So you're saying the best way to figure out what happened to MH370 is to do nothing, don't think, don't have any ideas, in no way make any effort to interpret the facts as they present themselves or try to fill in the blanks with educated guesses?

Nice plan.

Well it definitely won't be bloggers and armchair investigators who figure it out. Unfounded speculation is irresponsible and immature behaviour the very least.

Some people seem to enjoy it as a sort of creative challenge, it seems, which I guess doesn't really hurt anyone (I don't envision the victims' families reading these threads). That's fine as far as it goes, although these threads always seem to branch out into bizarro conspiracy theories about the Mossad trying to smuggle the Reptilians' sacred crystals into Liechtenstein and wondering about why the "all-powerful, all-seeing" governments are hiding what they know about it.

Why don't you envision the victims' families reading this sort of thread? If I were the relative of somebody on that plane, I'd be reading every single article and thread I could, trying to keep the hope of finding them alive, alive. Surely I'm not the only one?

I guess that does answer my question. I have no real beef with the speculation, it is somewhat darkly amusing, given that real people died and are totally missing, leaving behind distraught family and friends.

Why is it irresponsible and immature?

It's an interesting puzzle. Lots of people like puzzles. Trying to figure it out is good exercise for the brain. It doesn't cause any harm. So what's the problem?

Because this is simply not a puzzle or a brainteaser you can solve from your armchair. You can't just Google a few things, read a few pages on Wikipedia, watch a documentary on Discovery Channel about aviation disasters and maybe read the comments on Hacker News as well and then use logical deduction and Hegelian dialectic to formulate to a conclusion. Dont't you see that?

That does not answer my question at all. Just because you can't solve it conclusively with Google doesn't mean that it's not an interesting exercise to work on. Again, what's the problem? It's harmless, it's interesting, why fight it?

I'm curious how idle speculation has been helpful in finding the plane in any way?

I'm curious how an army of people from military and civil aviation organisations, including radar operators, Satellite Image analysis, air accident investigators, air traffic control and pilots, have been helpful in finding the plane in any way.

This is an unusual situation, and none of the facts seem to make any sense. Who care's who is trying to make sense of what happened? If I was one of those passengers, I wouldn't be on the other end thinking "You know, I hope no one on the internet tries to figure out where I am".

You don't have to be curious. They are using data and have sent crews out looking for the plane. They have experts in their field coordinating the search. People who have expertise in radar, Satellite Image analysis, air accident investigations, air traffic control and actual ability to fly a plane.

I was merely commenting that it's funny how there is one story that MH370 may have snuck under radar by shadowing another 777, and this article says there was a fire. Perhaps the fire caused the crew to shadow the 777? Or maybe the 777 caused the cabin fire?

I am, of course, being facetious. But when they do eventually find MH370, it's unlikely it would have been because of speculation on the Internet.

And yet they're doing a completely awful job of it.

They spent a week searching the wrong ocean for the plane. They had the thing on radar showing definitively that it was nowhere near the initial search area. They had satellite data showing it continued flying for hours after the supposed last contact.

I imagine the experts are not to blame here. But whoever is managing them is doing a terrible job of it.

Yeah, this amateur speculation is not useful. But at least it's not actively harmful. How much time and money was wasted searching the Gulf of Thailand before these clowns finally admitted that it was evident the plane wasn't anywhere near there? How much time was lost that could have been used to search places where the plane might actually be?

Decrying amateur speculation on the internet is silly. People are going to waste time regardless. Would you rather they do mental exercises or just look at cat memes? If you want to get upset at somebody related to MH370, there are far better targets.

I'm not decrying it. Point me to where I decried it, because you are reading into what I've said things I did not say.

Right, because this surely wasn't meant as criticism:

"MH370 might have entered into a blackhole and come back as a dove.

"What's with all this speculation?!?"

I love the internet tactic of making obvious insults that aren't 100% literal, then turning around and saying "I never said that, prove that I said that." It's hilarious.

But this whole thread is about speculating on the disappearance of the plane. For you to come here and say that is like Dad telling everybody that it's late and time for bed. Total party pooper.

Nothing may get solved, but it helps us to try to make some sense for ourselves out of the incongruous facts and help us alleviate our own cognitive discomfort with the situation.

Where did I say that? I don't recall saying that. I asked why there was so much speculation. I didn't necessarily say that it was an awful thing.

Stop reading into what I said. You're getting it wrong.

Oh, so now you're going to pretend that there's no such thing as tone or context, eh?

Anyway, I answered you as to why there was so much speculation. You're welcome.

It's not, and no one is claiming that it is.

Perhaps you didn't read what I responded to:

"So you're saying the best way to figure out what happened to MH370 is to do nothing, don't think, don't have any ideas, in no way make any effort to interpret the facts as they present themselves or try to fill in the blanks with educated guesses?"

While it's all speculation, it's a hell of a lot better than what the government does with these baseless terrorism claims which they disguise to look like facts. At least going through these scenarios (fire in the cabin, electrical damage, loss of cabin pressure) might lead to some clues worth pursuing.

I do share you pessimism a bit though because I believe since we haven't found the plane by now, it's probably at the bottom of the ocean. There might be an accidental discovery in the years ahead though. And with a little luck they can reconstruct a credible scenario from the engine telemetry... it wouldn't be the first time.

Armchair speculation is perhaps the most common, most universal game humans play. It really shouldn't be a surprise.