# Can a moderator explain why this thread is still in Great Debates? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 29, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239 "2015-08-29T01:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/1 "2015-08-29T01:23:36Z")
[This thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=766439) An OP who has done nothing but open “Just Asking Questions” threads, where there is no debate, no substance, and pretty much every poster in the thread calling bullshit on the sincerity of said OP. The bigger question is why the thread isn’t locked, but how on earth does it not get booted to one of the “less rigorous” forums? What purpose is being served by pandering to racist nonsense other than attracting [other racist nonsense](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18640993&postcount=42)? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/2 "2015-08-29T01:35:30Z")
From the subject title, I expected this to be a soliloquy. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/3 "2015-08-29T03:56:55Z")
**Moderator Note** Thread title fixed (moderate -\> moderator) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/4 "2015-08-29T04:02:36Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > Thread title fixed (moderate -\> moderator) No, he just didn’t want someone from the far left answering his question. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2015, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/5 "2015-08-29T14:41:41Z")
Well, I’ll jump in. Because it stirred at least the beginnings of a debate? You might not like it, or feel it has value, but if I judged all threads like that some days I’d walk through GD with a shotgun putting threads out of their - and my - misery. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/6 "2015-08-29T20:55:33Z")
If you can’t see the difference between that thread and your average GD thread, I guess there’s nothing I can say to convince you otherwise. I’ve just not seen _that_ many GD threads where pretty much every other post is from a member in good standing essentially calling the OP a troll. **e-g-c** : Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/7 "2015-08-29T21:23:01Z")
As I mentioned in the thread, even if we take the OP at face value, he’s basically cribbing an argument from here to takeover to St0rmfront. Does that sound like a good idea to you guys? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/8 "2015-08-29T21:44:33Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > [This thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=766439) > > An OP who has done nothing but open “Just Asking Questions” threads, where there is no debate, no substance, and pretty much every poster in the thread calling bullshit on the sincerity of said OP. 1. It’s easy to question the sincerity of the OP in that thread. But questioning is not the same as establishing insincerity. I still possess reasonable doubt, though I’ve only read one thread. The standard policy in such situations is to address the poster in the pit, where we can have a personal discussion, be it testy or inflamed. 1b. I would advise the our new poster that for future reference when you use donotlink to connect with a Stormfront page, you should inform your readers in plain text that you are doing that. Otherwise it appears deceptive. TIA. 1. I’m not saying that this thread is inappropriate though. **John Mace** , by way of clarification, at what post number (approx) do you think the thread should have been shut down? Post 8, for example, seems a little early to me. 2. The SDMB is a debunking website, right? Of course that doesn’t mean we should have to -hypothetically- spend all our time with JAQ-offs. There are dull pencils in the world though, that could benefit from some prodding. Maybe. I occasionally see this sort of thing around the web and it tends to just fester. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/9 "2015-08-29T22:14:48Z")
1. The OP, just taken by itself, doesn’t belong in GD. It’s nothing more than: Hey, look what I found on St\*rmfront! 2. It’s the 3rd time this poster has done this since he joined, a week or so ago. Let’s nip this in the bud. 3. The OP’s question, if we really want to take it seriously, was answered fully in post #8. 4. I think [Lemur said it best.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18639811&postcount=19) 5. If someone really wants to debate European Immigration, they can start a thread without the St\*rmfront reference, and where a debate is actually presented. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/10 "2015-08-29T22:37:32Z")
I mean it’s super obvious he’s JAQing off all over gd ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/11 "2015-08-29T23:20:14Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > 1. The SDMB is a debunking website, right? Of course that doesn’t mean we should have to -hypothetically- spend all our time with JAQ-offs. There are dull pencils in the world though, that could benefit from some prodding. Maybe. I occasionally see this sort of thing around the web and it tends to just fester. Perhaps he could ask for the debunking of something that’s _not_ about race. Surely there must be one or two topics out there. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/12 "2015-08-29T23:26:02Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > 1. The OP’s question, if we really want to take it seriously, was answered fully in post #8. Ok, then let me try my hand at proposed moderation: Post 9 (or beyond, since mods have a life too): [INDENT]Asked and answered. ryu238: We generally ask posters to present their own arguments in their own words in new threads, rather than linking simply linking to other websites and asking for commentary. Also, if you link to an obviously inflammatory page, please indicate that in your post: some posters can’t link to that stuff at work for example. It is better to be candid: otherwise some may suspect hidden agendas. Anyone who wants to discuss European immigration is welcome to start another thread, but please do so in this manner. [/INDENT] I doubt whether that is complete. Modding is hard. Smacking down stupid and bigoted arguments touches on the core issue of this message board. Unfortunately, someone has to do this unpleasant work and it’s not going to be me. Plus it makes this environment less pleasant and possibly attracts trollish folk. I can see both sides and I’m not ready to move to advocate closing that sort of thread when the posts are in the single digits or even in the 20s. I find it possible that a young naif could sincerely post 3 threads like that. Doesn’t mean it’s the sort of activity we want though. **Bryan Ekers** : Oh sure. We could institute a policy like that. It would also be nice if, hypothetically, there was a place on the web where disingenuous JAQ-offs got the smack down. Doesn’t happen at 4chan, say. I’d advocate this open policy in a full throated manner, except I don’t want to do the work. ETA: As a kid I was fascinated with UFOs, a little. Racial nonsense may be the UFOs of his generation. Or not. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/13 "2015-08-29T23:54:42Z")
He simply has an open venue to post stormfr0nt nonsense. If that’s OK with the board then that’s OK, but let’s not pretend he has some altruistic motive here. Only the most internet-culture naive of people could see otherwise. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/14 "2015-08-30T00:05:34Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > I doubt whether that is complete. Modding is hard. In all seriousness: **Measure for Measure** for Great Debates moderator 2015! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/15 "2015-08-30T02:24:20Z")
😕 “JAQ”? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/16 "2015-08-30T02:25:39Z")
Buh wuh, I _like_ tomndebb’s harshness. JAQ: [Just Asking Questions](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Just_asking_questions). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/17 "2015-08-30T02:27:59Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Buh wuh, I _like_ tomndebb’s harshness. Thanks you, sir, may I have another? ---
**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:** [August 30, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/18 "2015-08-30T02:45:45Z")
How about simply not responding? Those seeking attention will quickly fade if they receive no interaction. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/19 "2015-08-30T02:48:31Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > How about simply not responding? It’ll never happen on this MB. Besides, I think the rules are clear enough to shut down this type of activity. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239/20 "2015-08-30T03:06:50Z")
It could happen 🙂 look - I’m not responding. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-moderator-explain-why-this-thread-is-still-in-great-debates/729239.md?page=2)