# Administrators, Moderators and the rest of the Teeming Millions **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 9, 1999, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130 "1999-11-09T01:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lawrence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Lawrence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lawrence)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/61 "1999-11-11T02:53:00Z")
I have no complaints about Those Who Are in Power. I have never been edited. Nickrz once gave me some undeserved crap, but you deal with little things like that in a little way (in my case, by just ignoring him). This is the best message board that I have ever seen, and I think that a lot of people are taking a lot of little things way too seriously. I wonder if it’s true that small slights that would be smoothed over rapidly in person are magnified on the Net. In fact, I’m going to post this question. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/62 "1999-11-11T15:47:00Z")
[[(in my case, by just ignoring him)]] Oooh, don’t ignore Bruce. That’s the worst thing you can do. It only makes him worse. ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/63 "1999-11-11T19:31:00Z")
I’ll ignore that remark. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/64 "1999-11-11T21:11:00Z")
For what little it is worth, I vote with Alphagene, Zette and Ugly: no one forces you to participate on this board; if you don’t like the rules, go elsewhere. * * * Armed, dangerous… and off my medication. ---
**Author:** ![John\_John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@John\_John](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_John)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/65 "1999-11-11T22:40:00Z")
* * * Coyote > [@](#): > > For what little it is worth, I vote with Alphagene, Zette and Ugly: no one forces you to participate on this board; if you don’t like the rules, go elsewhere Well, yeah, that’s an option, but what if you just want the rules applied evenly, assuming, arguendo, they are not? Let us use the stale restaurant illustration again. You like the restaurant but the new waitress is turning your meals into a tums tempest?- see post above on this subject- Do you stop frequenting your favorite restaurant, or ask the owner to send her back to the scullery? If everyone is satisfied with the treatment by the administrators and moderators, as it appears from the posts in this thread, then you all should start a thread in their praise and stop flirting with flutes and fairy dust. * * * “All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.” F.Bacon Brille ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/66 "1999-11-11T23:35:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Let us assume you’ve been going to this restaurant several times a week > for years because you like the food, prior service you received, the owner and the decor. . . Funny. I don’t remember a time on AOL/SDMB that you didn’t bitch and cause trouble. (Okay, who gave him our forwarding address?) * * * \>^,^\< KITTEN Please tell your pants it’s not polite to point. ---
**Author:** ![Dirty\_Devil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Dirty\_Devil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dirty_Devil)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 1999, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/67 "1999-11-11T23:40:00Z")
“Do you stop frequenting your favorite restaurant, or ask the owner to send her back to the scullery?” Sure, ask the owner that. And if the owner says that, no, he/she won’t send her back to the scullery, that he/she will run the restaurant how he/she sees fit, and further more, it’s none of your business in the first place, then your other options are to put up with it, or to leave and not come back. You don’t go in every night and ask the owner the same thing, and then argue with him/her when you’re told the same thing. Well, Ed seems to be the “owner” around here, and he’s alrerady said (many, many times) that they are going to run things around here as they see fit, and to basically mind our own business. So, either put up with it, or leave. Pretty simple. ---
**Author:** ![John\_John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@John\_John](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_John)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/68 "1999-11-12T01:01:00Z")
Diane > [@](#): > > Funny. I don’t remember a time on AOL/SDMB that you didn’t bitch and cause trouble. > > (Okay, who gave him our forwarding address?) Since you don’t know me and I certainly do not know you, it is funny. * * * “All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.” F.Bacon Brille ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/69 "1999-11-12T02:19:00Z")
JJ, As DD said, you compain to the owner **once**. If the owner doesn’t remedy the situation to your satisfaction, then you have a choice: 1. Leave and never come back. 2. Stay and deal with it the best you can. 3. Bitch and moan incessently. 4. Stick around and watch to see if any other customer has any other complaint. When they do, take the side of the customer in order to spite the owner for not doing what you said. Basically, you’re a #3 which makes you an asshole. Melin’s a #4. ---
**Author:** ![Quarterat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5daacb/32.png) [@Quarterat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quarterat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/70 "1999-11-12T04:29:00Z")
The racist dim sum crack by Cyb is an example of why he has deseverdly earned such contempt . ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/71 "1999-11-12T04:35:00Z")
#5 Politely but firmly draw deficiencies to the restaurant owner’s attention which, if left unchecked, could lead to the Board of Health closing his restaurant. Note that there’s no point in doing this unless you actually care about the place and don’t WANT it shut down. Notice that both Nickrz and Ed eventually offered the apology and retraction that I had called for, suggesting that ultimately they realized the wisdom of doing so. I suspect it took a little consultation with The Chicago Reader’s lawyers to do so, but they ultimately did the right thing. I’ll remind you of Libby’s sig line many posts up from here – if you don’t speak up when someone else has been wronged, you have no right to complain if no one speaks up for you when you are wronged. Oh, by the way, “4” is _definitely_ WAY too low. 😉 -Melin ---
**Author:** ![Quarterat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5daacb/32.png) [@Quarterat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quarterat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/72 "1999-11-12T05:53:00Z")
ok I’ll bite … On what do you base those suspicions? I don’t know if anyone else would see a similarity to Nickrez impunimg Sue’s ethics and you implying that it was your threats of legal action and the prodding of their attorneys that inspired Ed and Nickrz to do the right thing, but I do… Seems to me that you have impunged their motives and belitteled their character and their appologies without presenting any evidence …Maybe you should appologize before they try to sue you. ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/73 "1999-11-12T06:02:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Since you don’t know me and I certainly do not know you, it is funny. Whatever you say Cyb, er I mean John :😉: :😉: * * * \>^,^\< KITTEN Please tell your pants it’s not polite to point. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/74 "1999-11-12T07:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know if anyone else would see a similarity to Nickrez impunimg Sue’s ethics and you implying that it was your threats of legal action and the prodding of their attorneys that inspired Ed and Nickrz to do the right thing, but I do… Seems to me that you have impunged their motives and belitteled their character and their appologies without presenting any evidence …Maybe you should appologize before they try to sue you. Where on this board did you see me make a “legal threat?” If you don’t understand the difference between the “impuning” (that would be impugning) someone’s professional ethics (have you read the offending post?), and speculating on why someone suddenly does something they have steadfastly refused to do (“appologize” – that would be “apologize”), then your system of logic isn’t working and there isn’t much anybody can do for you. -Melin ---
**Author:** ![Quarterat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5daacb/32.png) [@Quarterat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quarterat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/75 "1999-11-12T08:36:00Z")
I’d like to hereby appologize for saying Melin ever made a legal threat it should have been veiled legal threats… sorry (so sue me) . On the resteraunt annalogy I see it as a server who was fired then hangs out at the bar all day threatening to call the cops when she spies some gum under the table. Now it seems the resteraunt has a help wanted sign out… in a perfect world they would give you your job back and love would steer the stars. How about it can you all shake hands and start fresh? yeah thats what I figured oh well… You missed at least one other spelling error but if I can ever afford a proofreader I’ll keep you in mind. By the way you never did answer the question On what do you base your suspicions? ---
**Author:** ![Quarterat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5daacb/32.png) [@Quarterat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quarterat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/76 "1999-11-12T09:07:00Z")
BTW I said similar… that of course isn’t the same as the same and implies that there are differences as well… and yes I read the post and yes it was farther out of line than yours but I saw similarities…Nickrz may be a moderater but I realy doubt he did any damage to Sue’s excelent reputation (hisown on the other hand I suspect was harmed but its hard to sue yourself…) it seemed obvious that he messed up and that Sue violated no ethics in her response and in fact once again provided a generous service in the fight against ignorance( hey some folks explain concepts some correct spelling but its all part of the great war and if I put more value on the posts that give more arcane info than spelling it’s a subjective judgement). ---
**Author:** ![John\_John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@John\_John](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_John)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/77 "1999-11-12T11:44:00Z")
Quarterat > [@](#): > > The racist dim sum crack by Cyb is an example of why he has deseverdly earned such contempt Your interpretation of that as racist speaks to your lack of comprehension, or projection. * * * “All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.” F.Bacon Brille ---
**Author:** ![John\_John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@John\_John](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_John)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/78 "1999-11-12T11:47:00Z")
* * * > [@](#): > > Whatever you say Cyb, er I mean John :😉: :😉: > > * * * > > \>^,^\< > KITTEN OK, Diane, wink noted. _ **wink** _ wink\*\*\* * * * “All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.” F.Bacon Brille ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/79 "1999-11-12T14:17:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Let us assume you’ve been going to this restaurant several times a week for years because you like the food, prior service you received, the owner and the decor. A waiter that used to work in the “take out” area has now been elevated to the dinning room because someone suddenly quit. The new waiter is petty, bumptious, inefficient, ugly, judgmental, ignorant of the menu and gossips with the other patrons instead of doing their job. This waiter gives very bad service, in fact is clueless on what their duties are. You are even handed the check during dessert, while the dirty dinner plates are still on the table. You’ve tried to be patient with this person but they never improve. Do you stop going to the restaurant, or tell the owner to send this lardass back to the “take out” area of Yuck Fou’s Dim Sum Parlor where they belong? Or, off of Bizarro Earth and back on REAL Earth, the patron acts like a complete jackass, continually insulting not only the employees but other patrons as well, referring derogatorily to nonwhite and nonChristian patrons, and often engaging in loud, embarrassing rants, until the management eventually asks him to leave and tells him his business is no longer welcome there. * * * “Come on, Phonics Monkey–drum!” ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 1999, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130/80 "1999-11-12T14:34:00Z")
I want to offer one bit of legal advice. (Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. But this is one point that I don’t think anybody is going to have a problem with.) _ **Never say “so sue me” to a lawyer that you’re in the process of pissing off!** _ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/administrators-moderators-and-the-rest-of-the-teeming-millions/3130.md?page=5)