I just received an official warning for saying that a certain poster was close-minded on the subject of vaccinations. I don’t think anyone has ever been warned for doing that before, and I’m pretty sure it has been done before without any warnings being issued…but I’ll gladly concede this point if I’ve just missed previous warnings or admonishments concerning this.
I issued that one and I’ll explain my reasoning.
I realize you may disagree, but to my eyes the use of a dismissive tone, with a derogatory statement and the use of ‘your’ constitutes an insult. It’s a direct statement at another poster and doesn’t in any way address a specific post that adaher made. That really is the sort of thing you should - at this stage of the game - know enough to avoid.
ETA: Protip: Anytime you characterize a post as ‘calling someone a…’ it’s a good bet it’s something you should think twice about posting.
I think that’s a rather broad definition of “insult” when it comes giving official warnings, especially when there doesn’t seem to be any precedent for this “insult” resulting in a warning, official or otherwise. If it is now considered an insult to accuse someone of being close-minded, I would humbly request that my official warning be reduced to an admonishment…which I would take to heart and follow.
Tough modding…
FTR, I’ll quote the interaction in full. Starting on page 4 of the thread.
Speaking generally. Speaking generally, there ought to be some scope for member characterizations of other board member behavior that falls short of pittable offenses.
Also, I don’t know whether Czarcasm would have been modded if he kept the same sentence, but threw in a softener.
[hijack]
I thought the term was “closed-minded,” not “close-minded” (you’re saying their mind is closed, not that it’s close). But upon further research, it appears to be an open (and somewhat controversial) question.
Sorry, I just don’t see an insult there. I don’t necessarily agree with Czarcasm’s position on whether vaccinations should be required by law, but his statement seems to be well within the commonly understood rules for Great Debates. I wouldn’t even consider it rude, much less a warnable offense.
Ok, well it isn’t about closed-minded, or close-minded. The phrasing is ‘… your mind is shut…’, as a play on the the phrase ‘… an open and shut case…’. I don’t know, but a caution would seem more appropriate in this case. Perhaps Czarcasm being a former mod was getting the harsh treatment like a former cop who commits a crime.
Czarcasm, you were a mod? Respect!
Did you hand in your spurs willingly, or were you drummed out like in Gunsmoke? (I think that was the show. Ed and Tuba ripping off your epaulets…)
It wasn’t “Gunsmoke”-it was “Branded”, with Chuck Conners and no, that ain’t the way it happened.
You insulted the poster and not the post. Good modding here.
Heck, I’ve seen Miller dole out snark like that and he’s a Mod! So if it’s okay for the mods to snark like that the same rules should apply to everyone else.
But yeah, it’s definitely a grey area.
[The above is not a criticism of Miller. I think he’s a fine mod. I’m just trying to illustrate a point.]
No he didn’t. That doesn’t even approach “insult”. It’s not even in gray territory.
I know my opinion doesn’t carry any weight, but if there was an insult, it was mild. The warning should be rescinded and just have been mod-noted. If someone called me a dumbass, I’d be insulted. Not insulted if someone insinuated my mind was closed.
More like Papillon.
I’m not seeing an insult. If this is a new standard, then we’ll see a whole lotta moddin’ goin’ on in the future. Comments like the one in question are routinely posted in GD.
I’m fine with it. If calling someone a liar is verboten, “close minded” is certainly about the same level of insult
That’s quite a leap.
As insults go, it ain’t exactly “pistols at dawn” material.
Maybe it’d be simpler to just ban the words “you” and “your” in Great Debates.
Do we now need to change the underlying rule of posting on the SDMB, “don’t be a jerk”? Because that’s pretty insulting. Certainly far more abrasive than “your mind is shut”. In fact, we should probably not use the word “ignorance” in the byline either, that’s negative as well.
FWIW, and it ain’t worth much, and since it is arguably a gray area, perhaps a Mod Note is more appropriate. If that.
It doesn’t seem to descend to the level of a personal insult. “Your mind is shut” is not usually, and was not in this instance, much of a mode of argumentation - usually it just means “You are stubbornly refusing to agree with me and I am rightrightright”. It’s not like adaher was refusing to put forth arguments in favor of his position, and whether you agree or not that the abortion example establishes that the state cannot force people to undergo medical procedures when they don’t want to, it is a reasonable position.
In short, it seems more like lazy argumentation rather than insult. But not worthy of a Warning.
I would say that this is my $.02 worth, but it probably isn’t worth that much.
Regards,
Shodan