# Consistancy and Double Standards in MPSIMS (very, very weak and lame) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 7, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835 "2006-01-07T01:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/21 "2006-01-07T09:36:46Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Yeah! How dare he not be amused by the endless, vacuous stream of diarrhea that pours forth from **Idle Thoughts** ’ keyboard? I don’t know **Idle Thoughts** as a poster from a bar of soap, and his threads or posts haven’t registered one way or another, vacuous or not, but that doesn’t invalidate his OP: why was one thread locked down when it wasn’t in clear violation of MPSIMS guidelines, and when many similar threads have passed unnoticed? **Frank** ’s post was just silly, and the usual Mod wagon-circling when another staff member is criticised in this forum - do they have a roster of who’s in here to mount knee-jerk defenses? Is there a magic number of threads one is or isn’t allowed to start in a particular forum - particularly one like MPSIMS, which is by nature often silly and trivial? I can see that in a less fluffy forum like GQ the staff might get pissed off with too many dumb threads - in which case **IT** ought to be warned properly - but saying, “Well, you’ve started X many threads so don’t complain when Y are closed”, when the Y threads aren’t substantially different from many others is stupid. The guy’s paid to be here, he’s not being a jerk that I can see from a quick review, so why shouldn’t he start his threads? If you don’t like the poster or his posts - and many do, judging from the reponses he gets - or the often lightweight nature of the forum, it’s not compulsory to read them. **SkipMagic** didn’t give a particularly good reason for locking the thread, and his closing was inconsistent with what’s passed without comment before: is one supposed to find out if a thread is acceptable simply by dint of having it closed or remain open? And if **SkipMagic** _does_ have a problem with **IT** ’s posting rate - which he hasn’t indicated, and seems to be **Frank** ’s wild surmise, he should just up and say so. Oh yeah, and **hajario** ’s a dick. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/22 "2006-01-07T11:42:41Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > Just to make this clear from the start, this isn’t me complaining or whining about my topic’s closures, nor is it a true (in the sense) a pit on **SkipMagic** ’s duties or decisions. It’s just made, mostly, for clarification and questions. No biggie. MPSIMS is an incredibly fast-moving forum. We don’t catch everything that runs through there, but we certainly try; and, of course, we appreciate all of the posters who help us out by reporting bad posts. But because it does move so fast, and because the overall board does suffer a bit from slowness from time-to-time, we try to limit the number of game threads to help keep them from taking over the front page of the forum. Game threads, unfortunately, have the habit of hijacking the front page and not letting go for some time; and the truly pointless ones (e.g., “Post anything that comes to mind”, “Post with your mouth full”, etc…) stick around a long time because there’s simply not much thought that goes into them; in fact, the longer they go on, the greater the chance that only a handful of posters are what keep 'em alive. Are we inconsistent? On an occasional level, I have no doubt. We certainly try _not_ to be, but because it is a fast-moving forum, we don’t catch everything. There are some days when entire threads–just as pointless–live and die before before either **Cajun Man** or I can sign back on to the boards. I don’t search them out just to close them ('cause that ain’t any fun), so you’ll probably find a lot of threads in the archives which will seem to support a greater level of inconsistency than there really is. Plus, there are some threads ( **Coldfire** ’s barfight thread, well over five years old) that were created before the need to limit [game threads](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=231482). I prefer to let threads sink or swim on their own. But a food fight thread? You’re simply describing the throwing of food at one another. I’m not trying to pick on you, **Idle Thoughts** , but that’s just about as pointless as it can get. (Although, I do appreciate the inclusion of me in its OP. :p) ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/23 "2006-01-07T11:46:26Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > It’s not like **Idle Thoughts** is sharing stories about his life. . . **Idle Thoughts** has a life? Fuck, I thought he just spent 16 hours a day on the Dope typing in random bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/24 "2006-01-07T12:30:50Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > What would I need or want a blog for? I don’t post many stories or tales or ancidotes. I post topics (usually) that ask a question intended to get answers or input from the masses or threads that I think would be fun, interesting, and a be a delightful read (replywise, not OP wise. Examples “In this thread you are 10 years old” “Make a post from the POV of your pet” etc). I’ve seen just as much of that useless shit on LJ. Find a community of 13 yr olds, you’ll fit right in. I suggest searching for likes such as “justin timberlake” and “lolzors”. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/25 "2006-01-07T13:03:20Z")
> [@SkipMagic](#): > > Are we inconsistent? On an occasional level, I have no doubt. We certainly try _not_ to be, but because it is a fast-moving forum, we don’t catch everything. There are some days when entire threads–just as pointless–live and die before before either **Cajun Man** or I can sign back on to the boards. I don’t search them out just to close them ('cause that ain’t any fun), so you’ll probably find a lot of threads in the archives which will seem to support a greater level of inconsistency than there really is. Plus, there are some threads ( **Coldfire** ’s barfight thread, well over five years old) that were created before the need to limit [game threads](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=231482). A tad disingenuous, don’t you think? C’mon, “Let’s Trade Blows”, which was almost identical in format to “Food Fight!” and only a month or so back, lived on the first or second page for about 10 days before withering on the vine. “Fast-moving” forum or not, it was around long enough for someone to catch it if there was a problem with that type of thread, surely? And why all the hatin’ on **IT**? Like I said, I don’t know the guy from a bar of soap, but if anyone has a problem with him, at least have the balls to call him on it in your own Pit thread instead of waiting for him to mildly protest in his own before piling on. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/26 "2006-01-07T13:36:43Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > A tad disingenuous, don’t you think? Only if you’re using the word inappropriately, especially since I wasn’t even remotely dishonest or deceptive in my post. Quite simply, it’s not a perfect system. And it’s not going to be, either, what with human beings moderating the forums. We catch what we can, when we can; if we don’t close every single extremely pointless thread out there, I’m not too worried about it. In this case, it’s very likely that _I_ came across that thread after it was already a coupla pages long, so I let it go. Subjective decision to let posters continue to have their fun? Sure. But hey, again, human being behind this keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/27 "2006-01-07T15:08:03Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > Oh, and the reason got to me a jussssssst a tad too. “Too pointless?” In the pointless forum? The rate at which you start threads indicates that you don’t do much filtering. Not every idle thought that passes through your brain deserves a new thread. I find your incessant game/contest threads to be both inane and a waste of board resources. This is, of course, my personal opinion as a poster. No wagon-circling intended or implied. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/28 "2006-01-07T15:14:05Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > Anyway, thanks for the rest of your constructive criticizm. As if you were actually looking for constructive criticism, you disingenuous tool. Hey, **Case Senstitve** , maybe the bug up my ass stole all of the clues from your tiny, little brain. It was a joke, son. My post was supposed to be the Pit version of a typical **IT** MPSIMPS post. The P.S. should have given that away to all but the slowest of us. Have a nice day! 🙂🙂🙂🙂 \<----That better, sweetie? Does pookie wookie need a cyber hug? ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/29 "2006-01-07T16:19:32Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > A tad disingenuous, don’t you think? C’mon, “Let’s Trade Blows”, which was almost identical in format to “Food Fight!” and only a month or so back, lived on the first or second page for about 10 days before withering on the vine. To be fair “Let’s Trade Blows” was equally stupid; however, it was created in response to the closing of the Secret Santa thread via a rarely cited rule. It was quite dumb, but the board, especially the MPSIMS population, needed to blow off some steam. If that thread had been closed there would have been an even bigger shitstorm then there was at the time. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/30 "2006-01-07T21:27:19Z")
**Excalibre** : > [@](#): > > Yeah! How dare he not be amused by the endless, vacuous stream of diarrhea that pours forth from Idle Thoughts’ keyboard? Well, that’s the best thing about this message board (and others), you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to. 🙂 Isn’t life great that way? **SkipMagic** : > [@](#): > > No biggie. > > MPSIMS is an incredibly fast-moving forum. We don’t catch everything that runs through there, but we certainly try; and, of course, we appreciate all of the posters who help us out by reporting bad posts. But because it does move so fast, and because the overall board does suffer a bit from slowness from time-to-time, we try to limit the number of game threads to help keep them from taking over the front page of the forum. Game threads, unfortunately, have the habit of hijacking the front page and not letting go for some time; and the truly pointless ones (e.g., “Post anything that comes to mind”, “Post with your mouth full”, etc…) stick around a long time because there’s simply not much thought that goes into them; in fact, the longer they go on, the greater the chance that only a handful of posters are what keep 'em alive. > > Are we inconsistent? On an occasional level, I have no doubt. We certainly try not to be, but because it is a fast-moving forum, we don’t catch everything. There are some days when entire threads–just as pointless–live and die before before either Cajun Man or I can sign back on to the boards. I don’t search them out just to close them ('cause that ain’t any fun), so you’ll probably find a lot of threads in the archives which will seem to support a greater level of inconsistency than there really is. Plus, there are some threads (Coldfire’s barfight thread, well over five years old) that were created before the need to limit game threads. Yeah, good point. I did realize this and mention it in this topics OP…and I do realize that mods and admins are humans too. On a board this size it’s gotta be hard to catch everything. > [@](#): > > I prefer to let threads sink or swim on their own. But a food fight thread? You’re simply describing the throwing of food at one another. I’m not trying to pick on you, Idle Thoughts, but that’s just about as pointless as it can get. (Although, I do appreciate the inclusion of me in its OP. ) Hahah, okay. Thank you. That’s all I wanted, just some clarification. I probably should have put it in ATMB but, for one, I thought it was a bit more critisizing than that and for two, I was a tad irked. Or rather I guess I just let it get under my skin. Thank you for replying and explaining. **Uvula Donor** : > [@](#): > > Idle Thoughts has a life? Fuck, I thought he just spent 16 hours a day on the Dope typing in random bullshit. Close. About 9 or 10. **Go You Big Red Fire Engine** : > [@](#): > > I’ve seen just as much of that useless shit on LJ. Find a community of 13 yr olds, you’ll fit right in. I suggest searching for likes such as “justin timberlake” and “lolzors”. Well, sorry you feel that way, but I won’t be changing my posting style just to suit your (or anyone elses’) needs. **Frank** : > [@](#): > > The rate at which you start threads indicates that you don’t do much filtering. Not every idle thought that passes through your brain deserves a new thread. I find your incessant game/contest threads to be both inane and a waste of board resources. > > This is, of course, my personal opinion as a poster. No wagon-circling intended or implied. Oh, none taken. I didn’t think you were in your first post. I just had a hard time wondering what one thing had to do with another. If I made a thread for every thought that passes through my mind, there would be probably around 2,000 threads a day by me. 😛 However I must argue against my game threads. I don’t create game or contest threads often. There’s one running right now going for a year, and then, theres the PUGAs, but other than that, I don’t usually make games or contest. I’m sure if you were to search my topics, you’d find 5 or 6, however, in the last few months, but I wouldn’t call that a lot. Of course, the definition of “game” may differ from you than I. Anyway, this topic was just for some clarification. I recieved it…so I’m done with it now. Thank you, **SkipMagic** for answering reasonably. Thank you to all others for your comments, some of which I’ll take to heart and try to change, some of which I say go fuck yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/31 "2006-01-08T04:22:00Z")
As a guideline, no poster should have more than two or three active threads per forum. This doesn’t mean that posters cannot or should not post more than three times per forum, just that if you see that two of your threads in a forum are still active, you shouldn’t start another one. Nobody’s thoughts and opinions are THAT interesting. Unless, of course, you happen to be Cecil Adams. If there are already some threads of a similar nature (game playing, jokes, whatever) then don’t start yet another thread at the moment. If you feel that it’s a really interesting idea or game or whatever, write it up and put it in your files, and when the other threads have died and been forgotten for a while, then you can post another thread on the subject. So far, this is a guideline. It might become a rule later on. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835/32 "2006-01-08T04:52:28Z")
> [@Idle Thoughts](#): > > Well, sorry you feel that way, but I won’t be changing my posting style just to suit your (or anyone elses’) needs. I didn’t want you to change your posting style. I think you should stop posting. 9 or 10 hours? Are you fucking kidding me? Do you have a job? Oh wait, I just found your thread in which you asked if any dopers had a “life” because you don’t. Get one. I hear they sell them in the “Real World”. I find it quite hard to believe you’re in your late 20’s.Turn off your computer and get outside. Get a hobby. Life wasn’t meant to be lived posting on a message board for 9 hours a day. > [@](#): > > If I made a thread for every thought that passes through my mind, there would be probably around 2,000 threads a day by me. 😛 Quality, not quantity. > [@](#): > > some of which I say go fuck yourself. I’ll put this in a language you understand: :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consistancy-and-double-standards-in-mpsims-very-very-weak-and-lame/338835.md?page=1)