# Greetings! And a question **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 25, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168 "2005-03-25T06:22:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/1 "2005-03-25T06:22:48Z")
Greetings all, I don’t know if officially “announcing” your arrival here is the done thing, or whether it will invoke the Wrath of Goats and Squids upon me, but I just thought I’d pop up and say Hi! to you people. Also, just a quick question - I’ve noticed that things tend to get a bit, well, heated in the BBQ Pit. How does that jive with that section of the Rules that says: > [@](#): > > you will not use the SDMB to post any material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, threatening,[…] Thanks in advance. And have a Good Friday. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/2 "2005-03-25T06:26:00Z")
If only you had posted this in the Pit I could tell you _!^%&#@@ ^%%%&) ^^% ^%(^ %&^(\_\*)\_%^^ ET#$$ $$#_#^& ^%#^ ^% #^\*\*. But welcome anyway. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2005, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/3 "2005-03-25T06:43:11Z")
Welcome, **Sarah**. An extremely good question! Just in my opinion as an ordinary member, I’d say the Pit seems to have a bit more leeway that other forums regarding profanity etc. But it certainly doesn’t seem to jibe with the Rules. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2005, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/4 "2005-03-25T06:44:19Z")
And yes, shoulda been “than”, not “that”. Sorry! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/5 "2005-03-25T06:48:55Z")
Woo, yet another gray area! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/6 "2005-03-25T07:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > …or whether it will invoke the Wrath of Goats and Squids upon me… I think you’ll fit in just fine here :). And the rules are a bit looser in the BBQ Pit, but there are still rules. Even in the Pit, you can’t get away with things like threats, illegal activities, and unsupported accusations (although Pittings could, I suppose, qualify as abusive). “Obscene” and “profane” must, as always, be judged according to community standards, and the standards of this particular community do admittedly take a bit of getting used to. In the meanwhile, if you’re ever in doubt about something, e-mail the mods to ask about it before posting. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/7 "2005-03-25T07:24:36Z")
Thankyou! You’re all very sweet! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/8 "2005-03-25T07:30:27Z")
> [@Sarah Woodruff](#): > > Thankyou! You’re all very sweet! 😉 Post _that_ in the Pit. Dare ya. 😃 ---
**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:** [March 25, 2005, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/9 "2005-03-25T07:32:46Z")
It could be done. She’d be eaten alive, but it _could_ be done. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/10 "2005-03-25T12:04:59Z")
Welcome, indeed, **Sarah**. As an aside: normally, introductory posts (“Hi! I’m here!”) go in the forum called Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS), but since you’ve asked a question about the rules, I’ll leave it here. No prob, no worries. When the Boards started up, there tended to be lots of flaming everywhere. We decided to keep it confined to one area, kind of like having a mess-room in the basement where the kids can throw paint and spill stuff and no one cares. The rule you quoted: > [@](#): > > you will not use the SDMB to post any material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, threatening… still applies in the Pit, but we’re fairly lenient about where to draw the line. Those terms are all pretty much subjective, after all – we know the extremes, but it’s hard to define where the line is drawn. At what point are insults “abusive,” for instance? Even in the Pit, one cannot post “any material that is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, … hateful, harassing, … [or] threatening.” Of course, what one person thinks is “hateful” may not be what another person thinks is “hateful,” but the Pit Moderators do draw a line, and we have excluded hate-speech against ethnic groups, for instance. The other categories: abusive, vulgar, obscene, or profane, well, again, these are all pretty much subjective. There is a line, of course, but it’s a bit grey and fuzzy – you can recognize when something is way the hell over the line, but there’s lots of grey areas. (If you don’t think so, look at the US courts and legal system and the conflicts over what’s “obscene.” If the courts with all their history and cases can’t define the line precisely, why should we?) True, we’re interpreting way looser in the Pit than elsewhere. Yes, posters can be fairly abusive of each other in the Pit, but there is still a limit. Yes, posters can use coarse or vulgar langauge in the Pit, but again, there’s a limit. Coarse language can be used for dramatic effect, in all the forums, but we stop the excessive use. In terms of obscenity, we do not permit direct links to unsuitable photos, but we are a website intended for adults – after all, Cecil has discussed the caloric content of semen, so we’re pretty relaxed about discussions of topics that my great-aunt would have certainly considered obscene. We do want direct links to be workplace-friendly, of course. So, yes, those rules do apply to the Pit, but the line is drawn way far to the liberal interpretation end. My great-aunt, who thoguht the word “damn” was vulgar, probably wouldn’t have fit in here very well. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/11 "2005-03-25T14:40:59Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#): > > Woo, yet another gray area! Gotta give the persistent, tedious whiners something to bitch about. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/12 "2005-03-25T17:38:15Z")
Hi **Sarah Woodruff** , Just think of the BBQ pit as the room you’d isolate teenagers when you’re having civilized guests in the living room. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/14 "2005-03-25T18:04:33Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Hi **Sarah Woodruff** , Just think of the BBQ pit as the room you’d isolate teenagers when you’re having civilized guests in the living room. 😃 …if they had Tourette’s. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2005, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/15 "2005-03-25T18:09:39Z")
> [@Brainiac4](#): > > …if they had Tourette’s. And a fifth of Jack. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/16 "2005-03-25T20:46:56Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > And a fifth of Jack. Where is this pit of which you speak, and are we issued the whiskey upon our arrival? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/17 "2005-03-25T21:37:18Z")
> [@Sarah Woodruff](#): > > I don’t know if officially “announcing” your arrival here is the done thing, or whether it will invoke the Wrath of Goats and Squids upon me, There is not wrath in the goats and squids; they are actually quite joyous about the whole thing. Anyway, you don’t get goats and squids until you have a paying membership. Goats and calamari ain’t cheap, ya know! norinew Unofficial Welcoming Committee Member ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/18 "2005-03-25T23:38:26Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > Where is this pit of which you speak, and are we issued the whiskey upon our arrival? Sorry, it’s BYOB. But if you don’t have any whiskey, Cuervo is an acceptable substitute. ---
**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:** [March 25, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/19 "2005-03-25T23:55:24Z")
Welcome, Sarah. Grow insane with us. ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/20 "2005-03-26T18:12:27Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Gotta give the persistent, tedious whiners something to bitch about. Likewise, I see. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168/21 "2005-03-26T18:35:41Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > There is not wrath in the goats and squids; they are actually quite joyous about the whole thing. Anyway, you don’t get goats and squids until you have a paying membership. Goats and calamari ain’t cheap, ya know! > > norinew > Unofficial Welcoming Committee Member You can be Official if you want, I’ll sign you up… 😉 **Sarah** , if you’d like to step over this way to MPSIMS, we have everything set up for you (be a dear and put this on? _hands over shower cap_ Thanks) all ready for your initiation… OK, guys! Get the **supersized** goat! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-and-a-question/296168.md?page=2)