# Moderation of inappropriate sexual commentary **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 6, 2013, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626 "2013-05-06T15:55:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/61 "2013-05-06T17:38:51Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Do you think we’re unaware of that button? We’re not. We know about it. Many people find it a less attractive solution than getting people to knock off with the obnoxious commentary in the first place. Right, you’d rather force change than to use the sensible and much easier option. Gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/62 "2013-05-06T17:41:17Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Any singular post is not any “louder” than the rest. Right, but when a gaggle of dudes get together in any given thread to lecherously discuss banging the person in question, then those singular posts add up fairly quickly. If a woman has the poor judgment to even indirectly refer to the fact that she has “pink parts” on this board, posters swarm in to start in with the comments. Some comments are flat out creepy in their overt lecherous attentiveness and some are as annoying by saying stupid things like, “must resist urge to make blah blah fucking joke.” The point is, though, that these posts are numerous. And none of this has anything to do with _mocking_ somebody’s vagina because they’re talking about it. It’s the implication that because she’s talking about it, you (the general you) have the right to talk about wanting to fuck it. Even if she’s talking about a serious medical issue. If a woman’s reproductive organs are visible or mentioned, the implication is that everyone has a right to do or say whatever they want, even if it violates her. Because free speech. And she’s asking for it. Or something. Thanks, Obama! ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/63 "2013-05-06T17:41:57Z")
Its always good to have vocal minorities dictating social change, I’m glad to see this message board adopting that model. I am particularly interested in seeing how often mod notes are handed out for making inappropriate jokes about men. I sure there will be lots. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/64 "2013-05-06T17:43:58Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > I would describe unnecessary censorship using many of the same words others have used to describe the subject matter in this very thread. Why is one topic okay to use such words, but the other isn’t? They’re talking about types of posts and you’re talking about what a couple of specific people are doing or what they want. Everybody has had plenty of opportunities to vent their spleens on this topic and many took full advantage. We’re done with that for now and since we’ve proposed a more formal guideline for how we’ll moderate this kind of commentary, it’s time to focus the discussion on that and not who is immature or a prude. I think you should take a step back and think about how you’re addressing people. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/65 "2013-05-06T17:44:50Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Rule #1 states “Is it directed at another poster on this board?”. > > As a member of a group, a poster may feel insulted if the entire group is insulted. Good question, because in the past the mods have ruled that just because a group you belong to is maligned doesn’t mean that you have personally been maligned _unless posters that belong to that particular group are specifically targeted,_ otherwise pretty much every group would be protected from mockery and/or criticism. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/66 "2013-05-06T17:46:09Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > If a woman’s reproductive organs are visible or mentioned, the implication is that everyone has a right to do or say whatever they want, even if it violates her. Because free speech. Or something. > > Thanks, Obama! To be clear, I don’t oppose the first rule. I do, however, believe people should have the right to be an idiot, but if we were to ban every instance of that, this would be a very quiet board. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/67 "2013-05-06T17:47:22Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > They’re talking about types of posts and you’re talking about what a couple of specific people are doing or what they want. Everybody has had plenty of opportunities to vent their spleens on this topic and many took full advance. We’re done with that for now and since we’ve proposed a more formal guideline for how we’ll moderate this kind of commentary, it’s time to focus the discussion on that and not who is immature or a prude. I think you should take a step back and think about how you’re addressing people. Did you not see where I was accused of making crude comments when I haven’t? Strange that you’re only addressing those that object to your new rule. And I didn’t call anyone immature or prude. Hell, I didn’t call anyone anything. Soooo…what? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/68 "2013-05-06T17:48:06Z")
This is all a mistake. Any real problems could have been handled with the existing rules about insult, hijack, and don’t be a jerk rules. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/69 "2013-05-06T17:49:43Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I like this as a start. It’s a work in progress. You can’t wave a magic wand and make it all OK. But for the posters who are vehemently protesting, just try and walk a mile in our shoes for a bit, eh? Why don’t you sit back and see what happenes before we stress about every single thing? > > It might be nice if this was one of the few mature places on the Internet where women could feel just a tiny bit more welcome and part of the crowd and not walking vaginas. This what I’m taking away from this. Women are just getting tired of always hearing guys making jokes about sex, regardless of how unrelated it is to the topic at hand. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/70 "2013-05-06T17:51:22Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Good question, because in the past the mods have ruled that just because a group you belong to is maligned doesn’t mean that you have personally been maligned _unless posters that belong to that particular group are specifically targeted,_ otherwise pretty much every group would be protected from mockery and/or criticism. And the comments that started this whole kerfluffle were directed at a non member. (Specifically, comments at a woman making a political statement by going pantless in public.) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/71 "2013-05-06T17:53:22Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Its always good to have vocal minorities dictating social change, I’m glad to see this message board adopting that model. I am particularly interested in seeing how often mod notes are handed out for making inappropriate jokes about men. I sure there will be lots. Really? Do you feel that’s a problem we’ve been having? I must have missed all those times in the election forum where us men were trying to have a serious discussion on Obama’s and Romney’s views on tax policy and those women kept posting stuff about which of them they’d like to fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/72 "2013-05-06T17:55:55Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > We’re done with that for now and since we’ve proposed a more formal guideline for how we’ll moderate this kind of commentary, it’s time to focus the discussion on that … RIght. Would the pantless condom lady thread and the Skald thread have been moderated the same way under the new guidelines? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/73 "2013-05-06T17:56:50Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I would like to know if the moderated comments in **Skald the Rhymer** ’s thread, which contained this language in the OP: > > would still be moderated under the new rule. Probably. Because while it was a thread on a sexual topic and it did include a description of what a woman was wearing, it was actually a serious thread about how a manager should deal with his subordinates. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/74 "2013-05-06T17:56:58Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > And the comments that started this whole kerfluffle were directed at a non member. (Specifically, comments at a woman making a political statement by going pantless in public.) Uh, no. This whole “kerfuffle” (such a good word, we need to use it more often. Seriously) started quite a while ago. Sure, the crucifix pube lady was a recent example, but there are countless other examples where it was far more egregious. Female posters asking about serious medical problems and being greeted with requests to fondle their breasts, among other things. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Really? Do you feel that’s a problem we’ve been having? > > I must have missed all those times in the election forum where us men were trying to have a serious discussion on Obama’s and Romney’s views on tax policy and those women kept posting stuff about which of them they’d like to fuck. This is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/75 "2013-05-06T17:59:12Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > And the comments that started this whole kerfluffle were directed at a non member. (Specifically, comments at a woman making a political statement by going pantless in public.) I’m just wondering in general if it is still the standard that a snipe against a group is not counted as a snipe against any particular member of this board, unless the snipe is specifically against members of that group that are also members of this board. For example, if someone says something nasty about the Roman Catholic Church, can a poster report that as a personal insult because she/he happens to be Roman Catholic? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/76 "2013-05-06T18:00:27Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Did you not see where I was accused of making crude comments when I haven’t? That’d be right after you called someone “easily offended.” The post said you were defending the ability to make crude comments, and that is indeed part of the issue here. If you have a personal problem with another poster or a group of posters, hie yourself to the Pit. > [@bucketybuck](#): > > Its always good to have vocal minorities dictating social change, I’m glad to see this message board adopting that model. I am particularly interested in seeing how often mod notes are handed out for making inappropriate jokes about men. I sure there will be lots. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Really? Do you feel that’s a problem we’ve been having? Uninformed as this is, ATMB isn’t the place for a discussion of politics and society. I know the announce makes some more general references to society, but this is about the board rules. And we very deliberately wrote the rule so that it applies to both men and women. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/77 "2013-05-06T18:03:27Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > Right, you’d rather force change than to use the sensible and much easier option. Gotcha. Are you saying the presence of the ignore button means people should be able to be as jerkish as they want? Because people can just ignore them? I for one am glad the board isn’t being run that way. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/78 "2013-05-06T18:05:41Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That’d be right after you called someone “easily offended.” The post said you were defending the ability to make crude comments, and that is indeed part of the issue here. If you have a personal problem with another poster or a group of posters, hie yourself to the Pit. No, what the post actually said was “So you have put yourself in the position of **defending your crude sexual jokes and comments against women** , because that is a Right you must have.” I have not made any. So, to make sure I understand, calling a group of people “easily offended” not okay, but \*\*accusing \*\*someone of making crude sexual jokes against women, _when they haven’t_, is okay. Gotcha. > [@tim314](#): > > Are you saying the presence of the ignore button means people should be able to be as jerkish as they want? We already had a rule against that. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/79 "2013-05-06T18:10:27Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > We already had a rule against that. And how is the presence of an ignore button any more relevant to the “don’t be a sexist” rule (or whatever we’re calling it) than it is to the “don’t be a jerk” rule? ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626/80 "2013-05-06T18:10:46Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > I have not made any. So, to make sure I understand, calling a group of people “easily offended” not okay, but \*\*accusing \*\*someone of making crude sexual jokes against women, _when they haven’t_, is okay. What are you saying here? That you regret that you will no longer be able to _read_ as many offensive drive-bys as you’d like? There are other boards which encourage trolling, so it’s not like you’ll be prevented from reading and/or participating in rowdy conversation. As for this board, why is it too much to ask to have a constructive, helpful conversation concerning health, sex, reproduction, or fashion that lacks meaningless snark or innuendo? Plus, the Pit is also good for parody threads if one requires an outlet for sniping or crude comments. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderation-of-inappropriate-sexual-commentary/657626.md?page=5)