# Idle Thought, with (absolutely no) respect, your decision is ridiculous.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thought-with-absolutely-no-respect-your-decision-is-ridiculous/737430>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 13, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thought-with-absolutely-no-respect-your-decision-is-ridiculous/737430 "2015-11-13T00:24:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thought-with-absolutely-no-respect-your-decision-is-ridiculous/737430/5 "2015-11-13T00:36:45Z")

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> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> In other words:
> 
> You had clearly decided that only a mod note was warranted. You then, after i made clear that i would continue [doing what you said not to do] in that thread, decided to change it to a warning.

But he has no authority to order me to stop responding to **dale** in that thread.

He does have the authority to tell me not to insult **dale** , and if i go back to the thread an insult **dale** , then he has every right to give me a warning. But it is outside of his purview to make a blanket rule that i’m not allowed to respond to \*\*dale \*\*outside of the Pit.

> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#):
>
> You called another poster a “crybaby”, which is an insult…and to the mod note, you basically said you’re not going to listen to it and you’ll continue to do what you’re doing.  
> So the warning is for “ignoring mod instruction”.

There are two components to your instruction. One is a valid order, and the other is not.

The valid order is for me not to throw insults outside of the Pit. I have not, since you gave that order, disobeyed it.

The invalid order is to require that any response i make to dale be in the Pit. It simply is not within your authority to give that instruction. You can tell me not to use insults outside the Pit, but you can’t require that i make even non-insulting posts only in the Pit.

Also, even if we assume (for the sake of argument) that both components of your instruction are valid, i still have not disobeyed it. Here is your instruction in full:

> [@Missouri football players threaten to strike? An exercise in pure stupidity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-football-players-threaten-to-strike-an-exercise-in-pure-stupidity/737039/150):
>
> Knock off the namecalling.
> 
> In fact, if you feel you have to say pretty much anything to dale, you’re probably better off doing it in the Pit since you can’t seem to help speaking insulting to him in here. Next time it won’t be a note.

So, you told me to knock of the namecalling. Please point out where i have disobeyed this instruction.

And you told me to only talk to \*\*dale \*\*in the Pit. Please point out where i have disobeyed this instruction. Given that i have not spoken to \*\*dale \*\*at all, inside the Pit or out, since your instruction, it’s a bit hard to argue that i have disobeyed the instruction.

Basically, the point of my post was: I will continue to respond to \*\*dale \*\*in this thread if i see fit (something you have no authority to prevent), and if i break the rules in doing so, you will be within your rights to give me a warning.

I have not ignored your instructions.

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