# Google Search Mod Orgy!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [January 9, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537 "2003-01-09T16:01:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 6

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jessity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jessity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jessity)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/101 "2003-01-09T18:52:41Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by porcupine \*  
> \*\*Oh, and count me amongst the group the finds the frequent mod-wanna-be behavior rather annoying. If that makes me part of the perceived “pile-on,” so be it. \*\*

I’ll second that. I don’t have to start threads, **Amok** , to read and witness this shit on a daily basis.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/102 "2003-01-09T18:54:11Z")

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DDG said:

> [@](#):
>
> Mojo, I’m sorry you were bored, I thought it was pertinent to the discussion. I thought maybe Chumpsky could use a few “facts” about the supposed meltdown of the former Soviet republics. I see that I was mistaken, that “facts” aren’t going to help him.

It was pertinent to the discussion and I agree that the facts aren’t going to help him, but that weren’t no “few facts”- you were trying to bury him.  
[sub]not that I really have a problem with that…[/sub]

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/103 "2003-01-09T18:56:21Z")

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Jar,

> [@](#):
>
> I wanted to hear her side of the story regarding telling Anahita what to post and not post.
> 
> i wanted to hear perhaps why she was so snarky in the Unban Satan! thread (and believe me, had she said, ‘I was having a bad day’ I would have accepted it, since that’s a valid excuse)
> 
> I wanted to hear why she didn’t come back to the pregnancy chances thread and correct herself or apologize.

I am well aware that you know the pit is not the place for the request of rational answers (to unasked questions). For your assertion that you thought you would get them here equals fuzzy bunnies.

Xploder, I know that you’ve been around here long enough to know that \>99% of pit threads are popularity contests. That’s why there are so many against newbies, december, and anyone else with unpopular or overly zealous stances. They’re easy targets. Folks post here for validation.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/104 "2003-01-09T18:57:52Z")

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Whoa. You have me. :rolleyes:  
See, Sparky, I’ll admit my range of expertise is limited. That’s why I answer what I do.

However, I figure (call me crazy) that people _may_ have already done a Google search and want an answer from one of the Teeming Millions who has _alternate_ answers or perhaps real life experience.

But I’m just a dumb bitch. Man, Google finds EVERYTHING. Guess when I get off vacation, I’ll have to quit my job. After all, I may analyze fraud but I know fuck all about search engines.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/105 "2003-01-09T18:59:42Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Amok \*  
> \*\*
> 
> I also feel that **DDG’s** response (including her second post) was entirely appriopriate. It’s much like her response to **Joe\_Cool** in the **Satan** thread.
> 
> \*\*

> [@](#):
>
> And that has no bearing on her insistence in attempting to moderate the board when she has no such authority, particularly in the case of Unban Satan! thread when she spoke to Joe\_Cool like he was a five year old “DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?” and when she told Anahita basically not to post something because DUCK DUCK didn’t want it in the thread.

> [@](#):
>
> i wanted to hear perhaps why she was so snarky in the Unban Satan! thread (and believe me, had she said, ‘I was having a bad day’ I would have accepted it, since that’s a valid excuse)

> [@](#):
>
> I also feel that DDG’s response (including her second post) was entirely appriopriate. It’s much like her response to Joe\_Cool in the Satan thread. If someone is rude and insulting, even if they hide it beneath a veneer of civility, and don’t use (or overuse) profanity, what’s the difference? It’s still rude and insulting. Such behavior deserves not only to be met in kind, it deserves to be outdone. If you hit someone with only half your force, well, you’ve still hit them, and you have no reason to expect that the punch coming back will be similarly restrained.

> [@](#):
>
> And a Pit rant that basically says to a person, “Your whole lifestyle sucks–get a new one” doesn’t fit MY definition of “constructive”. If you wanted me to knock off the Pretentious Mod Stuff and the Google Stuff, you could have posted it, for starters, in Joe Cool’s thread, where you made your original “gimmick” comment, and then I could have told you to sod off, because I don’t take kindly to people telling me that my whole lifestyle sucks, get a new one. And that would have been the end of it.

I was trying to figure out what might have caused some of my favorite posters to act and post in a baffling bitter manner. Hmmm.

Actually, a few people in this thread who should know damn well better have not distingished themselves well, at all. The eagerness in which the rocks were thrown is scary. It might be a good idea for the parties invovled in the whole unban **Satan** debacle and this thread to move on to other things for a while till they cool off. The level of personal insults exchanged among “respected” posters leaves a hell of a lot less respect for them.

This thread and the Satan thread show this wisdom of handling these appeals via private email.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/106 "2003-01-09T19:01:21Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \*  
> **Coldfire, first of all, is that an official request from the SDMB Adminstration that I stop posting comments like, “You might get better responses to this in another forum, e-mail a mod”, or “It’s customary to post a link to the thread that spawned a rant”, that in the future I refrain from anything like that?**

No. First of all, I made some personal suggestions. Nowhere did I state that my words were an official Staff request. Furthermore, the examples you use here are similar to the ones I said were helpful, in that they are factual in nature, have come up in ATMB threads before, or have been explained by a moderator before. So I’d say this:

> [@](#):
>
> **’Cause if so, I’ll be happy to comply. God knows I wouldn’t want to take bread out of the mouths of starving moderators, they need those moderating points to take to the Company Store and trade for food for their little mods…However, I think it should be an official Rule, up in a sticky, and not just for me, because I don’t think it’s fair to single me out for Excessive Helpfulness. :rolleyes:**

… is a tad dramatic, to say the least.

> [@](#):
>
> **Second:Hardly any of the useful day to day stuff is in the FAQ. “Post a link to the thread that spawned the Pit rant.” “Post a link to any articles you quote from in GD.” “No post count parties.” “Don’t use MPSIMS as personal communications with other posters who don’t have e-mail addys listed.” “How much quoting constitutes copyright violation?” “Always search the archives, and Google, and Snopes, first.” Stuff like that. Which are the things that newbies violate, and which I feel like they ought to be told by somebody, kindly, without flaming them for being newbie asses.**

I think you’re confusing our rules with customary SDMB behaviour, grown over time by either moderator decisions or poster habits. Rules are violated. Customary behaviour is learned by newbies because either a moderator or another poster points it out to them.

But since you took these examples: the sticky threads in ATMB contain information on [copyright violations](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=106617), there’s an entire [sticky thread at the top of GQ](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=149223) explaining the use of our and external search engines, reference sites, et cetera.

> [@](#):
>
> **Third, look, it’s time for you to put up or shut up, Coldfire. Let’s see some cites, and don’t try to weasel out of it by pulling out your “I’m a Moderator so I don’t have to explain things in the thread, you can discuss it in e-mail” card.**

I’m unsure what you mean here. Did I just answer your questions above, or are you taking me to task for something else?

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*Okay, Citizen Coldfire–cites? \*\*

See question above. And try to calm down a bit, please.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/107 "2003-01-09T19:01:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Oh, and count me amongst the group the finds the frequent mod-wanna-be behavior rather annoying. If that makes me part of the perceived “pile-on,” so be it.

I really hate that too. Some new person will post something in the wrong forum and you’ll see a reply like…

uh… mods???

What the fuck is that? Like they won’t see it?

So, is someone going to start making out here? Isn’t this like that Miller Lite Commercial?

That’s all I have to add here. Sorry.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/108 "2003-01-09T19:04:19Z")

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**DDG** is a great asset to this messageboard.

In saying this, I’m not coming out against the OP – I, too, have had some rankled feelings by stray remarks passed by **DDG** in the course of her posts, aimed either at myself (once, and probably now thankfully lost in the Lost Winter), or against new posters.

BUT –

**DDG** has always struck me as a gem of a Doper, in that, yes, she tries to clear the way through ignorance’s chaff to the actual facts. Doesn’t always work – the Internet is awash with facile opinions, twisted logic, what have you – but it’s a start. The way I research using search engines has been influenced by her style, and I don’t regret it.

It’s a fine line betwen giving advice on board etiquette and protocol to new users, and being officious and patronising, and indeed “mod-ish”, with the same stuff. We _should_, however, try to help the genuine ones first, and decide to pull them apart a long and distant last.

Those chirping up about “gimmicks”, that cousin to the “one-trick pony”, should quite frankly go get knotted. If **DDG** is only around here because of a “gimmick” – then she’s doin’ well, 'cause she’s been here a long time. I know, usually, what to expect from a **DDG** post. That, in this day of text overload, is a damn good thing. And, as has been said – if you don’t like it, don’t read.

That bein’ said – **DDG** , please: don’t feed the fire. You’re better than this, and better than the posts you’ve made in this thread. So far, you’re only succeeding in helping your detractors win their case.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/109 "2003-01-09T19:09:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Maeglin, you were asked to find a place where I was proved wrong and ignored it, or didn’t post an “oops”. I didn’t “ignore” Jodi’s response. I acknowledged our difference of OPINION, and moved on. Annnnd… that was from two years ago? And that’s the best you can do?

For someone that often _does_ post useful information, I am surprised to see that you are still having difficulty distinguishing opinion from cold, hard, case law. The above referenced thread was the equivalent of:

DDG: It’s not illegal to murder anyone.  
Others: It sure is.  
DDG: Cite please.  
Others: Here you go…Copious examples of statutory and case law.  
DDG: It’s not illegal to murder anyone.

I could do better if you liked. I recalled that thread _off the top of my head_. You may not think it is particularly exemplary, but I believe the record speaks for itself. How often _do_ you admit you are wrong, especially in the GD context?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/110 "2003-01-09T19:09:15Z")

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[QUOTE]  
\*Originally posted by hardygrrl \*  
\*\*

[QUOTE]  
\*Originally posted by minty green \*  
\*\* Your contributions here are incalculable. \*\*  
[/QUOTE

Please see my post above. There’s a world of difference between answering a question and posting some possibly relevant links. \*\*[/QUOTE]

(I haven’t read the whole thread yet, so sorry if this has been covered)

**Hardy** : I strongly disagree. **Handy** just grabs the first links off Google, regardless of relevance. **DDG** sorts through the links, reads 'em and invariably presents useful, relevant info.

I think **DDG** is a helluva asset to the SDMB. (However I agree that her response was overkill to **Jarbaby’s** OP.)

Fenris

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![glarGH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@glarGH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glarGH)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/111 "2003-01-09T19:19:57Z")

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This is like watching my parents fight…This makes me sad, because I really, really like and respect **jarbaby** and **DDG**.

Please don’t fight? Please? I’ll be good from now on.

::Looks confused and sad::

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DeskMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DeskMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeskMonkey)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/112 "2003-01-09T19:20:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by hardygrrl \*  
> \*\*Whoa. You have me. :rolleyes:  
> See, Sparky, I’ll admit my range of expertise is limited. That’s why I answer what I do.
> 
> However, I figure (call me crazy) that people _may_ have already done a Google search and want an answer from one of the Teeming Millions who has _alternate_ answers or perhaps real life experience.
> 
> But I’m just a dumb bitch. Man, Google finds EVERYTHING. Guess when I get off vacation, I’ll have to quit my job. After all, I may analyze fraud but I know fuck all about search engines. \*\*

This whole “you’re stupid because you try to be helpful to those asking for help in a forum dedicated to asking for and receiving help” part of the argument is really not working for you. Perhaps you should try something else.

Not everyone searches the internet, others don’t do it very efficiently. Heaven forbid you should actually stray from your area of expertise and learn something new in hopes of helping someone. Learning can be fun. Go on, give it a go. And if the OP actually did already do a search, at least you’ll have gained some new knowledge and they can’t very well give you a hard time for trying to help, can they? Well, they could, but that would be rude.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/113 "2003-01-09T19:20:23Z")

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Could we possibly throw more rolls eyes smilies into this thread?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/114 "2003-01-09T19:22:34Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _TwistofFate wrote_:  
> The irony…

I assume your point is that you feel I’m piling on the people I mentioned, or getting in snipes at them, while I decried such behavior. Fair enough, but I don’t think the situations are analogous. My snipes were in response to posts made in this thread. I didn’t open up this thread with the intention of flaming anyone, but after reading some of the posts I wanted to respond, based upon the behavior of the people I singled out.

While it’s possible that the people I named were similarly moved by posts in this thread, I’m doubtful that they were that deeply offended by **DDG’s** “Bite me”. As such, persumably their motive for piling on **DDG** was not contained in this thread.

You may (or may not) feel that there is no difference in worth between the two scenerios, but that’s a different issue, and regardless of that, the two are not factually equivalent, so I don’t think your claim of “irony” is true.

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Hamadryad \*  
> I’m sort of interested in knowing when “starts a lot of threads” became “is a contributing member of the board.”

Beats me. I didn’t make that claim, nor do I feel that it is true.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/115 "2003-01-09T19:23:31Z")

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**DDG** , do you really mean this?

> [@](#):
>
> BTW, here ya go, Hardygrrl, you dumb bitch–BTW, no, I didn’t change my mind about the word “cunt”, I used it on purpose. Of course, if you had more brains, you’d have realized that. :rolleyes:

Especially when **hardygrrl** linked to a thread in which you stated:

> [@](#):
>
> Short answer to the OP: “cunt” is to “female person” as “nigger” is to “black person”.
> 
> It objectifies–“this person is not a human being but is only a generic vagina.” Similarly, “this person is not a human being but is only a generic black skin.”
> 
> It insults by focusing in a negative way on a physical characteristic that the person in question was born with and can’t do anything to change.
> 
> I am amazed at the people who would never dream of using “nigger” in a Pit rant who don’t have any problem with using “cunt”.

Are you saying that you would have called **jarbaby** a “nigger” if it applied? It’s one thing to say “You’re right, it was a slip and it’s hypocritical of me to deny it” and quite another to say that it was very deliberate. I apologize to bring this up after you quite clearly stated that you meant it – I’m just stunned and want to make sure that I’m not attributing attitudes to you that aren’t valid.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pammipoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/87869e/32.png) [@Pammipoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pammipoo)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/116 "2003-01-09T19:23:45Z")

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DDG has always seemed so levelheaded and calm…it sucks to see her attacked like this. It sucks even more to see her fighting back. It seems beneath her, but I can see where it’s necessary.

Throw me in with the “Can’t we all just get along?” crowd.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/117 "2003-01-09T19:26:27Z")

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I meant to stay out of this, but something caught my eye:

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \*  
> **Do you actually think that all those General Questions that get answered are answered by people who ACTUALLY KNOW THE ANSWERS?**

Yes I do.

I have tried to answer GQ questions right off the top of my head, as long as they related to technical/engineering stuff. I have never resorted to a web search, and I don’t try to answer questions on subjects outside of my experience.

One of the beautiful things about this board is the fact that there _are_ experts in almost any subject imaginable who post here.

Believe it or not, some people actually do know the answers, and don’t just pull tidbits from random websites.

And just for **Coldfire** :

You, sir, are a big smelly jerk.

How was that?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/118 "2003-01-09T19:28:23Z")

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Two, one two three four  
Ev’rybody’s talking about  
Googlism, Postism, Arguism, Annoyism, Pissism, Moanism  
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m.

All we are saying is give peace a chance  
All we are saying is give peace a chance

C’mon  
Ev’rybody’s talking about **jarbabyj** ,  
**Duck, Duck, Goose** , **hardygirl**  
**Coldfire** , other posters, Satan, Banning,  
And bye bye, bye byes.

_ALTOGETHER NOW_

All we are saying is give peace a chance  
All we are saying is give peace a chance

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/119 "2003-01-09T19:29:40Z")

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Wow! That’s a big cunt!

😃

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-search-mod-orgy/147537/120 "2003-01-09T19:33:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Exgineer \*  
> \*\*I meant to stay out of this, but something caught my eye:Yes I do.
> 
> I have tried to answer GQ questions right off the top of my head, as long as they related to technical/engineering stuff. I have never resorted to a web search, and I don’t try to answer questions on subjects outside of my experience.
> 
> One of the beautiful things about this board is the fact that there _are_ experts in almost any subject imaginable who post here.
> 
> Believe it or not, some people actually do know the answers, and don’t just pull tidbits from random websites.  
> \*\*

**Thank You**

I know banking and the credit card industry. I answer the questions posed on those subjects in a way a non outsider can understand them. Quite simple.

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