# Colibri is wrong about Walter Scott **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 9, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243 "2015-04-09T18:39:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/41 "2015-04-10T01:09:45Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > I thought Samclem was one too. I think you’re think of the other Samclem… ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/42 "2015-04-10T01:27:52Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Who died and gave you the right to change my quotes by adding emphasis (bolding) to words I did not bold? Please don’t change my quotes even one iota. Huh? What rule did he break? You’re the guy who has accused other posters of lying in GD and made rather nasty personal attacks outside the Pit. Are you under the impression you’re one talk? Pot, kettle and all that. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2015, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/43 "2015-04-10T01:34:19Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > It’s time the SDMB pulled its head out of its ass and let the facts be discussed as the facts with the appropriate adjectives and stopped providing cover for genocidal racism. Emphasis added. Another word you do not know the meaning of. Your comment in GQ was simply out of place. It was not factual; it did not address the question being asked; it was making a political statement. Walter Scott was killed by a policeman who is being prosecuted for murder. He was not “executed by the state”. **JC** laid it out better in post #5. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/44 "2015-04-10T01:38:19Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Because it was on video. Compare the number of police officers charged with murdering black men with the number of police officers shooting black men, and you will get this one instance of a murder charge. Had it not been videoed, nothing would have happened. This is what is known as an “opinion” and why you got warned for it in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/45 "2015-04-10T01:48:06Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > In this thread the moderator treats as mere “opinion” that police in the US killings and beatings of black are not _fact_, but rather commentary As has been pointed out, the key element of the warning was not that your comment was non-factual (although it was contrary to fact, since the killing certainly was not a summary execution by the state of South Carolina), but because it was inflammatory. We don’t want this kind of overheated rhetoric in GQ because it derails threads. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/46 "2015-04-10T02:05:12Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Well, good to see you take that you yourself and don’t bother the Mods, who are apparently fine with it. As JC wants everyone to calm down and back off, and since we wouldn’t want this great thread locked, I’ll bid you ado at this point. Just so you know. The fact that mods post in a thread does not mean it’s an endorsement of the behavior of in it. We all have our assignments and tend not to moderate outside of our forums. Unless we see something careening off the rails that needs immediate attention. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/47 "2015-04-10T02:31:47Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Just so you know. The fact that mods post in a thread does not mean it’s an endorsement of the behavior of in it. We all have our assignments and tend not to moderate outside of our forums. Unless we see something careening off the rails that needs immediate attention. That’s just good journalism. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/48 "2015-04-10T03:10:19Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Who died and gave you the right to change my quotes by adding emphasis (bolding) to words I did not bold? I don’t buy your righteous indignation here for one second. You’ve been here for many years. Just stop. > [@Frank](#): > > While it would have been better had **silenus** added a comment such as, “My bolding,” such modification of quotes is allowed. You really didn’t need to say this. **TSS** is just “performing” for us here. > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I would have had no problem with it if he had written that the bolding was his. Without acknowledging the change,\*\* it is impermissible\*\* Except it’s not. Courteous, maybe. Recommended? Perhaps. Impermissible? Try again. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/49 "2015-04-10T03:26:53Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Still waiting to find out when I became a journalist. I’m going to demand Ed double my pay. _meh_ After a particularly brilliant Mod Note, Ed quadrupled my pay. (Then I did the third grade math.) ---
**Author:** ![callander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@callander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/callander)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/50 "2015-04-10T04:07:24Z")
Hi to all. I read ATMB, I view it as SDMB 101. I went to the registration agreement believe I read something close to a guiding principle is don’t be a jerk. Not sure enough people review that. Personally I think most mods participating in this thread are doing so with a healthy dose of humour, never a bad thing. I find it mildly amusing that the OP mentions Colibri by name in the title here but the second paragraph talks about the SDMB. Kind of like the police officer and the State. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/51 "2015-04-10T04:13:49Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > The SDMB is an offshoot of an alternative newspaper, a form of journalism. For journalists to treat reader comments on _the facts_ as scurrilous opinion is an embarrassment to journalism. I have news for ya, I don’t even read newspapers (nor do I hardly ever keep up to date on the news). ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/52 "2015-04-10T04:21:25Z")
Welcome to the boards, **callander** , and good observation. ---
**Author:** ![callander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@callander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/callander)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/53 "2015-04-10T04:39:26Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Welcome to the boards, **callander** , and good observation. Thanks for the welcome Superdude, I find it refreshing when people just take a moment say hello and welcome, appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/54 "2015-04-10T04:50:44Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Huh? > > What rule did he break? > > You’re the guy who has accused other posters of lying in GD and made rather nasty personal attacks outside the Pit. > > Are you under the impression you’re one talk? > > Pot, kettle and all that. Thanks for putting this in non-Pit language. I tried, but couldn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/55 "2015-04-10T05:15:18Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I would have had no problem with it if he had written that the bolding was his. Without acknowledging the change, it is impermissible and severely intellectually dishonest to change the emphasis of a quote. Not as bad as being shot in the back eight times, but it is scummy and low and a crime against intellectual integrity. Well, that sounds completely reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/56 "2015-04-10T16:46:09Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > The SDMB is an offshoot of an alternative newspaper, a form of journalism. For journalists to treat reader comments on _the facts_ as scurrilous opinion is an embarrassment to journalism. Look, I read The New York Times online pretty regularly. Sometimes I read the reader comments on an article. Occasionally, the reader comments include factual information. More often, it’s opinion. Sometimes the facts or the opinions in the comments are incorrect. Your argument here is such a stretch, I’m surprised that it hasn’t recoiled and hit you in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Ed\_Zotti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/fbc32d/32.png) [@Ed\_Zotti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ed_Zotti)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/57 "2015-04-10T17:07:08Z")
Just so all are aware, our rules on quoting other posters may be found here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7697048&postcount=11](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7697048&postcount=11) The relevant passage is as follows: \<\< Text inside [QUOTE] tags is sacrosanct. Normal editorial rules apply: that is, you may indicate omitted portions of a quote by the use of ellipses “…” and you may add text to clarify a word using square brackets (e.g., “her [the sister’s] friend”), but you may not add editorial comments or edit a quote so as to change the substantive meaning; nor may you substitute text such as “some blather” or “more nonsense” inside the [QUOTE] tags. \>\> The operative phrase is “normal editorial rules.” Emphasizing text in a quote is a common editorial practice; the usual procedure is to put “emphasis added” or the like after the quote. That wasn’t done here and should have been; all users are advised to add an explanatory note when emphasizing quoted text in the future. That said, the intention wasn’t to twist the meaning of the quote or cast the author in a bad light, so no warning is issued. **TSS** , please do not take it upon yourself to issue pronouncements about our rules; this is known as junior modding and is frowned on. No warning issued but don’t do it again. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/58 "2015-04-10T19:31:22Z")
😕 What did he say and where did he say it? I went all through Cafe Society, looking for something along the lines of > [@](#): > > _Ivanhoe_ is a dull, plodding piece of second-rate hackery… Came up empty. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/59 "2015-04-10T19:44:29Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > 😕 > > What did he say and where did he say it? > > I went all through Cafe Society, looking for something along the lines of Came up empty. No, he’d be more likely to point out errors Sir Walter made on pg 32 of Anne of Geierstein when they talk about the “lammer-geier” or “alpine vulture” > **[The Novels and Poems of Sir Walter Scott: Anne of Geierstein](https://books.google.com/books?id=e9sVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=birds%2Bin%2Bsir%2Bwalter%2Bscott%2Bnovels&source=bl&ots=kDI9dhwxFZ&sig=YGn-14k6q2lIkjCQLSz-7QFdvTw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NScoVbiHAZGsogS13YDABA&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=birds%20in%20sir%20walter%20scott%20novels&f=false)** :p. ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243/60 "2015-04-10T19:50:43Z")
[sub]The following quote was edited to one sentence[/sub] > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I was pointing out a fact… It is my opinion that you do your arguments a disservice. I read your statements and instead of considering them I find I am resisting an attempt to tell me what I should think. When I’m not being told what to think, I’ll think about what you want to say. Others may feel this way too, but that’s just my opinion, not a fact. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colibri-is-wrong-about-walter-scott/717243.md?page=4)