Lynn, please provide cites for the rule you have asserted

[Bootis]

Still no one has given any good reason why creative insult threads have been/should be/will be closed. And not just a blanket statement of “They’re puerile”, because there have been several reasons given to the contrary. So, I’ll ask again, why?

[What_Exit]

@Frank

To the best of my knowledge, those rules were superceded by Giraffe’s set, which have now been superceded by Ed’s.

They’re too clever for that trick.

Giraffe’s are gone and Lynn’s are back. Take a look at the two stickies in the BBQ Pit. This was this way earlier today.

[Frank]

@What_Exit

They’re too clever for that trick.

As if we weren’t confused enough already.

[Skywatcher]

@Muffin

We have to assume that any long-standing moderator would be aware of Tuba’s direction to improve the tone of the board, for that would not be an obscure rule.

As I said, Tuba didn’t answer when I asked, ergo even she doesn’t seem to know if it’s still in effect. If nobody knows if a rule is in effect or not, how can anyone be certain what the appropriate outcome is?

[I_Love_Me_Vol.I]

Haven’t you guys heard about the new Board Directive Number 1 yet? It’s similar to the “Don’t Be a Jerk” rule in that it’s rather hard to define exactly but “they know it when they see it”.

New Rule:

"Don’t Have Any Fun on the SDMB". (Again, rather broad, but TPTB know fun when they see it— AND THERE WILL BE NONE OF IT!!!

[Giraffe]

@Lynn_Bodoni

However, those old rules have been in effect since I first posted them, and have been occasionally enforced.

Hmm, I’m pretty sure that’s a dig at me. Nice.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@Giraffe

Hmm, I’m pretty sure that’s a dig at me. Nice.

I now have even more empathy with your decision to step down.

[Muffin]

@SkipMagic

That’s incorrect. All it does mean is that a mod wasn’t aware of what we’ve done before with a certain type of thread that doesn’t pop up all that often. Had I seen the thread Marley moved, I would have closed it–because that’s what we’ve done in the past. Have there been insult threads we’ve missed and that are still open? Probably, but that doesn’t mean we allow insult threads; it just means we’re human and we miss some threads.

So, no, Lynn wasn’t making anything up, nor was she acting without precedent. Now, if you feel the rule is flawed and you’d like to propose allowing those types of threads, I’d suggest starting a new thread. (It might seem like a silly idea, but a proposal and the arguments behind it might get overlooked hidden under the title of this thread.)

Based on the cites of such threads in which moderators or former moderators participated, and the comments by moderators and former moderators in this thread, the simple fact is that your crew have been all over the map on this one, with neither a consistent rule nor a consistent application.

That being said, as you recommend that I put forth a proposal in a separate thread, I’m glad to: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10875528#post10875528

[Seeker_of_Truth_and_Beauty]

And so it starts. The capricious, willy-nilly moderating when one Mod (or Admin) makes a knee-jerk decision that happens to upset a poster.

Ed, do you see why having too many rules is a bad idea?

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

[bengangmo]

@SomeUserName

Sorry. The edit timed out. I meant this thread

I guess this was around before the rules though.

I really see nothing wrong with that thread. It assume it was put in the pit so any “language” would be contained to where it should be, in the Pit.

You assume correctly.

I opened the thread for two reasons, firstly, I was always told that profanity is the refuge of the intellectually barren and for those with poor vocabularies little imagination - so I thought it would be good fun to see just how creative the millions are as a group.

Secondly, nothing explores new rules like seeing them implemented (even hypothetically) so it would have been good to see where the line lies between insult and abuse, and thirdly (I know I said two right?) I wanted to see if I could learn any good one line insults to use on others. (I am known a bit for one line put downs that don’t use profanity)

If it is in the wrong forum, why not just move it? Although I must admint that given the current atmosphere I wasn’t particularly surprised when it was closed.

[CairoCarol]

[THREAD=419579]This thread from 2une 2007[/THREAD] was not restricted to insults, but it certainly included a few (I grabbed the ones below at random; I’m sure there are better ones in the thread).

Running_In_Place is responsible for the death penalty in Singapore.

You know how you never see baby pigeons? Think about that the next time fetus invites you over for BBQ “chicken.”

Swampbear has slept with every Chinese person alive! And some dead.

Swampbear once mouthed a 9-volt battery for two hours, waiting for the tingle to subside.

Shecky is the world’s least caught serial killer.

After 1,230 posts consuming 25 pages, SkipMagic had to call a halt to the party. It probably would have taken over the universe by now otherwise.

Mod Note:
Time for the thread to die, guys. At 1200+ posts, 25 pages, and nearly a month’s run, you’ve had a good go at it. But when the same few people are the ones posting over and over again and keeping it alive, it’s time to move on and let other threads stay on the front page.

[Muffin]

@Lute Skywatcher

If nobody knows if a rule is in effect or not, how can anyone be certain what the appropriate outcome is?

We can’t, which is at the heart of my concern about the recent changes in the regulation of The Pit.

[Muffin]

@CairoCarol

[THREAD=419579]This thread from 2une 2007[/THREAD] was not restricted to insults, but it certainly included a few (I grabbed the ones below at random; I’m sure there are better ones in the thread).

. . .

After 1,230 posts consuming 25 pages, SkipMagic had to call a halt to the party. It probably would have taken over the universe by now otherwise.

Just doin’ the dozens. Wiki: Dozens (game) - Wikipedia

The dozens is a contest of personal power—of wit, self-control, verbal ability, mental agility and mental toughness. Each putdown, each “snap”, ups the ante. Defeat can be humiliating; but a skilled contender, win or lose, may gain respect. The dozens is one of the contributing elements in the development of hip hop, especially the practice of battling.

The dozens can be a harmless game, or, if tempers flare, a prelude to violence. While the competition, on its face, is usually light-hearted, smiles sometimes mask real tensions. But in its purest form, the dozens is part of an African-American custom of verbal sparring, of “woofin’” and “signifyin’,” intended to defuse conflict nonviolently, descended from an oral tradition rooted in traditional West African cultures.

It’s rather unfortunate that several of the mods are offended by this to the point of prohibiting it.

[Koxinga]

More and more the admins* here remind me of when I was a low-level working peon and our immediate supervisors were instructed (by senior management) to implement policies that they themselves knew to be contradictory and against common sense. Try challenging a mid-level manager who’s caught in that position and see how defensive, contradictory, sullen and passive aggressive he or she gets.

[Zoe]

Koxinga: More and more the admins* here remind me of when I was a low-level working peon and our immediate supervisors were instructed (by senior management) to implement policies that they themselves knew to be contradictory and against common sense. Try challenging a mid-level manager who’s caught in that position and see how defensive, contradictory, sullen and passive aggressive he or she gets.

That would be good preparation now for the teaching profession.

Bootis: As has been pointed out here already, a short list of creative insult enthusiasts include Shakespeare, Monty Python, and Cecil Adams.

Johnny Carson too. I can’t help but think of Carmack.