# I Pit Terr and all the other insolent morons at SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 14, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233 "2013-08-14T17:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/1 "2013-08-14T17:38:15Z")
First, I apologize if there’s a thread Pitting **Terr** already in progress. I do notice that in threads [like this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15750707), he’s already been informed that he’s stupid and imbecilic, mistakes jokes for valid opinions, and worse. So sorry if my nit-picking Pitting is too late to add value. I won’t attempt a crash course in statistics in this post, but briefly, if you poll 620 people about their opinions and 50% answer Yes to “Do you think Terr is a moron?” but only 10% answer Yes to “Do you think Terr is an imbecile?” then the margin of error on the first question is 4%, but only 2.4% on the 2nd question. The change in error margin is pretty obvious to anyone with good statistics training, or even good mathematical intuition. For brevity, a poll will typically report just the maximal margin of error across its questions. This is [summarized pretty well at Wikipedia, as quoted by me](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16570206&postcount=166). Now, I do understand that most people are not mathematicians. I understand that many college graduates had trouble with statistics, or didn’t study it at all. _But if you don’t understand statistics **you should know that you don’t understand statistics** _. \*Don’t try to teach Grandma how to suck eggs, \*\*especially if you don’t even have a clue what an egg is! :smack: \*\*\* Since **Terr** knows nothing whatsoever about statistics, surely he must realize he knows little! Even allowing for the Dunning–Kruger effect, he might exaggerate his 3rd-grade understanding of statistics to, at most, high-school level. Yet he has the insolence to pretend he might know more than I do. :smack: Look at the stupidity with which he responded to my post: > [@When did open hatred become fun family entertainment?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-open-hatred-become-fun-family-entertainment/666077/167): > > Yep. Of course, **septimus** knows better what their margin of error is than the people who did the survey. Now I admit that we should be Pitting **septimus** for his perverse sensitivity to such idiocies. To get angry at the annoyances of a moron like **Terr** is like getting angry at a dimwitted mosquito who sucks my blood. There are probably millions of people in North America even stupider than **Terr** , but few with my peculiar temper and sensitivity. But I do get annoyed. And I’m no longer going to take it silently. For me to blow my own horn would seem exaggerated or immodest, so I’ll just say my IQ is much higher than most Dopers would guess that it is. 😛 If I dare to offer an opinion on some trivial mathematical topic, it is quite unlikely that I’m wrong. This run-in with **Terr** is not unique. A few years ago, I got frustrated in a discussion about a curious fact about gambling (using roulette as an example), arguing with a Doper who also suffered from Dunning–Kruger. But I don’t want to Pit him – he does seems like a very friendly and good-spirited man, and makes many intelligent (non-math-related) contributions. But I am happy to Pit **Terr** who has been consistently obnoxious and arrogant, even by stupid right-winger standards. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/2 "2013-08-14T17:40:01Z")
There is an ‘ignore’ function on this board. You might want to use it. ---
**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 14, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/3 "2013-08-14T17:46:26Z")
Anytime I see insolent morons being pitted my hackles are raised. But I see I’m not being targeted. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/4 "2013-08-14T17:51:42Z")
In meat space, **Terr i** s actually Marge N. Overra, professional statistician employed at Cartalk Plaza, Cambridge, Mass. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/5 "2013-08-14T17:52:56Z")
Um, septimus, you claimed that when the poll [reported](http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2009/PPP_Release_National_9231210.pdf), clearly, that their margin of error is “+/- 3.9%” they really don’t mean that, they actually mean a window of 3.9% total. You were told you were wrong. You got upset. Your problem. Piss off. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/6 "2013-08-14T18:01:48Z")
On re-reading the original thread: actually, my mistake. You didn’t claim that. I skimmed your reply and inferred wrong. My bad. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/7 "2013-08-14T18:07:10Z")
**Terr** is one of those rare posters with a perfect track record of being stupid in every single post of theirs that I’ve ever read. Most stupid people at least fly under the radar once in a while with the occasional innocuous observation or anecdote, but **Terr** swings for the fences every single time he’s up to bat. It would be sort of impressive if he wasn’t the annoying kind of stupid person. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/8 "2013-08-14T18:15:10Z")
Wow, and to think of the shit you tried to hand me [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16570065) about my being boastful and not berating people if I expected them to listen to what I had to say . . . The contrast is - stark to understate the matter. At least I only lashed out at individuals when I felt I was being attacked. I know the thread you’re referring to and I have to say this is very close to being gratuitous. Maybe the two of you have some history I don’t know about and that’s what’s really going on but I didn’t get that sense from the other thread. So I guess that advice is just a tactic to use to try to psych people out then? If so, that’s a pretty weaselly thing to do in my opinion - which, to save you the trouble, I know you don’t give a rat’s ass about. It would be nice to at least be internally consistent I would think though. IDK. Feel free to now vent your spleen. Maybe I’ll respond. You’re generally not a lot of fun to play with in these situations so IDK. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/9 "2013-08-14T18:31:12Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > **Terr** is one of those rare posters with a perfect track record of being stupid in every single post of theirs that I’ve ever read. Most stupid people at least fly under the radar once in a while with the occasional innocuous observation or anecdote, but **Terr** swings for the fences every single time he’s up to bat. It would be sort of impressive if he wasn’t the annoying kind of stupid person. In fairness, he may be still be having trouble adjusting to the new time zone since his protest emigration to New Zealand last year after Obama took away all of America’s freedoms. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/10 "2013-08-14T18:52:18Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > **Terr** is one of those rare posters with a perfect track record of being stupid in every single post of theirs that I’ve ever read. Most stupid people at least fly under the radar once in a while with the occasional innocuous observation or anecdote, but **Terr** swings for the fences every single time he’s up to bat. It would be sort of impressive if he wasn’t the annoying kind of stupid person. This is the single stupidest, moronic, and unacceptable post I’ve seen on these boards in years. **ralph124c** is clearly ahead of **Terr** in all of these categories. **Terr** may be the Will Smith of getting things wrong, but **ralph124c** is like a combined version of Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, and Orson Wells all rolled up into one spectacular package of never even coming close to right. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/11 "2013-08-14T19:04:46Z")
What? Those few are \*all \*the insolent morons at SDMB? You need to read more threads, OP. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/12 "2013-08-14T19:07:46Z")
> [@deltasigma](#): > > Wow, and to think of the shit you tried to hand me … At one point, recall that I mentioned _you and I are, in some ways, kindred souls_. 🆒 A difference is that I am behaving like a cantakerous child in my berating of **Terr** on a subject where I am factually correct and he is factually wrong. You also behave like a cantakerous child but (apparently unbeknownst to you :smack: ) I was correct in the thread where I’m berated, and you were wrong. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/13 "2013-08-14T19:16:42Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > At one point, recall that I mentioned _you and I are, in some ways, kindred souls_. 🆒 A difference is that I am behaving like a cantakerous child in my berating of **Terr** on a subject where I am factually correct and he is factually wrong. You also behave like a cantakerous child but (apparently unbeknownst to you :smack: ) I was correct in the thread where I’m berated, and you were wrong. 🆒 You see, this the sort of thing that pisses me off. If you had actually paid attention in my pit thread, it would have been beyond obvious that I treated people as individuals unless they gave me reason to regard them as an adversary. So no, I’m nothing like you in that respect. As to other aspects, I suspect you’re also wrong, but in case you’re not . . . LALALALALALA!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/14 "2013-08-14T19:30:16Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > On re-reading the original thread: actually, my mistake. You didn’t claim that. I skimmed your reply and inferred wrong. My bad. Carry on. OK, a worthy effort. **Septimus** , have you something _you_ would like to share with the group? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/15 "2013-08-14T19:48:05Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > OK, a worthy effort. **Septimus** , have you something _you_ would like to share with the group? Ummm … Well, if **Terr** will apologize and throw himself on the mercy of the court, I’d accept a _Nolo contendere_ plea to a lesser charge. But Mods, please don’t close the thread yet. I’m afraid “all the other insolent morons” leaves plenty of room for future expansion. ( **deltasigna** – you’re out of luck. No Pitting necessary for you as you do such a good job of Pitting yourself. 😛 ) ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/16 "2013-08-14T19:54:55Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Ummm … Well, if **Terr** will apologize and throw himself on the mercy of the court, I’d accept a _Nolo contendere_ plea to a lesser charge. > > But Mods, please don’t close the thread yet. I’m afraid “all the other insolent morons” leaves plenty of room for future expansion. ( **deltasigna** – you’re out of luck. No Pitting necessary for you as you do such a good job of Pitting yourself. 😛 ) I do enjoy ragging on myself, probably more than others. BDSM is a helluva kink. I don’t think that you get most of the jokes but they tend to be more for my benefit most of the time anyway, so I don’t really mind. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/17 "2013-08-14T20:21:12Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > This is the single stupidest, moronic, and unacceptable post I’ve seen on these boards in years. > > **ralph124c** is clearly ahead of **Terr** in all of these categories. **Terr** may be the Will Smith of getting things wrong, but **ralph124c** is like a combined version of Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, and Orson Wells all rolled up into one spectacular package of never even coming close to right. Hey, I never said **Terr** was the _only_ poster pitching a stupidity no-hitter. **ralph124c** is definitely another virtuoso in the field of online stupidity. In addition to the content of his posts, he gets bonus stupid points for his spelling, grammar and the fact that he spent at least ten years demonstrating that he’s fundamentally incapable of typing a right parenthesis. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/18 "2013-08-15T00:16:07Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Hey, I never said **Terr** was the _only_ poster pitching a stupidity no-hitter. **ralph124c** is definitely another virtuoso in the field of online stupidity. In addition to the content of his posts, he gets bonus stupid points for his spelling, grammar and the fact that he spent at least ten years demonstrating that he’s fundamentally incapable of typing a right parenthesis. Or putting his threads in the right forum. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/19 "2013-08-15T00:44:37Z")
I didn’t read the OP, but I don’t think trying to oppose all of the insolent morons here or anywhere else at once is wise. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233/20 "2013-08-15T01:04:44Z")
Jeeze, people are so upset about a guy that they have to Pit him, and I’ve never even heard of him. Someone is falling down on the job on my daily briefing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-terr-and-all-the-other-insolent-morons-at-sdmb/666233.md?page=2)