# A Bad Egg **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 21, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950 "2006-01-21T00:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/81 "2006-01-22T04:10:48Z")
The boa was purple. The slapping was with catfish rather than trout. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/82 "2006-01-22T04:27:51Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > Well, try: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=316836](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=316836) > … tell me that you feel all disrupted and disoriented because the initial post ain’t there? I’d say that you wouldn’t have noticed. > > Or: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=329364](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=329364) Well, it’s really more of a feeling of twiterpation and a touch of flummoxed, but I will try to work through it, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/83 "2006-01-22T04:46:26Z")
Actually, I think I DID voice a suspicsion when she first came back, (I might have reported it, I can’t remember), but nothing came of it. I figured that the mods probably checked it out and I was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/84 "2006-01-22T06:20:56Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Actually, I think I DID voice a suspicsion when she first came back, (I might have reported it, I can’t remember), but nothing came of it. I figured that the mods probably checked it out and I was wrong. I seem to recall that we did discuss it when you first reported it. One thing we try to do, however, is be very sure of an accusation before we act on it. When she was reported, again, recently, she had built up an accumulated history of clues that made it much easier to be sure of her identity. There are a few posters whom we are sure are returning socks for whom we do not have sufficient evidence to drop the ban hammer (yet). As long as they are not being disruptive, they may last longer than the flagrant troll who outs itself with its first post. Once in a while, it appears that we have enough evidence to convict a sock, only to have the evidence turn out to be false leads. (One such example happened just within the last few weeks.) Following the “presumed innocent” model of American jurisprudence, we prefer to make fewer errors in banning the innocent than in letting the rule flouters stick around. In the case of someone whose posts are so inane that they cause no disruption, they may survive for quite a while, but when they are caught, out they go. > [@Samclem](#): > > a poster flaunting the rules I can’t wait to quote this on all the language listserves. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/85 "2006-01-22T07:49:07Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Actually, I think I DID voice a suspicsion when she first came back, (I might have reported it, I can’t remember), but nothing came of it. I figured that the mods probably checked it out and I was wrong. Guin–if you did, I apologize for my crack at you. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/86 "2006-01-22T14:38:02Z")
Bottom line guideline: if you’re in doubt, please please please report it. Let us decide. Mods do not have time to read everything, nor to look everywhere. We rely on your help, heavily. If you want moderated boards, then report suspicions. As **SamClem** says, we do our best to be certain before taking any action. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/87 "2006-01-22T15:25:58Z")
When we have doubts and/or suspicions we tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the poster. This does mean sometimes we let stuff go for a while where if we had more to go on, we would have acted sooner. This is one of those situations. I think you’d prefer us continuing to give the benefit of the doubt. I’d rather have to deal with the occasional guilty jerk rather than throw out someone that turned out to be innocent. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/88 "2006-01-22T16:43:27Z")
I see in her post at that other board, our bad egg states that she will be back here again. Well, forewarned is forearmed. I won’t hesitate to report any suspicions I might have about that individual showing up again. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/89 "2006-01-22T16:54:13Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Yeah, I really did. I’m tired of long-term posters coming in to any controversial thread having to do with the administration of this board with a “why didn’t you dumbasses figure this out? We did long ago” attitude. It wears thin after all the work we put in. I completely agree with you, and completely understand why it bothers you when long-term posters don’t report. However, I have reported numerous posts that I believed to be returned socks, and received a response to only one of those, telling me that I was mistaken. I’m confident that Bad Egg was one of them. Being summarily ignored wears thin too. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/90 "2006-01-22T18:13:13Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > If I were a troll, I’d love the ability to cause this much confusion and turmoil by coming back and starting a few long-running threads and posting a few much-discussed comments in othe threads, knowing full well what will happen when I’m eventually found out. That pretty much captures my feelings in the matter. Well, also: suppose I am a member who in good faith writes a reply-post that takes awhile to compose, and it’s on page 3 of a thread that happened to be started by **ReturningTroll**. When the admins delete the entire thread upon discovery that RT is a sock of **BannedName** , my nice post goes into oblivion. To the extent that I’ve got ego-stake in what I labored to produce, that punishes me; to the extent that I added enlightenment or entertainment to the community, it punishes the community. Perhaps instead of deleting the threads started by trolls, you could delete just the troll’s posts and leave the rest of the thread intact? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/91 "2006-01-22T18:19:06Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > For Cafe Society, I went through the threads fairly carefully. If there was any content, I found a way to leave the thread. (See the examples above. Did you notice any major hiccup in the space-time continuum?) What’s gone? Well, the prime example would be a thread where she started by asking, “Did anyone see Blah Blah episode of So-and-So TV series?” and someone would reply saying, “Yeah, it wasn’t very good.” End of thread. > > So relax. OK, that’s as much as can be hoped for. I didn’t realize y’all were indeed trying to leave the threads if they had content from other posters, etc. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/92 "2006-01-22T18:22:03Z")
That’s one of the things they’re doing: See Dex’s post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7020849&postcount=39). ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/93 "2006-01-22T18:29:21Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Guin–if you did, I apologize for my crack at you. Meh, it’s okay. ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/94 "2006-01-23T02:19:46Z")
Interesting. Turn in your neighbors even if they do do no harm. All for the good of the whole It’s been done before you know. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/95 "2006-01-23T02:26:00Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > Interesting. > > Turn in your neighbors even if they do do no harm. All for the good of the whole > > It’s been done before you know. Nice handle. Last time this particular neighbor came in without identity deception to our little party here, she lied, abused the hosts, and took a proverbial crap in the punchbowl. You’re more than welcome to invite her into your place. ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/96 "2006-01-23T02:36:13Z")
I have no idea about any last time. But with 2k posts s/he must have fit back in. So what’s the point of turning he/r in? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/97 "2006-01-23T02:39:13Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > Interesting. > > Turn in your neighbors even if they do do no harm. All for the good of the whole > > It’s been done before you know. Careful or someone will turn you in. 😉 Seriously, what is the horror, not being allowed to post on a message board is hardly the equivalent of a Prison camp or Gulag. It is about the same as being thrown out of a good club. Jim ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/98 "2006-01-23T02:42:33Z")
> [@What Exit?](#): > > Careful or someone will turn you in. 😉 > > Seriously, what is the horror, not being allowed to post on a message board is hardly the equivalent of a Prison camp or Gulag. > > It is about the same as being thrown out of a good club. > > Jim Agreed. They take your money and run. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/99 "2006-01-23T02:43:56Z")
> [@lonesome loser](#): > > I have no idea about any last time. But with 2k posts s/he must have fit back in. > > So what’s the point of turning he/r in? Instead of repenting and asking for a chance to prove she could be a valuable and decent poster, she snuck in and tried to be as bland as she possibly could for as long as possible–contributing nothing–to prove that her vendetta is justified. I’m not sure what she’s proven to herself, but she hasn’t proven much to me except that she is apparently incapable of being decent and worth talking to at the same time. Now, truth be told, I have no idea how likely it would be that the mods would let her back in–but she didn’t even try; she said so herself on FFF. Instead she just came in through the back door to play out her personal grievances. Doesn’t sound like someone I want to invite to my house, either. ---
**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950/100 "2006-01-23T02:50:37Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > Instead of repenting and asking for a chance to prove she could be a valuable and decent poster, she snuck in and tried to be as bland as she possibly could for as long as possible–contributing nothing–to prove that her vendetta is justified. I’m not sure what she’s proven to herself, but she hasn’t proven much to me except that she is apparently incapable of being decent and worth talking to at the same time. > > Now, truth be told, I have no idea how likely it would be that the mods would let her back in–but she didn’t even try; she said so herself on FFF. Instead she just came in through the back door to play out her personal grievances. Doesn’t sound like someone I want to invite to my house, either. But this is not your house. I just have a problem with the mods asking the members to report whoever they think might be a sock or a banned person returning. You have a gripe with someone…report them! I think that if there’s not a mess. There is nothing to clean up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bad-egg/340950.md?page=6)