As funny as that is, I’m not sure if I’d call that typical. There are other types of threads just as common as those. Project ideas and simple discussion pieces aren’t rare…things like How does this look? and Kony? pop up all the time, and I think are just fine. Not everything has to be a Filipino knife fight. (Although those do seem to come about often enough as well. Clayton’s Demonization of Muslims and Islam is carrying on quite well, and even 2-year old graveyarded rhubarbs like “Statist” Defined - Basic English 101 get bumped from time to time.)
And I think some really great threads came from newbies posting how I think everyone would like a newbie to post. Check out the threads by -Joe-, danbeaulieu, and shackleford just to name a few. FlyingAxe is a shining example of what an inquisitive newbie could be.
Like I said, it’s more about the way the conversation is struck than most anything else.