# Is referring to posters as "Dopes" an insult?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [January 3, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105 "2022-01-03T00:17:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/1 "2022-01-03T00:17:44Z")
Apsenglow claims that it is. I could swear that I’ve read the term before, as a light-hearted variation on Dopers.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/2 "2022-01-03T00:19:45Z")
I don’t remember ever seeing “Dopes”, just “Dopers”. If it’s such a regular occurrence, it shouldn’t be hard for you to provide links.
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### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/3 "2022-01-03T00:20:23Z")
Not even in jest?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/4 "2022-01-03T00:20:57Z")
It depends.
Regards,
Haj
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/5 "2022-01-03T00:22:15Z")
I’ve never seen it either. Just Doper’s here and we’re called “Derpers” on the other board that is dedicated to gossip about this board.
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### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/6 "2022-01-03T00:22:52Z")
On what? Who posted it?
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/7 "2022-01-03T00:23:39Z")
Context
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### Author:  [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/8 "2022-01-03T00:33:23Z")
For context, here is the relevant post.
> [@About that "end of democracy" talk](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-that-end-of-democracy-talk/956796/42):
>
> Like I’m going to tell you Dopes where I live. Yeah, right. Are you ok with ANY amount of illegal voting? If so, why?
@D_Anconia, I have never once encountered someone on this message board calling another poster a ‘Dope’, capitalized or otherwise, in a jesting way. You’re the one claiming to have seen it previously, so if you can find such an instance, that would be helpful.
For future reference, you always take the chance that a comment won’t be taken in the way you intend. That’s a risk you assume when you make a statement “in jest”.
I’m not inclined to give you any benefit of the doubt in this instance unless you can present evidence of common usage of ‘Dope’ as a term of jest or affection on this board, or other mods counsel otherwise.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/9 "2022-01-03T00:36:30Z")
I’ve only seen the term “Dopers”, and use that term myself on occasion.
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### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/10 "2022-01-03T00:38:16Z")
I didn’t say it was common, just that I’ve seen it before.
I won’t do it again.
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### Author:  [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/11 "2022-01-03T00:38:40Z")
Good plan.
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### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/12 "2022-01-03T00:40:12Z")
Nice snark. 🙄
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/13 "2022-01-03T00:42:16Z")
Irony!
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### Author:  [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/14 "2022-01-03T00:42:40Z")
> [@Grrr](#):
>
> and we’re called “Derpers” on the other board that is dedicated to gossip about this board.
We have a board dedicated to gossip about us? Awesome! Link?
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/15 "2022-01-03T00:47:21Z")
I don’t know if we’re allowed to link to Giraffe, I think it runs afoul of the rule against carrying disputes across message boards.
Or at least not to specific discussions. I’m not really clear.
I’ve never been over there anyway.
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### Author:  [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/16 "2022-01-03T00:49:12Z")
You’re correct, it’s not allowed. I’m glad you checked first. Thanks.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/17 "2022-01-03T00:51:51Z")
“I was only joking” ?
🤨
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/18 "2022-01-03T00:58:45Z")
Linking to the GB isn’t allowed generally? Since when? It’s been done dozens of times without any issues.
I agree that linking to specific potentially inflammatory posts or threads has never been allowed.
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### Author:  [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/19 "2022-01-03T01:01:34Z")
I think you’re right. I’m not sufficiently up on Giraffe Board linkage to have this nuanced understanding. I’ll check and include the specific rules here. In ATMB discussions, however, I’d encourage folks to err on the side of caution.
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### Author:  [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)
#### Post date: [January 3, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-referring-to-posters-as-dopes-an-insult/957105/20 "2022-01-03T01:06:16Z")
So a moderator doesn’t have a full understanding of the rules, but the posters are expected to?
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