# Modding for content **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 11, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187 "2011-01-11T03:22:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/261 "2011-05-02T21:01:31Z")
I can see why a segment of the population here like the idea of a 75-option poll. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/262 "2011-05-02T21:06:48Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > In the latest modding for content news . . . > > G-SE starts [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=606970) thread to discuss whether waterboarding helped capture ObL. Predictably, several posters use the term “torture” to describe waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques. And the mods don’t bat an eye over it (heck, some of the posters using the word “torture” are mods themselves!). > > I have no doubt that if this board were right-leaning the mods would get all over someone’s ass for using the word “torture” because it’s off-topic when discussing enhanced interrogation techniques. But our esteemed mods join in the fun. Repeatedly almost drowning someone would qualify as torture in most people’s book. I don’t think “left” or “right” has much to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/263 "2011-05-02T21:07:08Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > In the latest modding for content news . . . > > G-SE starts [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=606970) thread to discuss whether waterboarding helped capture ObL. Predictably, several posters use the term “torture” to describe waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques. And the mods don’t bat an eye over it (heck, some of the posters using the word “torture” are mods themselves!). That’s not even the worst of it. I was reading a thread discussing the Paul Ryan budget proposal and someone actually described it as containing a “tax cut” for the wealthy instead of the far more accurate term “theft reduction”! I reported it like ten times, but the mods didn’t do _anything_. It was ridiculous! What is this, “1984” by George Orwell? The whole thing makes me want to apply some enhanced interrogation techniques to someone until all the socialism in the world won’t keep them from having to pay the double taxation death tax. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/264 "2011-05-02T21:08:46Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > II have no doubt that if this board were right-leaning the mods would get all over someone’s ass for using the word “torture” because it’s off-topic when discussing enhanced interrogation techniques. I thought right-wing people preferred not to deal with that pansy PC crap and tell it like it is. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/265 "2011-05-02T21:10:25Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I thought right-wing people preferred not to deal with that pansy PC crap and tell it like it is. Hey! “Right wing” is hate speech! The correct term is “moderate”. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/266 "2011-05-02T21:12:18Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > The point is that the mods clearly let their political affiliation and views on political issues affect how they undertake their modding duties. If that doesn’t bother you, then fine. But it bothers me and others, and I think makes the board a worse place to post. Trying to sling “enhanced interrogation technique” as a valid euphemism for torture (or worse, trying to say they’re totally different and not the same in any way whatsoever) isn’t a mark of political affiliation. It’s just bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/267 "2011-05-02T21:22:11Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > G-SE starts [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=606970) thread to discuss whether waterboarding helped capture ObL. Predictably, several posters use the term “torture” to describe waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques. And the mods don’t bat an eye over it (heck, some of the posters using the word “torture” are mods themselves!). Would you like some cheese, with that? When, after WWII, the U.S. executed Japanese for waterboarding, the U.S. considered it torture. That seems a pretty safe precedent. Since no one was reprimanded for using the euphemism “enhanced interrogation techniques,” I rate this revivification of a zombie thread to be nothing more than an attempt to see if you can yank any chains. Fail. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/268 "2011-05-02T21:26:14Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Well, as I said upthread, some of us are not as enamored of our own aesthetic opinions as others of us are. IOW, you seem to believe that you have a right for this forum to only contain threads that you like. > > I disagree with that. I think it’s perfectly fine for me to open a thread, think it’s stupid as hell, and close it without posting to it. This happens at least 5 times a day. And life goes on. And we disagree with “threadshitting.” Which is what you’re doing here. If you’re not going to contribute anything useful here you should close without posting again. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/269 "2011-05-02T21:35:33Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Would you like some cheese, with that? > > When, after WWII, the U.S. executed Japanese for waterboarding, the U.S. considered it torture. That seems a pretty safe precedent. Since no one was reprimanded for using the euphemism “enhanced interrogation techniques,” I rate this revivification of a zombie thread to be nothing more than an attempt to see if you can yank any chains. > Fail. Let me try one more time to get you to actually think about this issue instead of reflexively spouting bullshit (as is your wont, whether modding or not). Imagine an extreme right-leaning board (say, the freepers). Now imagine that OP on that board, and those replies to that OP. Do you think the mods would say that people using the word “torture” were threadshitting or being a jerk or at least taking the discussion in an off-topic direction? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/270 "2011-05-02T21:37:15Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > And we disagree with “threadshitting.” Which is what you’re doing here. > > If you’re not going to contribute anything useful here you should close without posting again. I’m really not sure what you’re saying here. Was I threadshitting in the “torture” thread? Was I threadshitting in my post to this thread about the torture thread? I’m honestly not trying to bait you here or anything, I just don’t understand what you are saying. ---
**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:** [May 2, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/271 "2011-05-02T22:09:26Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > G-SE starts [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=606970) thread to discuss whether waterboarding helped capture ObL. Predictably, several posters use the term “torture” to describe waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques. And the mods don’t bat an eye over it (heck, some of the posters using the word “torture” are mods themselves!). Certain people using the word [“torture” for waterboarding](http://lawreview.wustl.edu/slip-opinions/waterboarding-is-illegal/) are distinguished [Professors of Law.](http://www.uakron.edu/law/faculty/profile.dot?identity=691999) I guess he was doing it to be a jerk, not because there are legal arguments for it being considered such. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/272 "2011-05-02T22:27:15Z")
And other legal professors (such as John Yoo) think those other legal professors are wrong. All of which is beside the point of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/273 "2011-05-02T22:34:07Z")
And don’t get me going on how they call them ‘suicide bombers’ instead of the Fox-approved ‘homicide bombers.’ Buncha fucking Marxists! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/274 "2011-05-02T22:35:32Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > All of which is beside the point of this thread. Which, of course, was simply to whine about being called on your threadshitting in the other thread. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/275 "2011-05-02T22:57:49Z")
No, the point was to bring up the topic of modding for content when we have a live example. Which your posts in this thread have contributed nothing to. Your last post in particular was a threadshit pure and simple. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/276 "2011-05-02T23:13:32Z")
There has been no “modding for content” in the GD thread and your pretending that there has been is simply attention seeking. The word “torture” has been used by numerous legal authorities in regard to waterboarding, so complaints that it is inappropriate to use in a thread in which waterboarding is discussed is baseless. Despite your denial, I actually pointed this out, already. I also noted that “modding for content” would have involved reprimanding those who used the euphemism rather than “torture”–an action that has not occurred–so you are just inventing a complaint. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/277 "2011-05-02T23:15:38Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Was I threadshitting in the “torture” thread? Yes. (Even though we have refrained from issuing you a Warning for that action.) ---
**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:** [May 3, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/278 "2011-05-03T01:11:05Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > And other legal professors (such as John Yoo) think those other legal professors are wrong. So what? This just indicates they disagree with it, not that it’s wrong. > [@](#): > > All of which is beside the point of this thread. The point of this thread, if any, has not been clarified by any of your recent posts. However, in your post above you took the position that the word “torture” should be prohibited in connection with waterboarding. Given that respected legal experts have made the argument that waterboarding is torture, this is not a reasonable position. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/279 "2011-05-03T01:18:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > The point of this thread, if any, has not been clarified by any of your recent posts. However, in your post above you took the position that the word “torture” should be prohibited in connection with waterboarding. Nope. I used the torture example in conjunction with the race/IQ example to show how the mods on this board select which topics to moderate and which to leave alone. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187/280 "2011-05-03T01:19:21Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Yes. (Even though we have refrained from issuing you a Warning for that action.) Have you been threadshitting in this thread? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modding-for-content/567187.md?page=15)