Moderator leverages unrelated edict into tortured warning

About This Message Board
1

“Dear WillFarnaby,

You have received a warning at Straight Dope Message Board.

Reason:

Failure to follow a moderator’s instructions

WillFarnaby, you have been previously instructed to not include your hobby horses in unrelated threads.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...8&postcount=21
Quote:
This is fair notice to you. I’m done with you interjecting your pet topic of statism or authoritarianism or the combination in unrelated threads, as well as passive aggressive denigrating the board. This goes for this thread, and all other threads in GD and Elections. I am bookmarking this post and If you do this again, you will be warned.
The quoted post certainly counts and, indeed, inspired a bit of a sidetracking of the thread.

Jonathan Chance
Moderator
Great Debates and Elections

Original Post:
https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=21880648

Quote:
My guess is that the deep state hacks are furious that their clients in Ukraine aren’t getting their military aid.
Warnings serve as a reminder to you of the forum’s rules, which you are expected to understand and follow.

All the best,
Straight Dope Message Board”

Yeah. The comment had nothing to do with “statism” or “authoritarianism”. Neither was it posted in an “unrelated” thread.

I didn’t read the whole thread, but if there was an omission of the matter of military aid to Ukraine in a thread about the Trump Ukraine Affair, then I should have instead been thanked for filling the gap.

If the matter of military aid was addressed upthread, then that blows out of the water the moderator’s claim that my post was posted in an “unrelated” thread.

So, that about puts to rest this nonsensical warning.

So once again, we have a moderator coming down against anti-militarist rhetoric. Sad.

2

This was asked by the OP “What makes this Ukraine/Biden/Trump thing different?”

My post very clearly answers this question from a realpolitik framework. There really is no way to be so confused about this, though there has been a history of “confusion” about my posts in the past.

For example, I was noted in an Elizabeth Warren thread for libertarian sidetracking in a post that mentioned Elizabeth Warren in literally every sentence.

3

You can’t just cut and past links without expanding the ellipsis. Your first link is dead - but it looks like you’ve provided enough context now.

4

Now that I’ve read it in context, I think the warning is merited. For someone without your history and previous warning it would be unnecessarily harsh, but in this context it appears kosher.

5

So you think the comment was unrelated to the OP’s question? Perhaps you haven’t read any coverage of the affair. The military aid aspect is mentioned in most well-written pieces.

6

I guess I should request a complete list of my supposed hobbyhorses. So far I know:

Statism
Authoritarianism
Military aid to Ukraine -or- deep state hacks

What is next for the list of topics on which I am forbidden to opine whether I do so in related or unrelated threads.

7

Maybe if you defined this “deep state” its appropriateness or lack thereof might be clearer.

8

Deep state: The permanent Intelligence bureaucracy
But I guess you were expecting the Illuminati

9

Personally I was expecting the Spanish Inquisition. But I always expect the Spanish Inquisition. I get it from a cousin of mine; and Monty Python.

And the warning looks good to me.

10

Thanks for the definition, but for once I was expecting [damn joke ninja’d by Kopek]!

11

Warning perfectly clear to me as well. Hint: you should avoid the words “deep state”.

12

If, for no other reason, this should be a warnable offense. Read the damn thread before chiming in. You may see that your point has already been made, or maybe the op was unclear and was clarified in later posts that made your potential contribution moot, or maybe by reading further you could get a sense of the tenor of the thread and realize that your response was inappropriate.

To you and everyone else, i say “read the whole goddamn thread before you chime in!”

mc

13

Funny, tortured was one of the words that came to mind when I was trying to figure out the OP.

14

You could request that, or you could just stop posting in this bizarre inflammatory way where you throw bombs without backing up your suppositions/assertions in any way. That would be spiffy. Or you could get banned, which would also be spiffy. I’m good either way.

15

This reminds me of roommate of mine that one day just moved out and stopped paying rent. I sued him for about $2000. He replied with a settlement offer in which he would pay nothing and I would pay him $50.

16

I believe WillFarnaby fanboyism is becoming one of your hobbyhorses.

17

Here’s a hint, WillFarnaby. Look at the words “Deep state” and “statism”. Notice anything? Think that might be a clue as to how those words are related?

18

You sure don’t lack for beliefs!

19

No it doesn’t put it to rest. But I’ve suspended you so that does. The moderators, including myself, come down against violating board rules.

Suffice to say the warning stands.