# If someone insults you in the mini-rant thread **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 13, 2013, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119 "2013-08-13T10:55:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/1 "2013-08-13T10:55:50Z")
Quick question: If someone insults you in the monthly mini-rant thread, is that actually allowed (since it’s in the Pit after all) or does it violate the 'being a jerk" rule? ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/2 "2013-08-13T11:20:23Z")
Personally I would take advantage of all the freedoms the pit has to offer and use the opportunity to eviscerate them. Of course that’s not everyone’s style. 🙂 ---
**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 13, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/3 "2013-08-13T11:38:54Z")
[For those playing along at home.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16566731&postcount=311). ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/4 "2013-08-13T12:28:06Z")
NM. Not in the place I thought I was. Still, I think her minirant is that she finds you tiresome. That seems unfortunate, but fair. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/5 "2013-08-13T13:39:24Z")
It is the Pit, it’s allowed. Feel free to rip into him, or ignore him, or “tsk, tsk, tsk, you couldn’t even come up with a good insult?” him. Your choice. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/6 "2013-08-13T13:46:17Z")
I’m not really sure why the mini-rants threads live in the Pit in the first place. It’s just a whinier version of the MMP threads in MPSIMS and they’d be perfectly at home in that forum (where whining and complaining (and gasp, swearing!) are perfectly allowed, as long as it’s not directed at other posters. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/7 "2013-08-13T14:01:28Z")
**EmilyG** , remember this: the Internet is anonymous. These people don’t know me. They don’t care about me. They couldn’t give a flying rat’s ass about me. When someone puts down another person online, they’re doing it to make themselves feel superior or to simply be a troll. Do not, for even a tiny minute, put any worth into what somebody on a message board says about you because _they don’t know you_. And as my mom used to say when someone made me feel bad about myself: “Yeah well, consider the source.” ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/8 "2013-08-13T14:01:29Z")
Bob Ducca nailed it. There’s no reason for it to be in the Pit–I believe that this month, other than the direct insult to Emily G., there was a pro forma “fuck off” from Chimera because someone didn’t like the thread title. As for the initial question–it’s the Pit–if you don’t want to have your ass handed to you then don’t post there. Conversely, feel free to flame the person who insulted you. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/9 "2013-08-13T14:30:02Z")
> [@KSO](#): > > Bob Ducca nailed it. There’s no reason for it to be in the Pit–I believe that this month, other than the direct insult to Emily G., there was a pro forma “fuck off” from Chimera because someone didn’t like the thread title. That was me. (I mean, I got told). But I warranted it, I guess, I did complain about the thread title, and he made it, and I pretty much didn’t feel offended. I don’t really get what calling someone retarded and developmentally disabled does for a person in this case…I mean, “tiresome” and those other two phrases are not remotely comparable. It just seemed a little over the top. But yes, everyone has a point: don’t care what they say, don’t let it get to you (easier said than done, I know) and it is in the Pit and some people just like to be nasty because they can. Deflect with humor, insult back, or rise above and ignore. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/10 "2013-08-13T15:01:03Z")
Possible responses: La la la, I can’t hear you! I know you are, but what am I? You could always put me on ignore, fuckface. Once more, with feeling. Who pissed in your cheerios? ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/11 "2013-08-13T15:04:32Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Quick question: > > If someone insults you in the monthly mini-rant thread, is that actually allowed (since it’s in the Pit after all) or does it violate the 'being a jerk" rule? From the forum description: > [@](#): > > For rants about the world or beefs with another poster. So yeah, the rules are slightly different in The Pit than elsewhere on the board, whee people are expected to have more front parlor manners and be more civil. In the Pit, not so much, though there are limits even there. In one of the stickies at the top of the thread listing in the Pit Ed Zotti sez: > [@](#): > > Although the standards of discourse are looser than in the other forums, the Pit is NOT a free-for-all - you don’t have to be nice, but you do have to be reasonably civil None of the phrasing in that post is on the “restricted words” list. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/12 "2013-08-13T15:10:22Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > These people don’t know me. They don’t care about me. They couldn’t give a flying rat’s ass about me. When someone puts down another person online, they’re doing it to make themselves feel superior or to simply be a troll. [Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall But there’s always someone cooler than you. Yeah, you’re the shit But you won’t be it for long Oh, there’s always someone cooler than you.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxkM_cnjFfw) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/13 "2013-08-13T16:28:34Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > [Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall > But there’s always someone cooler than you. > Yeah, you’re the shit > But you won’t be it for long > Oh, there’s always someone cooler than you.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxkM_cnjFfw) No one should take any advice from that dork. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/14 "2013-08-13T16:31:24Z")
dealwithit.jpg ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/15 "2013-08-13T16:43:12Z")
A laser powerful enough to zap gnats would be too heavy. The sonic zapper I built that worked is painful to some folks. A small fan, perhaps… ---
**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 13, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/16 "2013-08-13T16:45:48Z")
[Deal with it.](http://images.wikia.com/borderlands/images/d/dd/Dealwithit.jpg) (fixed your link, stickler) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/17 "2013-08-13T16:47:34Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > dealwithit.jpg Agreed. It’s the pit she should just deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/18 "2013-08-13T16:49:31Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > [Deal with it.](http://images.wikia.com/borderlands/images/d/dd/Dealwithit.jpg) (fixed your link, stickler) It wasn’t broken and it wasn’t a link, but thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/19 "2013-08-13T16:53:13Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > It wasn’t broken and it wasn’t a link, but thank you. (I think kayaker knew that.) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119/20 "2013-08-13T18:16:02Z")
Another vote for deal with it. You knew you were posting in the Pit. There are always going to be people posting snark just because the rules of that forum give them a license to do so. My inclination would be to ignore posts like that and not respond. YMMV, however. If you want to let one fly right back, go for it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-insults-you-in-the-mini-rant-thread/666119.md?page=2)