# Alarming trend in moderation **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 11, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891 "2019-07-11T06:58:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/1 "2019-07-11T06:58:57Z")
In re recent warnings of Sammy and Manson: We are not there yet, but if the moderation trajectory continues apace, within a few months or a year it will be a demerit in my eyes if you can post regularly on this board and not get banned, because you will either be a true believer in an almost Maoist politically correct agenda, or be living out your days in pathetically cowed prostration before said True Believers. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/2 "2019-07-11T07:09:49Z")
I agree it seems things are shifting in the direction where the Mods are making judgements more on their feeling or emotions than in the fairness of discussion and deciding what discussions are worth having at all. If someone makes a statement hypothetically or playing devil’s advocate to make a point or go down a line of discussion that may be illuminating if allowed to evolve naturally it just gets shut down. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/3 "2019-07-11T07:28:22Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > In re recent warnings of Sammy and Manson: > > We are not there yet, but if the moderation trajectory continues apace, within a few months or a year it will be a demerit in my eyes if you can post regularly on this board and not get banned, because you will either be a true believer in an almost Maoist politically correct agenda, or be living out your days in pathetically cowed prostration before said True Believers. I’d ask for some of what you are smoking, but decided my stuff doesn’t make me all paranoid like you are. 😃 FFS…it’s a messageboard dude. You don’t have to be here if it pains you to do so. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/4 "2019-07-11T07:32:49Z")
FTR, I’m fine with both **SammyA’s** suspension and **manson’s** warning. I don’t find the moderation in those cases alarming. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/5 "2019-07-11T10:29:18Z")
Maoism, eh? Moderators, do you have your little red books? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/6 "2019-07-11T11:58:01Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > it will be a demerit in my eyes This is a feature, not a bug. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/7 "2019-07-11T12:30:47Z")
I’m delighted to read the OP. Obviously, the moderation is effective! ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/8 "2019-07-11T12:49:23Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > Maoism, eh? > > Moderators, do you have your little red books? [But of course!](https://www.straightdope.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SDcover.jpg) 😃 Jenny your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/9 "2019-07-11T12:55:07Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > [But of course!](https://www.straightdope.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/SDcover.jpg) > > 😃 > > Jenny > your humble TubaDiva You do indeed! ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/10 "2019-07-11T13:14:12Z")
I wonder if [del]the poster that caused all the brouhaha[/del], his cats go “Mao!” Tripler ::ducks and runs:: [sub] ETA: You know who I’m talking about. I softened the reference to keep this post lighthearted.[/sub] ---
**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:** [July 11, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/11 "2019-07-11T13:19:34Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > In re recent warnings of Sammy and Manson: > > We are not there yet, but if the moderation trajectory continues apace, within a few months or a year it will be a demerit in my eyes if you can post regularly on this board and not get banned, because you will either be a true believer in an almost Maoist politically correct agenda, or be living out your days in pathetically cowed prostration before said True Believers. Ooh! Ooh! I wanna be a True Believer! I have a podcast you can listen to if you want to know why. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/12 "2019-07-11T13:43:25Z")
Maybe if we could get all the black people in Georgia to post here, it would swing the balance. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/13 "2019-07-11T13:58:07Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Maybe if we could get all the black people in Georgia to post here, it would swing the balance. I don’t know. How many black Georgian Maoists are there? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/14 "2019-07-11T14:08:08Z")
Yup. It’s a requirement to be both a Maoist and and a supporter of anti-semites to be a moderator here. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/15 "2019-07-11T14:30:51Z")
I thought he was being melodramatic, but I just saw someone on another board saying almost the same thing. This is seriously alarming! ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/16 "2019-07-11T14:32:05Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > I don’t know. How many black Georgian Maoists are there? They would be paid, of course. By Tom Steyer and Bill Gates. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/17 "2019-07-11T14:42:18Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > FFS…it’s a messageboard dude. You don’t have to be here if it pains you to do so. This retort could be used in response to literally every complaint lodged in ATMB. It is therefore a form of threadshitting. ---
**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:** [July 11, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/18 "2019-07-11T14:44:58Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This retort could be used in response to literally every complaint lodged in ATMB. It is therefore a form of threadshitting. oh shit ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/19 "2019-07-11T15:06:56Z")
I thought a True Believer was what Stan Lee called fans who wrote in to Marvel Comics in the 1960s. Me, I Truly Believe that the moderation is far too weak, and that obvious trolls are allowed to spew their noxious effluents for years after they should have been banned. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/20 "2019-07-11T15:26:29Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This retort could be used in response to literally every complaint lodged in ATMB. It is therefore a form of threadshitting. I’ll try to focus on your substantive issues and ignore this, but I’ll just say that this isn’t how we construe threadshitting. > [@SlackerInc](#): > > In re recent warnings of Sammy and Manson: > > We are not there yet, but if the moderation trajectory continues apace, within a few months or a year it will be a demerit in my eyes if you can post regularly on this board and not get banned, because you will either be a true believer in an almost Maoist politically correct agenda, or be living out your days in pathetically cowed prostration before said True Believers. It seems your main point is that posters are being constrained to hold certain views else they get banned, or choose to remain silent. If that’s your position then I disagree. With certain limitations, virtually any topic can be discussed on the board in one of the forums. In my view, the biggest constraints that limit posters are in areas of illegal activity and hate speech. Beyond that, most topics are fair game as long as people remain civil about it. Are there topics you want to engage in but feel constrained about? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891.md?page=2)