# In the matter of Ed's thread take down **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 24, 2014, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519 "2014-06-24T09:28:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/101 "2014-06-24T23:04:17Z")
You might also want to read the Wikipedia page on [Biographies of living persons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons). I get the impression that Wikipedia is very sensitive to anything that might cause it to be sued. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/102 "2014-06-24T23:05:34Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Wikipedia specifically bans references from forums and blogs. Now if a journalist writes about this situation, _that_ reference could be included. It just occurred to me that Ed Zotti is an author, editor and journalist. His locked thread can be linked to as authoritative and it can be quoted or characterized directly. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/103 "2014-06-24T23:11:39Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > I don’t think I’ve ever been so ashamed to be a Doper. > > So you guys get it into your head that MM threatened litigation, so screw him he’s unworthy of any sympathy and let’s just basically nail him to the wall. > > Because reasons. > > How fucking petty. I think the sympathy goes to the guy who left an awards ceremony to be with his dying mom, not the guy who said that he was using his dying mom to drum up sympathy for an award that’s usually used to give people a good time to go take a bathroom break. Note that the internet Wayback Machine has Equipoise’s thread archived (and might have the other) and Wikipedia has the basic info there as well. I’d also note that if MM hadn’t threatened Equipoise, this wouldn’t have come up again or been an issue, so it’s sad to see that bullying people on the internet works. Also, on behalf of Dan Quayle, I’d like all posts about the “potatoe” thing removed from the SDMB, since there’s no doubt that Quayle has learned the correct spelling and “in any case [we] have no desire to prolong his embarrassment indefinitely” ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/104 "2014-06-25T00:27:27Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > Ed rehashed it, himself. That part is my favorite part. Fair enough. I retract my statement. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/105 "2014-06-25T00:56:52Z")
**Exapno Mapcase** said what I was going to say, only more politely. I feel this sets a bad precedent. Some one can bully a poster, threaten to sue the SDMB, and so get their way. To Those Who Say The Thread Was Rightly Vanished Redacted said what he said on video. At that point, he accepted the consequences of his speech and risked the possibility it would follow him forever. He made his bed, and he shouldn’t whine when he has to lie in it. People saying negative things based on his speech is one of the myriad consequences he accepted. We weren’t being cruel or vindictive when the thread was the top Google result. Redacted did that to himself. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/106 "2014-06-25T01:23:11Z")
The one thing I would like to know, just for the sake of clarity is this: Are we allowed to mention the name of redacted at all from now on, even if it is not about what happened 7 years ago? He is currently a working celebrity, and also has done things recently which are certainly discussion worthy. If the answer to the question is no, then we should just stop kidding ourselves that the meat of the matter is a 7 year old thread. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/107 "2014-06-25T02:06:12Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > The one thing I would like to know, just for the sake of clarity is this: Are we allowed to mention the name of redacted at all from now on, even if it is not about what happened 7 years ago? He is currently a working celebrity, and also has done things recently which are certainly discussion worthy. > > If the answer to the question is no, then we should just stop kidding ourselves that the meat of the matter is a 7 year old thread. Only if your post is entirely positive and points out what an awesome person he is. If you post anything which might be construed as a negative opinion you might receive a message from him threatening legal action against you. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/108 "2014-06-25T02:43:20Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Also, on behalf of Dan Quayle, I’d like all posts about the “potatoe” thing removed from the SDMB, since there’s no doubt that Quayle has learned the correct spelling and “in any case [we] have no desire to prolong his embarrassment indefinitely” Fair enough. I said some funny but hurtful things about Dan’s intellect. I retract all those statements. [redacted] remains a dick however. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/109 "2014-06-25T03:29:20Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > There are threads [like this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=652448), where the OP wondered out loud if obstetric workers should be held responsible for bad parental choices in names: and used a murdered young girl as an example. As I recall, people disagreed with me. And Google knows you and your interests and habits. It would not have been on the front page for someone who has never looked for or visited the Straight Dope. That’s what makes people think they spent their money well when they gave it to a guy whose search engine optimization business is advertised on a grocery store bulletin board. The SDMB is not at the center of the Googleverse. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/110 "2014-06-25T03:34:44Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Redacted said what he said on video. At that point, he accepted the consequences of his speech and risked the possibility it would follow him forever. He made his bed, and he shouldn’t whine when he has to lie in it. People saying negative things based on his speech is one of the myriad consequences he accepted. We weren’t being cruel or vindictive when the thread was the top Google result. Redacted did that to himself. I’m going to politely disagree with this. We’ve all heard how our current laws haven’t caught up with modern technology. Well, IMO, another thing that hasn’t caught up with modern technology is our culture. Specifically, the way in which we judge people. Our thinking needs to evolve. If the way in which you judge a person is the same way you were judging a person pre internet days; then that’s just wrong. If this incident would have happened in the 80’s, it would have been forgotten about. Sure it would have still been caught on tape, but seven years after the fact, the whole incident would have been little more than a faded memory. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/111 "2014-06-25T03:43:47Z")
Or maybe Redacted should perhaps remember the old addage: “Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk.” And it also doesn’t sound like he’s changed, if he’s blaming people for criticising his behavior, rather than than the behavior that prompted the criticism. That’s also something he should consider. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/112 "2014-06-25T03:58:52Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > The SDMB is not at the center of the Googleverse. It is strange how high this particular article showed up in the Google search results for his name. One can only assume that either some people working on the Google search algorithm are fans of the Straight Dope or that a LOT of people dislike [Redacted] and linked to the article. The other articles are to his workplace, trade magazine articles, etc. and should have ranked much higher. I’ve tested the search using different browsers and platforms, in maximum privacy mode, and the results from a Google search were quite consistent. The person in question may really have a long history of obnoxious behavior. **Equipoise** vented in 2007, came back in 2012 when someone woke the zombie and posted a few responses, then nothing until 2014 when [Redacted] and [Mrs. Redacted] started bigfooting around. It is not as if **Equipoise** did anything to make the Pitting particularly popular. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/113 "2014-06-25T04:09:58Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > If this incident would have happened in the 80’s, it would have been forgotten about. Sure it would have still been caught on tape, but seven years after the fact, the whole incident would have been little more than a faded memory. If Micheal Minter is still threatening posters with legal action within the past year, Minter is the one keeping it alive. He’s still an asshole. And since **Equipoise** probably won’t be saying it on SDMB, I’ll mentioni that by using some of the search engine links posted earlier in this threat, I learned she’s very unhappy about the administration’s actions. And that’s all I say about that. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/114 "2014-06-25T06:08:20Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > …If there weren’t threats of litigation at some point, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion and the original thread would never have been locked, let alone deleted… > > That’s ok though. I think that Ed is actually much more clever than most are giving him credit for. It’s my suspicion that Ed was under pressure to do what he did by his management. His explanatory post gives anyone all of the information that they need to Google the name of the person in question and find out the whole story including an archive of the missing thread. > > The direct result of all of this is that the sound mixer’s story, including in some cases the legal bullying, is now enshrined in at least a couple of reddit threads and on a few other message boards and blog posts. In addition, his Wikipedia page now mentions the incident when it didn’t before all of this. Had he let the seven year old thread pass, it’s safe to say that many more people would never have heard of it. _tiptoes in_ Since I’m forbidden to speak my mind and give opinions on all that’s been said and done, let me just +1 all three paragraphs here. _tiptoes out_ ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/115 "2014-06-25T06:45:46Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > If Micheal Minter is still threatening posters with legal action within the past year, Minter is the one keeping it alive. He’s still an asshole. Minkler. Guy’s name is Michael Minkler, not Minter. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/116 "2014-06-25T10:55:01Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > If this incident would have happened in the 80’s, it would have been forgotten about. Sure it would have still been caught on tape, but seven years after the fact, the whole incident would have been little more than a faded memory. Kinda like [Budd Dwyer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Budd_Dwyer) in 1987? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/117 "2014-06-25T11:09:41Z")
**STRONG MODERATOR WARNING:** Ed had said, “Users are asked to refrain from posting additional comments about this matter.’” We don’t object to a metadiscussion of the wisdom of removing old threads, but we don’t want to see a rehashing of the original incident. PLEASE DO NOT POST DETAILS OR NAMES. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/118 "2014-06-25T11:45:28Z")
Yeaah… Because we want to give people a fresh start, and we’re not afraid of any lawsuits. That’s it. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/119 "2014-06-25T11:47:20Z")
Thank you for saying “please.” ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519/120 "2014-06-25T12:16:31Z")
I think it’s surprisingly nice and understanding to even allow a meta-discussion, and I’m really disappointed that others are trying to spoil it by posting names, facts, statements of reality, history, and statements that would fight ignorance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-matter-of-eds-thread-take-down/691519.md?page=7)