# Catch-All Dio Pitting **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 11, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997 "2011-04-11T20:04:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/121 "2011-04-12T16:13:20Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > There comes a time when “can be a joy to read” no longer balances out “derails every thread he enters”. For **Dio** , that was sometime in 2003. For some reason the theme song for the Wonder Years TV show entered my mind as I was reading that. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/122 "2011-04-12T16:14:41Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Entertaining](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teMlv3ripSM&feature=related) maybe, but not terribly effective for what we’re trying to accomplish on this board. > > Also, I assume you’re kidding, if you really think that would work with Dio, I think you’re wrong. He’d be happy to go back and forth all day. I’ve tried it before. He disengages after a while to go after someone else. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/123 "2011-04-12T16:16:36Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Optimist. You’d just wind up with an endless loop. True. Honestly, why do you all care? We all have annoying people in our lives who spout crap all the time–or at least obstinate stuff that they won’t brook any opposition to. Just ignore him. I’m tired of Dio playing you all like he’s a lion tamer and trashing good threads. Choke him out with good discussion. Arguing with him just feeds the fire and burns away good discourse. Quit watering the plant and it shall die. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/124 "2011-04-12T16:25:36Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > I’ve tried it before. He disengages after a while to go after someone else. Ignoring him doesn’t allow him to get engaged to begin with and chew up half the thread. Besides, I’d prefer he didn’t go after anyone to begin with, at least not in his current style. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/125 "2011-04-12T16:25:45Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > \ > The thing is, I’m sure we all know people like this in real life, who view the world in black and white, and have absolute opinions about everything, even things they don’t really know anything about. Chances are, you have someone like this in your family and they raise obnoxious political debates at family gatherings or the like.\ Yup, I did, and it was kind of amazing how little he brought to the table at family gatherings, and how little he was missed when he wasn’t there. I submit to you (and others) that we aren’t having interesting discussions _because_ of **Dio** , we’re having interesting discussions _in spite_ of him. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/126 "2011-04-12T16:36:05Z")
I would encourage all posters who take issue with Dio (let’s see, everyone who has posted in this thread and ten times that number of viewers?) to actually report to a moderator any post of his that is over the line. Even if it’s only a wee, little bit over the line. Include a concise explanation for the mod that puts forth why he is breaking the rules. This would help establish a clear track record of violations that could be used for discipline, up to and including a permaban. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/127 "2011-04-12T16:36:39Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > True. Honestly, why do you all care? We all have annoying people in our lives who spout crap all the time–or at least obstinate stuff that they won’t brook any opposition to. Just ignore him. I’m tired of Dio playing you all like he’s a lion tamer and trashing good threads. He’s the problem (in case you weren’t paying attention since it’s been mention a million times). WE can all ignore him, but someone else will come along that doesn’t know better and it all starts over again. In a month there will be a whole new group of people that are finally fed up and starting a big pit thread over him. Someone mentioned earlier that it’s like having that drunk family member that shows up at gatherings and starts discussing touching subjects but refuses to listen to the other side. Sure, we all know better then to engage him, but your new neighbor from down the block that stops over to wish you a merry Christmas doesn’t and all of a sudden the two of them or over by the fireplace screaming at each other. So the next day, you explain it to him, and from then on, Bill knows what the deal is and just avoids him the next time they cross paths. Come Easter, Bill stops over, sees him, steers clear or just walks away when he starts talking, but Drunken Uncle starts talking about abortion to Bill’s 17 year old daughter and now they’re all outside on the front lawn screaming at each other. So the next day you explain drunken uncle to the daughter, she understands and knows better. You’re pretty sure everyone understands.. Next party…same thing, this time it’s the neighbor behind you, the one you’ve never even met before, drunken uncle noticed a sign on his lawn that said “Abortion stops a beating heart” and even though D.U. is pro-choice and thinks that anyone that has an abortion should be shot on site, he doesn’t think life begins until birth, so now those two are going at it… It’s not going to stop, you can’t warn everyone. > [@](#): > > Choke him out with good discussion. Arguing with him just feeds the fire and burns away good discourse. Quit watering the plant and it shall die. This is tough since he really gets under your skin. The thing Dio is very good at is mis-quoting, taking things out of context and ignoring cites. It makes it very very difficult to ignore. When you say something, he challenges it, you give him concrete proof and then 20 posts later he challenges the first thing again as if you didn’t answer it, it’s hard not to respond again, especially to someone that doesn’t know his track record and doesn’t realize that he isn’t, upon being directed to the proof you provided, going to say “Oh, sorry, missed that”, he’s just going to wait a little while and challenge the first part of the question again. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/128 "2011-04-12T16:52:50Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > Seriously, I don’t see the point of this thread. Simple. **Ellen** said, " If you need to unburden yourself regarding another Doper, please, have at it [in the Pit]. We strive to keep the threads drama-free and contained to the topic at hand." IOW, we’re being urged to pit **DtC** rather than participate in derailings elsewhere. This thread keeps the Pit from being cluttered with multiple **Dio** -centric threads while being a relief valve for other fora. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/129 "2011-04-12T16:53:38Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > When you say something, he challenges it, you give him concrete proof and then 20 posts later he challenges the first thing again as if you didn’t answer it, it’s hard not to respond again, especially to someone that doesn’t know his track record and doesn’t realize that he isn’t, upon being directed to the proof you provided, going to say “Oh, sorry, missed that”, he’s just going to wait a little while and challenge the first part of the question again. That usually happens when some idiot who hasn’t read the whole thread comes in and repeats the obvious, Dio sees it and gleefully thinks, “Oh boy - I get to do it all over again!” I wish the board would, when someone types the words “I haven’t read the whole thread yet, but…”, temporarily suspends that poster for 24 hours with the message to learn to fucking read. I can’t remember that last time I’ve read “I haven’t read the whole thread yet, but” and have it be followed up with a unique thought. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/130 "2011-04-12T17:00:25Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > That usually happens when some idiot who hasn’t read the whole thread comes in and repeats the obvious, Dio sees it and gleefully thinks, “Oh boy - I get to do it all over again!” > > I wish the board would, when someone types the words “I haven’t read the whole thread yet, but…”, temporarily suspends that poster for 24 hours with the message to learn to fucking read. I can’t remember that last time I’ve read “I haven’t read the whole thread yet, but” and have it be followed up with a unique thought. It’s code for “I want to say something and pretend like I thought it up myself even though I read it up thread” OR “I actually did think this up myself, but I’m late to the party and someone already mentioned it” If the thread is less the 50 posts and someone says “I haven’t read the whole thread yet” I’m guessing they’ve at least skimmed it to see if what they’re going to say has already been said. If it hadn’t already been said, they’d just say it. OTOH, I think people get a pass when it comes to massive 500-1000+ post threads. Often times, IMHO, those threads actually do well going back and rehashing an old idea anyways, sometimes the new blood brings new ideas. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/131 "2011-04-12T17:03:29Z")
> [@neuroman](#): > > I would encourage all posters who take issue with Dio (let’s see, everyone who has posted in this thread and ten times that number of viewers?) to actually report to a moderator any post of his that is over the line. Even if it’s only a wee, little bit over the line. Include a concise explanation for the mod that puts forth why he is breaking the rules. This would help establish a clear track record of violations that could be used for discipline, up to and including a permaban. I don’t think the mods NOT knowing a Dio Show is evolving is really the problem. And if it is, reporting is just likely to result in a thread closure, which fucks over the people trying to have an adult conversation. Finally, I suspect that if only a few people get really anal and report him post haste THEY will be labeled usual suspects or trouble makers. Are you willing to do that for us and let us know how it works out? I’m not because I am probably in enough trouble as it is. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/132 "2011-04-12T17:09:11Z")
It is sad and counterproductive that the state of moderation is generally just to shut down threads that have become the dio show, rather than admonishing dio - or the people who are arguing with them if they’re at fault. I do wonder how many dozens (or hundreds) of threads need to be derailed and/or closed before taking action against the singular cause of all these derailings starts to look more efficient and practical. I think you could make a case that it reached that tipping point dozens of threads ago. I wonder if at some point we’re going to see the straw that broke the camel’s back as the board administration is finally fed up, or if they’re so locked into their precedent of gradually allowing it to get worse that they’ll just let it keep going on indefinitely. Incidentally, I have no real personal animosity towards Dio. I may have, years ago, but I’m kind of indifferent to him personally. But what I do hate is what he does to the boards - he’s a cancer on the boards with almost entirely negative effects. I despise when otherwise interesting threads get completely destroyed on a regular basis, and I know that if he weren’t here, it wouldn’t be happening. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/133 "2011-04-12T17:12:01Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I don’t think the mods NOT knowing a Dio Show is evolving is really the problem. Certainly not after [he suggested **Czarcasm** invented a cite in the “passing lane” thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13477844&postcount=223). ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/134 "2011-04-12T17:14:37Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Certainly not after [he suggested **Czarcasm** invented a cite in the “passing lane” thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13477844&postcount=223). This is a lie. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/135 "2011-04-12T17:16:45Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I’m not because I am probably in enough trouble as it is. This is the second time you’ve mentioned this (the first was in ATMB). Why in the world do you think the mods have it out for you? This is really a \*\*prr \*\*level of paranoia. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/136 "2011-04-12T17:18:32Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > So then the mods are in a tough position. They may agree Dio is bad for the boards, but they’re worried how they’d frame punishment in terms of consistency and precedent. If they just decide to up and ban Dio for consistent assholish, annoying, vaguely trolling behavior, they’re probably afraid that a bunch of people would come out of the woodwork screaming “well poster X is also really obnoxious and annoying, ban them too!” and then they’d have to justify why Dio is a special case. > > This isn’t to defend the moderator’s actions, though. If this is the issue, I think they’re wrong. Dio has enough of a body of work to indeed justify that he is a special case. They shouldn’t allow the precedent of gradually escalating and consistent bad behavior to actually protect him now - they’re rewarding him for fucking up the boards when they do that. > > It’s not merely an issue of ignoring Dio. He derails threads like no other. He takes what could be good, interesting discussion on this board and actually destroys it. He destroys content, good content. You can’t simply ignore Dio and continue on with the discussion most of the time, because not everyone will do it, and the thread becomes the dio show, and now the interesting thread that you wanted to read before is gone. He probably destroys more content than any other 5 people on the boards. He is a singular force of board wrecking. > > So they should take action on him, and say that the only precedent in doing that is “if you manage to fuck up the damn boards constantly for a few years despite never quite posting something that, in isolation, is completely over the line, we’ll consider taking action against you too”. I think their fears of setting a precedent are overblown, because everyone can see Dio is a special case - a singular natural disaster constantly randomly wrecking parts of our boards. No one else would have the body of work justification that Dio would, and hopefully no one ever will. > > I think almost all of the board is in general agreement on this one, and that the mods know it would be better for the boards, but they’re afraid of dealing with the fallout. Well, inaction has a pretty high cost. Every word of this. I have Dio on ignore. I haven’t wanted to read his posts for years, and have actively avoided doing so. He \*still \*lessens my enjoyment of the SDMB by dropping his trousers all over interesting threads that I might otherwise enjoy, and getting people who I _do_ want to read to waste time on him. I still end up reading parts of his posts via quotes, as I watch well-meaning people banging their heads against the wall. But the mods are more interested in the 20% who will bitch and moan than the 80% who will say good riddance. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/137 "2011-04-12T17:18:57Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > This is a lie. 1. **Czarcasm** posted a link to a Minnesota state website showing statutes. 2. You said you didn’t buy that it really was a law. 3. Ergo, you could not have accepted the link as genuine. But since I’m pretty sure you’re deliberately trolling at this point, those three sentences are all I’ll waste. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/138 "2011-04-12T17:20:24Z")
You can fake links? I did not know that. ETA: I don’t think you’re in trouble either, **billfish**. If you didn’t get a notice or a warning, you weren’t over the line. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/139 "2011-04-12T17:26:02Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > 1. **Czarcasm** posted a link to a Minnesota state website showing statutes. > 2. You said you didn’t buy that it really was a law. > 3. Ergo, you could not have accepted the link as genuine. Read the rest of the thread. What I said was that I thought **Czarcasm’s** cite might be outdated, not that he made it up. Don’t lie about me, ok. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997/140 "2011-04-12T17:31:41Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Certainly not after [he suggested **Czarcasm** invented a cite in the “passing lane” thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13477844&postcount=223). When the facts conflict with his opinion, he discards the facts. The fact that he dropped out of that thread once a mod called him on his invocation of the Dio Show, seems to show that he is trolling. Czarcasm had the power to warn or ban him for doing what he normally does when he gets on a roll, so he backed off. Regular posters don’t have this power, so he carries on. Sort of the M’Naghten rule for message boards. He did the same thing in the ATMB thread about his behavior. The mods made it clear (in that thread) that they would not warn him for starting the Dio Show in that thread. Then the thread started to die down, and he jumped in to start the robotic denials that there was any such thing as the Dio Show, to piss off those still reading and to drive them out so he could feel victorious. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-all-dio-pitting/577997.md?page=8)