# A question for the staff of the message board **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 29, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128 "2001-07-29T03:13:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Seigleo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/35a633/32.png) [@Dr\_Seigleo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Seigleo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/1 "2001-07-29T03:13:18Z")
Dear staff, I have been a lurker of the Straight Dope message board for under a year now. Reading through these boards in my spare time has been enjoyable and stimulating experience for me and as well as for others, I am sure. What brings me to post here is a concern over my favourite poster of the SDMB… She is \Anthricite\. You see, my usual routine is to read through \General Questions\ a few times a week. While following my routine this evening I noticed she carries the “banned” declaration under her name. After searching around various fora for nearly an hour of time, I could but not find any reason of why this is. May I request an explanation of this? Sincerely, Dr. Seigleo ---
**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:** [July 29, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/2 "2001-07-29T03:51:02Z")
Holy Schlamoly, he’s right!! WTF?? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/3 "2001-07-29T04:01:47Z")
That HAS to be an accident. For what it’s worth I sent mail to Lynn Bodoni, as she’s posted today and I didn’t want to bother Jerry directly. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/4 "2001-07-29T04:16:32Z")
No accident, methinks. Her sig line now says **Goodbye**. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/5 "2001-07-29T04:28:13Z")
I’m checking into matters now. I can’t divulge details. Lynn Admin ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/6 "2001-07-29T04:56:19Z")
Oh thank goddess you did this. I spent a couple hours searching this board and Fathom, trying to figure it out. And my searches weren’t co-operating - they did not divulge anything useful, including the link to the Unaboard. She can’t possibly expect us not to enquire. I’m going to miss her!!! Even if we never posted in the same thread!! ☹ Details aren’t neccessary, just one of those high-level “Leaving us to pursue other avenues of opportunity…”, or “…needs to take a break and this makes sure…”-type jobbies would be slightly less anxiety-inducing. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/7 "2001-07-29T05:26:08Z")
If it’s a voluntary thing, could we come up with a classification that’s a LITTLE less loaded than **BANNED**? Maybe something like “Retired.” I was all set to come in here with all guns a’blazin’. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2001, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/8 "2001-07-29T05:26:38Z")
obfusciatrist (in the last post on the woodstockbirdybird pit thread): > [@](#): > > Apparently it is personal and Anthracite would prefer that people just let it drop and not inquire. That’s all I know. tisiphone > [@](#): > > “Leaving us to pursue other avenues of opportunity…” But…but…it doesn’t SAY she’s LEAVING THE BOARD, it doesn’t SAY she’s departed vowing never to return, it doesn’t say she has other responsibilities and must stop putting in time at SDMB… It says she is BANNED! One does not normally request that one’s self be banned. One does not normally ban one’s self. Feel free to correct me here if I’m failing to make sense. Somethin’ ain’t right here. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/9 "2001-07-29T05:45:49Z")
Una has asked me to make a post on her behalf, I hope that I am not breaking any rule by doing so, if I am, I apologise in advance. She would like to say the following about the incident… > [@](#): > > Dear Friends: > > Just a couple quick notes: > > As has been said before, there is much that goes on behind the scenes, and much that is not visible to the Members of the SDMB. It will therefore **not be apparent** why this event has occured. It involves things that cannot be discussed openly, so please do not mail me, **Tuba** , **Lynn** , or **the Moderators** asking for the “Straight Dope”. No one is going to talk about it at this juncture, and some things in life simply must be a mystery. > > Please, as a personal favor, do not have any flaming or criticism whatsoever of the fine people of the SDMB staff. 99.99% of you nice readers **do not know the whole story** , so please just don’t jump to any conclusions on > either side, OK? Anyone who criticizes or flames the SDMB and its wonderful staff over this issue without knowing 100% of the facts is no friend to me - period. > > I wouldn’t have posted this by proxy, except that I wanted to head off a potential multi-page flame war about the SDMB. I hope my words are inoffensive to the great, hard-working SDMB staff, and will not cause ill will towards **Mauvaise**. > > Una ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/10 "2001-07-29T05:48:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > One does not normally request that one’s self be banned. One does not normally ban one’s self. Feel free to correct me here if I’m failing to make sense. > > Somethin’ ain’t right here. > > \*\* Well, I’ve heard of it happening, can’t remember who it was, but they needed to take a break from the boards and asked that they be temporarily banned so as not to be able to break the resolution. MPSIMS thread last winter sometime…don’t even remember the thread title. The reason it may be faintly possible is found in that woodstockbirdybird thread. [Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=78954&pagenumber=2) the link, it’s about halfway down or so. I am just really really hoping that Anthracite is just having a bad day/week/month (y’know, where it’s HER turn under the Cosmic Sewer Outlet) and will be back to us in a few weeks… ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/11 "2001-07-29T05:51:04Z")
gggahhh. Simulpost, I previewed, I really did. Thanks Mauvaise. I almost feel better now. She’s still gone. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/12 "2001-07-29T07:28:35Z")
Goodbye, Anthracite. This semi-lurker wishes you well. ---
**Author:** ![FarmerOak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@FarmerOak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarmerOak)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/13 "2001-07-29T13:07:25Z")
Oh, the DRAMA! Oh, the ATTENTION! It’s ALL ABOUT ME! Gimme a break. It’s a MESSAGE BOARD. Can’t you just fade away, like people do in real life? It’s like a teenager committing suicide: he or she just wants to get a rise out of people, because NO ONE HAS EVER FELT THE WAY I DO RIGHT NOW. In THIS scenario, the teenager in question gets to sit around and watch everybody react to her suicide. We all miss her, we’re so sorry we didn’t get to know her better, we’re going to change our lives and dedicate our Senior Year to her. THEN, she comes back, and we are expected to shower her with love and kisses. I wish it happened that way when I tried to commit suicide… but I didn’t have a computer then. And I didn’t expect to come back. Look, if you wanna disassociate yourself from an on-line community, do it just like we do in real life… stop showing up, make excuses, stop returning calls, or make a fucking statement about why you are leaving. This “mystery” shit really needs to be left back in middle school, where it belongs. Anthracite, I used to like your posts. You shot all your credibility here. I imagine your new name will be popular. Please let us know. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/14 "2001-07-29T13:50:07Z")
That was totally unnecessary, Farmer Oak. As has been said, you do not have enough information to judge the situation properly. How’s that old adage go, it’s better to keep quiet and be thought ignorant, than to speak and remove all doubt? Very applicable to your raving post. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/15 "2001-07-29T14:01:16Z")
What bugs me about the whole thing is this. If **Anthricite** asked to be removed, then I agree with **dropzone** and something a little less loaded than “BANNED” should be under her name. I mean, that little title puts her in the same catagory as those who shall remain nameless. To my knowledge, she was not a troll, she did not attempt to flood the server with some pointless test, and her little tiff with **Esprix** was not even close to some of the slug fests I have seen here. It seems that if she wanted to step away from the SDMB for a while, she could have done so a little less dramaticly. If she has done something to incur the wrath of the Administration, then it isn’t really up to her to hush it up. We are going to have a lot of people wondering what the hell happened, come Monday morning. And I think that we all deserve something a little less condecending than “It’s personal”. O.k. Perhaps we “deserve” nothing. But this is going to be like that bad aftertaste that won’t go away, unless something is said… Ultimately, I guess, the decision rests with Lynn as to what we learn. ---
**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:** [July 29, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/16 "2001-07-29T14:13:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*Tuba, your word is absolute law to me here. I will continue to act as you have asked of me, or insist that I myself be banned. > Una \*\* Well, I call your attention to this post in the Woodstockbirdybird thread. She may have asked, I expect that she did, the mods will tell us what they want to, and speculation does a disservice to Una and others, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/17 "2001-07-29T14:24:16Z")
What does Una a dissevice is to have the same designation placed on her name as is on names like JDT or concrete. If her Banning was voluntary, then her designation should be " Vountaraly BANNED" or however the heck you spell it. I dunno. I really enjoyed her posts, and the whole thing just bugs the heck outta me. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-the-staff-of-the-message-board/74128/18 "2001-07-29T15:22:58Z")
I’m going to close this thread because any discussion of this is bound to be counterproductive. Rumors and hearsay are going to abound anyway, but we don’t need to be passing them along on this board. Sorry, folks. You’ll have to trust us on this one. At this time, this is a private matter between **Anthracite** and us and for the time being you’ll just have to be satisfied that what is happening is in everyone’s best interests. Thanks.