# Free-for-all weekend discussion **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 2, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730 "2008-09-02T18:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/41 "2008-09-02T23:59:43Z")
Put me on board with the prevailing (and in this case correct) opinions in this thread - it was fun for the weekend for sure, and it was almost entirely the lack of permanence rather than the lack of rules that made it such. I wasn’t really able to participate because I had company for the weekend, but I did have time to catch up on my Pit-reading last night… and boy was it relaxing/entertaining to sit down with the laptop, Sox game on the TV, glass of whiskey in hand, and read the Pit again, like I used to back in the Good Old Days (alas it was not in black and white last night but some changes can’t be un-made, and this Technicolor thing is pretty cool anyways). ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/42 "2008-09-03T00:00:02Z")
I liked the openness that led to threads about drugs and the-place-that-shan’t-be-names for example. Hated the “look at me, I’m breaking a rule!” threads and posts. That was beyond lame. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/43 "2008-09-03T00:04:47Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I didn’t like it. Especially I didn’t like unlabeled NSFW links. And I didn’t like people feeling free to be bigger assholes than they already are. > > So I’m a sick in the mud with a stick up my ass. There I said it, and beat others to it. This is exactly how I feel. There are innumerable other websites where people can be complete fucking assholes to their hearts’ content. Do we really need to accommodate the lowest common denominator here? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/44 "2008-09-03T00:12:07Z")
Much of it seemed to me to be the junior high school equivalent of “who do you like” and ‘who don’t you like’ stuff (like who would you ban, who’s on your ignore list) Only thing missing was “who do you wish would just _go away_?” I thought some folks went over the edge, lost some respect for some folks. And, of course, at some points, there were some absolutley stupid shit. You know who you are. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/45 "2008-09-03T00:15:22Z")
Well, I thought it was fun - kind of like the pit of old. I got some stuff off my chest (my dog shits in the woods!) and it seemed like other folks did too. The ‘I have to take a shit’ or ‘Damn do my farts smell.’ or ‘a’ threads are really kind of a once a year thing, but people being not quite so uptight was fantastic - it would be nice if things were a bit more transparent like that all the time - then the SnarkPit wouldn’t exist (well, except for banned posters I suppose). ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/46 "2008-09-03T00:20:51Z")
I posted more this weekend than I have in the past month, and paid much more attention to the board than usual. In my case, that kind of absorption would not be possible on a regular basis, way too time consuming. Frankly, it’d get boring as well. That being said, I had fun, and learned a ton of things about other posters. It _was_ more interesting than usual. It still wasn’t a free for all, nor do I think it ever would become one. People do value their reputation, even on an anonymous message board. Well, most people. I would look forward to an annual free for all, such as Labor Day weekend, but a general relaxation overall would end up boring and stupid. The Pit would end up being a vicious wankfest by a few bitter losers. My .02 ETA, this weekend the boards probably saw 2-3 times the amount of traffic that it normally does. Something to think about. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/47 "2008-09-03T00:21:05Z")
As one of those who started a truly pointless and annoying thread (a retread of the original ‘a’ thread except with pit insults in alphabetical order)… it’s not something I normally would have done if it weren’t a sudden, limited-time-only free for all weekend. (And in my case it had little to do with impermanence) That’s probably behind a lot of the excess silliness over the past few days. A lot of us saw a brief opportunity to go a little nuts. The beauty, if I can call it that, of the first ‘a’ thread, was just that it sort of _happened_. There are plenty of very _structured_ games in the Game Room, but there’s no room now for a little free-form fun like there used to be. That’s one of the things I miss. Mods are always saying we shouldn’t bump threads because they should live or die on their own merits. Why shouldn’t a thread that goes harmlessly silly be allowed to live on its merits once in a while? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/48 "2008-09-03T00:22:44Z")
Another vote for it was fun and cathartic, but it kind of devolved by the end of the weekend into only being the stuff that was a bit over the line. I agree that it had / has its place (even if it’s like the aforementioned knife fight), but I wouldn’t wish to live like that all the time. Finally, I think the only folks behaving truly badly always had, or displayed, the ability to do so and everyone else just sort of pretended to be. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/49 "2008-09-03T00:24:56Z")
> [@fisha](#): > > The Pit would end up being a vicious wankfest by a few bitter losers. Oh, you mean like the snarkpit. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/50 "2008-09-03T00:29:42Z")
I liked it. I missed most of it, since I was out of town and had no computer access. I think an annual event, like the Amish Rumspringa. Labor Day is kind of a silly holiday, so why not start our own tradition? It’d be fun. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/51 "2008-09-03T00:32:06Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > Speaking as a poster, I thought it was a good thing for a temporary basis only, but I thought it got old even by the end of the weekend. There was way too much spam to get through to find interesting stuff because idiots kept opening truly useless threads. Not threads that might just be a Bad Idea to have around, but just actual spam, threads of no real interest to anyone. > [@Yookeroo](#): > > I liked the openness that led to threads about drugs and the-place-that-shan’t-be-names for example. Hated the “look at me, I’m breaking a rule!” threads and posts. That was beyond lame. As above, more or less. I thought Friday was interesting and amusing, but shit went downhill the rest of the weekend to the point where while there were still fun bits, I was more annoyed than entertained. So place me in the stick-up-the-ass-club. I felt stronger about it yesterday ( when I tilting towards the distinctly drama queen “I’m taking my ball and going home!” mindset about the whole thing ), but even in the light of day I’m not really in favor of the anything-goes-Pit. Loosen up slightly? Endulge in an annual Labor Day rules-breaking blowout? I’m fine with either. But I prefer a moderate amount of ground rules and moderation to virtually none. ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/52 "2008-09-03T00:33:59Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > Oh, you mean like the snarkpit. No, actually what I was thinking was something along the lines of a small cadre of regulars that would completely decimate any poster just wandering in. A vicious clique that would dominate the forum. Every once in a while I see that here, and God knows there has been instances of pile-ons; you’ve been on the receiving end of it at least once. Relaxing the rules in the Pit means that the denizens would find a new level. Would that be bad or good? What kind of posters would it attract? Too hard to tell. The snarkpit is 95% worthless. I don’t want our Pit to turn into that. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/53 "2008-09-03T00:34:38Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Endulge [sic] in an annual Labor Day rules-breaking blowout? Seconded. I wouldn’t want it all the time but an annual party is a great idea. ---
**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:** [September 3, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/54 "2008-09-03T00:34:50Z")
> [@5-HT](#): > > good god. yeah, a “steady grind” sure is the type of experience I hope to have in my free time. It’s a message board, not a nine to five. Well, since I tend to have nothing but free time, I figured it was nice to pretend I had a daily grind to get back to. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/55 "2008-09-03T00:35:27Z")
It made what was otherwise a low-key weekend for me a little more interesting. I would be in favor of having an annual Labor Day BBQ weekend. Would there be a way to, uh, amensia-ize just one forum only? I think it’d be kinda fun to have a lost weekend for just the pit once a year. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/56 "2008-09-03T00:40:56Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > … I can see making one little area more like the Rest of the Internet to squelch those complaints. There’s a reason I’m here, and not on the Rest of the Internet. Obviously, I didn’t like it. I think there are some Pit rules that could be loosened - discussion of banned posters, for one - but, in general, I was annoyed and unamused by the Pit over the weekend. Regards, Queen Victoria ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/57 "2008-09-03T00:41:40Z")
Three days was probably too much. I was on-call all weekend and didn’t have much else to do. I just tried to go with it knowing that it wouldn’t be archived over. Even if someone saved everything, I didn’t post anything incriminating. (I don’t consider a bunch of goofy non-sequiturs to be particularly incriminating.) ---
**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:** [September 3, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/58 "2008-09-03T00:44:45Z")
During the free-for-all weekend, I did enjoy having the liberty to openly discuss non-past, non-hypothetical drug use in a factual and forthright manner, as free adults should rightly be entitled to do. There are already enough involuntary restrictions upon it without adding censorship to the list of infringements. Being a longtime reader of Creative Loafing, I’m sure they are liberal enough to be comfortable with the idea. You could simply prohibit any discussion of illegal sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, or evading law enforcement. It shouldn’t be taboo to say “I’m a heroin addict, here’s how fucked up my life is, how it got that way, and why I advise against it” or “I’ve smoked weed daily for 20 years and never missed a day of work”. ---
**Author:** ![yawndave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/43a26b/32.png) [@yawndave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yawndave)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/59 "2008-09-03T00:45:40Z")
Three days was probably too much. I was on-call all weekend and didn’t have much else to do. I just tried to go with it knowing that my posts wouldn’t be archived over. Even if someone saved everything, I didn’t post anything incriminating. (I don’t consider a bunch of goofy non-sequiturs to be particularly incriminating.) ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730/60 "2008-09-03T01:00:28Z")
I had a blast this weekend, especially Friday, but I’d hate it in here if it were always that way. I’m very firmly pro-moderation. I’m all for that yearly blowout, though! I think that the problem might be that people will be more restrained if it’s not an amnesia weekend as well. I wonder if it’s possible to restore a backup of the Pit only? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-for-all-weekend-discussion/461730.md?page=4)