# Lynn seems pretty harsh... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 24, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783 "2004-04-24T06:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/21 "2004-04-24T15:55:02Z")
My WAGs: I was under the impression that only admins can actually ban someone (though I don’t know if that’s by rule or by custom). Therefore, since Lynn seems to do more of the visible-on-the-board stuff, it would make sense that she does most of the visible banning. And as someone above said, the mods and admins communicate about stuff. If Mod X asked Lynn for her opinion on a questionable thread, and Lynn looked at the thread and found it worthy of closing, then it would make sense that she would just go ahead and do it, rather than getting back to Mod X, and waiting for him to do it. That, and the fact that she’s a Nazi. (c’mon, someone had to say it!) ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/22 "2004-04-24T16:06:22Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > I’m not talking about her tooth, sir or madam. I’m talking about her diabetes, her recent extended hospital stay, the times we didn’t even know whether she would make it. Things she never whines or complains about. She does this thankless job while literally struggling for her life. If being criticized for slamming her pisses you off, that’s just too bad. Lib, you give southerners a bad name! I never “slammed her” ! I thought I liked you but now I am starting to question that… 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mayfield\_St.Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayfield_St.Cloud)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/23 "2004-04-24T16:24:50Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Go ahead, make his day. I would, but I’m afraid I’d fall asleep in the middle of my post, before I could even get to the ‘preview’ button. Have you been in the Comments on Staff Reports forum? It’s like a morgue in there. In a small, boring town. In South Dakota. In February. At 3 am. On Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/24 "2004-04-24T16:33:24Z")
Because, as I dubbed her for my Box O’ Books, she is the Fist of Justice. She smites the unholy, the moronic, the trollish, and the dumbasses. Oh! Fall down on your KNEES and beg forgiveness, lest the Eye of Bodoni turn upon you! No man alive can hold up under its terrifying gaze! Repent! The end is nigh! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/25 "2004-04-24T16:44:15Z")
> [@Desmostylus](#): > > I’m guessing that **Lynn** is Metatron. Archangel, Angel of Death, Mouth of God. 😉 You say Metatron, I say Megatron. Care to make a bet? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/26 "2004-04-24T16:50:15Z")
She is to the SDMB as is Mandos to the whole of Middle-Earth and Arda itself: The Doomsayer. The banned she keeps in her unbreachable Halls of Waiting, as Time itself wears away. There she refuses their pleas, and waits for Dagor Ignorath, _The Final Battle against Ignorance_. Only then will her purpose be fulfilled. And once that purpose is fulfilled, and **Zottë** and **VardaDiva** rule together over the SDMB Unmarred, _ **then** _ will she ascend back to **Cecil** ’s Timeless Halls, to sit at the feet of the AllKnower, and bask in his radiance and reflect the knowledge and glory unto the end of days. ---
**Author:** ![BooBoo316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@BooBoo316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BooBoo316)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/27 "2004-04-24T16:56:59Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > That, and the fact that she’s a Nazi. (c’mon, someone had to say it!) Ok, now I’m confused. I thought **Coldfire** was the Nazi. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/28 "2004-04-24T16:58:08Z")
> [@Deep\_One](#): > > Lynn is but a servant of that bitch-goat Shubb-Niggurath. The Great and Terrible and Dreaded Cthulhu will have his revenge though - just wait till The Stars Are Right. > > Ia! Ia! Cthulhu fhtagn! Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah-nagl fhtaga!!! The Day Of Reckoning is at hand!!! Hey **D.C.** , long time no see, since your banning. Still jerking off to Holocaust movies? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/29 "2004-04-24T18:07:09Z")
**Qadgop** : Perfect! I bow to you! **KGS** : Given that there are about 1.0x10[sup]n,000[/sup] Lovecraft fans out there in the ether, why would you think this anonymous one is actually a banned poster? ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/30 "2004-04-24T18:16:16Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > I’m not talking about her tooth, sir or madam. I’m talking about her diabetes, her recent extended hospital stay, the times we didn’t even know whether she would make it. Things she never whines or complains about. She does this thankless job while literally struggling for her life. If being criticized for slamming her pisses you off, that’s just too bad. Pfff. 1. The OP was hardly a slam. 2. It’s still perfectly ok to question & criticize someone, who holds “power”, even when they have to face personal hardship, imho, ymmv. 3. How are people supposed to know about the above mentioned hardship in the first place? Now that you mention it, I recall reading something, but since I don’t keep a file on every doper, it’s impractical at best to assume everyone has to know everything about someone else. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/31 "2004-04-24T18:18:13Z")
Heh she seems fine to me. Hell I even argued with her once (in a very careful manner of course 😃 ) and didn’t even get warned. Why? Because I didn’t break any rules. This is the pit where 99% of all meltdowns, rule breaking, trolling, and other bad behavior takes place. If I was in charge of it I’d be just as…ah strict as her. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/32 "2004-04-24T18:22:29Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > She is to the SDMB as is Mandos to the whole of Middle-Earth and Arda itself: The Doomsayer. Manos? Hands of Fate. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/33 "2004-04-24T19:20:53Z")
> [@](#): > > How many stripes or stars does an administrator wear? Is an administrator more or less than a two star general? More or less than an archangel? Do you have to salute when an administrator goes by? Or should you say a prayer instead? It is very confusing to me and I wish someone would make a chart showing the relative ranks. Generally, I wear a pair of sandals, a pair of panties, and a pair of glasses. On the rare occasions when I must venture into the outside world, I usually wear a floral print muumuu. Sometimes I’ll wear an embroidered chambray dress. I very, very rarely wear stripes or stars. Instead, I carry with me a Staff of Attitude Adjustment with which I smite wrongdoers on occasion. Usually, I just use my staff as a walking stick, though. I’m more than a two star general or archangel. You should not salute me. Since I’m an atheist, praying will do you no good, either. Instead, you should offer me fine dark chocolate. This will make me smile upon you and wish you well. As for the hierarchy around here…there’s **Cecil, Ed, TubaDiva,** and **C. K. Dexter Haven** above me. I’ve got seniority on the rest of the moderation staff. A couple of the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board members have seniority on me, but they VERY rarely make an appearance, and are not my superiors. Now, even the most junior of the moderation staff can criticize me in mod email, and I’ll at least take it into consideration, but only the above mentioned four people can ORDER me to cool it. So far, none of them ever has. Now, I’ve mentioned something to **Ed** in an IM about one of our shitstorms, and he’s told me that he really doesn’t want to bring that bit of info into the discussion, but he didn’t order me not to. A couple of times, **TubaDiva** has told me “I really wish you hadn’t done that”, but it’s been quite a while since she’s said that. If I am unsure of what action to take, I try to get hold of one of my superiors before I take any action. As **Green Bean** said, there’s quite a bit of mod communication, and we ask each other’s opinions on posters, threads, the board as a whole, and non-board matters. In addition, not only do I moderate the Pit, but I’m responsible for the whole Straight Dope Message Board. I frequently read other forums, both for my own enjoyment and to see if there’s a problem brewing. If I see a spam post, for instance, I’m not going to worry about which forum it’s in. I’m going to hide the post or thread and, if the spam is a new poster’s first and only post, I’ll ban that poster. No warning, no discussion, just BANNED. I get tons of email each day. I classify the letters as urgent, nonurgent, fluff, and spam. Urgent gets acted on or replied to as soon as possible. Nonurgent gets acted on or replied to when I get around to it. I rarely answer fluff letters. Spam gets deleted, sometimes after being reported. Lynn Cecil’s own Angel of Death ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/34 "2004-04-24T19:24:38Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > Hey **D.C.** , long time no see, since your banning. Still jerking off to Holocaust movies? If you suspect that a banned poster has returned with a new name, please use the REPORT button or email a mod or admin. As it happens, this doesn’t look like that particular poster. Lynn For the Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/35 "2004-04-24T19:31:04Z")
Oh, get off it **Lib**. The fact that she’s got health problems doesn’t change the fact that she does lock more threads and issue more bannings than the other powers that be. The question is not “Why is Lynn such a vicious bitch?” but rather “Why does Lynn lock more threads and issue more bannings than the other mods?” It’s a legitimate question, with legitimate answers that have nothing to do with Lynn’s personality or health issues. If Lynn’s health makes her too delicate to deal with legitimate questions about how this board works, it makes her too delicate to continue as an admin. If she’s healthy enough for one, she’s healthy enough for the other. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/36 "2004-04-24T19:41:34Z")
I just wanted to point out that my above comments have nothing to do with **Lynn** being too busy to respond to email right away, but center purely around **Lib** ’s contention that her poor health means anyone who questions or criticizes her actions as an admin is automatically an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/37 "2004-04-24T22:45:39Z")
Poor, poor **Lib**. He’s still making up for the time he went off and bitched and moaned about all the Mods. Don’t begrude him his ass-kissing – he’s got a lot of making up to do. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/38 "2004-04-25T00:00:22Z")
Remember also that Lynn is an administrator, and only administrators can actually ban members. Moderators can only refer someone for banning, IIRC. So it’s natural that she would do more actual banning. And, as has been noted, the Pit does seem to bring out more banworthy behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Scotticher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scotticher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scotticher)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/39 "2004-04-25T04:08:58Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > Instead, I carry with me a Staff of Attitude Adjustment with which I smite wrongdoers on occasion. Usually, I just use my staff as a walking stick, though. And I am here to tell you, she DOES. I met the lovely Lynn, and she didn’t smite me…not even ONCE! [sub]of course I carried much chocolate, which probably increased my chances of emerging unscathed.[/sub] We had a lovely dinner and bonded forever when we discovered we both had an affinity for being owned by Siamese cats. She is a sweetheart of a person. Of course, a person who has a responsibility for a place has to be stern on occasion, [sub]and Lynn isn’t shy about doing what she has to do[/sub]…even if they are a sweetheart. Which in my totally unbiased opinon she IS. If this message board REALLY wanted to have a dictator running things, they’d have a Siamese cat in charge. THEN we’d see mass bannings on a whim. Based solely on how much kowtowing was being done in the matter of catering to any and all passing fancies said Siamese cat had at that given moment. It boggles the mind. 🙂 Basically, this would mean that sooner or later we would ALL be banned…even Lynn! ---
**Author:** ![htns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@htns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/htns)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783/40 "2004-04-25T04:42:33Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Oh, get off it **Lib**. The fact that she’s got health problems doesn’t change the fact that she does lock more threads and issue more bannings than the other powers that be. The question is not “Why is Lynn such a vicious bitch?” but rather “Why does Lynn lock more threads and issue more bannings than the other mods?” H’m…she can seem a little touchy. As a former admin on a now-defunct gaming board, I can understand a little touchiness. Adminning can do that to a person. As far as health problems are concerned, I’ll leave that to **Lynn’s** physician to decide. Doctor/patient confidentiality and all that. I’ll agree that she does lock too many threads. My philosophy was that a thread remains open, no matter what. If it’s getting out of hand, it got moved to Flamer’s Paradise (our equivalent of SDMB’s Pit). Nothing got locked, ever. Dunno if that would work on SDMB as it did on a gaming board three years ago, tho. Admins do take a lot of abuse. Respect them, and they respect you, if they are worthy of their position. > [@](#): > > It’s a legitimate question, with legitimate answers that have nothing to do with Lynn’s personality or health issues. If Lynn’s health makes her too delicate to deal with legitimate questions about how this board works, it makes her too delicate to continue as an admin. If she’s healthy enough for one, she’s healthy enough for the other. If all warnings are sent via email, no problem. If no email is sent, the warning doesn’t count, or so I’ve read. If a mod/admin is banning people without emailing them warnings, that person should not be a mod/admin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lynn-seems-pretty-harsh/241783.md?page=3)