# Does this diserve a warning? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 13, 2018, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056 "2018-06-13T22:47:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/41 "2018-06-14T09:56:57Z")
The thread is in GQ - warning completely justified. I can see a note in IMHO or MPSIMS, even CS - hell, even GD, maybe. But GQ? Naah, son. OP’s been here long enough to know better. As for this “a joke as insult isn’t an insult as joke” reasoning? Yeah, that’s _exactly_ the kind of calculus _real_ trolls would also love you to have the mods make. Every time. I figure \*\*Colibri’\*\*s got enough on his plate without that particular headache. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/42 "2018-06-14T10:08:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > OP’s been here long enough to know better. Then again, on rethink, you’d also think the OP has been here long enough to know not to argue about mod warnings in the thread they’re given, and that turns out to not be the case. So maybe the OP just thinks the rules don’t apply to them? ---
**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 14, 2018, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/43 "2018-06-14T10:48:30Z")
It’s an obvious joke, and the type I’ve seen go by without problems many times on this board. If the OP says “call me a moron,” then I can pretty much guarantee that someone will call them a moron. Do I find it funny? Not really. But it’s the type of grandpa joke (a joke that a dad would think was too lame) that people make around here. So I argue that it’s precisely because the OP has been here a while that it makes sense he might think such jokes were okay. I’m guessing the OP has never been burned before on this. OP: my advice is to always check your post for how someone might interpret it if they haven’t read any other post in the thread. Because mods often don’t. Also consider the most negative interpretation of your post, because someone will make it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/44 "2018-06-14T10:57:06Z")
_Could_ the OP (in the original thread in question) ponder a point so stupid that pointing out the stupidity would be a factual observation and not a joking insult? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/45 "2018-06-14T11:14:53Z")
A light-hearted comment with no malice in it merits a warning rather than a note? **Colibri** should consider resetting his gauge. Unless this poster had offended previously the sanction used was far too heavy-handed. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/46 "2018-06-14T11:24:43Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s an obvious joke, and the type I’ve seen go by without problems many times on this board. In _ **GQ** _? Recently? Care to back that up? > [@](#): > > If the OP says “call me a moron,” then I can pretty much guarantee that someone will call them a moron. The OP _didn’t_ say “call me a moron”, the OP said “Show that I’m a moron” ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/47 "2018-06-14T11:26:32Z")
I’m on-side with the warning as it is not completely clear that it was a joke. OP: I may be a moron for believing this but please explain it to me. DG: You’re a moron. > [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Agreed. They are bad when schools use them and they are bad here. I laughed out loud when I read the post Darren Garrison had made. > > If the Dope is going to move towards zero tolerance with regards to this sort of thing I will reconsider my continued membership. I know that I am not a big deal alone but I would guess others feel the same way. > > The Dope has changed a great deal over the years. Better in many ways and worse in other ways. This is a worse way. I have a slightly different view, the board has changed for sure but I remember a time where the response to a warning was an acknowledgement of the rule violation with possibly an explanation/apology and we moved on… no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/48 "2018-06-14T11:27:52Z")
Obvious joke. Especially given to OP. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/49 "2018-06-14T11:34:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > _Could_ the OP (in the original thread in question) ponder a point so stupid that pointing out the stupidity would be a factual observation and not a joking insult? I think that’s the crux in this case. If the OP’s content were about some less well-settled or well-known fact, it would have been more obvious that DG’s comment was a joke. But because most of us learn in fifth grade that Lamarckism is bunk, we’re already a bit surprised at the OP’s apparent ignorance (on this topic). We see DG’s post. If we happen to have noticed the OP’s lighthearted request to have the “moron” status “revealed,” we’ll still think it’s a joke, but because we’re just as surprised at the apparent ignorance displayed in the OP (on this topic, not meant as a personal insult!), we feel the joke has some real sting mixed into it — a sting that is deserved (intellectually speaking), but in GQ needs to be delivered in a different way. So, the Mod warning is appropriate, because there’s too much of a grain of truth to the joke, given the content of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/50 "2018-06-14T11:39:22Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > [Synonyms for reveal:](http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/reveal) > > He was clearly asking for something else than to be called a moron. Other synonyms include declare, tell, and proclaim… ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/51 "2018-06-14T11:49:00Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Right here is how **Colibri** should have handled it, with a slight change of wording for the situation. > > “Users are reminded that insults are not permitted outside the Pit. We appreciate that this remark was made in the context of a joke in response to a setup comment made by the OP; thus this is only a note. Be that as it may, any further remarks along these lines will receive warnings.” > > This did not merit a warning by **Colibri**. A mod note would have been sufficient. **Ed Zotti** set a good example to follow. This is it, exactly. I assume the fact the OP of this thread has not returned is an indication that he has wisely decided to move on. One warning isn’t really a big deal. I hope **Colibri** takes this in the spirit of constructive feedback rather than criticism, as IMO he does a very good job regardless. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/52 "2018-06-14T12:04:24Z")
Another vote for not remotely a joke, pure insult. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/53 "2018-06-14T12:26:43Z")
FTR, from the GQ rules… > [@](#): > > The purpose of General Questions is to get factual questions answered. In order to accomplish this we need the threads to stay on topic. **We tolerate some joking, but that is generally acceptable only after the question has been answered. Please do not race to a thread to post that hilarious one-liner in response to the thread title** , and don’t drive by just to drop in an anecdote that doesn’t answer the question. If you want to be funny while contributing to the thread, go for it. We tolerate some discussion of tangentially related factual information. We don’t tolerate political, religious, professional or **personal jabs or insults**. In case it’s somehow not clear: Trolling isn’t permitted at all. … bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/54 "2018-06-14T12:32:13Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Poster starts a thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21020731), ends it with “Explain for me, please. Or at least reveal I am a moron for even considering this.” I make the joke “You are a moron for even considering this.” Get warning for an insult. “Reveal” says to me that he wanted an intelligent explanation as to why his opinion/feeling/idea was totally off base. It wasn’t a request to be gratuitously insulted. This board can be likened to a playing a field, and the moderators are the “officials”. If you’ve ever played sports, you know that a smart player picks up on the officiating style and adapts to it. He doesn’t defy it or push the edge of the envelope because he knows he is going to accrue fouls/penalties and hurt himself. I’ve received an admonishment and an actual warning, but they helped me learn the parameters of what is acceptable and how to adapt to the environment. Sometimes it’s about being a team player and not about the almighty _I_. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/55 "2018-06-14T13:15:33Z")
I think everyone is avoiding **John Mace’s** point … this comment in question was made very early in the thread, before the **General Question** had be given its **Factual Answer** … that’s a major no-no and will bring a moderator crashing down every time … that’s note-able, plus it’s a personal insult, two notes makes a warning … Better wording and later in the thread and I think the comment in question gets a pass … just a little deflection off the person and this is fine … insult the post, not the poster … and _always_ wait until the question is answered … ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/56 "2018-06-14T13:27:39Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Wrong. He asked to “reveal” he was a moron by explaining the question to him. He never asked to be called a moron. My read on it as well. I’ve been known sometimes to use the phrase “you may think me an idiot but …” and you are indeed welcome to think so. But even if I take it as a joke and am not offended, actually posting “you are an idiot” would cross the line. Especially with no reasoning of your own to indicate just why you have that opinion. ---
**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:** [June 14, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/57 "2018-06-14T13:36:36Z")
I don’t think it matters if it’s a joke. It’s a GQ rule, just like no political jabs. No insulting Dopers, no exceptions. I don’t think DG intended to break the rules, or intended to actually insult the OP in that thread, but sometimes you get noted or warned based on strict construction of the rules no matter the intent. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/58 "2018-06-14T13:53:18Z")
Colibri blew this one bad. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/59 "2018-06-14T14:03:25Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Colibri blew this one bad. A statement like that is incomplete unless it ends with a subordinate clause beginning with the word, “because”. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056/60 "2018-06-14T14:09:32Z")
It makes no sense to me that someone who’s otherwise posted inoffensively gets a warning and not the benefit of the doubt for one dumb post, yet others have free rein to crap all over the board without penalty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-this-diserve-a-warning/816056.md?page=4)