# How do I ban smart-assed individuals who post in my general questions? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 24, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159 "2019-08-24T14:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/1 "2019-08-24T14:52:59Z")
When I post a message here, I am looking for help. Unfortunately, I get a lot of smart-assed responses from people who don’t know anything. Once I know who these people are, how can I ban them from posting on my future posts? Thanks - Ficer67 ---
**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:** [August 24, 2019, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/2 "2019-08-24T14:57:49Z")
Your User CP has an “Ignore” button. Enter the name of the person you want to ignore and you will no longer be able to read their posts. Those posts will still be there, however, and will show up if someone quotes them, so the system isn’t “perfect.” You can’t _prevent_ posters from posting in your thread, you can only shield your delicate sensibilities from being assaulted by their japery. ---
**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:** [August 24, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/3 "2019-08-24T14:59:28Z")
First of all, this isn’t a General Question; it’s a question About This Message Board. Moving. Second, you can’t. You can put people on your Ignore list, so you personally won’t see their posts, but they’ll still be there (and note that, outside of the BBQ Pit, you’re not allowed to talk about who’s on your ignore list). And if the smart-assed responses are particularly bad, you can report those posts, and ask us moderators to do something about them (we might or might not decide that any action is necessary, but you can ask). ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/4 "2019-08-24T15:00:05Z")
Thankyou Silenus - I truly appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/5 "2019-08-24T15:02:04Z")
Thankyou Chronos - I appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/6 "2019-08-24T15:14:41Z")
In the case of your GQ thread about PDF documents, I don’t think the answer you received was “smart ass”. It seemed a valid solution to me. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/7 "2019-08-24T15:20:51Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > In the case of your GQ thread about PDF documents, I don’t think the answer you received was “smart ass”. It seemed a valid solution to me. I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/8 "2019-08-24T15:25:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > In the case of your GQ thread about PDF documents, I don’t think the answer you received was “smart ass”. It seemed a valid solution to me. [Here’s a link to that thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=880932) for those who are curious. This being a message board named after The Straight Dope, you should expect a certain amount of Cecil Adams-esque attitude and smart-assery in the answers you get. What’s frowned on is (1) insults to other posters, and (2) posts that are all snark and no genuine helpful information, at least in the first few responses to a General Question. If you think that either of these lines has been crossed, you can click the triangle-looking icon in the upper-right corner of a post to report it to a moderator. IMHO, nothing in the thread in question crossed that line (but I am not a mod). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/9 "2019-08-24T17:14:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > In the case of your GQ thread about PDF documents, I don’t think the answer you received was “smart ass”. It seemed a valid solution to me. Not only was it helpful, but it’s also the only correct answer. I’m an IT support professional, been doing it for decades. Helping people with questions like that is what I do. And substantively, that answer is what I would have given. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/10 "2019-08-24T18:37:55Z")
Is it possible to ban an individual who, after receiving a legitimate answer to a General Question, complains about the answer and denigrates the poster providing the answer? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/11 "2019-08-24T21:22:15Z")
Bring **Marley** back. He can ban everyone again and presto, all problems solved! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/12 "2019-08-24T22:20:08Z")
Keep in mind that you can’t ignore moderators. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/13 "2019-08-24T22:30:46Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Keep in mind that you can’t ignore moderators. You can’t put them on your ignore list but I see people ignore them all the time. Then those people get banned. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/14 "2019-08-25T03:37:46Z")
If the OP wants to complain, wait until they have a specific question such as “I know a lot of people will suggest X, I don’t want X. I have thought about X and X doesn’t work for me.“ Then of course 80% of the replies are going to be “I bet you haven’t thought about X!” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/15 "2019-08-25T04:58:10Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Not only was it helpful, but it’s also the only correct answer. > > I’m an IT support professional, been doing it for decades. Helping people with questions like that is what I do. And substantively, that answer is what I would have given. I’m not an IT person, but I regularly run into the problem mentioned by the OP, and the advice given in that thread is what I do. Unless you’ve got the software to edit the PDF, you just have to make the mental adjustment. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/16 "2019-08-25T05:51:40Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’m not an IT person, but I regularly run into the problem mentioned by the OP, and the advice given in that thread is what I do. Unless you’ve got the software to edit the PDF, you just have to make the mental adjustment. Exactly. The question posed by the OP in the original GQ thread was just as badly phrased as his subsequent OP in this one (‘how can I “ban” individuals I don’t like?’), and the response to the simplest answer was needlessly insulting. Will the OP now come back with more insults to the response that only moderators can ban posters? The physical vs. logical page discrepancy in PDFs has existed as long as PDFs have existed. There is nothing “smart-assed” about pointing this out. The PDF application has absolutely no knowledge of whatever arbitrary page number happens to be printed on a page. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/17 "2019-08-25T07:22:45Z")
> [@Ficer67](#): > > When I post a message here, I am looking for help. Unfortunately, I get a lot of smart-assed responses from people who don’t know anything. Once I know who these people are, how can I ban them from posting on my future posts? > > Thanks - Ficer67 I’ll assume dumb-ass responses are okay. ---
**Author:** ![Ficer67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Ficer67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ficer67)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/18 "2019-08-25T08:36:37Z")
Ok People, I am entertaining the thought that I could have done a better job of handling Excavating’s condescending and presumptuous remark. As Mr. Finn has pointed out, I could have said, “Thanks…” and waited for the better response that Dickerman posted. If, however, anyone is going to criticize me for how I handled Excavating’s remarks, then they must criticize Excavating, and all the other people who have commented in his defense, and explain to all of them that people do not need such presumptuous and condescending remarks. I learned how to read in kindergarten, how to write in the first grade, how to add, subtract, multiply and divide by the second grade. I do not need anyone telling me to add, in my head, however many pages are needed, and plug that into a search window, to get to the page that I need. That solution is obvious. Anyone who says anything like what Excavating said is not trying to help anyone. I am surprised that I have to explain this to anyone here. I am surprised at all of the responses. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/19 "2019-08-25T10:58:06Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’ll assume dumb-ass responses are okay. I’d make a comment about dumb ass-responses but they’re basically the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159/20 "2019-08-25T12:38:51Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The physical vs. logical page discrepancy in PDFs has existed as long as PDFs have existed. \ The PDF application has absolutely no knowledge of whatever arbitrary page number happens to be printed on a page. Prefaced with “Not that I know of.”, this would have been a much better answer to the GQ OP than what was originally provided. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-ban-smart-assed-individuals-who-post-in-my-general-questions/839159.md?page=2)