# Dear Zoe--you're an idiot, not a detective. Now shut the hell up. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 30, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259 "2009-03-30T04:23:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/241 "2009-04-02T00:55:06Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Morehead State. I hear last season they really took it on the chin when they engaged with Ball State. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/242 "2009-04-02T08:34:08Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Somewhat along this line. I was just trying to remember the last time I saw a pit thread where someone didn’t turn on the OP and tell them what an idiot they are. Or at the very least try to present some reason justifying whomever or whatever was pitted. > > That it hasn’t happened speaks volumes in and of itself. Well its happening now,my fine young bucko! I happen to think, er that is KNOW that the O.P. isn’t actually the O.P. but someone else. So THERE hah hah,got you eh! Also as \*\*zoe \*\*can quite confidently tell you I myself am NOT me! I’m not myself today. ---
**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 2, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/243 "2009-04-02T09:55:12Z")
From another thread [QUOTE=Zoe] [Speaking of Rand Rover, on reconsideration, I should never have questioned his credentials in law. I am ignorant of the demands of any degree in law or of the practice of law itself. I think his constant negative and critical comments (not to me, but to Dopers in general) set me off. That’s a reason, but not an excuse. My apologies to Rand.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10997262&postcount=588) [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/244 "2009-04-02T10:37:07Z")
Huh. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/245 "2009-04-02T13:58:00Z")
Interesting. Ignorance has never stopped Zoe before. I’m also pleased to see her admit that her negative feelings towards Rand Rover caused her to make her ignorant accusations. That’s exactly the point Fenris was trying to make in this thread: Zoe accuses people not because she has any actual evidence, but because she has a personal grudge against the person and seeks to discredit them by any means possible, even if she has to fabricate something. I think that’s pretty much the textbook definition of mean-spiritedness, something of which she has accused me of (among others) many times. I hope her apology to Rand Rover is an indication that she has begun to self-reflect about this tactic and will think twice before using it in the future. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/246 "2009-04-02T14:25:55Z")
I have the same thoughts as Rubystreak, and would like to add that Zoe owes a few more apologies in the same vein. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/247 "2009-04-02T15:36:44Z")
Well, if **Zoe** is taking this pitting to heart, then good on her. It’s always a pleasant surprise when a pitting has a positive result. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/248 "2009-04-03T12:15:06Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > I have the same thoughts as Rubystreak, and would like to add that Zoe owes a few more apologies in the same vein. I don’t know if I could match **Rand Rover** ’s graciousness and all-around forgiving, affable tone. ---
**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 3, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/249 "2009-04-03T12:20:15Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I don’t know if I could match **Rand Rover** ’s graciousness and all-around forgiving, affable tone. If you tried really hard you might come close. Give it a shot. [QUOTE=Rand Rover in the other thread] Apology not accepted. You are scum and vermin. If you think I’m going to help you feel better about your stupid ass self by accepting your apology and pretending everything is peaches and cream then you’ve got another think coming. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/250 "2009-04-03T12:20:48Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I don’t know if I could match **Rand Rover** ’s graciousness and all-around forgiving, affable tone. If she ever apologized to me, I think I might die of shock. I highly doubt it will ever happen, as I’m sure she doesn’t believe she did anything wrong in accusing me of lying about being a woman, or a teacher. In fact, I PM’ed her about how her accusations made me feel, and she was quite callous and unrepentant about it, going so far as to insinuate that the fact that I cared what she thought proved that there was something to her allegations. With logic like that, there’s no room for compassion or rationality. However, if she ever did apologize, I’d accept it. One gets so few apologies in life, one can’t afford to turn away any that are remotely sincerely offered. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/251 "2009-04-03T13:28:07Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > However, if she ever did apologize, I’d accept it. One gets so few apologies in life, one can’t afford to turn away any that are remotely sincerely offered. Apparently apology deflation is less prevalent in Rand’s area. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/252 "2009-04-03T14:23:56Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > if she ever did apologize, I’d accept it. Aw. come on, **Rubystreak** , you’re killing me here. At least you can keep her on tenterhooks wondering how her apology will go over with you. Accepting in advance takes all the tension from the act of composing the apology for her. I like to think of her worrying “If I say this, will it seem snarky? How about that? Maybe if I put this word in, no one will notice its ambiguity…” (Not that it’s happening anyway, but still…) ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/253 "2009-04-03T15:36:35Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > If she ever apologized to me, I think I might die of shock. I highly doubt it will ever happen, as I’m sure she doesn’t believe she did anything wrong in accusing me of lying about being a woman, or a teacher. In fact, I PM’ed her about how her accusations made me feel, and she was quite callous and unrepentant about it, going so far as to insinuate that the fact that I cared what she thought proved that there was something to her allegations. With logic like that, there’s no room for compassion or rationality. That story doesn’t surprise me, but I wish I could say it did. There’s an aspect to Zoe’s character I just don’t understand…clearly, she’s spent her life caring for and helping others, and she has made it a point to stand up for what’s right. This I truly admire. But around here, God help you if you show the tiniest bit of human vulnerability around her…she will use it as a weapon. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/254 "2009-04-03T17:36:34Z")
> [@The\_Weird\_One](#): > > Well, if **Zoe** is taking this pitting to heart, then good on her. It’s always a pleasant surprise when a pitting has a positive result. I don’t want to be part of a pile-on here, but if you read the post, I’m not sure anything has been taken to heart. **Zoe** appears to be apologizing to **Rand Rover** only because she isn’t qualified to judge whether or not he is really a tax lawyer, not because she has decided it’s wrong to keep speculating on people’s identities, as she has done to other people in the teaching profession, which she may still feel qualified to judge. Maybe I’m reading too closely, and if so, I apologize to **Zoe** , but I don’t think I am. **Zoe** , if you’re still reading at this point, you know most of our interactions have been positive and I’ve appreciated the supportive things you’ve said about my brother over the last couple of years. Do you not see what the problem is here? It’s true that people have occasionally tricked the board, or tried to, and been called on it. That stuff does happen online. Trying to call out impostors in public is stupid. When I think somethings up I try to figure it out and then \*keep it to myself unless I \*know _- not intuit - that I am right._ It’s harmful to the people you’re wrongly accusing, and I’d be seriously embarrassed to get this kind of thing wrong even once, let alone multiple times. At the risk of encouraging tattling, if you actually think somebody’s a fraud, tell the mods instead of going after them in public. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/255 "2009-04-03T18:11:47Z")
The first time I saw her do it was right after the whole **Kaitlyn/NumberSix** fiasco, as I think I mentioned before, and I thought, WTF? I thought it was completely out of character. And yet, since then, I’ve seen her pull it again and again, and I’ve really, really lost a lot of respect for her. **Zoe** can be nice-but unfortunately, she has this really nasty, hateful streak. And it’s not just in playing detective. She’s right-and everyone else is wrong. (She was actuallying calling up universities, didn’t she say, to check out **prr**?) ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/256 "2009-04-03T18:33:23Z")
I ejaculate female sperm. There. I said it. Before **Zoe** does. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/257 "2009-04-03T19:04:03Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > I ejaculate female sperm. > > There. I said it. Before **Zoe** does. Oh no, not the “wonderful woman sperm” again! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/258 "2009-04-03T20:25:55Z")
The thought of someone crazy in the way that Zoe seems to be, educating (deprived) young people, is rather unsettling. I wish her students all the best! And of course, she’s _still reading_…:rolleyes: Come on Zoe, say something! ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/259 "2009-04-03T22:09:34Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Aw. come on, **Rubystreak** , you’re killing me here. At least you can keep her on tenterhooks wondering how her apology will go over with you. Accepting in advance takes all the tension from the act of composing the apology for her. I like to think of her worrying “If I say this, will it seem snarky? How about that? Maybe if I put this word in, no one will notice its ambiguity…” (Not that it’s happening anyway, but still…) Oh yeah, I’m really worried about keeping her on tenterhooks. She thinks I’m a hateful, mean, awful, rotten, evil person, possibly a troll if I’m just pretending to be who I say I am, and I deserve whatever degrading cruelty she throws my way. I’m also a liar, a deceiver, and not even a woman. So really, I expect nothing but silence from her in this thread, and from what I’ve heard, snarking on me behind my back where she knows I won’t respond to her. It’s too bad, because like I said, I accept sincere apologies. If she wants me to expire from surprise, though, she might apologize as a way of snuffing me out. That would be a clever strategy indeed. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259/260 "2009-04-03T23:00:24Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Oh no, not the “wonderful woman sperm” again! > > :eek: Yep. There are times when one should choose to remain ignorant. That was one of them. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-zoe-youre-an-idiot-not-a-detective-now-shut-the-hell-up/491259.md?page=14)