# It's not a Great Debate if the OP doesn't bother to debate **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 24, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375 "2002-04-24T16:04:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/1 "2002-04-24T16:04:58Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=111339) is about the fifth time **janl** has strolled into GD, started a thread with something posted directly from his website, then wandered away without even pretending to debate the issues raised. Okay, I’m just assuming that he’s never returning to this particular thread, but the pattern is by now firmly established. Would somebody please explain to me why this is acceptable behavior? It is not a Great Debates if the OP has no intention of debating. **janl** ’s behavior is trolling, plain and simple. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/2 "2002-04-24T16:13:59Z")
It’s worse than that, **minty**. Not only does he not stay to debate the “issue,” he doesn’t even state what the issue is or what his position is. He posts some allegedly factual (and ridiculously long) statement, without expressing any opinion on the alleged facts. Sua ---
**Author:** ![EVO95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@EVO95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EVO95)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/3 "2002-04-24T16:22:17Z")
Not to mention the fact that there’s _no way_ the Diamondbacks are gonna beat the Braves. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/4 "2002-04-24T16:23:08Z")
Geez, guys, it takes a few minutes to compose these Official Warnings, y’know? I mean, I’ve got to think of how to put it, and preview a couple of times (it wouldn’t due to have typos or accidental links to hardcore goat porn in an Official Moderator’s Warning), and dribble the blood from a white bull from my Official Staff Mug onto my Home Altar to Cecil™ (and then it turns out I’m completely _out_ of spotless bulls, and I have to go to the store to get one), and then the hamster dies in the middle of all this. By the time I’m ready to hit the old “submit” key, there’s already a Pit thread open. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/5 "2002-04-24T16:25:29Z")
It usually doesn’t bother me at all if the OP never returns to his thread, because someone else almost always debates their position for them. As long there are enough posters with enough opinion participating, I don’t really care WHO is involved. The only exception being really major issue/controversial position posts where one would be expected to defend their position more strongly. Most threads in Great Debates function or would function fine w/o any followup from the OP. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/6 "2002-04-24T16:29:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > (it wouldn’t **due** to have typos or accidental links to hardcore goat porn in an Official Moderator’s Warning), \*\* Preview is your friend in the Pit, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/7 "2002-04-24T16:33:12Z")
Thank you, kind Mr. Buckner. After his first few drive-by spammings, I was beginning to think that you guys might have decided to tolerate it for some reason. I s’pose we could keep this thread open just for the sake of discussing **janl** ’s spamming, but I think the point has been made. Lock 'er up at your discretion, Mods. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/8 "2002-04-24T16:44:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Preview is your friend in the Pit, too. 😃 I meant to do that! It’s in my contract! See, Gaudere is an Administrator, and so I’m required, by way of showing respect for my superior officer, to have at least one typo in any post which even _mentions_ typos, just to be absolutely sure Gaudere’s Law is not violated, and…and… Ah, fuck it. [Link to hard-core goat porn](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/020412.html) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-a-great-debate-if-the-op-doesnt-bother-to-debate/105375/9 "2002-04-24T16:48:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > Thank you, kind Mr. Buckner. After his first few drive-by spammings, I was beginning to think that you guys might have decided to tolerate it for some reason. > > I s’pose we could keep this thread open just for the sake of discussing **janl** ’s spamming, but I think the point has been made. Lock 'er up at your discretion, Mods. We could keep the thread open just to flame **janl** , but since he doesn’t apparently actually _read_ the boards, it probably wouldn’t really be that much fun.