# Can we violate every rule if we say "whoosh"? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 25, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615 "2009-08-25T08:08:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/1 "2009-08-25T08:08:11Z")
Does just saying it’s a whoosh mean that you don’t have to follow the rules? Can I post a long hateful PITing of Cecil and all the staff and then say “whoosh” and it’s now OK? Can I threaten to sue the SDMB, and get away with it if I say it’s only a joke? Just saying “it was a joke” doesn’t prevent a harassment charge in the real world. Some words are still hurtful to some- even if meant as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/2 "2009-08-25T08:19:36Z")
Got some cites there? I can’t say that I’ve seen the rules being trampled on by way of whooshing. And BTW there’s no rule against being hurtful. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/3 "2009-08-25T08:44:15Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Got some cites there? I can’t say that I’ve seen the rules being trampled on by way of whooshing. > > And BTW there’s no rule against being hurtful. No, but there’s a rule against hate speech, iirc. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/4 "2009-08-25T10:59:22Z")
“Whoosh” means you’ve taken a joke post seriously, and that’s all it means. It’s not a magic word, and it might not be considered if we were trying to figure out if a post broke a rule. Is there a specific example being discussed here? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/5 "2009-08-25T12:36:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “Whoosh” means you’ve taken a joke post seriously, and that’s all it means. It’s not a magic word, and it might not be considered if we were trying to figure out if a post broke a rule. Is there a specific example being discussed here? That’s what I’ve always _assumed_…It’s not the same thing as saying something in obvious jest. In fact, if you have to say, “Whoosh!” or “You’ve been whooshed!” you’ve ruined the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/6 "2009-08-25T13:00:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “Whoosh” means you’ve taken a joke post seriously, and that’s all it means. It’s not a magic word, and it might not be considered if we were trying to figure out if a post broke a rule. Is there a specific example being discussed here? I believe the OP is referring to [God hates the fag King James Bible](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=528942), in which there is quite much use of words that seem to qualify as “hate speech”, but which in the thread are bandied about as apparent jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/7 "2009-08-25T13:41:47Z")
You’d have a hard time trying to convince me that a parody of a hate group is hate speech itself, even if it includes a lot of unpleasant words. For what it’s worth I thought it was clear from the OP that the thread was mocking Fred Phelps. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/8 "2009-08-25T14:03:29Z")
I agree. We all do, with one or two exceptions. I was merely informing you of your request for the “specific example.” Trying to be helpful only. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/9 "2009-08-25T15:29:08Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > “Whoosh” means you’ve taken a joke post seriously, and that’s all it means. It’s not a magic word, and it might not be considered if we were trying to figure out if a post broke a rule. [Some food for thought](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7494400): > [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Excalibre](#): > > > > If someone actually makes a joke and people don’t get it, there’s nothing to blame the joker for (except conceivably not being funny, but there’s no rule against that.) But I have seen people say something ridiculous or just confused - and clearly not a joke - get called on it, and yell “WHOOSH!” > > > > I’m not sure if those people were trolling in the first place or if they don’t understand what the word means. But I’m not convinced that every time a person proclaims a whoosh that it’s actually a joke that didn’t take. > > Right. And what a wonderful scam it is. A poster says something ignorant and foolish. A smarter and rather observant posters calls them on it. So, then all you have to say is “WHOOSH!” and suddenly it’s the other guy who is made to look like a fool, and you’re oh-so-clever and funny. :rolleyes: Well, if I was to choose between Dijon Warlock and dnooman as to who is the fool- well… my choice wouldn’t be Dijon Warlock. > > So, by posting something stupid and attempting to cover it up by a “WOOSH!”, either you’re being a troll or disengenous. > > And, then dudes will defend the “WHOOSHer” by saying: “you just don’t have a sense of humor”- which could be right if the “WHOOSH” had any elements of humor in it at all. Sure, once in a great while a WHOOSH is completey obvious and even funny. But I think more often it’s just a weasle. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/10 "2009-08-25T15:45:03Z")
That or “with all due respect”. As in “with all due respect I hope you suffer a painful death as would suit an unredeemable asshole like you”. Well, at least it works in Dilbert. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/11 "2009-08-25T16:54:02Z")
I am not talking about any one post or thread. If I was, then I’d have said “In this thread, poster xxxx does suchandsuch, is that not against the rules, even if he claims it’s a joke?” It’s a general question- can we, or can we not violate the rules just by claiming it’s a joke/parody or whoosh? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/12 "2009-08-25T17:05:17Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I am not talking about any one post or thread. If I was, then I’d have said “In this thread, poster xxxx does suchandsuch, is that not against the rules, even if he claims it’s a joke?” :dubious: > [@God hates the fag King James Bible](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-hates-the-fag-king-james-bible/507215/113): > > Yes, you did, but for your use of the word “fag” only. And does just saying it’s a whoosh mean that you don’t have to follow the rules? Can I post a long hateful PITing of Cecil and all the staff and then say “whoosh” and it’s now OK? Can I threaten to sue the SDMB, and get away with it if I say it’s only a joke?😕 > > Just saying “it was a joke” doesn’t prevent a harassment charge in the real world. > > The word is still hurtful to some- even if you meant it as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/13 "2009-08-25T17:07:32Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It’s a general question- can we, or can we not violate the rules just by claiming it’s a joke/parody or whoosh? No. You can’t get away with breaking the rules just by saying after the fact that it was a joke. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/14 "2009-08-25T17:16:17Z")
Thank you. Yes, Lute, this thread was _inspired_ by that thread- **and others.** But like I said, "_I am not talking about any one post or thread. If I was, then I’d have said “In this thread, poster xxxx does suchandsuch, is that not against the rules, even if he claims it’s a joke?”_ or just reported it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/15 "2009-08-25T18:33:00Z")
How 'bout let’s give DrDeth a break here. She’s seeking a rules clarification, which every poster in good standing has always been allowed to do. Some people “get it” very readily, and some others need a bit more explanation. No need to dig up past quotes out of context to somehow “prove” that DrDeth is on some mission. It was just a question to and for the mods is all. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/16 "2009-08-25T19:04:34Z")
I was merely informing **Marley** of some potentially pertinent background info. I wouldn’t have known about that myself it it hadn’t been mentioned in **AT** ’s thread. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/17 "2009-08-25T19:09:19Z")
And it’s a question that has now been answered, n’est-ce pas? I’ll amend **Marley** ’s comments slightly. Generally speaking, no, saying “I was just joking” or “whoosh” is NOT a way of breaking the rules. But there are some situations in which that might be a mitigating factor. For example, if you insult another poster outside the Pit, “whoosh!” or “I was just kidding” is NOT usually a valid excuse. However, we have had a few cases where the “insult” was clearly a joke rather than an insult, and was understood as such by everyone except the Moderator; the person was warned, the situation explained, and the Moderator (me) apologized and recanted the warning. So, there can be a few situations of jokes rather than insults, which might be permitted (in which case “I was just joking” is possibly an out.) It’s not a way to avoid the rules, it’s a way of explaining that what a moderator thought was a rules violation, in fact, wasn’t. So, it can (in rare instances) be situational, and “I was just joking” can be an explanation that gets around the rule of personal insults. “You’re a moron” would never fit that category. “You must not have seen the LOTR movies” addressed to someone who is a known Tolkien fanatic… maybe. At the other end of the scale, the threat of legal action is never viewed as a joke, and is never taken lightly. Ditto for other offenses, such as harassment. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/18 "2009-08-25T21:39:56Z")
Perfectly reasonable to me. Thank you. 🆒 Asked and answered. Thank you too, Lib. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/19 "2009-08-26T03:52:31Z")
Is a poster allowed to violate the rules of the Board by couching a rules violation in the guise of a question about the rules? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2009, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615/20 "2009-08-26T05:24:13Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Is a poster allowed to violate the rules of the Board by couching a rules violation in the guise of a question about the rules? :rolleyes: Is a poster allowed to violate the rules of the Board by questioning another poster’s couching a rules violation in the guise of a question about the rules?😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-violate-every-rule-if-we-say-whoosh/507615.md?page=2)