# Discussion of new Pit Forum Rules sticky **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 4, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340 "2006-04-04T23:37:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/1 "2006-04-04T23:37:30Z")
Hey all, In response to poster feedback, **TVeblen** , **fluiddruid** and I have come up with new [consolidated rules thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=365973) to replace the hodgepodge of stickies, rumor and hearsay that we’ve been using so far. We’d like to hear your thoughts. Is it clear? Are we missing anything? Would a new poster be able to read this and immediately become a good Pit citizen? (No, I’m not writing Pitizen. Stop it.) Any and all feedback and suggestions are welcome. Once that thread seems to contain everything needed to run a forum, we will (insert drumroll here) unstick all the other stickies and let them sink gracefully to the depths. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/2 "2006-04-04T23:51:34Z")
Nicely done. Thanks to all of you for the effort, I think it will be well worth while. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/3 "2006-04-04T23:53:24Z")
I think that **Lynn’s** rule about parodies should still stand: > [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Some of the more outrageous parodies have generated great confusion. Therefore, they must contain, at minimum, a link to the subject being parodied, or an explicit statement that the following material is a parody. If you’re going to parody a thread, please give us a link to work with. ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/4 "2006-04-05T00:03:13Z")
Works for me. Clear, concise, well-written. Of course, the chances that it will be read by those who need to know about it are small, but at least it’s something. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/5 "2006-04-05T00:09:26Z")
> [@Maureen](#): > > I think that **Lynn’s** rule about parodies should still stand: > > If you’re going to parody a thread, please give us a link to work with. Dang, drat and blast. Clean forgot that one. Thanks, **Maureen**! See, that’s why umpteen heads are better than, uh, a few. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/6 "2006-04-05T00:09:36Z")
**Pulls up a lawn chair to watch.** Hey, that’s OK now, right? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/7 "2006-04-05T00:11:54Z")
Nicely done, mods. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/8 "2006-04-05T00:53:34Z")
You misspelled “euphemism” in your last paragraph. Else okay. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/9 "2006-04-05T01:36:52Z")
About the “no wishing death” rule. If I’m reading it correctly, wishing death on a member is a no-no, wishing death on a broad group (level 4 Thetans, Opthamologists, Commodore 64 fanciers, etc.) which may include non-specific members is ok, as long as I’m not trying to indirectly sneak a reference to a specific member or members. Is wishing death on a specific non-member ok? For example, whenever there’s a news report of animal abusers, child molesters, etc., the vitriol runs pretty hot. What’s acceptable and unacceptable in that case? ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/10 "2006-04-05T01:43:30Z")
In addition to the ones mentioned by **Maureen** and **Metacom** , here are some old rules that I didn’t see in the new post (although it might be my otherwise perfect eyesight acting up): > [@](#): > > 1. No fake pittings. If you pit someone, you’re supposed to mean it. This doesn’t mean the pitting can’t be funny. > 2. No pit threads specifically for telling jokes, e.g. “Tell me your favorite dirty joke,” “Dead Baby jokes,” “racial and ethnic slurs disguised as jokes,” etc. > 3. No pit threads specifically to expand one’s repertoire of insults. > [@](#): > > If the ONLY reason you are here on the SDMB is to complain about the message board, the way it’s run, the staff, or other posters, this is a violation of the “Don’t Be A Jerk” rule. I would think that this is self-evident, but apparently it’s not. So if your posts are ONLY bitching about the board, the staff, or other posters, don’t be surprised if you are banned without warning. Also, it might be a good idea to explicitly mention another activity that results in a lockdown that doesn’t appear in the rules: self-pitting. Not as in, “I pit myself for my insatiable obsession with goats”; more like “Hey, fellow Dopers, I love being the centre of attention and the universe should revolve around me, so pit me now!!”. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/11 "2006-04-05T02:00:02Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > About the “no wishing death” rule. If I’m reading it correctly, wishing death on a member is a no-no, wishing death on a broad group (level 4 Thetans, Opthamologists, Commodore 64 fanciers, etc.) which may include non-specific members is ok, as long as I’m not trying to indirectly sneak a reference to a specific member or members. That’s right. Saying you wish all opthalmologists would drop dead is different from saying you wish **poster X** who happens to be an opthalmologist would drop dead. Unless, as we mentioned, the context or specificity of the death wish makes it obvious you’re trying to obliquely tell another poster you wish they’d drop dead. > [@](#): > > Is wishing death on a specific non-member ok? For example, whenever there’s a news report of animal abusers, child molesters, etc., the vitriol runs pretty hot. What’s acceptable and unacceptable in that case? It’s fine. If they don’t post here, you can wish for their demise. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/12 "2006-04-05T02:11:50Z")
Can we unstick some or all of the stickies here in light of this new rules post and new rules discussion thread? A half-dozen stickies at the top of the thread is…untidy. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/13 "2006-04-05T02:14:46Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Can we unstick some or all of the stickies here in light of this new rules post and new rules discussion thread? A half-dozen stickies at the top of the thread is…untidy. We will, soon. For now, it’s good to have them as reference in case people want to compare and contrast. Or, like **Maureen** , point out glaring inconsistencies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/14 "2006-04-05T03:21:03Z")
I wanna know where this “reasoned vitriol” came from. Unreasoned vitriol was good enough for our forefathers, and dadgumit, it should be good enough for us! ---
**Author:** ![Moe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moe/32/2972_2.png) [@Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/15 "2006-04-05T03:49:11Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Lastly, rants about personal trauma that are expected generate mostly supportive, sympathetic responses will likely be moved to MPSIMS. . I think you’re missing a “to” in there. More generally, thanks for doing this. I appreciate the overall tone which reflects what I first loved about this place when I joined, i.e. it doesn’t feel like the administration is some distant, cold, unapproachable entity characterized by rules with subsets upon subsets written by a team of corporate lawyers. You trust our common sense. (you’ll of course live to regret that, but I still appreciate it 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/16 "2006-04-05T04:15:37Z")
OK, I fixed the typos caught by **twickster** and **Moe** , and added a section called “Pitting other posters”, which includes the rule on linked to parodied threads. (I also noted that it’s always appreciated to include links when Pitting another poster, because really it just can’t be said enough.) ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/17 "2006-04-05T04:45:35Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I wanna know where this “reasoned vitriol” came from. Unreasoned vitriol was good enough for our forefathers, and dadgumit, it should be good enough for us! _And_ our vitriol was unheated! Young 'uns these days with their namby-pamby heated vitriol - our vitriol was cold, and that was how we liked it. Ahem. Mixed metaphors aside, I liked it. One thing that occurred was a warning against pitting other posters {especially one’s nearest and dearest} for real-life stuff might be handy: if it happens off the board, it stays off the board. I don’t know if it’s been covered elsewhere, but a warning against links to snark sites might come in handy, too, since those always seem to get stepped on pretty quick: oxygen of publicity and all that, as well as the potential for board wars. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/18 "2006-04-05T05:20:12Z")
I think there should be a line saying that swearing is not actually required for a pitting… Call me irrational, but it just drives me nuts to see someone say “Sorry there’s no swearing or anything” or, “And this being the pit, fuck shit damn!” Since when did vitriol=required swearing? ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/19 "2006-04-05T13:42:27Z")
It’s a good, concise, easy to read set of rules. Congrats, Gir and Veb! ---
**Author:** ![SpaceDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spacedog/32/9932_2.png) [@SpaceDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpaceDog)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340/20 "2006-04-05T14:02:54Z")
Hmm, the perfect thread to say something that’s been bothering me … > [@](#): > > No accusing other posters of trolling > > If you believe another poster is trolling, please report the post. Do not post your opinion that they are a troll, even by vague euphemisms or not-so-subtle implications. Junior modding of this sort pisses people off, and can foster bad feelings and long-term unpleasantness between posters that we’d rather avoid. I **loathe** this rule. I’m allowed to call another poster most names under the sun, possibly using a big red font, but I can’t call a troll a troll. Can I accuse someone of lying ? Can I accuse someone of being deliberately obtuse ? I’ve seen posts that start “Assuming your not lying …” or “I think you’re trying to get a rise out of us here but in case you’re not I’ll answer …” are they accusations of trollery ? The rule just seems very arbitrary given what we are allow to say, and I’m sorry that it didn’t get dumped with this revamp of the rules. Any chance you’d consider ditching it ? Please. SD [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-of-new-pit-forum-rules-sticky/351340.md?page=2)