# handsomeharry has been banned **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 27, 2016, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236 "2016-04-27T02:34:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/122 "2016-04-27T20:35:37Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > You’re thinking of another mod, who isn’t a Pit mod. > > Mods can call other posters trolls in the Pit just like any other poster can, but if you’re wondering why a mod who thinks a poster is a troll doesn’t say, in the Pit “Mod Note: Stop trolling” it’s because of two reasons. > > 1. Other mods usually leave it to the mods of that forum to mod it instead of modding it themselves. > > 2. More importantly, not all the mods agree on what or who is a troll. A mod may think a poster is a troll that another mod doesn’t think is a troll…just like the case is with posters opinions. One mod cannot ban on thinking someone is a troll alone unless it’s very obvious, extreme, or clear cut. This helps some… (Can a mod tell another mod to cut out “junior modding?”) It still strikes me as really screwy. Oh, well, never mind. No longer relevant to anything I can say. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/123 "2016-04-27T20:38:16Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > IOW what I said is exactly correct. For some political positions, you must respond to abuse in the Pit by discussing your positions. Insulting back when you are insulted, in the Pit, is trolling. No mod notes, no warnings - you get banned, because it’s trolling to respond to insults with insults. In the Pit. > > Regards, > Shodan Oh, come ON! Back and forth insults happen all the darn time in the Pit! You’ve just plain gotta be kidding here! ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/124 "2016-04-27T20:40:07Z")
I feel this is the most appropriate reaction to this banning: [Rabbi Jacob danse - Louis De Funes - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkK-Eveiixk) (it’s SFW) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/125 "2016-04-27T20:43:04Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > With all the odd claims that he was banned for his views… Chalk up another poster who doesn’t understand the distinction between an action being entirely based on one’s views and an action being partly based on one’s views. Odds claims indeed. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/126 "2016-04-27T20:48:05Z")
He was using his (purported) views to troll the board. Its the trolling part that got him banned. It’s not that confusing. And if Shodan is really worried about falling afoul of the rule, he would take care not to announce an unpopular position and then respond to every request for information with “you’re too dumb to understand my explanation.” ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/127 "2016-04-27T20:52:33Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Well, that’s the question, isn’t it? Was he following the rest of the board’s rules? Or was he trolling? The tricky thing about identifying a troll is that it’s a question about motivations, which aren’t objectively verifiable. There really is no “bright line” that distinguishes a troll from someone who expresses an unpopular opinion forcefully. It’s ultimately a judgement call if a particular poster is doing one versus the other. The opinion of the moderation staff is that **handsomeharry** was posting with the intent to troll - that is, he was deliberately taking positions and making arguments with the specific goal of becoming a pariah on the board. I think this is solid right here, and a much more cogent explanation of the banning without the ambiguous language in the OP. And I do appreciate the transparency. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/128 "2016-04-27T21:34:46Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > He was using his (purported) views to troll the board. Its the trolling part that got him banned. It’s not that confusing. I agree with this. It’s astounding to me, that a board that has a rule against “being a jerk” in its TOS, always has to hyper-explain itself for 600 posts why it can in turn ban people for just that. So bewildering. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/129 "2016-04-27T22:25:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > \*When they came for the Nazis, I remained silent; I was not a Nazi. > > When they came for the Klansmen, I said nothing; I was not a Klansman. > > When they came for the bigots, and the racists, and the of the absolute worst humanity has to offer, I said nothing; I was not human garbage. > > And when they came for me, > They said, "Hey **Johnny Bravo** , we’re going to go get some pie and then spend the day watching Netflix. Want to come? > Because, if you’re following, all the dickbags were gone at that point and those guys didn’t really have anything left to do, and they were kind of bored at that point.\* I like this variant. Mine always ends: _“…and when they came for me, I said: ‘Well, it serves me right for being a furry-fancier.’”_ ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/130 "2016-04-27T23:02:40Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > …handsomeharry wasn’t banned for having unpopular views. He was banned because he used that unpopular view as a trolling device. As it happens, I’m a [Pol Pot Sympathizing Parodist](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19280439&postcount=30). At least as of this week. There are all manner of trolling devices, most but not all from the extreme ends of various political spectra. The linking concept is bringing a blender to the art of shit-stirring. Saying you are one extremist or another, insulting others for using typical definitions of your terms, refusing to define your own terms and blaming murder victims for their own deaths without explanation sounds a lot like shit stirring to me. Bad news for those who enjoy such things. My only regret is that most of our not really lamented trolls weren’t especially creative, with few exceptions. This wasn’t one of those exceptions. Also newsflash for Appleheads: the iPad Air 2 is the most overrated smartphone on the market today.[sup]1[/sup] [sup]1[/sup] That was a joke. I’m actually thinking of buying the device. No it’s not really a smartphone as the term is generally understood: ha! If this was an actual troll, I would insist upon and double down on my claim. Or maybe I would engage in multiple provocative drive-bys. I am not a troll: I am a frustrated comedian. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/131 "2016-04-27T23:14:05Z")
God almighty, why anyone agrees to be a mod is beyond me. There is no hill too small, insignificant, or ridiculous that some poster won’t choose to die on it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/132 "2016-04-27T23:25:13Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > God almighty, why anyone agrees to be a mod is beyond me. There is no hill too small, insignificant, or ridiculous that some poster won’t choose to die on it. In my case they were gonna ban me without a warning. I chose to be a mod instead. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/133 "2016-04-27T23:40:13Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > In my case they were gonna ban me without a warning. I chose to be a mod instead. Didn’t you ban a man in Reno, just to watch him not post anything? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/134 "2016-04-27T23:41:30Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Didn’t you ban a man in Reno, just to watch him not post anything? No, I think that was for illegal dumping in the quarry. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/135 "2016-04-27T23:41:59Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > God almighty, why anyone agrees to be a mod is beyond me. There is no hill too small, insignificant, or ridiculous that some poster won’t choose to die on it. It was the only way for me to get my charter member status back. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/136 "2016-04-28T00:09:44Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > In my case they were gonna ban me without a warning. I chose to be a mod instead. So it’s like joining the Night Watch, eh? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/137 "2016-04-28T00:12:36Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > God almighty, why anyone agrees to be a mod is beyond me. There is no hill too small, insignificant, or ridiculous that some poster won’t choose to die on it. In my defense, I was running a high fever at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/138 "2016-04-28T00:25:31Z")
It’s impossible for me to understand how anyone who reads that Pit thread can believe that **handsomeharry** was not both trolling and being a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/139 "2016-04-28T01:51:00Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > It’s impossible for me to understand how anyone who reads that Pit thread can believe that **handsomeharry** was not both trolling and being a jerk. Sure he was. So? He still deserves a warning/suspension then banning. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/140 "2016-04-28T02:03:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure he was. So? He still deserves a warning/suspension then banning. According to what rule or principle? We already know that under the rules, no one who breaks a rule is entitled to warnings and suspensions preceding banning. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236/141 "2016-04-28T02:13:03Z")
You can be banned immediately, for any reason, or for no reason at all. This is a private establishment and has the right to refuse service to anybody. You can be banned for liking Nickleback or for having a silly username. In practice, you won’t be banned if you’re basically decent and don’t break any bright line rules (socking, altering quotes, etc.). If you do act out, the mods will generally give you notes and warnings, and maybe even a suspension before a ban, but they are under no obligation to do so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handsomeharry-has-been-banned/753236.md?page=8)