# Lack of moderation of quotes in McCain GBT thread **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 22, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873 "2017-07-22T11:04:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/1 "2017-07-22T11:04:14Z")
One general rule of the Dope is that quotes are pretty much sacrosanct. So I’m writing about [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=831477) and two posts in particular: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357413&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357413&postcount=10) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357445&postcount=13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357445&postcount=13) The first - apparently quoting Trump - appears to be an invention. A lie and a slur. The second is what Trump actually said, but is unattributed. Neither has so far attracted comment from the Mods. Both posts do nothing to fight ignorance. That thread will likely be updated in the future as McCain’s illness progresses and he dies. Which of those two posts do you think is likely to be remembered? Which one will be referenced? Left as is - I think the first should be stomped and the second attributed - is sending the wrong message to the readership. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/2 "2017-07-22T11:12:46Z")
The rule is about editing quotes of posters, not about using the quote function for (obvious) political parody. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/3 "2017-07-22T11:37:07Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > The first - apparently quoting Trump - appears to be an invention. A lie and a slur. The second is what Trump actually said, but is unattributed. But no rules broken in MPSIMS. Couldn’t you just have stood up for your guy in-thread? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/4 "2017-07-22T11:57:40Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > But no rules broken in MPSIMS. Couldn’t you just have stood up for your guy in-thread? He’s not my guy. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/5 "2017-07-22T12:22:38Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > He’s not my guy. Apologies then. I must be misremembering. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/6 "2017-07-22T13:01:57Z")
**Quartz** has a point. 500 years from now, we wouldn’t want mutant cockroaches to find that quote and get the impression that Trump was some kind of jerk. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/7 "2017-07-22T13:23:17Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > \*\*One general rule of the Dope is that quotes are pretty much sacrosanct. \*\*So I’m writing about [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=831477) and two posts in particular: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357413&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357413&postcount=10) > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357445&postcount=13](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20357445&postcount=13) > > The first - apparently quoting Trump - appears to be an invention. A lie and a slur. The second is what Trump actually said, but is unattributed. Neither has so far attracted comment from the Mods. Both posts do nothing to fight ignorance. That thread will likely be updated in the future as McCain’s illness progresses and he dies. Which of those two posts do you think is likely to be remembered? Which one will be referenced? Left as is - I think the first should be stomped and the second attributed - is sending the wrong message to the readership. That applies to quoting other posters. The first Trump quote is a “joke” or “satire”. The second is a true quote of a tweet. You can tell it’s real by the clueless final phrase "Get well soon’. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/8 "2017-07-22T14:57:42Z")
And even though the second quote isn’t attributed, the phrase “Melania and I” should make it clear who the speaker was. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/9 "2017-07-22T16:40:36Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > The rule is about editing quotes of posters, not about using the quote function for (obvious) political parody. [Here’s the rule](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7697048#post7697048), if the OP is interested.Not this section, which explain what type of quotes it applies to: > [@](#): > > **Can I modify other poster’s quotes?** > > Falsely attributing a quote to another user, or modifying another’s post in order to cast him/her in a bad light, even if meant in jest, is grounds for revocation of your posting privileges. > [@Quartz](#): > > He’s not my guy. I have a Facebook friend who periodically starts long rambling posts with the words “I’m not a Trump supporter but…” After a while, she really starts to look a lot like a Trump supporter. Just sayin’. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2017, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/10 "2017-07-22T17:02:40Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Both posts do nothing to fight ignorance. Not that every post we make needs to “fight ignorance”, but it’s hard to argue that quoting the actual words of the president does not do so to some extent. The second quote you linked to is, by your own admission, the actual words of the president. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/11 "2017-07-22T17:44:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The first Trump quote is a “joke” or “satire”. Right. If we moderated every joke at a politician’s expense we would be very busy indeed. Nor can I imagine that we would insist that every quote of anyone anywhere must be attributed. As has been said, there is no rule against modifying quotes of non-posters. If someone fabricated a quote and pretended it was real, there might be an issue, but in this case the first quote was clearly a parody, and the second was both accurate and attributed within the quote. [QUOTE=Quartz] He’s not my guy. [/QUOTE] Yet you are extremely intent on defending him. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/12 "2017-07-22T17:59:48Z")
I still say you need to ask yourself why you seem especially interested in alleged infractions when they are about President Trump but not in every other instance. If you were, you’d know that his sort of thing has always been allowed. If you don’t support Trump, then there seems to be some cognitive dissonance going on. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2017, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/13 "2017-07-22T18:39:40Z")
Trump support or lack thereof is independent of potential rule violations. In this instance I would look to one of the guiding principles of moderation, namely, was there a rule violation. The answer is no, there was not. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/14 "2017-07-22T19:45:15Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Yet you are extremely intent on defending him. I’ll defend anyone who deserves it. I’ve criticised Trump many times when it was right to do so. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/15 "2017-07-22T19:51:02Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’ll defend anyone who deserves it. Hey, yeah. Like, you know, Hitler wasn’t _all_ bad, but all the Debbie Downers insist on pointing out the man’s shortcomings. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/16 "2017-07-22T19:51:45Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’ll defend anyone who deserves it. I’ve criticised Trump many times when it was right to do so. Name one thing he’s done that’s defensible. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/17 "2017-07-22T20:07:00Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Name one thing he’s done that’s defensible. Any time he’s been falsely accused. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/18 "2017-07-22T20:17:10Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Any time he’s been falsely accused. _Has_ he been falsely accused of anything? I tried a search, but all the hits I’m getting involve the man falsely accusing others (wiretap accusations, etc). ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/19 "2017-07-22T20:27:17Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > I’ll defend anyone who deserves it. Can you point me to other ATMB threads where you have asked for moderation of posts about another politician who has been the subject of a joke or unattributed quote? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873/20 "2017-07-22T20:28:33Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Any time he’s been falsely accused. Than it should be trivial to cite an actual example. That means a link to an actual story, not just declaring it’s happened. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lack-of-moderation-of-quotes-in-mccain-gbt-thread/791873.md?page=2)