# Flaming By A Third Party **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 25, 2016, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660 "2016-05-25T14:04:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/1 "2016-05-25T14:04:39Z")
In a thread recently I cited an article from Cracked that has some, shall we say, _flowery_ language towards the target audience. In this particular case, it looks something like this: But the second part is this idea that asking the rich to pitch in is “punishing” them. So, Rich Guy, let me explain this as calmly and logically as I can: Are you fucking 6 years old? Do you still think mom made you clean up your room because she was mean? In the adult world, we get asked to do things because shit needs to get done. It has nothing to do with fairness, it has nothing to do with judging you. It has nothing to do with you at all. There’s a whole world out there, with people who need helping and projects that need accomplishing. In my post, I redacted the most egregious part of that, and made it very clear that while I agree with the author’s overall point I would not express it in those terms. But what are the rules on that? How should I deal with the odd case like this? If I hadn’t redacted the “are you fucking 6 years old” part, would it have qualified as flaming towards the person I was debating with? ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/2 "2016-05-25T14:10:39Z")
(In case anyone is wondering, this is the post in question, and it’s near the end: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19356136&postcount=284](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19356136&postcount=284) ) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/3 "2016-05-25T14:18:04Z")
I could see it being a judgment issue for whichever moderator responds. 1. Just quoting something inflammatory certainly isn’t against the rules. However… 1. Quoting something to take shot at another poster could be treated that way. Example: Were someone to post: Hey, this quote is like you! > [@](#): > > You’re a dick! That could be sanctionable. As always…it depends. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/4 "2016-05-25T16:10:22Z")
All right. So in the way I used it (i.e. buried in caveats), probably generally okay? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/5 "2016-05-25T16:19:55Z")
You really want a mod to spend 20 minutes reading that post to answer something that you already think might be objectionable? ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/6 "2016-05-25T16:44:36Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > You really want a mod to spend 20 minutes reading that post to answer something that you already think might be objectionable? I did say it was right near the end… But basically, I don’t know, and I’d rather be on the safe side. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/7 "2016-05-25T16:47:13Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > You really want a mod to spend 20 minutes reading that post to answer something that you already think might be objectionable? Hey, that’s one way to make sure _someone_ reads it! ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/8 "2016-05-25T16:47:34Z")
I’d say it’s OK as is. But in a more partisan or heated thread it could easily be interpreted as taking a shot at your debate opponent. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/9 "2016-05-25T18:38:11Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Hey, that’s one way to make sure _someone_ reads it! \*\*You Won’t Believe What a Doper Said In THIS Outrageous Post! …sigh… \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flaming-by-a-third-party/755660/10 "2016-05-25T19:23:18Z")
Context is important so you shouldn’t assume people know the context unless you provide it. I remember one case where a poster quoted a movie line in a joking fashion. The problem was a moderator didn’t recognize it was a movie quote and took it as a regular post that had been intended seriously.