Proposed rule change

[Binarydrone]

Every so often, a blinding flash of inspiration hits, and you just have to share the idea with the world. I have recently been the recipient of such.

I had this idea that, I think, could not only make this place a little more interesting but could serve to generate a bit of income around here as well. Now I know this is going to seem a little crazy at first, but do me a favor and think it over just a little before you reject it.

I propose that we set up a system where, for a fee (say a sliding scale. $50 for a clever put-down $100 if it has profanity and $500 if it is cutesy MPSIMS crap), one user could have the status (Charter Member/Guest/Member. That thing) of another edited to say whatever we want for, say, a month. Think of the fun, the hilarity to say nothing of the income generated! We could have servers made this century! Pay the moderators! The joy would go on and on.

[Jpeg Jones]

I too am, shall we say, "blinded" by your flash of inspiration.

[VegemiteMoose]

Binarydrone
Drunk Again

Like so?

[Binarydrone]

Common, think of the fun that could be had. Shit, I would probably shell out a few hundred over a year or so. I say it is a visionary idea, and that you just aren’t thinking it through.

[GorillaMan]

How about a grand, to be sole moderator for 24 hours?

[Frank]

Sadly, the person for whom I have long been willing to shell out for the custom title, "The SDMB's Stupidest Poster", is no longer with us.

[Frank]

How about a grand, to be sole moderator for 24 hours?
OK, but you don't get a coffee cup.

[Argent Towers]

Sadly, the person for whom I have long been willing to shell out for the custom title, "The SDMB's Stupidest Poster", is no longer with us.

I think we have a candidate. His very name, in fact, commemorates the invasion of a civilized society by a horde of uncouth brutes.

Try to guess who he is. It shouldn't be hard.

[Binarydrone]

I think we have a candidate. His very name, in fact, commemorates the invasion of a civilized society by a horde of uncouth brutes.

Try to guess who he is. It shouldn't be hard.
This Year's Model? :p


I keed, I keed!

[Jpeg Jones]

I think we have a candidate. His very name, in fact, commemorates the invasion of a civilized society by a horde of uncouth brutes.

Try to guess who he is. It shouldn't be hard.There's a poster called Shock and Awe?

[jali]

There's a poster called Shock and Awe?


Funny comeback!

[silenus]

I think we have a candidate. His very name, in fact, commemorates the invasion of a civilized society by a horde of uncouth brutes.

Try to guess who he is. It shouldn't be hard.

I don't think Tamerlane is that bad.

[Argent Towers]

I don't think Tamerlane is that bad.

Warmer...

[UncleBeer]

I propose that we set up a system where, for a fee (say a sliding scale. $50 for a clever put-down $100 if it has profanity and $500 if it is cutesy MPSIMS crap), one user could have the status (Charter Member/Guest/Member. That thing) of another edited to say whatever we want for, say, a month. Think of the fun, the hilarity to say nothing of the income generated! We could have servers made this century! Pay the moderators! The joy would go on and on.
Which user? How would we decide who gets tagged? What's the mechanism for collecting the fees? Ideas and all are nice, but it'd be nicer still to see a plan proposed along with that idea.

[Binarydrone]

It would work just like paying for our membership. You go to a form, fill in credit card or pay pal information, indicate the user that you are targeting, which level and what you want it to say. Simple!

So, in other words any user could do this to any other user. Get it?

[Binarydrone]

The only snag that I could think of is that in a case of a particularly obnoxious user it could theoretically get to the point where changes have been paid a year or more out. Perhaps in that situation we could have the mods look at the proposed changes and then based on their content wield the ban stick.

[Giraffe]

I'm in favor of any system where the rich get to mock the poor. Shit, if this was my message board, I'd take it several steps further. $1,000 would give you the power to edit another user's posts for a year. $5,000 would let you ban a poster of your choosing. Sure, it wouldn't be as much fun to post there, but I'd be lighting cigars with $100 bills, so what would I care?

[Ponder Stibbons]

I like you Giraffe. You're a true man of vision.

[UncleBeer]

It would work just like paying for our membership. You go to a form, fill in credit card or pay pal information, indicate the user that you are targeting, which level and what you want it to say. Simple!

So, in other words any user could do this to any other user. Get it?
I get it now. I misread your OP. I thought you were talking about doing this to a single user from among the entire membership. And that somehow we'd have to decide who gets tagged and with what tag.

This is the portion that confused me:
one user could have the status . . . of another edited to say whatever we want for, say, a month.
But I got it now. And I'd like to preemptively withdraw my name from the pool.

[Ponder Stibbons]

... I'd like to preemptively withdraw my name from the pool.
Well, that would cost extra. :cool:

[Binarydrone]

Now your thinking!

[Giraffe]

I like you Giraffe. You're a true man of vision.Hey, right back atcha! When I lead the rebellion, you'll be the last up against the wall.

[VegemiteMoose]

Send a title change proposal to the mods, if it passes their approval they send the proposal to the target and if the target approves as well, collect the money and make the change. Also, the target gets half the money.

Dear VegemiteMoose,

Binarydrone has offered to pay $50.00 to have the title under your username changed to "Prat" for a period of one month. Half of this payment will go to the SDMB and the other half will be paid to you through a Paypal account. Please let us know if you agree to this proposal and the change will take place within 2 days.

Sincerely,

TPTB

Dear TPTB,

Counteroffer: Make it $100.00 and I'm all over that!

Sincerely,

VegemiteMoose

[Ponder Stibbons]

Dear VegemiteMoose,

What would it cost for "Uncle Fucker"?

:D

[VegemiteMoose]

$1500.00, the pinkie finger from your left hand and the letter "M" stricken from the English language.*



*Thank you Steve Martin

[Binarydrone]

Send a title change proposal to the mods, if it passes their approval they send the proposal to the target and if the target approves as well, collect the money and make the change. Also, the target gets half the money...
Well, I have to confess that I really like the idea of doing against the other poster's wishes. The idea of a counter-offer might work for me though. I also think that it would be best to keep the person that paid for the change anonymous. Think of the dozens of fun Pit threads that this would spawn: "I Pit the person that changed my title to Windbag" or "To the bastard that changed my title to asshat". I tell you the more that I think about this the more that I am convinced that this is a visionary plan that will be more fun (and as messy) as a barrel full of monkeys.

[Ponder Stibbons]

Well ...

$1500, a pinkie finger*, and foregoing the letter "M". I think it's doable.

Of course, you'd have to change your user name to "Vegeiteoose".

* - Ha! Prove it wasn't from my left hand!

[iamthewalrus(:3=]

I'm in favor of any system where the rich get to mock the poor.Oooh.

Sigline?

[Catfood Purrito]

They do this on the Something Awful forums. They charge 9.95 to change someone's avatar/custom title. So, it's been successfully implemented elsewhere. I think it's a good idea.

[Binarydrone]

They do this on the Something Awful forums. They charge 9.95 to change someone's avatar/custom title. So, it's been successfully implemented elsewhere. I think it's a good idea.
Ooooh! I like it. Charge $10, but the change is permenent (unless someone pays to change it back). My god, I would blow hundreds on this!

[What Exit?]

...snip... When I lead the rebellion, you'll be the last up against the wall.
Better Sig line I think. :D

[rayh]

How much does it cost to change the moderator title to cunt?









<Hides.>

[fushj00mang]

I think we have a candidate. His very name, in fact, commemorates the invasion of a civilized society by a horde of uncouth brutes.

Try to guess who he is. It shouldn't be hard.

I thought TubaDiva was a she? After all, everyone knows that Tuba Section in any band is the ones you'll see raping and pillaging ;)

[Argent Towers]

I thought TubaDiva was a she? After all, everyone knows that Tuba Section in any band is the ones you'll see raping and pillaging ;)

TubaDiva doesn't actually rape and pillage the threads the way that this barbarian does...

[fushj00mang]

Well ...

Of course, you'd have to change your user name to "Vegeiteoose".



Shouldn't be too hard. That's the sound that most Americans make upon tasting Vegemite the first time...

[fushj00mang]

TubaDiva doesn't actually rape and pillage the threads the way that this barbarian does...

:dubious: ... Oh...wait, nevermind. I know who you're talking about now. I'd pay $5k to have him banned...

[Nanoda]

If anyone is taking up collections to have this thread (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357014) locked, I want in!

[jackelope]

I am totally down with this idea. If anyone's fool enough to pay to have my status changed to "turd-fondler," and I get 50% of the proceeds, what the hell do I care? Hell, for another grand (personal net) I'll agree to make it permanent.

It's not like anyone's taking my posts about dick jokes and Klaus Kinski all that seriously anyway.

[Siege]

Well, I have to confess that I really like the idea of doing against the other poster's wishes. The idea of a counter-offer might work for me though. I also think that it would be best to keep the person that paid for the change anonymous. Think of the dozens of fun Pit threads that this would spawn: "I Pit the person that changed my title to Windbag" or "To the bastard that changed my title to asshat". I tell you the more that I think about this the more that I am convinced that this is a visionary plan that will be more fun (and as messy) as a barrel full of monkeys.
So, let me get this straight. You'd like to give the membership of this board the opportunity to pay money to insult people anonymously. Didn't I see something in the rules about "Don't be a jerk"? I know I'm wierd, but I can't get into the humour of making fun of people.

Sorry. To me, the idea's about as brilliant as a burnt out light bulb. Other people's mileage may vary.

[Mangetout]

Sadly, the person for whom I have long been willing to shell out for the custom title, "The SDMB's Stupidest Poster", is no longer with us.
Me, ME! Pick ME!

[Trion]

So, let me get this straight. You'd like to give the membership of this board the opportunity to pay money to insult people anonymously. Didn't I see something in the rules about "Don't be a jerk"? I know I'm wierd, but I can't get into the humour of making fun of people.

Sorry. To me, the idea's about as brilliant as a burnt out light bulb. Other people's mileage may vary.

Siege
Killjoy

:p

[Evil Captor]

Me, ME! Pick ME!

No way, man! That title is MINE!

[rayh]

No way, man! That title is MINE!

You will have to work a lot harder to earn the title, though you are in the running.

[Binarydrone]

So, let me get this straight. You'd like to give the membership of this board the opportunity to pay money to insult people anonymously. Didn't I see something in the rules about "Don't be a jerk"? I know I'm wierd, but I can't get into the humour of making fun of people.

Sorry. To me, the idea's about as brilliant as a burnt out light bulb. Other people's mileage may vary.
Right, because if the Binarydrone persona that I use here calls you a little wilting lily that should go back to MPSIMS and suck it, that would be insulting you non-anonymously. ‘Cuz my birth certificate says Binarydrone and all. :rolleyes:

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

Would there be a limit on how many Dopers can have the same custom title? If not, just imagine how many would get "Tighty Righty" or "Lefty Looney" under their names.

[Mangetout]

No way, man! That title is MINE!
Yeah, I forgot about that.

[Miller]

Right, because if the Binarydrone persona that I use here calls you a little wilting lily that should go back to MPSIMS and suck it, that would be insulting you non-anonymously. ‘Cuz my birth certificate says Binarydrone and all. :rolleyes:

It's the name attached to every interaction 99% of the people on this board will ever have with you. Within the context of this forum, it's every bit as much your name as whatever is printed on your driver's liscense. Hell, if you sent me a nasty e-mail using your real name and not your screen name, I'd have no idea who on the board sent me that email, and that's the only place I have any contact with you. It would allow you to say nasty things about me under one name, without having to face consequences in our interactions under your alternate name. Your email, signed with your real name, would be anonymous, because I only know you as binarydrone, and not whoever you are in real life.

[Binarydrone]

Miller, First of all, just to clear things up a bit, I really don't know who has been sending you all of the cum guzzling donkey emails but it sure isn't me.

That said, I do get your point about personas and identities and so forth, I just don't happen to think that at the end of the day that it would be a bad thing to allow members to pay money to insult people (or complement them, for that matter) in this way. I think that it would be hilarious.

But then I have also suggested in the past that we each have a little indicator somewhere that lists the number of people that we have on our ignore list and the number of people that have us on theirs so our posts would look something like this:

Binarydrone
Join date: Mar 2002
shit stirrer (or charter member if you like)
Posts: 3352
Location: Seattle
Ignoring: 0
Ignored By: 0 (I hope)


Then all of the profound and wise stuff that I would actually post.

Fun!

[Guinastasia]

Ooooh! I like it. Charge $10, but the change is permenent (unless someone pays to change it back). My god, I would blow hundreds on this!


Anyone else find this really sad?

[Binarydrone]

Don't be like that baby. You hurt me with your unkind words. That the behavior of my anonymous on-line persona would be called sad on a message board cuts me to the quick. I..I think I may cry.

[lissener]

I want to be kind--fellow Seattleite, and all--but BD, this has truly got to be about the worst idea I have ever seen floated here. I'd love to have somebody nominate a worse one. Me, I don't see that happening.

[Miller]

I want to be kind--fellow Seattleite, and all--but BD, this has truly got to be about the worst idea I have ever seen floated here. I'd love to have somebody nominate a worse one. Me, I don't see that happening.

We could have the board moderated by hummus...

[VegemiteMoose]

I want to be kind--fellow Seattleite, and all--but BD, this has truly got to be about the worst idea I have ever seen floated here. I'd love to have somebody nominate a worse one. Me, I don't see that happening.
Hmmm...random bannings which include revelation of the poster's IRL info?

[jsgoddess]

I probably wouldn't pay to change anyone's custom title, but I can see the humor in it.

And if someone wanted to pay to change mine, I would be amused. Probably deeply amused. Especially if I could Br'er Rabbit someone into giving me a title I like. :D

[Binarydrone]

That's all I'm saying. I think that it would be fricking hilarious and add a new dimension to the interactions around here

[lissener]

We could have the board moderated by hummus...
Ha. No, I meant, any worse idea that's ever been floated here; not to imagine a worse idea. I think we have an alltime winner in the OP, which is basically cross-forum, administration-approved namecalling. I just can't imagine framing that idea in such a way as to make it remotely plausible. I just cannot parse out one sinlge aspect of this idea that has any value whatsoever.

Now, if you want to pay to change your OWN status, fine. Each one to be approved by the mods, like a vanity plate. Maybe; that idea might be worth contemplating. More work for the mods, and has the potential for "lets see what we can squeak past the standards committee," but still. It's not opening up a paying board member to having the administration of this board nail a "kick me" sign to their back at the request of some whacko who might happen to take a dislike to you. Because we all know that only the most rational among us take dislikes to other posters.

Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to "I'm an Asshole Retard, ignore me"?

[jsgoddess]

Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to "I'm an Asshole Retard, ignore me"?

I can't speak for anyone else, but that would delight me. Someone spending money just to make fun of me? Now that's fame!

[Ponder Stibbons]

OK, in all seriousness, BD's proposal is a terrible idea for this board. It's just not in the character of the place; things really would degenerate into playground name-calling and the winners (if you could term it such) would be those most willing to spend money on this venture.

However, if you just change the scheme to "customize your own title", I think you'd have something. For $20 (or whatever) I could be the "Reader in Invisible Writings". Or "Ignore This Moron". Depends on what mood I'm in. :)

[Binarydrone]

...Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to "I'm an Asshole Retard, ignore me"?
Honestly, I don’t really know that it would bother me that much. I really don't take this place seriously in that way. It is, to me, primarily a source of entertainment and I thought that my idea would be funny. On further reflection, thought, I do get that there are folks that do take this place pretty seriously and I can see how something like this could get them worked up.

[wring]

Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to "I'm an Asshole Retard, ignore me"?
and for certain posters, a bidding war could easily end up occurring. Can you imagine what titles Jack Dean Taylor would have inspired? and in such a bidding war, rewarding the poster w/the most expendable income. Then there'd be a Lenin/Trotsky type split among the posters, and we all know how that ended up.

[lissener]

OK, in all seriousness, BD's proposal is a terrible idea for this board. It's just not in the character of the place; things really would degenerate into playground name-calling and the winners (if you could term it such) would be those most willing to spend money on this venture.

However, if you just change the scheme to "customize your own title", I think you'd have something. For $20 (or whatever) I could be the "Reader in Invisible Writings". Or "Ignore This Moron". Depends on what mood I'm in. :)
On the other hand, we could just call it a "sigline" and be done with it . . .

[Ponder Stibbons]

On the other hand, we could just call it a "sigline" and be done with it . . .
Oh sure, take the easy way out.

[Ponder Stibbons]

On the other hand, we could just call it a "sigline" and be done with it . . .
Oh, sure, take the easy way out.

[VegemiteMoose]

Stop it! Stop it all of you nay-sayers!

Where's my money and fabulous prizes gonna come from if you keep shooting this down. I got $1500.00, a pinkie finger and language reform just waiting to happen.

Spoilsports.

[silenus]

We could have the board moderated by hummus...

Don't worry, Miller. I got it. :cool:

[What Exit?]

Stop it! Stop it all of you nay-sayers!

Where's my money and fabulous prizes gonna come from if you keep shooting this down. I got $1500.00, a pinkie finger and language reform just waiting to happen.

Spoilsports.
Oh sure, make this rule change and people would be trying to drive others nuts just to increase the bidding on status line. ;)

Jim

[HazelNutCoffee]

Don't worry, Miller. I got it. :cool:
::slightly ashamed:: Me too

[lissener]

::slightly ashamed:: Me too
Not really ashamed at all: I don't got it.

[HazelNutCoffee]

Not really ashamed at all: I don't got it.
A Buffy reference, if I'm not mistaken.