# Is It Trolling to Try to Get Another Poster to Break the Rules?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-trolling-to-try-to-get-another-poster-to-break-the-rules/601395>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [October 31, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-trolling-to-try-to-get-another-poster-to-break-the-rules/601395 "2011-10-31T17:24:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 27

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**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2011, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-trolling-to-try-to-get-another-poster-to-break-the-rules/601395/27 "2011-11-02T16:35:59Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> Just because a comment offends someone doesn’t make it an insult. I’ve seen people on the SDMB aver that they either don’t care about being called a racist or that they admit they’re racist. I don’t consider those people particularly reasonable, but that’s my personal opinion. Calling another poster a racist is discouraged in GD because it’s a comment about the person making the argument and not the strengths or weaknesses of the argument. I’m saying I wouldn’t call it an insult.

This came up a little over a year ago but we got different answers then.

> **[Calling someone racist is a personal insult](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=559352)**
>
> It seems that some people on this board are not cognizant of this. It should be quite obvious to anyone who knows what a personal insult is. You’ve just called someone an insulting name. I’d rather be called a cunt, as that just means you’re mad at...

> [@Calling someone racist is a personal insult](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/7):
>
> Describing an idea as racist would be allowed, but using it against another poster wouldn’t be allowed outside of the Pit.

> [@Calling someone racist is a personal insult](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/8):
>
> If directed at another poster in GQ, who did not self-identify as a racist, I would regard it as a personal insult and probably issue at least a moderator note to dial it back. Someone who made a habit of it would probably receive a warning.

> [@Calling someone racist is a personal insult](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calling-someone-racist-is-a-personal-insult/535802/9):
>
> It’s OK to be a racist, and it’s permitted to argue a racist point of view. However, posters engaging in debate on the subject should address the racist nature of the arguments and statements themselves, rather than call the poster a racist. You may call the idea racist; you should refrain from calling the poster racist outside the Pit.

Based on this change is it now official that saying “You are a racist” to another poster is no longer considered a personal insult?

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