# Can I see the Moderator Registration Agreement? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 24, 2001, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040 "2001-11-24T17:51:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/21 "2001-11-25T17:49:38Z")
This is not any other board. And the mods are only human. I have never seen one go over the edge. They should be allowed to get in the face of deserving posters. While I have not read nor posted in every thread, I have never seen a mod go beyond what every member can do. If you have…post an example. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/22 "2001-11-25T17:50:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*It seems on the SD sometimes moderators tend to be a little insulting to the members with immunity. Maybe it’s just me? Has anyone seen or got insulted from a moderator ever? \*\* So, would it be correct to say that the actual purpose of your thread here was not to see a Moderator’s agreement, but to complain about what you perceive as poor treatment by a Moderator/Moderators? If so, maybe you should start a thread in the place where complaints are supposed to go. I mean honestly, **handy** , legitimate beef or not, going about this in a roundabout way is not going to help your case. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/23 "2001-11-25T18:02:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > Has anyone seen or got insulted from a moderator ever? From Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” (Brian has just been thrown in prison) > [@](#): > > BRIAN: … You saw him spit in my face! > > BEN: Ohh! What wouldn’t I give to be spat at in the face! I sometimes hang awake at night dreaming of being spat at in the face. > > BRIAN: Well, it’s not exactly friendly, is it? They had me in manacles! > > BEN: Manacles! Ooh oooh oh oh. My idea of heaven is to be allowed to be put in manacles… just for a few hours. … They must think the sun shines out o’ your arse, sonny. > > BRIAN: Oh, lay off me. I’ve had a hard time! > > BEN: You’ve had a hard time?! I’ve been here five years! They only hung me the right way up yesterday! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Call\_Me\_Tech-Mex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@Just\_Call\_Me\_Tech-Mex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Call_Me_Tech-Mex)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/24 "2001-11-25T18:07:06Z")
Why exactly are you two ragging on him? Does he _really_ have to think exactly like you do and phrase his questions exactly as you perceive the PC version to be? Butt out, and let the people with real answers, like TubaDiva above handle it. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/25 "2001-11-25T18:22:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Just Call Me Tech-Mex \* > **Does he _really_ have to think exactly like you do and phrase his questions exactly as you perceive the PC version to be?** Yeah…that’s exactly what we said. Wait - no, it isn’t anything like what we said. Hmmm… 😕 > [@](#): > > \*\*Butt out, and let the people with real answers, like TubaDiva above handle it. \*\* It’s only a problem if you get paranoid about it. Chill out, and the world chills with you. Sound familiar? ---
**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:** [November 25, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/26 "2001-11-25T19:33:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Reeder, well, I saw part of a moderator agreement on another message board. A board way way more liberal than this one. Yet, on their agreement it clearly states that the moderators cannot insult the members. If they do, as they have there, they can get banned. > > It seems on the SD sometimes moderators tend to be a little insulting to the members with immunity. Maybe it’s just me? Has anyone seen or got insulted from a moderator ever? \*\* If you wanted to complain about how you’re treated by the moderators on this board you should have said so to begin with and not jacked us around with your original faulty premise. You also should have put your complaint in the Pit and I invite you to do so. handy, you’ve really tried our patience here, on this subject and many others. You’re on formal warning already, act the fool some more and you’re part of our used to be. your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/27 "2001-11-26T00:10:10Z")
“If you wanted to complain about how you’re treated by the moderators on this board you should have said so to begin with and not jacked us around with your original faulty premise.” Aren’t you drawing conclusions? Besides, I’m not complaining about them, nor intending to & after I got my answer that there is no agreement per se, I had to answer the other questions people asked of me here otherwise they would just claim another ‘post & run.’ I really did see part of a Moderator Agreement on another board the other day & I just thought I would ask here, that should not be a crime. I’m finding out what the laws are first; lawyers tell me to be like that, TubaDiva. First, I find out what the laws are. How else would I know what they are without asking your humble TubaDiva? If you don’t want me answering anymore questions from users about this you know you can put a padlock on 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:** [November 26, 2001, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/28 "2001-11-26T00:37:37Z")
I smell a train wreck a-comin’… ---
**Author:** ![Fanny\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3be4f8/32.png) [@Fanny\_May](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fanny_May)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/29 "2001-11-26T00:38:40Z")
I agree with you. I think your question was quite appropriate for this forum. If you had gotten the simple answer “there is no such agreement” right away, that would have been as simple as it could get - question asked and answered. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/30 "2001-11-26T01:04:59Z")
> [@](#): > > I think your question was quite appropriate for this forum. Some might have interpreted it to be a loaded question. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_of\_the\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Soul\_of\_the\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_of_the_Machine)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/31 "2001-11-26T01:12:49Z")
The question isn’t a complaint. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/32 "2001-11-26T02:22:47Z")
The original question was not a complaint, but **handy** then went on to say this… [quote] \*\*Reeder, well, I saw part of a moderator agreement on another message board. A board way way more liberal than this one. Yet, on their agreement it clearly states that the moderators cannot insult the members. If they do, as they have there, they can get banned. It seems on the SD sometimes moderators tend to be a little insulting to the members with immunity. Maybe it’s just me? Has anyone seen or got insulted from a moderator ever?\*\* [quote] That is where the complaint comes from. Anyone who knows of **handy** s antics lately will know that he has been questioning the mods on several issues. It grows tiresome. Just ban him already. I think he wants it. ---
**Author:** ![Mac\_Guffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@Mac\_Guffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mac_Guffin)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/33 "2001-11-26T02:24:21Z")
Crap. I even previewed that. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/34 "2001-11-26T02:32:50Z")
**handy** , these challenges to mods/admins disguised as ABTM posts are getting boring. You have over 11,000 posts here and it’s never occured to you to ask about “moderator agreements” before? Why do you need to know the “legal” position? Even if moderators on this particular messageboard do have “moderator agreements” they’d be civil law ones. There’d be so little legal precedent about “moderator agreements” (let alone moderator agreements in various states throughout the US) that the "legal position would amount to no more than opinion. If you want to know about the “legal position” of moderators, then surely you would be emailing the legal department of the Chicago Reader rather than starting another thinly disguised “attack the mods” thread in the wrong forum. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Fear\_of\_Id](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@The\_Fear\_of\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Fear_of_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/35 "2001-11-26T02:46:59Z")
**reprise** - That’s certainly off the wall! What are you trying to do, make this Federal case? It’s a simple question, “Does the board have a written rule telling mods where the line is?” And his further statements just add the implication “If you don’t, maybe it would be a good idea. Other sites have them, and it keeps the mods from insulting people.” That’s not a bad thing to want, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/36 "2001-11-26T03:03:47Z")
Does what **Handy** posted really seem to you a simple question? Wanna buy a bridge? You obviously don’t know Handy. Did you read Tuba’s response to him? There is more to this than just a question. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/37 "2001-11-26T03:06:33Z")
Geez…A little help here please? (I assume that you meant "please delete my double-post. Done. - AW) [Edited by Arnold Winkelried on 11-25-2001 at 09:54 PM] ---
**Author:** ![The\_Fear\_of\_Id](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@The\_Fear\_of\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Fear_of_Id)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/38 "2001-11-26T03:18:31Z")
You’re wrong. I do know Tim. And he doesn’t deserve the heap being piled on him in this thread, that’s for sure. You’ve had your say, many times now, so maybe you could give it a rest? ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/39 "2001-11-26T03:36:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Fear of Id \* > \*\ ***reprise** - That’s certainly off the wall! > What are you trying to do, make this Federal case? > > It’s a simple question, “Does the board have a written rule telling mods where the line is?” > > And his further statements just add the implication “If you don’t, maybe it would be a good idea. Other sites have them, and it keeps the mods from insulting people.” > > That’s not a bad thing to want, is it? \*\* And it’s off the wall, why? **Handy** is a very longtime poster who knows exactly how this messageboard works. It’s a private messageboard. If **handy** want to suggest that perhaps the moderators and admins **should** have to sign registration agreements then he knows as well as I do that specific recommendations like that should be directed to the Chicago Reader (who DO make the rules for this messageboard) and not to either the mods/admins or the membership (who DO NOT make the rules here). And it was **handy** who brought lawyers into this discussion, not me. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040/40 "2001-11-26T03:54:27Z")
It’s a lengthy agreement, but I’ll C&P the relevant portion here: **4.51 - Moderators are only allowed to insult posters who: a. deserve it b. ask for it c. get off on being insulted by message board moderators** We try to use Cecil as a role model. Jil [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-see-the-moderator-registration-agreement/95040.md?page=3)