# Moderation in the Minnesota shooting thread **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 28, 2026, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111 "2026-01-28T04:18:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111/41 "2026-01-29T20:52:28Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > From the standpoint of an outside observer, what I see is that you made a good, informative post. That too. I also took it as a compliment, saying, hey, your post was worthy of starting a topic about. That also made it a lot easier to accept. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111/42 "2026-01-29T21:07:07Z")
I generally take care to make a good OP when I decide to make a thread, giving context, phrasing things in a way that makes sense for new readers, etc. Taking a post that was not intended to stand on its own as its own OP, but formatting it as though the user chose to create that OP themselves is problematic to me. It certainly shouldn’t be done over the specific objections of the person being forced to be the OP. If wanted to create a thread about that topic, I would take more care to craft a better OP than the one that was forced on me. At the very least, as other posters have said, when you take someone’s post and spin it off into a thread, you should absolute be clear that’s what you’re doing, and that the poster didn’t themselves choose to post it as a new thread. The first words someone reads in that thread should explain that. I wouldn’t have been so angry about it had that happened, because it wouldn’t look like I (carelessly) created my own new discussion. I stand by my assessment that, while creating a spinoff thread may have been well-intentioned and not punitive, the response [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-signs-of-the-great-sickness-of-our-society-is-that-news-and-current-event-comedians-are-more-honest-and-more-real-about-what-s-going-on-than-any-sort-of-news-station-or-anyone-else-is-in-the-mainstream-public-discourse/1027162/) clearly was. If I’m saying that I do not want my post to be used to start a new topic and asking them to please undo that, why remind me that I need to be careful about hijacking, if the refusal to remove that thread was not a punishment? He’s essentially saying “oh you’re unhappy about me creating this new thread in your name? Well that’s what you get for hijacking the other thread” I’m leaving the original P&E thread because it has become extremely over-moderated and I suspect a good faith post that’s relevant to what the current discussion is but not precisely on topic will get me a warning. Maybe I’ll revive the pit thread on a similar topic as that is likely to be lighter in moderation. I know moderation is a tough job. It’s uncompensated volunteer work and it’s valuable and people get angry with you when you’re trying to do your best. Every time I get harassed by some power tripping reddit mod I realize how good the moderation here is. I don’t want to disparage the general moderation community on the SDMB. I appreciate that you’re always responsive and usually very reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111/43 "2026-01-29T21:12:05Z")
I think this may be one of those occasions (the Charlie Kirk shooting was another) where it might be beneficial to create (or use the existing [ICE Pit thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-is-racist-fascist-lawless-and-running-concentration-camps/1025019/224)) as a parallel thread. Not just because people might like to shout and scream, but because the hijacks aren’t subject to the stricter moderation. If after getting the strong emotions or side tracks out of the system and polished by other responses, ones that would work in the P&E thread can be re-addressed there as well. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111/44 "2026-01-29T21:25:49Z")
Also, from before > [@RitterSport](#): > > I like you as a poster and I hope you tone things down, accept the moderation, and move on. I really don’t want to see you flame out. > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > Put me next to @RitterSport : you add a lot of value to this message board, but it might be a good time to take a break – few hours, few days … whatever. Just wanted to say I appreciate the support/concern/advice ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2026, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111/45 "2026-01-29T22:04:00Z")
I think you started an interesting topic. The fact that it picked up replies so quickly is an indication of that. Frankly, I take having it moved to its own thread rather than mod-warned or deleted was a compliment. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111/46 "2026-01-30T01:08:04Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I really appreciate the efforts to keep the Minneapolis thread on topic. Speaking of which, I think part of the problem is that its title “The ICE shootings in Minneapolis (1/7/2026)” _is_ much narrower than the topic. Something that naturally encourages the discussion going _off_ topic, as the topic isn’t actually officially stated. The title really should be something like “ICE Behavior in Minneapolis” to reflect the actual topic, which is no longer just one shooting early in the month. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-in-the-minnesota-shooting-thread/1027111.md?page=2)