# Did Marley violate SDMB protocol here? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 8, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378 "2013-03-08T14:33:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [March 8, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/1 "2013-03-08T14:33:36Z")
[Link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16076142&postcount=97) I maintain he did. As \*\*RickJay \*\*explained it to me, assuring me that what \*\*Marley \*\*did was perfectly fine and always has been (big surprise), the words he put in quotes (that I never wrote) are a reasonable summation of what I had written and therefore ok. I maintain that there is a large difference between writing “longterm contracts are risky” which is an absolute rule and is kind of silly (as written) and maintaining (as I do) that certain longterm contracts for very young, very good players, especially those in postion to demand a rate that’s close to the highest in baseball might be what the Los Angeles Angels (in the particular position we’re discussing) might be experimenting with. If you maintain that \*\*Marley \*\*was cool putting words inside quotation marks attributed to me that I never wrote, could you please supply a few other instances of posters doing this and getting away with it scot-free? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/2 "2013-03-08T14:42:54Z")
Putting it in a quote box attributed to you - or modifying a quote within a quote box - would be against the rules - summarizing or characterizing your position in his own words via ‘air quotes’ if you will - not against the rules - even if he is intentionally mis-representing your views. (IMHO only of course, - not a mod, but thats how I understand the overall rules here) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/3 "2013-03-08T14:54:04Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > If you maintain that \*\*Marley \*\*was cool putting words inside quotation marks attributed to me that I never wrote, could you please supply a few other instances of posters doing this and getting away with it scot-free? Thank you. Why don’t _you_ provide some examples of posters doing it and being modded? That’s how these little fairness trials usually work. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/4 "2013-03-08T14:56:10Z")
Even though I started the thread, it’s turned into such a circle-jerk that I abandoned ship a few days ago. What, EXACTLY, did you write prior to Marley’s post? What did you say, which he then summarized as “long deals are too risky?” And no, you are not being reasonable, you’re acting like a petulant baby. Edit : What **Vinyl Turnip** said. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/5 "2013-03-08T14:56:53Z")
The rule is that you can’t change the text inside of quote box because that can make it look like the other poster actually said the words you are attributing to them. Paraphrases that don’t use the quote tags - whether they are identified with single quotes, double quotes, or no quotes - are fine. I think anyone who read the thread would have understood from the quote tags and from the rest of the post that I was paraphrasing what I took to be your opinion rather than attributing a set of words directly to you. It’s tough to find examples of posters getting away with something that isn’t against the rules because we wouldn’t moderate it in the first place - and if something is explicitly allowed I’m not sure you can reasonably say the posters got away with it. But I hope these past mod notes will illustrate that the rule says what **RickJay** and I told you it says. > [@Free Speech and yelling fire in a theatre. Can it be applied to Muslims?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-speech-and-yelling-fire-in-a-theatre-can-it-be-applied-to-muslims/635633/16): > > Please don’t alter text inside the quote boxes, **Boyo Jim**. > [@Critique this: Why blacks run faster](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critique-this-why-blacks-run-faster/627414/808): > > **colonial** , don’t alter text inside the quote boxes. We allow minor edits, but here you’ve changed the word “primarily” to “partial,” which means something different. > [@"If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-youve-got-a-business-you-didnt-build-that-somebody-else-made-that-happen/628503/527): > > I recognize you are only adding text from Romney’s speech, but please don’t alter text inside the quote boxes. It makes it look like you are attributing things to **Shayna** that she did not say. Next time please just quote from the speech and attribute it to the politician. > [@Democracy dying in Michigan?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democracy-dying-in-michigan/618224/50): > > **ITR champion** , we ask that posters not alter text inside the quote boxes like you’ve done here. Please don’t do this again. > [@Is Robert Fisk all he's cracked up to be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-robert-fisk-all-hes-cracked-up-to-be/569039/36): > > Please don’t alter text in quote boxes like this. Paraphrasing is fine, but do it without the sarcastic asides. > [@How will quitting as governor affect Palin's chances.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-quitting-as-governor-affect-palins-chances/584051/19): > > I realize you didn’t intend to deceive anybody here, **MPB in Salt Lake** , but for future reference, please don’t alter text inside the quote boxes. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/6 "2013-03-08T14:58:30Z")
Actually, if anyone, you broke the rules: junior moderating. **Marley23** didn’t violate any rules because he didn’t modify the post within the quote box. Then you went on to tell him how to behave: > [@Did the Angels just screw up their future with Mike Trout?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-angels-just-screw-up-their-future-with-mike-trout/651922/97): > > Please do not put words in quotation marks that are your interpretation of what I wrote, rather than what I actually wrote. This is a violation of SDMB rules, and one that we take very seriously around here sometimes Boy does that sound like some serious junior moderating. ---
**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:** [March 8, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/7 "2013-03-08T15:07:24Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Why don’t _you_ provide some examples of posters doing it and being modded? That’s how these little fairness trials usually work. The very first line of **Dex** ’s warming about misusing quotes (and I’m quoting the entire paragraph here) says: > [@](#): > > Falsely attributing a quote to another user, or modifying another’s post in order to cast him/her in a bad light, even if meant in jest, is grounds for revocation of your posting privileges. Except if you’re **Marley** , of course. If no examples are provided, I will conclude that it’s very likely that either no poster has ever complained about being mis-quoted within quotation marks (very unlikely) or that when posters have complained (very likely) but were not advised (as I have been, here) that it’s perfectly cromulent. I am asking for an example of a poster complaining about being misquoted inside quotation marks who WAS advised that it’s okay to do so. I don’t believe one exists, but if does it should be easy enough to find. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/8 "2013-03-08T15:17:03Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > The very first line of **Dex** ’s warming about misusing quotes (and I’m quoting the entire paragraph here) says: You quoted the whole paragraph but missed the part that explains what I said in even greater detail. [quote=“C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven, post:11, topic:369395”] Falsely attributing a quote to another user, or modifying another’s post in order to cast him/her in a bad light, even if meant in jest, is grounds for revocation of your posting privileges. This does not apply to parodies to which no name is attached. 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 > [@](#): > > tags. The exception proves the rule. Please attempt to consider the possibility that you didn’t understand what the rule was. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/9 "2013-03-08T16:35:00Z")
Side question related to this… As discussed in this forum many times, there are a handful of posters that do not use the quote function when quoting a post. They either put it in quotation marks ([as \*\*FrankJBN \*\*does](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16075680&postcount=7)) or the use some other DIY way of quoting. If the rule is that we are not to edit what is in a quote box, does that rule also extend to these DIY-style quotations? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/10 "2013-03-08T16:44:59Z")
No, it applies only to quote boxes. But I have no idea why some posters can’t figure out the quote function. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/11 "2013-03-08T16:55:48Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I don’t believe one exists, but if does it should be easy enough to find. Ok then, have fun. Let us know when you find it. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/12 "2013-03-08T17:43:13Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Except if you’re **Marley** , of course. > > If no examples are provided, I will conclude that it’s very likely that either no poster has ever complained about being mis-quoted within quotation marks (very unlikely) or that when posters have complained (very likely) but were not advised (as I have been, here) that it’s perfectly cromulent. I am asking for an example of a poster complaining about being misquoted inside quotation marks who WAS advised that it’s okay to do so. I don’t believe one exists, but if does it should be easy enough to find. Nonsense. The rule here since that one idiot poster threatened to sue (some lawyer guy who’s name I don’t remember (ETA-DHWhite maybe?) who was in a fight with Scylla) is that the text inside quote boxes is sacrosanct. There were even debates early on after the rule was made about whether even truncating posts inside quote boxes was ok (you know, putting ellipsis in place of long phrases, etc). The decision was that judicious editing was ok as long as you didn’t change the meaning of the quote. Quotes outside of quote boxes have always been free to mess with. It’s a very clear, very bright-line rule–and it’s been taken to extremes: even doing obvious, friendly jokes will get you a mod-comment/note at minimum. Is this 100% logical? No. But it’s 100% consistent. Marley (IMO) was absolutely in the right. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/13 "2013-03-08T17:44:43Z")
You know, nobody’s forcing you to post here, PRR. You’d probably be much happier on a message board on which you weren’t constantly complaining about the staff. Unless, of course, that’s precisely what you enjoy. In that case, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/14 "2013-03-08T17:47:17Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > If you maintain that \*\*Marley \*\*was cool putting words inside quotation marks attributed to me that I never wrote, could you please supply a few other instances of posters doing this and getting away with it scot-free? Thank you. ['Ere ya go.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16077896&postcount=1010) Found on the first page I looked at, in the first thread that popped to mind where people might be paraphrasing other poster’s arguments. (It’s obvious in context of the thread who Gyrate is referring to, even though he’s not named here.) Seriously, it happens - and is allowed - all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/15 "2013-03-08T17:59:52Z")
Another example: > [@Guys and creepiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-creepiness/651716/361): > > Yes, I’d say actually worrying about dying in a house fire is absurd. Do the sensible things you can do to avoid it, mainly installing smoke alarms, and then stop worrying. > [@Guys and creepiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-creepiness/651716/413): > > That’s a funny thing to say in a thread where posters have literally said that women who fear stranger rape need to get their mental issues in check, and that it’s so rare that we should take “minor precautions and then stop worrying”. Your idea–that the burden of proof is on the mods to show that they don’t mod such paraphrases-in-quotes–is absurd. The only point in your idea’s favor is that the burden is trivially easy to meet. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/16 "2013-03-08T18:03:34Z")
“Quotes outside of quote boxes have always been fun to ride horses with.” Couldn’t agree more. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/17 "2013-03-08T18:07:23Z")
If you thought this was against the rules, **pseudotriton ruber ruber** , why did you do it? > [@Did the Angels just screw up their future with Mike Trout?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-angels-just-screw-up-their-future-with-mike-trout/651922/67): > > Seems to me I’m the only one trying to make some sense of what they’ve actually done. Everyone else here is tearing their hair out of their skulls, and screaming “Have the Angels LOST THEIR MINDS? This is Cuh-razy!” ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/18 "2013-03-08T18:09:17Z")
I’m certainly no defender in **Marley** , but he did nothing wrong here. He merely characterized your position (maybe with a little liberty) in order to contrast it with another point of view. Which he was also right about, by the way. Dammit!!! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/19 "2013-03-08T18:12:59Z")
Single quotes were used, which is a common way of highlighting or stressing a phrase, and not necessarily indicating a quotation. The OP’s complaint fails to meet the standard of ‘clear and convincing’ evidence. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378/20 "2013-03-08T18:21:39Z")
It’s like shooting fish in a barrel: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16072772&postcount=84](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16072772&postcount=84) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-marley-violate-sdmb-protocol-here/652378.md?page=2)