# Alarming trend in moderation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891>\
**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:** 1\
**Showing post:** 77

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**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\
**Post date:** [July 11, 2019, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alarming-trend-in-moderation/836891/77 "2019-07-11T20:20:40Z")

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> [@Ravenman](#):
>
> Clearly what we need is a new subforum, where posters accused by mods of being a jerk are afforded an opportunity to obtain counsel and argue before a panel of their peers as to what constitutes being a jerk. Such conclusions should of course be based on precedent, so we need to keep a better record of examples of jerkishness, and perhaps index these examples in a library of some sort that all can access.
> 
> The decision of these peers can then be appealed three times, ultimately bringing the matter to **Ed Zotti** if he so deigns. Of course he might remand the issue to the Privy Council of ATMB, which can then form a commission of inquiry comprised of the anonymous posters on Giraffe Boards as a neutral third party.
> 
> This inquiry shall last not more than 180 days, to be followed by a secondary review by the degenerates who only hang out in the Pit. Their recommendations will be put forth to the whole message board in IMHO for a public poll to decide the matter once and for all, before anyone’s reputation is sullied by a mod note.
> 
> Or we can all try a little harder not to be jerks.

I do give you several points for creativity, however, it misses the issue.

The problem with “don’t be a jerk” is that one’s jerkishness has gone far beyond a universal recognition of being a jerk and into a wholly subjective and subconsciously politically based determination of what being a jerk consists of. It really has come to mean nothing more than “upsets a moderator at this time.”

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