# Making Crap Up: Rules? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 16, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691 "2013-07-16T19:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/21 "2013-07-17T02:39:25Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m not keen on turning this board into another version of [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org), since [FactCheck.org](http://FactCheck.org) killed my father. Everybody knows Glenn Beck killed your father in 1990. I don’t know why they never talk about that. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/22 "2013-07-17T15:45:37Z")
I would weigh in on this matter, but the Nobel Peace Prize I won carries the proviso that we Laureates are not allowed to become involved in minor squabbles. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/23 "2013-07-17T15:58:26Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > And more to the point, why are old made-up stories any better than new made-up stories? Well, the old ones have gone through a process of “natural selection” where only the good stories, with lots of sex and violence, have survived. The new stories have not passed through this selection process and are thus, obviously inferior. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/24 "2013-07-17T16:14:57Z")
> [@](#): > > **Marley** : In Great Debates we primarily moderate for things like insults and tone and hijacks, not for non-factual statements. If it’s becoming a problem because someone is saying a bunch of wild stuff and won’t post a cite, we might tell that poster to start posting cites or cut the crap. In GQ they’d be stricter about that. Non-factual statements **promote** ignorance. I don’t expect mods to know the facts on all topics, but it is a good thing when posters have a little help in routing out lies. Please do pay attention to claims of fact that are not backed up with cites unless there is good reason. Great Debates will be horrible if people feel free to lie, but there is a rule against pointing out that they are lying. Rather ironic, isn’t it? I don’t think I’m familiar with that kind of debate. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/25 "2013-07-17T16:17:06Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Great Debates will be horrible if people feel free to lie, but there is a rule against pointing out that they are lying. Rather ironic, isn’t it? I don’t think I’m familiar with that kind of debate. Being wrong or failing to back up a statement isn’t the same as lying. That’s why we don’t allow people to call each other liars in that forum: it lets people impugn each other’s motives instead of addressing whether a statement is true. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/26 "2013-07-17T17:41:35Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > has the virtue of being about a smart, hot chick kicking ass. I’m in favor of those. Why are you in favor of a smart ass that kicks hot chicks? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/27 "2013-07-17T17:50:39Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > That’s not true! That’s unverified! And Snopes was his bitch! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691/28 "2013-07-17T19:45:57Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > . . . Take…that…back. Well, I won’t do that, but I will refrain from an escalation that occurred to me… > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > . . . while I have nothing against making up shit, I don’t believe in _stirring_ up shit unnecessarily. That sounds like a very sensible middle ground. I can live with it. > [@akennett](#): > > And more to the point, why are old made-up stories any better than new made-up stories? . . . I wouldn’t say they’re better. In fact, I think many modern inventions regarding the Greek Gods are the better stories. (I’ve written 'em myself!) I just don’t believe that they should be treated with the same veneration. In many ways, Hesiod was a dolt. There are severe problems with his stories. Stephen King would have done a much better job. But Hesiod was a pioneer, and the rest of us are followers. It’s why we venerate Shakespeare. Others have written better stories since, but he was of a generation of breakthrough geniuses, doing marvelous new things with the instrument of language. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-crap-up-rules/663691.md?page=1)