# Is lying allowed on SD? Because calling it out certainly is not. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 6, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087 "2018-11-06T18:01:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/21 "2018-11-08T21:39:36Z")
You guys get the idea, though. I reserve the right to forbid an argument if it’s been refuted and, in my opinion, it’s being brought up again solely to distract debate from the main topic or to troll. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/22 "2018-11-08T22:37:49Z")
I dont know why it is perfectly Ok within the rules to lie your ass off, but if you even _imply_ that poster is doing so- you get a warning. I think the Op here has a point. Jonathan is overly sensitive on this, but does nothing to stop the lying in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/23 "2018-11-09T01:14:04Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > I’ll admit to having done something similar once or twice. I recall in a Same Sex Marriage debate someone kept bringing up the ‘marrying my dishwasher’ argument and being refuted. Finally, when it was brought up again I declared it out of bounds and jerkish behavior to keep returning to it. I took the step because it appeared to not be debating in good faith. My wife married her dishwasher… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/24 "2018-11-09T06:22:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I dont know why it is perfectly Ok within the rules to lie your ass off, but if you even _imply_ that poster is doing so- you get a warning. > > I think the Op here has a point. > > Jonathan is overly sensitive on this, but does nothing to stop the lying in the first place. You think it’s “perfectly OK within the rules”, and you’re complaining that the mods don’t stop it? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/25 "2018-11-09T07:21:20Z")
He’s wondering \*why \*it’s okay within the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/26 "2018-11-09T07:28:14Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > My wife married her dishwasher… I see what you did there:) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/27 "2018-11-09T13:18:42Z")
Interesting choice of topic from this poster. Hey OP, were you being entirely truthful when you stated the following the other day? > [@Saint Cad](#): > > Since my state doesn’t have Voter ID I’m going to vote multiple times and straight Republican just to undo all of your Dumbocrat votes. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21306246&postcount=64](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21306246&postcount=64) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/28 "2018-11-09T14:25:51Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > He’s wondering \*why \*it’s okay within the rules. Correct (first sentence). And he’s complaining about the mods not enforcing something that he thinks isn’t against the rules (last sentence). First of all, he’s wrong about lying being OK, as was already explained. But the idea that the mods have the time, or the ability, to be the “Liar Police” is ridiculous. Besides, we have two perfectly fine options here: Demonstrate that the poster is wrong (and let readers decide if the poster is lying or not). Go to the Pit and call the poster a liar. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/29 "2018-11-09T14:30:16Z")
Keep in mind that it’s a judgment call as to whether a person is lying or simply mistaken. I’m sure that, at one time or another, we’ve all ardently believed something that turned out to be incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/30 "2018-11-09T15:48:35Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > First of all, he’s wrong about lying being OK, as was already explained. Cite? That has not been my experience. > [@](#): > > But the idea that the mods have the time, or the ability, to be the “Liar Police” is ridiculous. Not asking that. But lying should count as being a jerk, in my opinion. It is wrong for the mods to punish someone who says “liar” while giving the lie itself a free pass. The mods don’t have to police it if the lie has been demonstrated clearly. > [@](#): > > Besides, we have two perfectly fine options here: Demonstrate that the poster is wrong (and let readers decide if the poster is lying or not). Go to the Pit and call the poster a liar. Trading insults in the pit is a fools game. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/31 "2018-11-09T16:34:57Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The mods don’t have to police it if the lie has been demonstrated clearly. You let me know when that happens and I’ll take a look. In my experience, the vast majority of times a person thinks another is lying, they are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/32 "2018-11-09T18:50:38Z")
Yeah, judging by the many MANY reports we get - Bone, Tom and I - a great many people confuse ‘disagrees with me’ with ‘lying’. And I think it would be a vast mistake for the moderation staff to try to police actual lying outside of truly egregious cases. You could time the accusations of political bias with a stopwatch that tracks microseconds. Possibly nanoseconds. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/33 "2018-11-09T19:27:11Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > You think it’s “perfectly OK within the rules”, and you’re complaining that the mods don’t stop it? No, I said “I dont know why it is perfectly Ok within the rules to lie your ass off,…”. Apparently it currently is, but I dont think it shoudl be. Mind you there is a difference between opinions and facts. You cant really lie about a opinion. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/34 "2018-11-09T19:31:06Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Cite? That has not been my experience. > > Not asking that. But lying should count as being a jerk, in my opinion. It is wrong for the mods to punish someone who says “liar” while giving the lie itself a free pass. The mods don’t have to police it if the lie has been demonstrated clearly. Right. At least, when a poster lies his ass off, and someone points that out, that poster shouldnt be warned. Ok, maybe a Note, sure, like “We realize that **posterX** may have been untrue, but we still have rules against calling people a liar”. As it is, there is no culpability for lying, and strong and swift punishments by Jonathan when there is even a hint of someone calling out the liar. The dichotomy there implies that it is perfectly Ok to lie, but banhammer for calling out that liar. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/35 "2018-11-09T19:37:53Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Yeah, judging by the many MANY reports we get - Bone, Tom and I - a great many people confuse ‘disagrees with me’ with ‘lying’. > > And I think it would be a vast mistake for the moderation staff to try to police actual lying outside of truly egregious cases. You could time the accusations of political bias with a stopwatch that tracks microseconds. Possibly nanoseconds. In the case where you warned me, that poster had stated three times I hadnt provided any cites, but my cites were there for everyone to see. That is clear and obvious lying and it is easy to check. That’s not a matter of opinion- either I had posted a cite or I hadn’t. And of course knowing full well I had posted cites, but still stating no less than three times that I hadn’t- that is harassment. However, even tho I only implied he was lying and it was dead obvious that he had lied- I got a (belated) warning and he not even a note. That is a truly egregious case. Mind you, as I said- I dont expect you guys to make a big deal of policing lies. But, when there is a truly egregious case- the person who says “Hmm, that appears like a fib there.” shouldnt be warned. You guys are pretty good at catching trolls, so we arent supposed to call out trolls, just report them- fine. But I don’t know why we can’t call out the occasional truly egregious case of flat out lying. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/36 "2018-11-09T22:15:11Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, I said “I dont know why it is perfectly Ok within the rules to lie your ass off,…”. Apparently it currently is, but I dont think it shoudl be. I didn’t say you thought it should be. I said you thought it is. Is. That’s the word I used, not “should be”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/37 "2018-11-09T22:34:53Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I didn’t say you thought it should be. I said you thought it is. Is. That’s the word I used, not “should be”. Now, I have _no idea_ of what meaningless pedantic point you are trying to make. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087/38 "2018-11-10T01:11:00Z")
If there is one thing I hate more than trying to buy condoms for my 14" penis, it is people who lie on the internet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-lying-allowed-on-sd-because-calling-it-out-certainly-is-not/824087.md?page=1)