Chess vs. Forums: Which Causes Less Brain Damage?

Numerous posts in a certain recent forum (that shall remain nameless) have supported the theory that playing chess is "Bad For the Brain."  In fact, even a cursory perusal of the comments on the "Bad for the Brain" topic (all presumably written by chessplayers, including myself) makes it apparent that the question is now Resolved:  Chess Is, Clearly, Bad for the Brain.  

In this same forum, one commenter noted that, because he is Quite aware of the danger that chess poses to his brain, he now spends most of his time in "the forums."  It's my humble contention that Anyone familiar with the Forums has not only Observed, but Personally Experienced, a certain amount of brain damage.

Thus, only One unanswered question remains: Which is Least harmful to the human brain -- Chess (on this site) or Forums (on this site)?  I look forward to, and thank you in advance for, your thoughtful responses.  

I have never heard of chess being bad for the brain, in fact that is why I play chess to keep my brain active.

Oh, dear!  Sorry, Gramps (and others) --- I was trying to start a "humorous" discussion.  I guess my fake pseudoscientific jargon was just too convincing --- apparently I have brain damage from playing chess and reading forums .... ....

Not at all - I think you've proven your initial point - both chess and forums do considerable damage to the part of the brain located in the posterior buttocks... it comes from sitting too long reading and thinking.

haha...the forums would drive anyone mad, and since I'm already half mad...I steer clear!

To motherlaw: very good forum-theme.

Sorry, my English: To motherinlaw: very good forum-theme. :)

(in Deutsch: mother-in-law = Schwiegermutter)

brain? we're sposed to have a brain??

Hello Motherinlaw, interesting topic. I still believe that it is age that causes our Brain to go downhill. This is re-enforced by the fact that our Brain shrinks in size as we age. Slowing down the inevitable mental decline may be possible by keeping our Brain busy thru playing Chess. So i guess that I will say that Chess causes less Brain damage.     

Reading the contributions of forum posters is great entertainment with many laughs and insightful comments...forums reduce the stress of playing chess... sometimes forum comments clearly tell you that that poster definitely has suffered brain damage from chess...forums are a way to twiddle your thumbs waiting for someone to reply to your last move...in chess or in the forums...I reckon both chess and forums can cause brain damage, not in my case obviously...so it is a dead heat between chess and forums on this site

I like to play chess.  I play chess for hours.  When I'm done with my chess play, I'll stop in at the forums to switch gears for awhile.  But when I come to the forums, virtually every thread is related to chess in some way.

If chess causes brain damage, and forums cause brain damage, doesn't it stand to reason that chess-related forums will double the damage?

I might be in danger of having a stroke just for writing this post.

what evidence is your refutation based upon, or is it mere assertion?

I've heard that some of the things people post cause others to slam their heads on the keyboards. I imagine this would cause more braindamage than chess.

why would anyone take these forums seriously such that they hammer the keyboard with thier forehead. hang loose! just enjoy the banter, and enjoy chess. 

That's ironic.

It's actually a string of events. All the chess games cause minor brain damage, and that person leaves to the forums for relief. The forum however, causes even more distress, and...

*WHAM*WHAM*WHAM*!

why call it stress better to think of it as an adrenalin rush and learn to harness it to bash your opponents not the keyboard

It has been tried. The results were many broken monitors.

Good point, Fingerly.  Does the combination of the Two activities Double the damage?  Or perhaps it sets off a Geometric Progression of mental deterioration culminating in a descent into incoherent babbling about using the "Frodo-Crumpet" Gambit to counter the "Buford, Kentucky -- Declined." 

(Hope your recovery from that stroke is going well.  Remember: Baby steps, baby steps.!)

BTW, thank you, "myking" (if I may call you that), for suggesting a standard for "amount of potential brain damage" to which we could compare the two activities under consideration here:  Brain-eating bugs.  Yes.  That might be worse.

i've always found that the longer i stay logged into this site, the more crazy i become so now i limit myself, and don't stick around for hours, it works well!