there is a lot of poo woo on the internet

March 14, 2021 9:23 AM

Going Through the Motions A perfect bit of bathroom reading from The Guardian.
posted by RobinofFrocksley (11 comments total)

Shocked, shocked! that none of these so-serious BS poo advice columns dares ref Smart Pipe.
posted by meehawl at 11:01 AM on March 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

"lifestyle stool-gazing"
posted by doctornemo at 12:22 PM on March 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

stool gaze is the shittiest music genre.

If you're in need of more shit from the Guardian, Ian Belcher's The enema within from 2002 is without equal.
posted by scruss at 1:34 PM on March 14, 2021 [2 favorites]

Anyone who has lived in Germany will tell you that there is a certain type of toilet which has a 'platform'. This allows inspection of 'what has gone' before it goes forever. At first it may seem weird and slightly unhealthy but knowing what has passed is a good indicator of your health. Learning how to best deal with these platforms requires paper artistry where you make a 'raft' which can be flushed away.... see here and additionally ... here.
posted by IndelibleUnderpants at 4:58 PM on March 14, 2021 [3 favorites]

I had no knowledge of German shelf toilets when I first encountered one^*. And I certainly had no knowledge of the 'raft' technique. I'm glad they're going by the wayside because they have been the source of many awful stories I still won't relate to this day.

* at the home of my girlfriend's grandmother. So, yeah.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:36 PM on March 14, 2021

stool gaze is the shittiest music genre.

Check with your physician if My Bloody Valentine persists for a week or more
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 8:03 PM on March 14, 2021 [8 favorites]

I actually have an app which allows me to record time, Bristol rating and other details of each poop, and produce charts. But I got IBD.
posted by Phanx at 3:07 AM on March 15, 2021 [3 favorites]

FWIW, vaguely sciencey but not evidence-driven health advice based around poop and around futzing with the lower end of your digestive tract is nothing new. The Battle Creek Sanitarium, John Kellogg's illustrious turn-of-the-century wellness emporium, routinely surveyed patients' feces diagnostically, and liberally prescribed enemas as a solution to a variety of complaints. "Colonics" (colonic irrigation) remained a fad health treatment (for general ills, not purely digestive ones) well into the latter half of the 20th century.
posted by jackbishop at 6:08 AM on March 15, 2021

A friends of mine taught himself iOS app development, and wrote what he thought would be the most pointless app: a poop tracker. Turns out that it was really helpful for people with IBD and people recovering from intestinal surgery, and it gets recommendations from doctors quite frequently. He doesn't make a ton of money from it, but he maintains it while being both embarrassed by it and proud of it.
posted by scruss at 7:28 AM on March 15, 2021 [2 favorites]

a poop tracker

Please tell me it's called IIBDDB.
posted by The Bellman at 10:11 AM on March 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

> "Colonics" (colonic irrigation) remained a fad health treatment (for general ills, not purely digestive ones) well into the latter half of the 20th century.

It's still very much a thing. It's a day spa sort of thing.
posted by desuetude at 10:12 AM on March 15, 2021