# Idle Thoughts, can you or someone else unlock and move my Starving Artist thread to the Pit **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 3, 2012, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613 "2012-10-03T19:25:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 4, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/41 "2012-10-04T00:06:19Z")
> [@spinky](#): > > Is there a way to allow a poll in which people are not required to post comments when they vote? I have no idea how the current setup works, but back in my day it was the response that kept the thread from sinking. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/42 "2012-10-04T00:13:05Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > In this particular case, there might be some rationale for an anonymous poll. Right you are. > [@](#): > > I don’t think such a rare situation merits a change in policy. With all due respect sir (and you should know and remember that I respect you), horse shit. A member irrationally claimed invisible support, and we can easily accumulate evidence for or against. [QUOTE=Czarcasm] I have no idea how the current setup works, but back in my day it was the response that kept the thread from sinking. [/QUOTE] This board would be a far, far better place if you would STFU about anything in this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/43 "2012-10-04T00:27:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > **Colibri** do you see a problem with that? A very obvious one: a bunch more rules to enforce. > [@Crotalus](#): > > With all due respect sir (and you should know and remember that I respect you), horse shit. A member irrationally claimed invisible support, and we can easily accumulate evidence for or against. If you believe his position to be irrational, I don’t see why this is so enormously important. As I said above, the results of this poll aren’t going to make **Starving Artist** admit anything about anything. > [@Crotalus](#): > > This board would be a far, far better place if you would STFU about anything in this forum. [Moderating] Let’s refrain from personal attacks on other posters in this forum. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/44 "2012-10-04T01:09:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > A very obvious one: a bunch more rules to enforce. To be fair we are talking about 1 new rule. In a forum that doesn’t have that many rules. And I doubt there will be that many polls to police. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/45 "2012-10-04T02:47:22Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > To be fair we are talking about 1 new rule. In a forum that doesn’t have that many rules. And I doubt there will be that many polls to police. Let’s just say that I don’t think the rule would be as simple to enforce as you do. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/46 "2012-10-04T02:59:47Z")
Hypothetical rule as suggested by **Loach** : > [@Loach](#): > > We have decided to allow polls everywhere including the Pit. We have decided that any polls which just consist of “Colibri is a doodyhead: Agree or disagree?” will be instantly closed. Have an actual topic or you will be breaking the rules and subject to the usual punishment. If you want to open a Pit thread just to insult another poster go ahead (within the rules of course) but don’t make it a poll. We are not interested in having popularity contests in the Pit. If you all can’t **play nice in the Pit** and follow these simple instructions we reserve the right to stop polling at any time. Play nice in the Pit? OMG ROTFLMAO! What an oxymoron! I mean, the very notion calls into question the very essence of what a Pit is for! HeeHeeHee! Coffee splattered on the screen. **Loach** , that’s rich! 😃 We needed that. [sub]Play nice in the pit, he said. Now there’s a robust imagination! Loach, you’re in the wrong line of work, lemme tell ya.[/sub] ---
**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:** [October 4, 2012, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/47 "2012-10-04T06:08:41Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Hypothetical rule as suggested by **Loach** : > > Play nice in the Pit? OMG ROTFLMAO! What an oxymoron! I mean, the very notion calls into question the very essence of what a Pit is for! HeeHeeHee! Coffee splattered on the screen. > > **Loach** , that’s rich! 😃 We needed that. > > [sub]Play nice in the pit, he said. Now there’s a robust imagination! Loach, you’re in the wrong line of work, lemme tell ya.[/sub] They already told us to play nice in the Pit. Have you not been paying attention? Notice the language sticky up there? And as has been pointed out many times its a simple rule and no one has had much trouble enforcing it. Of course this rule would be different. Somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/48 "2012-10-04T17:17:58Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > (rest snipped) > > Not in IMHO, it wasn’t…and polling is not enabled in the Pit. Holy shit. Could you try reading for some comprehension? I addressed that aspect of it in your dainty little “snip”. If polls were allowed in the Pit (which I understand they are not - that’s why I’m fucking asking why they’re not), there’s not anything particularly wrong with enderw24’s hypothetical poll. Your totally nonsensical argument that “it works just fine as a regular thread” is a pathetic head-in-the-sand attempt to ignore the question of “could someone give us a rational thought-out reason why polls aren’t enabled in the Pit?”. “They just aren’t” doesn’t acceptably answer that question - though as I posted in the very first response to this thread, I suspect that’s all we’re going to get. Thanks, by the way, for proving me right. (And don’t clean that sand out of your ears with a Q-Tip - you just manage to cram it further in when you do that. Just go to the doctor and have him rinse it out with his fancy doctor tools.) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/49 "2012-10-04T17:23:17Z")
I’m sorry if I misread what you were really asking…seemed to me you were still wondering why I couldn’t have just moved the thread to the pit (which is what I was answering in that post). As for why polls aren’t allowed in the Pit, I don’t know, myself…I’ll discuss it with the other powers that be and we’ll get back to you. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/50 "2012-10-04T17:31:30Z")
Thanks - I appreciate it. (I’m sure there’s some previous threads in your mod forum on it - but it doesn’t hurt to revisit it, especially when new mods are added.) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/51 "2012-10-04T17:32:43Z")
And stop being so damn reasonable in the face of so much ridiculous snark - it makes me look like an even bigger jackass! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/52 "2012-10-07T04:52:28Z")
Bottom line is, it’s just not feasible to have them on in the pit at this time. It makes sense to have them on in forums where polling and “Do you think/like/etc…” kind of topics would be made, whereas with the pit, it’s mostly just for venting and ranting. And while it would benefit when there are topics like the OP made, it just isn’t enough, right now, to warrant having them on in there. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/53 "2012-10-09T03:02:37Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Bottom line is, it’s just not feasible to have them on in the pit at this time. It makes sense to have them on in forums where polling and “Do you think/like/etc…” kind of topics would be made, whereas with the pit, it’s mostly just for venting and ranting. > And while it would benefit when there are topics like the OP made, it just isn’t enough, right now, to warrant having them on in there. No, that’s not a bottom line. A bottom line would include actual reasons why “it’s just not feasible.” “It’s just isn’t enough [reason]” is not an argument. An argument would require showing the downsides to be greater than the upsides. I still have yet to see anyone posit what would actually be bad about polls that exist just to make fun of someone. Why is pitting someone okay, but putting a check mark next to “I don’t like you” bad? And I’m curious–were arguments actually made in the mod thread, or was it just a vote? ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613/54 "2012-10-09T05:07:33Z")
I think what is meant is, “bottom line is, it’s just not feasible for us to become interested in making changes users ask for.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-can-you-or-someone-else-unlock-and-move-my-starving-artist-thread-to-the-pit/636613.md?page=2)