# Has Twickster finally jumped the shark? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 20, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868 "2013-02-20T07:34:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/161 "2013-02-21T18:36:24Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > If we are talking about whether a moderator should remain a moderator, does it matter if the complaint is old? That one is pretty damn egregious. And repeating it means you get to count it twice, right? edited to add: I can see, _if_ you are keeping a list of complaint threads, including the legitimate complaints. It’s a no-win situation if you include the illegitimate complaint threads just because someone dropped in a “Still, what about…?” old complaint in the middle of it. It is contentless volume. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/162 "2013-02-21T18:42:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And repeating it means you get to count it twice, right? It’s using the old complaints as evidence to prove that **twickster** isn’t practicing what she preaches, like I did [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16026454&postcount=19). ETA: I think I was slightly too harsh in that post when I said that her moderation was nonsensical. Except for when she gave **mhendo** an unnecessary warning, I think her moderation is okay for the most part. What I’m more irritated by is how she doesn’t practice what she preaches. She warns **mhendo** for personal insults because he’s been here long enough to “know better”, yet she doesn’t know better herself as she calls people assholes, twats, and asks what the fuck is wrong with them, all of which are personal insults themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/163 "2013-02-21T18:47:26Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > It’s using the old complaints as evidence to prove that **twickster** isn’t practicing what she preaches, like I did [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16026454&postcount=19). It’s re-using old complaints to keep up manufactured rage because the new complaint didn’t pan out, instead of just saying, “Oops, sorry” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/164 "2013-02-21T18:49:25Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > I think her moderation is okay for the most part. What I’m more irritated by is how she doesn’t practice what she preaches. That doesn’t have much to do with this thread, though, which is about her warning to **Nunzio Tavulari**. Well, if that’s what the thread is about. It seems like most of the posters can’t agree what it’s about. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/165 "2013-02-21T18:56:58Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > To be fair to the others in this thread, what does that have to do with the OP? You are highlighting my point that repeating old complaints adds nothing but volume to the perception seen by some here. The question is can a moderator be effective if they do not know the rules themselves. If a moderator confesses that they did not know that it was against the rules to call someone an asshole, isn’t that an indicator that they may not be the best for the job seeing how they fail MOD 101: Rules of the Board? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/166 "2013-02-21T19:00:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > The question is can a moderator be effective if they do not know the rules themselves. If a moderator confesses that they did not know that it was against the rules to call someone an asshole, isn’t that an indicator that they may not be the best for the job seeing how they fail MOD 101: Rules of the Board? And when did the topic of this thread change? None of that is in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/167 "2013-02-21T19:10:31Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > And when did the topic of this thread change? None of that is in the OP. Well, actually it is. Part of the OP is that twickster, while modding, called the poster a jerk which I believe is a violation of board rules. As others have pointed out this is not an isolated incident as she has called other posters a “twat” and an “asshole”. My point was that she has a history of violating the rules herself **including the violation noted in the OP** and seems to have no self-awareness about it. If we do not point out her past, then it can be claimed it was a slip up. Pulling up her history shows it is either ignorance or distain of the rules. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/168 "2013-02-21T19:11:37Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > My post, like yours, was a hypothetical. Yes, very well then, but my hypothetical had a basis in…oh, nevermind. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/169 "2013-02-21T19:19:03Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Well, actually it is. Part of the OP is that twickster, while modding, called the poster a jerk which I believe is a violation of board rules. As others have pointed out this is not an isolated incident as she has called other posters a “twat” and an “asshole”. My point was that she has a history of violating the rules herself **including the violation noted in the OP** and seems to have no self-awareness about it. > > If we do not point out her past, then it can be claimed it was a slip up. Pulling up her history shows it is either ignorance or distain of the rules. But if her current ruling was legitimate then pulling up _unrelated_ past history about when she might have been wrong in the past is off-topic. You are wrongly trying to tie a bad decision to the tail of a good one. edited to add: A moderator telling a poster that he or she is a jerk is approropriate-that is part of the moderator’s job. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/170 "2013-02-21T19:31:31Z")
How can someone pick up a warning for being a jerk when the mod isn’t allowed to call them a jerk? “I’m sorry, but you have been issued a Warning.” “What for?” “I can’t tell you.” ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/171 "2013-02-21T19:44:04Z")
All I can see is that a small cadre of posters don’t much care for her style(which is a little different, I agree) , and posts a complaint in ATMB every time she does _anything_. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/172 "2013-02-21T20:09:11Z")
There is more than just “posters who don’t like the tone of twickster’s moderating and get upset over everything she does” and “posters who think twickster is doing a fine job and doesn’t deserve any sort of ridicule/criticism” There are _plenty_ of us who are defending twickster’s moderating choice of words and the moderation itself in THIS ONE INSTANCE, but who think that she has made very poor moderating decisions in the past as well as made very poor decisions on how to phrase good moderating decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/173 "2013-02-21T20:14:05Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > There is more than just “posters who don’t like the tone of twickster’s moderating and get upset over everything she does” and “posters who think twickster is doing a fine job and doesn’t deserve any sort of ridicule/criticism” Two strawmen in one sentence-not bad. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/174 "2013-02-21T20:50:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > edited to add: A moderator telling a poster that he or she is a jerk is approropriate-that is part of the moderator’s job. Wait what? A mod while modding can violate the board rules as to insulting a poster? I would need a cite for that. So were “twat” and “asshole” also OK? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/175 "2013-02-21T20:53:05Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Wait what? > A mod while modding can violate the board rules as to insulting a poster? I would need a cite for that. Did you happen to see post #170? The only cite needed is common sense, I would think. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/176 "2013-02-21T20:54:27Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > A mod while modding can violate the board rules as to insulting a poster? I would need a cite for that. It’s been discussed at some length in this thread. Nobody said the mods can insult people, but informing people they are breaking the Don’t Be a Jerk rule isn’t a personal insult. > [@](#): > > So were “twat” and “asshole” also OK? No. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/177 "2013-02-21T20:56:31Z")
As far as I can tell there are no rules against being a twat or an asshole, so it probably wouldn’t come up as a violation of the rules. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/178 "2013-02-21T21:24:25Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. Apparently in this biz someone has to be the low person on the totem pole. I was waiting for someone to dredge out this old chestnut. No, that’s not it. I remember the same thing being said about Dio. All the posters making the claim that as soon as he was gone all of the “complainers” would move on to the next poster they didn’t like. Guess what, it didn’t happen. Turns out it was a legitimate issue. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/179 "2013-02-21T21:38:27Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > The problem is tone, Marley. Most moderator notes say something to the effect of ‘you’re receiving a warning for breaking the don’t be a jerk rule’ where as her moderation said ‘you are being a jerk’. Seems like someone trying really hard to be offended. I see nothing wrong with “I’m giving you a warning for being a jerk.” Especially when the [Registration Agreement](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=650726)says: > [@](#): > > We have one guiding principle: Don’t be a jerk. > [@](#): > > It would be like receiving a speeding ticket from a cop who while handing it to you said, “here’s your citation… and fuck you!” No, it’s not like that at all. “Being a jerk” is a rules violation. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Well, actually it is. Part of the OP is that twickster, while modding, called the poster a jerk which I believe is a violation of board rules. No, **twickster** did not violate the rules, she was stating what the poster was doing in violation of the rules. See the Registration Agreement as posted above. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Wait what? > A mod while modding can violate the board rules as to insulting a poster? I would need a cite for that. > > So were “twat” and “asshole” also OK? See the Registration Agreement linked above. “Being a jerk” is a modable offence. “Twat” and “asshole” are not acceptable (outside the Pit). ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868/180 "2013-02-21T21:46:01Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That doesn’t have much to do with this thread, though, which is about her warning to **Nunzio Tavulari**. Well, if that’s what the thread is about. It seems like most of the posters can’t agree what it’s about. 😉 Serious question: would you suggest I open a thread to discuss **twickster’s** general failings as a mod, or would that be a waste of time? NB: I hardly ever post to her forum and have only had one run-in with her. Waaay back in the ATMB thread that announced her new status as a mod. So it is honestly not personal. ETA: Or would you allow a poll in the proper forum wherein the SDMB members can vote and voice their opinions? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-twickster-finally-jumped-the-shark/650868.md?page=10)