# engineer comp geek, I think you are wrong **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 15, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944 "2015-08-15T21:00:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [August 22, 2015, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/21 "2015-08-22T02:42:13Z")
> [@Grotonian](#): > > It’s fine to say,“Grotonian, you have violated the rule against personal insults for the 3rd time,” it is horseshit to say,“Grotonian, because of your history, I am declaring Thurber to be inflammatory, and with that declaration claiming a rules violation in this forum.” > > Do you see the difference? For me, I see both differences and similarities. One difference is that the first quote includes a number, whereas the second one doesn’t. One similarity is that neither of them are what **ecg** said. ---
**Author:** ![Grotonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Grotonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grotonian)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/22 "2015-08-22T03:40:24Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Are they ridiculously applied to posts that are reported? Depends on who reports them. If I report them, nothing happens. If I pm a mod to ask I get no response or a link to Stormfront. So, yes, the rules are ridiculously applied whether I report posts or not. ---
**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:** [August 22, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/23 "2015-08-22T03:50:53Z")
> [@Grotonian](#): > > Depends on who reports them. If I report them, nothing happens. A specific example would be helpful. For example, it looks like you didn’t report the post you’re complaining about here, so it’s not a good example. If you want to make your case that posts you report are handled ridiculously based on your being the reporter, you’ll have to show us one that you actually, y’know, reported. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/24 "2015-08-22T04:10:45Z")
> [@Grotonian](#): > > Your insistence that a poster’s history is relevant in determining rules violations already concedes my point. It’s fine to say,“Grotonian, you have violated the rule against personal insults for the 3rd time,” it is horseshit to say,“Grotonian, because of your history, I am declaring Thurber to be inflammatory, and with that declaration claiming a rules violation in this forum.” > > Do you see the difference? Well, as this is a message board and not a court of law, there is a difference in how authority figures should act. Your rules-lawyering is not appropriate, here. We are not acting to enforce legislated laws with legislated sentences imposed by jurists. Instead, we are moderating behavior for the purpose of providing an atmosphere that encourages participation by a wide variety of posters. A poster from whom a majority of posts are criticisms of other posters or the staff and who delivers an overwhelming majority of posts in a snide tone is doing little to promote a decent atmosphere for discussion. Such behavior is recognized by both other posters and staff, so when that poster makes a point of participating in a thread that is displaying ever greater hostility and adding to the level of hostility, it is appropriate to direct that poster to back off. > [@Grotonian](#): > > Do I have a reputation for posting heinously offensive early 20th century American humorists? No. You have a reputation for posting an overwhelming majority of your remarks in a snide way to imply criticism of other posters. You post so rarely in any other mode that I doubt that you have posted a dozen simply informative or humorous contributions in your entire sojourn, here. You never bothered to report the comment at which you took offense, so there is no way to know that your report would have been ignored. That is just something that you are inventing to pad your argument. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/25 "2015-08-22T04:11:37Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > A specific example would be helpful. For example, it looks like you didn’t report the post you’re complaining about here, so it’s not a good example. If you want to make your case that posts you report are handled ridiculously based on your being the reporter, you’ll have to show us one that you actually, y’know, reported. Pretty much. Your whole case seems to be: “I didn’t report the insult…and the mods are **SO BIASED** at not applying fair moderation at people insulting me!” You want the moderation to seem more fair in its application? Report the posts that are insulting to you. If you refuse to, that’s your choice, but then don’t be surprised if those posts are not modded. This is my last post in this thread to you ( **Grotonian** ). At this point, we’re just repeating ourselves. You either get it now or you won’t. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/26 "2015-08-22T04:13:02Z")
> [@Grotonian](#): > > Depends on who reports them. If I report them, nothing happens. Would you care to examine the reports you have submitted in the context of the threads from which they were reported? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2015, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944/27 "2015-08-22T04:14:24Z")
As a matter of fact, I’m going to close this thread as the original reason for it being opened had already been answered and (apparently) accepted before you started about an insult that was failed to be reported. Said insult has now been modded. ETA: If you want to discuss this issue by itself (or in reply to Tom above) feel free to make a new ATMB about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineer-comp-geek-i-think-you-are-wrong/727944.md?page=1)