Jonathan Chance, I think this thread deserved a Warning

In this thread Goonie asks if Trump uses ‘goon squads’. No substantiation, no links, no nothing. Just a poisoned question.

I really think that that deserved a warning, and the thread should have been disappeared.

Given the post I reported yesterday, which I will not repeat (the post and maybe the thread has been disappeared), I think the Dope needs to be very vigilant about Trump threads.

Indeed, it seems that I’ve complained before about the lack of moderation on a Trump thread.

I know the board is heavily biased against Trump; therein lies the need for more vigilance. We’re here to fight ignorance, not promote it.

As always, the proper response to poor - or misguided - speech is better speech.

There are very few instances where I would decide moderation should be able to preemptively decide ‘this shall not be discussed’. I think if you really thought about it, you would as well. It would only be a matter of time before one of us preemptively decided that something you thought WAS worthy of discussion was out of bounds. Then you’d be complaining about that.

Isn’t squelching such a thread exactly what Trump’s Goon Squad would do (assuming one existed)?

I don’t think you understand the idea of “poisoning the well” when it comes to questions.

I thought the target of the OP’s ire is Goosie, not Goonie.

Was referring to Goosie as Goonie instead, a Freudian slip? :slight_smile:

Goosie was the poster who asked about goon squads. Goonie was the poster who started the thread asking if Trump had flocks of geese who were being trained to hiss at his political opponents and poop in their lawns.

Have you got other examples of questions/claims that you feel are unsubstantiated getting warnings and/or disappearings…or do you think this should happen from now on?

The thread was moved to the Pit. The only reason to close it would be if the OP was trolling. I think a case could be made that he was doing just that, but it’s up to the mods to make the final decision.

A wild accusation is made with nothing to back it up, and the OP never returns to the thread. Sound like trolling to me. We’ve seen lots of instances where the mods have told folks: “I don’t see a debate here. Unless you return today to flesh this out, I’m closing the thread”. This thread seems like a prime case for that treatment.

Good thing I didn’t post that question about Obama using bomb squads…

Where were you when people, like Trump and his supporters for example, were spreading the lie that Obama is a Muslim, was born in Kenya, is a socialist and is responsible for <everything> that is wrong in the world? Why are you so partisan in your quest to “fight ignorance”? Doesn’t it make your attempt to do so more difficult when people perceive you to be utterly biased?

TL;DR version: NOW they’re all butthurt about fairness.

Generally others beat me to it. Just because someone doesn’t like Trump doesn’t mean it’s okay for them to post something nasty about him without substantiation. That post I mentioned I reported may well have attracted the attention of the Secret Service. The owners of the Dope do not need any interest from that direction.

All the unjustified criticisms of Trump here only help his cause. They cause readers to dismiss the real stuff. Drop the chaff; keep the wheat.

Moderator Note

This is yet another reminder that we’re in ATMB. Please take all political comments about Trump or Obama or anything else to a more appropriate forum unless the comment directly relates to the rules and moderation of the SDMB.

Keep everything appropriate to ATMB, please. This is not the correct forum for political opinions or pot-shots at political figures or other SDMB users and their political opinions.

ATMB posts are expected to be polite and respectful towards other SDMB users.

We shouldn’t ask about a goon squad, otherwise the White House might come down on the SDMB? :smack:

It’s a little late in the game to jump on the “unjustified criticism” bandwagon, doncha think? By the way-Who gets to sort the wheat from the chaff?

You?

This is not the first time I’ve mentioned it.

NM. I don’t want people to complain that someone used up all the :smack:'s

The first rule of moderation…well they aren’t in order but a good rule is before a warning is given, a rule must be violated. I’m failing to identify which rule is being violated with that OP. Did you have one in mind?

When an OP in ATMB is a politically motivated post, it is difficult to address it properly without getting into politics. There is a reason to point out that the OP did not make such a request with Obama, as it shows that the OP’s stated reasoning is not their actual motivation.

That’s not to accuse anyone of lying, as it can be subconscious. But hopefully we can reveal to the OP what is going on in his head so that he will stop getting angry about these posts and stop with these easily refuted ATMB threads.