# IDle Thoughts, do you read entire threads?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [October 12, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052 "2013-10-12T03:40:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/1 "2013-10-12T03:40:39Z")
Just a moment, please:
> [@MLB: 2013 Postseason](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2013-postseason/669978/301):
>
> Oh, don’t be daft. Of course I know. It means winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing! You gotta have heart and come through in the clutch! You need guys who know how to win! You need RBIs …in other words this is gibberish. I couldn’t have asked for a clearer sign of “no argument here.”
> [@](#):
>
> But _statistics don’t have heart!_ Holy cow, I just noticed “stats are for losers, winners win.” Winning happens by _MAGIC_!
> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> Yeah, Marley. You really don’t have to ask. Because you know that the answer will be “whatever that thing is that makes a team win.” And you can tell if a team has it because they won. But if they didn’t have it, they lost. And you can’t tell ahead of time if they have it because it’s like magic and heart and grit and scrappy **white guys.**
bolding added.
> [@Idle Thoughts](#):
>
> This is going over the line for what’s appropriate for this forum. Let’s dial down the insulting, dismissive attitude.
Do you pick addressees for mod notes basically at random?
---
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/2 "2013-10-12T05:28:57Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> Do you pick addressees for mod notes basically at random?
Yes. They use the Wheel of Moderation. You don’t want to know about the other devices in their dungeon.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/3 "2013-10-12T08:18:38Z")
It might have helped to [link to the actual post that got the mod note.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16749941&postcount=311)
---
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/4 "2013-10-12T13:05:23Z")
FYI, “Other people are guilty too” is never an effective defense. And that’s without reading the thread for context.
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/5 "2013-10-12T14:15:14Z")
Yes, I read the thread. Yours was the only post that seemed to edge closer to the line than the others…which is why you got a note. But it’s just a note, not a warning. Just a preemptive “Hey, calm it down a little”.
ETA: And I have to admit that the fact that you are the only one out of all the posters in that thread that already has 3 warnings for insults didn’t help the fact. Speaking only for myself, I’m more likely to tell those who have already been warned multiple times for things to calm down when they seem to be more insulting than others, even if very slightly.
My opinion is that your comments toed the line closer than anyone else.
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/6 "2013-10-12T14:25:06Z")
Furthermore, yours wasn’t just read over and picked out at random. It was reported, so I looked at it specifically. If you feel anyone else is out of line, in any topic, ever…then report it and mods will take specific looks at those posts too.
---
### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/7 "2013-10-12T16:23:52Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#):
>
> ETA: And I have to admit that the fact that you are the only one out of all the posters in that thread that already has 3 warnings for insults didn’t help the fact. Speaking only for myself, I’m more likely to tell those who have already been warned multiple times for things to calm down when they seem to be more insulting than others, even if very slightly.
How does this not result in the same posters getting warned over and over again for behavior similar to that of other posters who’ll get a pass because they haven’t been warned for it yet?
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/8 "2013-10-12T16:39:16Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#):
>
> How does this not result in the same posters getting warned over and over again for behavior similar to that of other posters who’ll get a pass because they haven’t been warned for it yet?
It wasn’t a warning-- it was a mod note.
It’s a favor to those with warnings since it’s just a mod note. It’s telling them they aren’t yet breaking the rules, but look to be heading that way. One more warning might result in suspension or banning.
Makes sense to me.
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/9 "2013-10-12T16:40:37Z")
Nobody gets passes. Anyone will be warned if they break rules enough and/or ignore mod instructions. Obviously those who have multiple warnings were once in the “Posters who haven’t been warned yet” camp, so that is an example in itself that they didn’t get a pass the first time they were warned.
However–in this case–it was a note, not a warning.
---
### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/10 "2013-10-12T18:10:24Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> Just a moment, please:
>
> bolding added.
>
> Do you pick addressees for mod notes basically at random?
You added bolding for the “white guys” part of scrappy white guys? That’s weird.
I didn’t think what you did in the thread merited a mod note (and I sent a message to Idle saying the same thing), but meh. It’s a mod note.
---
### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/11 "2013-10-12T18:17:54Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#):
>
> Nobody gets passes. Anyone will be warned if they break rules enough and/or ignore mod instructions. Obviously those who have multiple warnings were once in the “Posters who haven’t been warned yet” camp, so that is an example in itself that they didn’t get a pass the first time they were warned.
>
> However–in this case–it was a note, not a warning.
Fine, change the wording to “mod noted.” That wasn’t the point. I’m just trying to figure out the “Well you’ve been warned for this before so I’ll focus on your behavior more than those who haven’t” approach. It just seems like it gets people caught up in this “once you’ve been warned…” loop that’s wholly unfair.
---
### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/12 "2013-10-12T18:50:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> It might have helped to [link to the actual post that got the mod note.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16749941&postcount=311)
I was scratching my head at the first post here, why that would’ve been even a note but seeing
> [@MLB: 2013 Postseason](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2013-postseason/669978/294):
>
> Is that all you’ve got to contribute, **jsgoddess**? Just snark and butthurt?
changes things a lot. Now I’m like “wow, lucky that was just a note”.
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/13 "2013-10-12T19:29:20Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#):
>
> Fine, change the wording to “mod noted.” That wasn’t the point. I’m just trying to figure out the “Well you’ve been warned for this before so I’ll focus on your behavior more than those who haven’t” approach. It just seems like it gets people caught up in this “once you’ve been warned…” loop that’s wholly unfair.
You seem to be seeing this as me singling him out over others in that topic, but that’s not the case.
The chain of events was this:
1. Reports came in.
2. I read the post Elvis made and thought it was a bit out of line.
3. I read the circumstances (I.E. other posts) that lead up to it.
4. I checked his profile to see if he had been warned for stuff like this before.
5. Still thinking the post was out of line, I issued a mod note.
If it had been anyone other than Elvis who made that sort of comment, I would have done all of the steps the same and issued the same mod note (with the exception of the second part of number 4, if the person never had any warnings).
So I’m not exactly sure how any of that is unfair. Anyone would have gotten the same mod note and the fact that I checked on Elvis’ warning history comes only from the fact that his post was the one reported.
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/14 "2013-10-12T19:31:36Z")
To put it more simply:
Anyone who made a post like he did I would have given a mod note too…regardless of if they had warnings already or not.
I only brought up the warnings issue earlier in this thread because I was explaining to him the events that lead up to him getting a note.
In the end, it’s just a note.
---
### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/15 "2013-10-12T19:36:51Z")
Step 4 is the one that I still don’t find sufficiently addressed, but I just… I honestly just do not care enough to bother anymore. Carry on.
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/16 "2013-10-12T19:39:45Z")
I think I understand what you mean…and to repeat: Nobody get passes. Whether someone already has warnings or not doesn’t play a part in my decision to give a note or another warning. It just gives me some insight on what the poster’s history is, if any.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/17 "2013-10-12T19:47:14Z")
Having gone back to the original mod note, I’m now wondering: What is the difference between “going over the line for what’s appropriate for this forum” and “breaking a rule”?
I can understand the difference between “approaching the line”, but “going over the line”, not so much. What is “the line” if not the point where a rule has been broken?
---
### Author:  [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/18 "2013-10-12T20:19:22Z")
Well, if you want to split hairs, to me, going over the line is a small violation…like a step or toe over what’s not allowed, but not a drastic violation.
I wouldn’t call it breaking the rules, personally. I’d say breaking the rules if something was going a medium or drastic way over the line.
Obviously other mods may have different points of view or opinions on it and it may vary from case to case.
---
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/19 "2013-10-12T20:57:11Z")
So it’s not really a red line, then. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [October 12, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052/20 "2013-10-12T21:44:14Z")
It’s a blue line. A thin one. And the red line’s distance from it varies depending upon terrain. 🙂
IMHO given his warning record, methinks Elvis should interpret a mod note as a favor. Others have differing opinions, but I find the board more entertaining with the guy than without (though admittedly I usually encounter him in the pit.) Anyway with due respect I hope he applies a little more discipline.
I haven’t looked at the thread: my thoughts are general ones.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idle-thoughts-do-you-read-entire-threads/671052.md?page=2)