I’m going to have to go on record with my opinion that this is a bad idea. Not a capital Bad Idea, just a general brain fart bad idea.
It’s the perfect thread for annoying crap that doesn’t rise to the level of having its own thread, but can require more vitriol than can be released in MPSIMS. As I’m posting this there are two warnings for language and behavior that wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow in the Pit.
I’m not sure who instigated the change, but apparently the complaint was that they’re too mild for the Pit and that the Pit should be reserved for complaints of Epic proportion.
Meh. Move the everyday stuff back to the Pit where it can be expressed with the fervor the poster feels like putting into it.
I’m pretty sure there’s only been one warning issued, by me. The person said “fuck you,” in a remark directed towards other members of this community, which wouldn’t be okay even if the thread were still in the Pit. The person who got the warning received it with equanimity.
The topic is certainly open for discussion, and ATMB is the correct place for the discussion, but let’s keep the facts straight as we discuss it, okay?
As Pit Moderator, I don’t really have a preference. As I suggested in the thread, I’ll consider moving it back. Please let me know what you folks want.
I wasn’t attempting to misrepresent facts, I apologize if I did. The point I was attempting to make was that I comment like “Fuck the syphaletic, donkey fellating, waste of sperm that cut me off in traffic this morning.” is a bit over the top for MPIMS, but run of the mill for the Pit.
So please do move it back. If there’s someone that considers it too mild for the Pit, well, it’s clearly labeled as mini-rants so those that don’t want to read it can ignore it.
I vote (if we’re voting) to move it back to the Pit. Yes, the complaints in thread are trivial, but when has that ever stopped someone from Pitting something in the past. I had an epic thread about disliking lemon in my tea once, for pity’s sake! Surely bad haircuts, annoying co-workers, ear canal zits (OMG! The zit threads we’ve had!), diarrhea, constipation, stealing yellow ribbon magnets off other peoples’ cars, and yes, complaining about what does and doesn’t belong in the Pit is just a Pit-worthy as a 42 post thread on how irritated people are about how their tea is served!
As for people who are concerned that some Pit threads are too trivial - get a life! Seriously, put down the keyboard and do something else for awhile. Geez!
Upfront disclosure: I really don’t care which forum it ends up in.
That said – it seems to me that the really vivid language you use is more apt to appear in dedicated threads, and that the Mini-Rants tend to be a whole lot more G-rated. Incredibly pissed off and ready to tear a new one for the object of your wrath? Usually gets its own OP. Annoyed enough to say something, but it’s not really making you see red? Usually in Mini-Rants. For the latter, there’s no reason for it to not be in MPSIMS, other than tradition.
Admittedly, though, I’m not a regular denizen of the Pit, and I’ve almost never read the Mini-Rants, so I may have this wrong.
I really wish they would move the mini rants thread(s) back to the Pit.
I posted about a passive-aggressive ninny I’ve had dealings with recently and, because I knew the thread had been moved to MPSIMS, I held back and am now afraid the mildness of the language might lead the subject of the rant to think I like her.
Twickster that’s a good point about the language, but really, ANY thread with “rant” in it is more likely to have “vivid” language at some point than a more typical MSPIMS thread. With mini-rants in the Pit mods will probably be issuing fewer warnings. It’s up to the mods if that is an important factor or not. The mini-rants tend to be more G-rated, that’s true, but it does leave open the option for getting “vivid” over something that’s small but really annoying.
My own personal feeling, both as poster and moderator, has always been that we’re not running a G-rated site, and such language as “Fuck the syphaletic, donkey fellating, waste of sperm that directed Such-and-Such movie” would be acceptable in Cafe Society, so long as not addressed at another poster (obviously.) However, I get uneasy with too many “fucks” in the thread titles – the old workplace-safe issue comes into play. Plus, newcomers here get a perhaps false idea of what conversations are really like. So, I don’t like such language in thread titles, but I’ve never cared much if strong language (mini-rants) is used within posts.
I agree. Did anyone besides Carol Stream want it moved? Seriously, was a (small) tradition changed just because one poster wouldn’t shut up about it? If not, please educate me.
While the initial OP was indeed mundane as you state, it wasn’t the purpose of the thread. If it were a damn, my ear hurts thread, then yes, it should have been kicked over to MPSIMS. In this case it was I’m bitching about my ear, I don’t expect any comment, now move on.
In fact, the purpose of the thread is that it’s a collection of OPs that the posters don’t think warrant a thread of their own. Some will be mundane, some would actually be worthy of a thread if the poster really wanted to put forth the effort. Most fall somewhere in the middle.
I guess that’s the gist of my point. Mini-rants isn’t as much a thread as it is a collection of OPs. Some will get a few comments, most won’t. All are some form of complaint which, IMHO, puts it squarely in Pit territory.
I agree with this idea. Even with the change in Pit rules that caused such a ruckus a while back, I liked the idea of titles being tamed down, as long as posts were allowed to be just as crazed.