# Beating the clock to poison the well? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 16, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699 "2016-10-16T13:49:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/1 "2016-10-16T13:49:43Z")
I’ve noticed something from time to time, and wanted clarification: 1. Poster A will mention something about himself – noting that he’s a member of some political party, say; or declaring which candidate he’ll vote for; or stating his position on a given issue. Poster B then states that everyone who is a member of that party/votes for that guy/holds that position is racist or sexist or ignorant or whatever. As I understand it, that’s a reportable offense; I’ve seen it draw warnings; it’s clearly an attack on, among others, Poster A. But I’ve also seen this: 1. There’s, uh, no Poster A, yet; in the wake of _nobody_ in the thread declaring for that party or candidate or position, Poster B states that everyone who belongs to that party or so votes or thinks like that – is racist or sexist or ignorant or whatever. And _that,_ I don’t recall ever seeing draw a warning. So – what’s the rule? Is it okay to so post _until_ a poster who fits the bill shows up? If someone replies by noting that he fits the bill, what comments can _then_ be made regarding the previous statement? Am I right in thinking we can so insult the other side (a) so long as we make sure to broad-brush them before they show up in a thread, (b) and they can’t then respond in kind, so long as we mention our side when doing so? ---
**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:** [October 16, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/2 "2016-10-16T15:01:29Z")
That would be very context sensitive. I’ve certainly warned people for over-the-top broad-brush, apropos-of-nothing slams that demonize their opposing posters. I’d advise against it. If you must insult someone or a group, best to do so in the Pit. It what Miller’s there for. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/3 "2016-10-16T18:32:31Z")
I was Mod-noted once for calling a certain party the Party of Evil. It depends on the forum. Certainly not okay in Elections. The Pit, not so much of a problem. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/4 "2016-10-16T19:34:18Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > That would be very context sensitive. I’ve certainly warned people for over-the-top broad-brush, apropos-of-nothing slams that demonize their opposing posters. Again, just to be clear this would be a situation where there’s some wiggle room: they’re arguably _not_ demonizing any opposing posters, because no such opposing posters would’ve yet shown up in such a thread. > [@](#): > > I’d advise against it. If you must insult someone or a group, best to do so in the Pit. It what Miller’s there for. Well, it’s less that I was looking to insult someone or a group; it’s more that I wanted to know whether I should report folks who so insult people or groups when no poster has actually gone on record in a thread as holding the position in question. And if the answer is ‘yes’, then, hey, that’s good to know. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/5 "2016-10-16T19:54:35Z")
in another words what you to know is say I say “hi I’m a I’m republican and here to discuss the party” and before anyone responds someone comes in and says " why bother republicans are lying scum" before anyone else responds can poster b get modded for 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:** [October 16, 2016, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/6 "2016-10-16T19:54:48Z")
We have had occasions where some truly astonishing group-based insults have been delivered akin to baby-killers or somesuch. Such have been moderated. Would every such case be? Probably not. As I said, though: it has happened. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2016, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/7 "2016-10-16T20:12:05Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > in another words what you to know is say I say “hi I’m a I’m republican and here to discuss the party” and before anyone responds someone comes in and says " why bother republicans are lying scum" before anyone else responds can poster b get modded for it? . No, I think that would clearly be moddable. My scenario is more like, say, a bunch of Democrats are discussing Republicans, and one says “they’re all lying scum” before any posters pop in to say _“Hi, I’m a Republican.”_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/8 "2016-10-17T11:47:25Z")
Conveniently, between the time I posted that then and how I’m posting this now, the following example popped up: > [@What can truly be done about "Trump supporters"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-truly-be-done-about-trump-supporters/768328/127): > > No, actually, we just treat the people willing to enthusiastically back Trump as complete retards. Because those people are either intellectually or morally bankrupt, and we prefer to assume people are stupid rather than evil. Now, that’s maybe not a _great_ example, since he goes on to specifically comment about a particular poster: “You’re on the latter side. So you’ll have to excuse me if many of the proposals on what to do about people who are either _stupid_ or _evil_ or _both_ sound just a little bit condescending. It’s because they are. This isn’t a case where discourse is needed.” (He then adds – in case we missed it – a “The only question is, why would you self-identify into that group?”) But that’s the sort of language I had in mind: a poster flatly declaring that folks who enthusiastically back a particular candidate are intellectually or morally bankrupt; are ‘stupid or evil’; and are to be treated as “complete retards”. If a remark like that comes in _before_ a self-identified Trump backer posts, would it be reportable? ---
**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:** [October 17, 2016, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beating-the-clock-to-poison-the-well/768699/9 "2016-10-17T13:43:50Z")
Well, that one earned him a warning In terms of your other examples? It’s all context sensitive and how much it appears the poster is trying to insult his or her debate opponents as well as the poster’s personal history of behavior.