# A striking example of moderator bias **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 9, 2016, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641 "2016-02-09T18:09:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/61 "2016-02-13T02:58:47Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > While I appreciate that you are trying not to point fingers, your example is meaningless unless we can evaluate it ourselves, and we can only do that if you actually name the names. That’s sort of the problem with this sort of discussion. It’s impossible to compare how two different kinds of posters are being treated without specific examples, but giving specific answers here is basically the same thing as saying, “You know who else is an asshole?” Which is not appropriate for ATMB, particularly coming from a moderator. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/62 "2016-02-13T03:08:02Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > While I appreciate that you are trying not to point fingers, your example is meaningless unless we can evaluate it ourselves, and we can only do that if you actually name the names. You can assess crime statistics without naming the individual criminals. You can assess disease statistics without naming the individual patients. You can do astronomy without giving a proper name to every star. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/63 "2016-02-13T03:18:18Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > “You know who else is an asshole?” Don’t tell me _he_ was banned too: he had some pretty nice ideas! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/64 "2016-02-13T04:59:46Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > While I appreciate that you are trying not to point fingers, your example is meaningless unless we can evaluate it ourselves, and we can only do that if you actually name the names. I acknowledge that my point fails on the lack of details. I offer it to those who are interested, and I am fairly sure that if I named names I would do little more than initiate a “is too/is not–uh huh/nuh uh” feud over whether my examples are legitimate. I have no intention of naming posters as problems in a general discussion, (as opposed to within a Mod Note directed at them), and I am fairly sure that those who doubt my position, now, would refuse to be persuaded even if I did name names. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/65 "2016-02-13T05:14:38Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > In general, but not specifically, Liberals are better read, informed and consistent in their philosophy than are Conservatives. That means that SD is a good place for Liberals to express themselves, and, since well read, informed and solidly based people tend to gravitate toward Liberalism, that is why there are more Liberal posters than Conservatives here. Indeed, when a Conservative posts a cogent argument, it is cause for everyone to applaud. Oh, get off it. “Studies” that tend to promote the idea that one group or another is superior to its opposing group rely of cherry picking “good” and “bad” traits and finding a “study” to demonstrate that the favored group is more representative of the favorable characteristic. There have been studies that indicate that conservatives and liberals “think differently” than their opponents, (surprise!), but conclusions from those studies that claim some sort of moral or mental superiority rely on interpreting the results to describe the differences in ways that favor one of the groups over the other. Promoting those claims as a way to denigrate one’s opponents is nonsensical and believing such stuff is silly. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/66 "2016-02-13T06:46:25Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Oh, get off it. > > “Studies” that tend to promote the idea that one group or another is superior to its opposing group rely of cherry picking “good” and “bad” traits and finding a “study” to demonstrate that the favored group is more representative of the favorable characteristic. > > There have been studies that indicate that conservatives and liberals “think differently” than their opponents, (surprise!), but conclusions from those studies that claim some sort of moral or mental superiority rely on interpreting the results to describe the differences in ways that favor one of the groups over the other. > > Promoting those claims as a way to denigrate one’s opponents is nonsensical and believing such stuff is silly. Well said, **tomndebb**. There are good and bad people, with good and bad traits, on all sides. The bad people should be ignored, or ridiculed in The Pit if that is your want, and the good people uplifted, on all sides. \*Of course I leave the idea of your thoughts on who is the “good” and the “bad” as your own personal choice, as it should be, because America, Freedom, Bald Eagles and [Pistachios](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzze76A-kkk) . ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/67 "2016-02-13T10:52:13Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > In general, but not specifically, Liberals are better read, informed and consistent in their philosophy than are Conservatives. That means that SD is a good place for Liberals to express themselves, and, since well read, informed and solidly based people tend to gravitate toward Liberalism, that is why there are more Liberal posters than Conservatives here. Indeed, when a Conservative posts a cogent argument, it is cause for everyone to applaud. > > and, I say again, political speech is protected, even on a message board. No message board can legally forbid women, Islams, African Americans, or disabled people – why would they feel is is legal for them to censure political speech.? Had not quite seen the irony in that post, when taken in total. I think the 2nd paragraph tells us all we need to know about 1st. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/68 "2016-02-13T15:13:49Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Had not quite seen the irony in that post, when taken in total. I think the 2nd paragraph tells us all we need to know about 1st. 🙂 I hadn’t seen that at first either, having just rolled my eyes at both paragraphs and moved on. To be fair, free speech is protected on messageboards. The government may not penalize you for calling me a buttsniffer in Great Debates; your speech is, in that sense, protected. The mods’ll get you, but no speech is protected from them. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/69 "2016-02-14T00:18:18Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > You can assess crime statistics without naming the individual criminals. You can assess disease statistics without naming the individual patients. You can do astronomy without giving a proper name to every star. First off, statistics are usually open to evaluation of the methodology, including how things are classified and how the data is collected. Second, statistics rely on knowing and trusting who is collecting the statistics. > [@tomndebb](#): > > I acknowledge that my point fails on the lack of details. I offer it to those who are interested, and I am fairly sure that if I named names I would do little more than initiate a “is too/is not–uh huh/nuh uh” feud over whether my examples are legitimate. I have no intention of naming posters as problems in a general discussion, (as opposed to within a Mod Note directed at them), and I am fairly sure that those who doubt my position, now, would refuse to be persuaded even if I did name names. I understand and don’t disagree, but it doesn’t really do any good for you to assert there are posters just as bad, because that just leaves people not believing you. So either you post the names and debate whether they really are as bad, or you accept that people won’t accept your word. Can’t win, can you? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/70 "2016-02-14T01:22:44Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Can’t win, can you? I got a T-shirt and a coffee mug over the last 11 years. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/71 "2016-02-14T08:55:43Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Oh, get off it. > > “Studies” that tend to promote the idea that one group or another is superior to its opposing group rely of cherry picking “good” and “bad” traits and finding a “study” to demonstrate that the favored group is more representative of the favorable characteristic. > > There have been studies that indicate that conservatives and liberals “think differently” than their opponents, (surprise!), but conclusions from those studies that claim some sort of moral or mental superiority rely on interpreting the results to describe the differences in ways that favor one of the groups over the other. > > Promoting those claims as a way to denigrate one’s opponents is nonsensical and believing such stuff is silly. Couldn’t agree more. It was a ridiculous comment. And I got my coffee mug 12 years ago- and still have it. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/72 "2016-02-14T15:00:02Z")
I only got a coffee mug. Then one of my kids used it as a paint mug, dammit. I had to pay for the T-shirt. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/73 "2016-02-14T15:42:12Z")
Never even got a mug. This is the no mug complaining thread, right? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/74 "2016-02-14T15:43:32Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Never even got a mug. This is the no mug complaining thread, right? Didn’t you pay the postage due? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/75 "2016-02-14T16:04:36Z")
Darn. That’s the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/76 "2016-02-15T18:52:55Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Never even got a mug. This is the no mug complaining thread, right? It’s because of the bias. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2016, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/77 "2016-02-16T01:33:06Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > #1. Conservatives/republicans left this place in droves. Again, who? > [@tomndebb](#): > > There are actually more active posters on the Right, today, than there were a couple of years ago. This. I’ve been here longer than nearly all of you and I cannot recall a time when there were more conservative posters than now. There are so many active ones that they make any claims otherwise nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/78 "2016-02-16T02:47:44Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > AI’ve been here longer than nearly all of you and I cannot recall a time when there were more conservative posters than now. There are so many active ones that they make any claims otherwise nonsensical. The absolute number is not really important. What is important is the proportion. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2016, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/79 "2016-02-16T02:58:33Z")
And the proportion is greater now than any time since May, 2000. Fewer members, more active conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641/80 "2016-02-16T04:34:30Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > And the proportion is greater now than any time since May, 2000. Fewer members, more active conservatives. Hmm. I’ve been around since 2002, and I can’t say either way. Did you actually count? If not, then with all due respect, I’m calling BS. ETA: BS at worst. Confirmation Bias at best. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-striking-example-of-moderator-bias/745641.md?page=5)