# A slight complaint about the Moderators **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 25, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575 "2006-01-25T17:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/101 "2006-01-26T00:55:15Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > And indeed, the level of ‘censorship’ here is quite nice. If I ever am able to start the vBulletin I spoke of before, that’ll be even nicer. YEAH! That’ll show 'em all! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/102 "2006-01-26T00:57:39Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > My point exactly- **Frank** refers to starting a controversial thread as ‘not being on best behaviour.’ Controversial does not neccesarily = bad behavior, especially since I asked the question out of a desire to learn, not to make waves. No, no, you misunderstand. Your “not being on best behavior” means that you are doing precisely what caused your suspension in the first place. You’re insulting people left and right for no apparent reason, you’ve already pitted the mods for no apparent reason, you’ve already earned an official warning for insults in IMHO, and (I think) you’re already on the verge of another meltdown. Cool it. You are correct, “Controversial does not neccesarily = bad behavior.” But being a dick does = bad behavior. You have received some very good advice in this thread on how not to be a dick. Please, take it to heart. Stop being a dick. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/103 "2006-01-26T00:59:16Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > No, I’m not in ‘meltdown’- you exaggerate too frequently about people ‘melting down.’ > > I firmly believe that the only thing wrong I’ve done in the past 24 hours was insulting **Ink a dink a dink** with that comment- What about [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7034324&postcount=10) Lambchop? (In ATMB) Oh hell, it’s short. I’ll C+P it for ya. > [@andrew we hardly knew ye.](#): > > Check my Pit thread, you piranha. > > Sheesh, Guin, all you do is prowl around this site all day looking for bad stuff going down so you can get in on it. Christ, get a life. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/104 "2006-01-26T01:01:08Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Please, take it to heart. Just not to your anus. Or anybody else’s anus. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/105 "2006-01-26T01:01:54Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > \ > I firmly believe that the only thing wrong I’ve done in the past 24 hours was insulting **Ink a dink a dink** with that comment- I apologize.\ You see, this is a habit you had before you were suspended as well. Quite a bad one too. Someone would post something you would deem unnecessary (whether it is or not, that’s a matter of opinion. I thought that **Ink’s** post was merely expanding on what some others had already said and was not entirely unnecessary but YMMV). You would fly off the handle and instead of reporting what you believed to be a bad post, you’d then start hurling insults at the poster. A mod would come along and smack you down, and you’d come in all apologetic and eating humble pie. (On preview, what \*\*Frank \*\* has already said) But if something like this is an ongoing trend, and it’s already gotten you into trouble in the past, again perhaps you need to look at your posts before you post them. Type up a response in notepad, leave it for five or ten minutes, then come back and re-read the thread before posting it. IMHO you seem to suffer from a bit of the old “Shoot first, ask questions later”, and it’s not doing you any favours. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/106 "2006-01-26T01:11:01Z")
> [@Sierra Indigo](#): > > You see, this is a habit you had before you were suspended as well. Quite a bad one too. Someone would post something you would deem unnecessary (whether it is or not, that’s a matter of opinion. I thought that **Ink’s** post was merely expanding on what some others had already said and was not entirely unnecessary but YMMV). You would fly off the handle and instead of reporting what you believed to be a bad post, you’d then start hurling insults at the poster. A mod would come along and smack you down, and you’d come in all apologetic and eating humble pie. (On preview, what \*\*Frank \*\* has already said) > > But if something like this is an ongoing trend, and it’s already gotten you into trouble in the past, again perhaps you need to look at your posts before you post them. Type up a response in notepad, leave it for five or ten minutes, then come back and re-read the thread before posting it. IMHO you seem to suffer from a bit of the old “Shoot first, ask questions later”, and it’s not doing you any favours. Well but here’s what I needed to learn- to keep track of when you’re in the Pit and when you’re not, in terms of how others are treating you, and when they mistreat you: hit the report button. But the problem is, that ‘reporting’ someone who just insulted me, and then having a mod come by and warn that person not to do it again, isn’t enough- insults hurt, okay?, and I believe strongly in eye-for-an-eye. You call me a dick, and it’s true- but that’s only because of how I was treated by you (Dr Seuss on abuse). I decided to be eye-for-an-eye back in November when it was apparent that being polite in a Pit thread doesn’t stop people from flinging feces at you. And Frank- you said the thing about me being on my best behaviour- this quote: > [@Frank](#): > > Of course not. We’ve never allowed Penthouse forum type threads. (The thread linked to in the ATMB thread linked to is, by the way, the thread Tuba thought I had closed. If that makes things less confusing for anyone.) > > However, one would have hoped that andewdt85, having been back for only a day, would realize that he needs to be on best behavior for a while. at 3:44 p.m. today. I didn’t insult Ink a dink a dink until 5:55 p.m. What exactly was I doing to ‘act like a dick’ in your mind when you made that comment? ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/107 "2006-01-26T01:17:17Z")
Okay, so I was snarky to Guinistasia at 1:36 p.m.- but was that _really_ what you meant, Frank, when you said I wasn’t on my best behaviour? I think the comment, in context, is obviously referring to my controversial thread. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/108 "2006-01-26T01:22:54Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > But the problem is, that ‘reporting’ someone who just insulted me, and then having a mod come by and warn that person not to do it again, isn’t enough- insults hurt, okay?, and I believe strongly in eye-for-an-eye. You may not like it. It might feel real bad. Hell, you might even have a case, if you were making it about **someplace other than here**. It doesn’t work that way here. Rain blows against the empire all you want. It doesn’t work that way here. Many posters, including _moderaters various_, have explained it to you. In simple declarative sentences. Re-read them if necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/109 "2006-01-26T01:27:42Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > Well but here’s what I needed to learn- to keep track of when you’re in the Pit and when you’re not, in terms of how others are treating you, and when they mistreat you: hit the report button. But the problem is, that ‘reporting’ someone who just insulted me, and then having a mod come by and warn that person not to do it again, isn’t enough- insults hurt, okay?, and I believe strongly in eye-for-an-eye. > > You call me a dick, and it’s true- but that’s only because of how I was treated by you (Dr Seuss on abuse). I decided to be eye-for-an-eye back in November when it was apparent that being polite in a Pit thread doesn’t stop people from flinging feces at you. > \ I take it the “you” you’re talking about is the general “you”? Most people haven’t been calling you a dick. Several people have gone out of their way to try and give you some pointers on how to better get along on these boards. And those who mention the word “dick” are more referring to a dickish set of behaviour, not calling you an out-and-out all the time dick. Whether you believe it or not, most people don’t want to see you suspended or banned. Every poster has something to contribute. It’s just that you may need to reasses whether what you’re contributing has any merit and discussive worth as a whole, or whether you’re just posting to hear the sound of your own voice. Unfortunately eye-for-an-eye is not the way the culture works on this board. If you feel that’s the only way you can respond, and that you have to respond every time in that fashion, then you’re just going to get in trouble again (again, on preview this time it’s what \*\*Contrapuntal \*\* said). And this time it will be a perma-ban. Discretion is the better part of valour, **Andrew**. You need to learn how to pick your fights. If someone says something to you in a thread and it really burns your ass, report them to a mod. If it still burns after they’re warned, then start a pit thread if you feel the need to vent. You’re very good at playing the wounded party here, but you have to think - if so many other posters, regardless of age, legnth of time on the boards and posting habits, can get along without getting a mod warning or getting taken off the boards - what are you doing that’s causing you to get into trouble? As has been said by several people, it’s not just the inappropriate insults, or the threads that have a questionable motive, or even the fact that you’re posting (to latch on to a meme) like a motherfuck. It’s a combination of all these factors, and the fact that you seem unwilling to listen to helpful advice, be it given by the mods, the admins or even your peers. Seriously dude - chill. Lay off the OPs for a while. None of what you’re asking needs an answer right now. It can wait 24-48 hours. Play in other people’s threads for a while. Listen to what other people are saying. It will lower your blood pressure, and drop you off the radar so you stop getting hauled up all the time when you do make an error. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/110 "2006-01-26T01:48:06Z")
Andrew, have you seen [this?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7035758&postcount=59) Seriously, do you understand what it means? I’m not trying to be a smartass here. It means you have _no more chances_. What you need to do, if you want to hang around, is project a very low profile. As time passes warnings tend to ‘drop off the page’ so to speak. If you have the slightest doubt as to whether what you are doing constitutes bad behavior, **don’t do it**. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/111 "2006-01-26T01:53:36Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > No, what I said back then was that I only posted on weekends because of my schedule. I changed that rule right now because I haven’t been on here for a month, and I’m taking fewer credits. Lucky us. Any particular reason you’re taking fewer credits now as opposed to a couple months ago? ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/112 "2006-01-26T01:54:00Z")
**FinnAgain** , thanks for the link in post #20. Just finished reading it - one of the funniest things I’ve read on the SDMB that didn’t involve **Sampiro** ’s family. How wonderful that we get to see this happen again! I enjoy schadenfruede far too much. There’s probably something wrong with me. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/113 "2006-01-26T01:56:21Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > Okay, so I was snarky to Guinistasia at 1:36 p.m.- but was that _really_ what you meant, Frank, when you said I wasn’t on my best behaviour? I think the comment, in context, is obviously referring to my controversial thread. I don’t know what more I can say in order to get you to understand how you are viewed. Please read the good advice given here, most recently by **Sierra Indigo** and **Contrapuntal** , and earlier by others. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/114 "2006-01-26T02:38:00Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > NO ONE here thinks of it the SD as ‘normal society;’ here you are free to ask questions that you’d be embarassed to ask in real life. Believe it or not, Andrew, some of us don’t post anything at the Dope we wouldn’t be willing to stand up in front of our friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors and read aloud. Really. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/115 "2006-01-26T02:45:09Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > If you have the slightest doubt as to whether what you are doing constitutes bad behavior, **don’t do it**. Actually, he doesn’t seem to have any capacity for self-reflection that would enable him to have doubts about the wisdom, or lack thereof, of his behavior. ---
**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 26, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/116 "2006-01-26T02:45:48Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Believe it or not, Andrew, some of us don’t post anything at the Dope we wouldn’t be willing to stand up in front of our friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors and read aloud. > > Really. Ditto! My _daughter_ posts to this message board, for heaven’s sake! And my wife and other daughter peruse it at times! ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/117 "2006-01-26T03:03:45Z")
**andrewdt85** -I don’t have a dog in this fight, and my life will go on whether you choose to flush yourself down the swirl pipe of Dopedom or not. Just the same, I’m gonna share a truism with you, for what it’s worth. Maybe you take it to heart and it’ll save your ass, maybe penis will ensue. _When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging._😉 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/118 "2006-01-26T03:05:46Z")
This has all been done before in **andrew** ’s previous excursions into the Pit: all the advice he’s being offered has been previously given, with solemn resolutions to mend his ways that evaporate as soon as the next stupid thought flashes across his synapses. It says a great deal about him as a poster that what I thought was a mending of his ways - “Y’know, that guy hasn’t posted anything stupid in a while…” - turned out to be a suspension: the only reason he hadn’t posted anything stupid was that he hadn’t posted anything. He is incapable of learning. ---
**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 26, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/119 "2006-01-26T03:11:27Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > This has all been done before in **andrew** ’s previous excursions into the Pit: all the advice he’s being offered has been previously given, with solemn resolutions to mend his ways that evaporate as soon as the next stupid thought flashes across his synapses. It says a great deal about him as a poster that what I thought was a mending of his ways - “Y’know, that guy hasn’t posted anything stupid in a while…” - turned out to be a suspension: the only reason he hadn’t posted anything stupid was that he hadn’t posted anything. He is incapable of learning. Well he did learn not to use huge Orange words in every other post. Other than that, he has proved atrocious in his short time back. I wouldn’t say to someone what he said, even in the pit, never mind anywhere else in SDMB or real life. (Well maybe a telemarketer but that’s another thread). He still owes \*\*Ink a dink a dink \*\* a large apology. Hopefully he has done so somewhere. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575/120 "2006-01-26T03:31:41Z")
I’d be a better person if I joined those urging andrew to mend his ways. But I don’t think that will work, so let’s try this instead: Hey, **andrewdt85** : Please continue being a dick so that we are more quickly rid of you. Thanks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-slight-complaint-about-the-moderators/341575.md?page=7)