I didn’t care for the guy. I’m glad he’s gone. The SDMB is a private board, and can kick off anyone they please. I think that the administrators and mods here are great. They are even-handed and fair, and tend to give the benefit of the doubt in many, many cases (oftentimes demonstrating the patience of Job). And from all accounts, Tubadiva’s a stone-cold fox.
That said, I have a question about Jeremy’s Evil Twin. Say that he was genuinely enamored with school shooters. During the thread, he was respectful of other points of view, though he steadfastly maintained his own opinion.
Say that he was indeed genuinely tickled that 8 people were stabbed to death.
Say that he really saw nothing wrong with using the word “nigger” when describing rap and hip-hop. And apologized for offending others by using the word, but maintained that he thought there was nothing wrong with it.
Would he still have been banned?
To illustrate my point, here’s a hypothetical: A KKK member by the username of “Grand Dragon” joins the boards. He starts a few threads about the superiority of the white race, but is respectful of other posters. He answers their responses thoughtfully, but maintains his bigoted stance. He occassionally posts to threads to describe his view regarding the inferiority of minorities, but does so in a manner not calculated to start a fight (though it likely does). He would be merely posting his honest opinion, and not trolling for a reaction.
I think that all KKK members are jerks. I automatically don’t like them. I wouldn’t want them to post on the SDMB. But would the schmuck I described above be banned?
I’m posting here instead of the Pit because I really am curious. I have no concerns about the administration of the SDMB. I’m just curious about the criteria for banning. Is sincerity a factor (which, admittedly, could be hard to establish on a message board)? I guess I’m wondering whether “don’t be a jerk” means don’t act jerkish, or that jerks aren’t allowed.
I always thought it was more about not acting like a jerk - you can be a jerk but be totally polite and decent about it, I suppose, like the way you described it. The hypothetical poster’s opinions would be VERY disliked, and he’d probably reveive a lot of nasty comments, but if he handles it without insults or other “jerkish” behavious, than I think he’d still be allowed on the boards. I mean, popular or not, everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, and its what you do with them that matters, right?
Sometimes, ignorance cannot be cured, and we get fed up trying.
That’s what happened to JET. Whether or not he was sincere becomes academic at some point, although I seriously doubt he was. And to be honest, I’ve never seen or read about a Klansman who was polite to those who opposed his views. Have you?
IANAM, but I’d have to assume that your not going to get a list of what “Dont be a jerk” means. I’m sure its left ambiguous on purpose. As it should be.
Think about it. Once “Jerk” criteria is established it opens the door for every loony to attempt anything “jerkish” not on the list.
As for JET, I think the mods gave him every opportunity to redeem his posting behavior, but he chose the path of the dark side and got axed.
Sure he was a troll. I don’t question his banning. And I suppose you’re right. I mean, we can tell someone’s a jerk from the way they act, not the opinions they have.
So, I suppose, my question’s been answered.
I like your idea, Linear Crack, that’s the term “jerk” is ambiguous on purpose to avoid loopholes.
On reflection, I think I was confusing unpopular views with being a jerk, which may not necessarily be the case.
But I’ve a question for Coldfire. Based on what you said, are the incurably ignorant likely to be banned? Or does it take a little more? Once again, not arguing, just curious.
Speaking completely unofficially, of course, yes to both questions. Being incurably ignorant is not, itself, grounds for banning. However, the aforementioned folk are very prone to do things which are bannable.
Judging from your registration date, you will no doubt remember JDT. It was obvious from his second or third post that he was incurable, but it took close to a month, if I recall, for the mods to ban him. That’s how long it took for him to accumulate enough jerkishness to be banned.
Sid, your hypothetical KKK character could join here and engage in all the rational discourse he or she wishes and would never be banned simply for having a viewpoint that’s probably contrary to that of most people. But that viewpoint inherently lends itself to defiance and confrontational tactics. At some point the true colors of the person always shine through here, good or bad. Often they get tired of the reasonable approach and simply devolve into a steam of epithets.
So you aren’t kicked out because you espouse jerkitude - you’re kicked out because you’re a jerk on here to other people.
When I first saw this thread, I thought “It’s a bit late in the game to be mourning for James Earl Tyler. His tallywhacker league cleared out of here long ago.”
And now I feel like my cheese has slipped so far off my Stoned Wheat Thin it’s on the other side of the planet.