimes I felt that I couldn't go on, I wanted to leave, just run away from home. But I would remember what my daddy said with tears in his eyes on his dying bed. He said, Patches, I'm depending on you, son. I tried to do my best, It's up to you to do the rest.
Then one day a strong rain came and washed all the crops away. And at the age of 13 I thought I was carryin' the weight of the whole world on my shoulders.

And you know, Mama knew what I was going through, 'cause every day I had to work the fields. Cause that's the only way we got our meals. You see, I was the oldest of the family and everybody else depended on me.
Every night I heard my Mama pray, Lord, give him the strength to face another day.

So years have passed and all the kids are grown, the angels took Mama to a brand new home. Lord knows, people, I shedded tears
But my daddy's voice kept me through the years. "Patches, I'm depending on you, son to pull the family through, My son, it's all left up to you."

Hello B.B. King