# Moderators, please stop calling people trolls if you're not going to actually call them trolls **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 21, 2017, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273 "2017-11-21T12:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/21 "2017-11-22T21:30:25Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > So what happens if, say, **Ivory\_Denizen** comes into a thread, and, without the moderating tag, says, “Dude, stop flaming. Cut it out.” Maybe it’s not a thread in their subforum. What we would have is a mod saying, “You are behaving in a way I consider worthy of warning/banning”, and then _not doing anything about it_. It’d probably be even worse if it was in response to a post that was pretty clearly skirting, if not over the line. > > [snip] > > As said, it sends mixed messages. One very important thing to keep in mind was that the issue in the OP was in the Pit, and Colibri was not speaking as a mod, but just as another ordinary user. The Pit has significantly different rules than the rest of the SDMB. If ITD or any other mod came into a thread that is not in their forum to moderate, and they don’t use any tags or otherwise indicate that they are speaking as a moderator, then assume that they are only speaking as a user and not as a moderator. If we feel that something rises to the level of needing action, we report posts to the mods of other forums, just like you can do. I received a post report from another mod earlier today, as a matter of fact. That’s how we do things. I personally think your mixed messages issue is only in the Pit, and that forum is a special case. If you believe that the issue exists elsewhere on the SDMB, please feel free to provide some examples of it. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/22 "2017-11-22T21:31:31Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > [Missing the point, as usual.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19872134#post19872134) Your opinions are just that. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/23 "2017-11-22T22:09:42Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > **Moderator Note** > > Specific accusations of trolling are only permitted in the Pit. “Jerk” != “troll”. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/24 "2017-11-22T22:16:38Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > “Jerk” != “troll”. Maybe not, but “don’t be a jerk” is the primary rule here. And it’s not your place to publically point out rules violations, since you’re not a mod. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/25 "2017-11-22T22:41:12Z")
**Moderating** > [@Skywatcher](#): > > “Jerk” != “troll”. Accusing someone of intentionally posting just to piss off another group is another way of saying trolling. I’m not going to argue semantics with you. Knock off the specific name mentions in this forum. If you want to call someone out by name, the appropriate forum to do that in is The Pit, not ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![DCTrekkie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dctrekkie/32/18862_2.png) [@DCTrekkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCTrekkie)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/26 "2017-11-22T23:34:37Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Maybe not, but “don’t be a jerk” is the primary rule here. It’s rather brave of you to point that out :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/27 "2017-11-23T02:44:03Z")
> [@DCTrekkie](#): > > It’s rather brave of you to point that out :rolleyes: And you are??? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/28 "2017-11-23T05:54:33Z")
Does it matter who he is? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/29 "2017-11-23T12:14:27Z")
It’s DCTrekkie. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/30 "2017-11-23T12:19:30Z")
**Moderator Note** A lot of folks in this thread are being brave, considering that posts in ATMB are expected to be reasonably civil towards other board members. **Budget Player Cadet** has brought up a valid point for discussion. Let’s focus on that. Let’s all dial back the snippy attitudes and snarkiness and focus on the issue at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/31 "2017-11-23T12:43:41Z")
I am, against all expectations, inclined to agree with **Shodan** in that moderators should be discouraged (but not prohibited) from referring to other posters as trolls even when posting without their mod hats on. And while I take the point that there is a difference between accusing a person of a specific instance of “trolling” and accusing someone of being a troll, and that one may troll on occasion (sometimes even inadvertently) without that being the primary purpose of one’s tenure here, if a mod posting as a non-mod is announcing that another poster is breaking the board rules (even only in passing), how should the rest of us take that? Aren’t the mods the ultimate arbiters of who is following the rules? Should the mod report the incident to themselves? ---
**Author:** ![DCTrekkie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dctrekkie/32/18862_2.png) [@DCTrekkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCTrekkie)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/32 "2017-11-23T13:32:56Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > And you are??? DCTrekkie, the clue’s in the username. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/33 "2017-11-23T13:34:47Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > So what happens if, say, **Ivory\_Denizen** comes into a thread, and, without the moderating tag, says, “Dude, stop flaming. Cut it out.” Maybe it’s not a thread in their subforum. What we would have is a mod saying, “You are behaving in a way I consider worthy of warning/banning”, and then _not doing anything about it_. It’d probably be even worse if it was in response to a post that was pretty clearly skirting, if not over the line. Considering how many times over the years I’ve heard a mod say “I didn’t put my mod hat on, that was just me speaking” or ISTM, that in your example that would be Jr Modding. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273/34 "2017-11-23T17:23:48Z")
I wouldn’t want to see a rule against it, because there might be some instances where it would be appropriate, but I’ve long thought it would be a good idea for the mods to voluntarily refrain from engaging in Pit threads that involve posters on this MB. It’s not something I’m overly concerned about, but I think it would improve things a bit. On the particular issue of the OP, as others have said, I don’t see it as a big deal. It’s, like, one mod’s opinion. I certainly hope that posters here aren’t banned based on one mod’s opinion. And, someone can troll at times and not be a full-time troll. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/moderators-please-stop-calling-people-trolls-if-youre-not-going-to-actually-call-them-trolls/802273.md?page=1)