# Do as I say and not as I do? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 2, 2019, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909 "2019-06-02T05:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/1 "2019-06-02T05:28:47Z")
This mod note was added to a GD thread: > [@Should we abolish the Senate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-abolish-the-senate/834903/18): > > Almost as shocking as your frequent calls for the elimination of Gerrymandering where Republicans have won disproportionate representation based on the popular vote. > > Oh, wait; that has not happened. > > Let’s stick to the actual discussion and leave partisan sniping for a different thread, (preferably the Pit). > > [/Moderating] It strikes me as bad form to mix partisan sniping into a mod note that instructs we “leave partisan sniping for a different thread”. Any thoughts from the mod squad? ---
**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:** [June 2, 2019, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/2 "2019-06-02T05:32:23Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > It strikes me as bad form to mix partisan sniping into a mod note that instructs we “leave partisan sniping for a different thread”. Any thoughts from the mod squad? Yes. It appears to be a comment on your own behavior rather than partisan sniping. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/3 "2019-06-02T07:24:46Z")
May I just add a/an 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/4 "2019-06-02T10:24:17Z")
When the refs are growing tired of your antics, maybe the problem is how you are playing your game. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/5 "2019-06-02T10:50:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Yes. It appears to be a comment on your own behavior rather than partisan sniping. What? No. The post clearly parrots back **HurricaneDitka** ’s post, using the same language. **HD** accused a poster of political hypocrisy, and **tomndebb** turns it around and accuses him of the same hypocrisy, just in different areas. He even specifically references his post by using the word “shocking.” A post addressing behavior would consist of only of the sort of thing in the last line, telling him to stop his political sniping. This is the form most moderator instructions take. It would have no reason to bring up the poster’s politics in any way. Sure, there may be a valid argument for why such was the right choice in moderating. I’ve definitely seen moderating styles that would respond in such a manner. But there is just no way the post in question addresses only the poster’s behavior. It very clearly mentions and calls him out for his politics. And I clearly have no personal stake in any of this. If anything, you’d expect me to be arguing against the OP, as I have in most other threads. We do not see eye to eye on politics or even proper behavior on this message board. I actually usually think the mods are too lenient. It’s just bizarre seeing you claim something that seems so utterly false. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/6 "2019-06-02T13:35:43Z")
He was inferring that HD was acting in a hypocritical fashion. See how simple that was? One tiny little sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/7 "2019-06-02T13:44:52Z")
It was an attempt by **tomndebb** to get in a dig and then have the last word. It was an abuse of his mod position - if partisan snipes were something he didn’t want to see, he would not have made a partisan snipe - but what he wanted was one more snipe, aimed at **HD** , and then a chance to warn or ban him for not following mod instructions to not do what the mod just did. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/8 "2019-06-02T13:56:46Z")
OMG it’s _abuse_ of the MOD POSITION. _clutches pearls_ ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/9 "2019-06-02T14:04:33Z")
^^Is that supposed to be clever? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/10 "2019-06-02T14:19:53Z")
To me it scans as “stop accusing others of hypocrisy when you’re doing the same thing.” I agree with the sentiment. It should be a moderable action. Whataboutism should automatically be seen as a risk of endless unproductive thread derailment, functionally equivalent to name-calling. It’s a big part of the board rot around here. I would support a policy permitting mods to shut it down with extreme prejudice, except in threads where the ‘whatabout’ is introduced in the subject or OP. I would stipulate that the mods should refrain from appending their own final ‘whatabout’ in the accompanying mod note, but my own risible situational ethics prevent me from doing so. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/11 "2019-06-02T14:24:47Z")
> [@TheCuse](#): > > ^^Is that supposed to be clever? My apologies. I should have provided you a safe space before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/12 "2019-06-02T14:49:41Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > My apologies. I should have provided you a safe space before posting. The MOD POSITION is the one exception to Rule 34. It can be never be shown. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/13 "2019-06-02T16:31:42Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > The MOD POSITION is the one exception to Rule 34. It can be never be shown. Rule 34? Mod Position? Is that, like, what, the missionary position? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/14 "2019-06-02T16:45:21Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Rule 34? Mod Position? Is that, like, what, the missionary position? Mostly, except for the goats and the headless chicken. ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/15 "2019-06-02T18:05:15Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Mostly, except for the goats and the headless chicken. And the coffee cup. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/16 "2019-06-02T19:42:07Z")
Yeeeah, I’m gonna have to agree (gulp) with the OP. This is basically **tomndebb** continuing the partisan hijack and then adding “Oh btw, stop partisan hijacking! Begone!” Essentially (as a bad example since this would really be a warning, but anyway): **angry poster** : Fuck you, bastard! **moderator** : Oh yeah? Fuck you too, shithead! … Also, no more personal attacks, take it to the pit. It _is_ trying to have the last word, a petty misuse of mod power/privilege. Just because it’s pretty minor doesn’t make it right. That said, it’s not a warning, it’s a note–heck not even a note, just a brief modding–so it’s hardly worth getting up in arms. Especially because I don’t think you’re likely to get a change in behavior from this particular mod. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/17 "2019-06-02T20:15:47Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > My apologies. I should have provided you a safe space before posting. The safe place thing is pretty lame. I’m guessing you still think “snowflake” is an insult too. ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/18 "2019-06-02T21:39:15Z")
Edit: Apologies to Blank Slate and the others for derailing. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/19 "2019-06-02T23:48:49Z")
Yeah, I think that was pretty bad. Mod notes should not include digs at the poster. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909/20 "2019-06-03T03:41:51Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It was an attempt by **tomndebb** to get in a dig and then have the last word. It was an abuse of his mod position - if partisan snipes were something he didn’t want to see, he would not have made a partisan snipe - but what he wanted was one more snipe, aimed at **HD** , and then a chance to warn or ban him for not following mod instructions to not do what the mod just did. Cosigned. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-as-i-say-and-not-as-i-do/834909.md?page=2)