Bite me, Dexter

About This Message Board
1

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11205641&postcount=86

The term was being used in earnest - when a poster purposely promotes ignorance, or the promotion of ignorance, or the irrelevance of rationality in the face of evidence or fact … that person is at a minimum emulating a cretin, at least in the obtuse sense of the word.

2

This is not even bringing in the MLK/“Sky Magic” bullshit…

3

From your link:

Since you were not in the Pit, presumably this means you are not ‘alert in perception’ and not ‘observant’? :wink:

(No insult intended :))

4

Guess I should have written a paragraph politely encouraging Nzinga to understand that there is more to MLK than faith’n’“sky magic” and an additional appendix to the effect that “cretin” includes “obtuse.”

Is documenting an opinion directly, even an unpleasant one an insult?

Fine.

No heat anywhere 'cept the Pit.

An insult/attack would have been way more demonstrative than “you cretin,” used without aggression in response to both an initially obtuse statement about MLK and a non-response to more substantive MLK-related comments by me.

Insults are about people - Nzinga was being purposely obtuse and non-responsive to my comments. I guess I should have said

And I’m sorry that even a fucking hint of heat or conflict brings out such hackles.

Fine, Dexter, no heat in CS.

5

Sorry, “Bite me, Dexter” is out of line for ATMB. From the Guidelines and Etiquette:

Complaints about moderation may be made in ATMB, providing a reasonable level of courtesy is maintained. This complaint does not comply with this standard.

You may open another thread if you want to discuss Dex’s action, but let’s keep it within ATMB norms.

Colibri
Moderator

6

(I don’t do this often, but I’m using moderator’s privileges to post to a closed thread, because I think it’s important that something be said here.)

Our rules are, and have always been, that you may attack what a person SAYS, but you may not attack who a person IS. Examples:

  • “Your comments are founded in ignorance” is fine. “You are an ignoramus” is not.
  • “Your statements are obtuse” is perfectly OK. “You are obtuse” is not.
  • “Your argument is not rational” is acceptable. “You are irrational” is not.

The line may seem like a fine one, but it’s there all the same. It’s the rule from high-school debate: attack what the person says, don’t attack the person him/herself. Discussions can be as heated as you’d like, as long as they’re focused on the topic and not on the other poster.