# No one expects the tomndebb inquisition **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 7, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691 "2009-11-07T04:19:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/61 "2009-11-09T05:11:06Z")
> [@](#): > > **Tomndebb** : As intention has made quite clear, however, the issue has never been one of whether I gave sufficient notice that the thread had lost control… True, but… > [@](#): > > **intention** : My problem was that it was just flat shut down with no indication as to why. Something I said? What? Something someone else said? What? Thread drift? Fine, just let us know. > > According to tomndebb, he had six warnings in hand … OK, so give us the six freaking warnings and shut it down in the same post, no problem. _Then he gets to another motive. Perhaps he has more than one…_ > [@](#): > > But just slamming the door because tomndebb is insecure in his dhimmitude and doesn’t like people saying anything but good things about Islam is counterproductive. Perhaps that wasn’t the reason, perhaps his timings was just a curious coincidence … but it certainly had that effect, whether it was the reason or not. (underlining added) ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/62 "2009-11-09T07:03:19Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > …I figure a bit of asperity directly responding to his attacks is hardly out of line in my reply. **Tomndebb** , this is the third time within this thread I have had to remind you that the use of direct personal insults - or a bit of asperity, as you term it - is entirely out of place in this forum. This is not a goddamn bear garden, it’s the forum for “questions, comments and complaints about the SDMB”, and that does _not_ cover directly attacking another poster, no matter how you feel you’ve been provoked. _If_ you have a legitimate grievance with another poster, take it to the Pit; if you feel a poster has crossed the line in attacking you, you alert a mod, you do _not_ respond in kind. I am not a kindergarten teacher mediating your squabbles about who bit who first, and I do not want to have to repeat myself: is that understood? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/63 "2009-11-09T07:32:53Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > **Tomndebb** , this is the third time within this thread I have had to remind you that the use of direct personal insults - or a bit of asperity, as you term it - is entirely out of place in this forum. This is not a goddamn bear garden, it’s the forum for “questions, comments and complaints about the SDMB”, and that does _not_ cover directly attacking another poster, no matter how you feel you’ve been provoked. _If_ you have a legitimate grievance with another poster, take it to the Pit; if you feel a poster has crossed the line in attacking you, you alert a mod, you do _not_ respond in kind. I am not a kindergarten teacher mediating your squabbles about who bit who first, and I do not want to have to repeat myself: is that understood? All rather amusing (if getting a little old now) but, even though parody, doesn’t this kind of post have the capacity to mislead? I certainly thought the first one was genuine and it was only when I checked the status that I began to think otherwise (although even then I’ve seen mods created and the status not changing for an hour or soi.) ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/64 "2009-11-09T08:03:31Z")
What’s more amusing, the person satirizing the mods, or the person apparently sincerely complaining that the person satirizing the mods sounds too much like a mod? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/65 "2009-11-09T08:17:01Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > All rather amusing (if getting a little old now) but, even though parody, doesn’t this kind of post have the capacity to mislead? I certainly thought the first one was genuine and it was only when I checked the status that I began to think otherwise (although even then I’ve seen mods created and the status not changing for an hour or soi.) This is the ‘smartest place on the internet’, I’m sure people will manage. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/66 "2009-11-09T10:52:03Z")
> [@Jeff](#): > > This is the ‘smartest place on the internet’, I’m sure people will manage. The irony is, if we really were, we wouldn’t have as many threads like this one. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/67 "2009-11-09T12:29:53Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > The irony is, if we really were, we wouldn’t have as many threads like this one. Truer words were never spoken. There are some really brilliant people here. Indistinguishable (who would likely demure at what I’m about to say) would probably qualify for [Giga](http://www.gigasociety.com/). And there are maybe a couple of others. But most of us are just mugs like me — people with unremarkable intellects and immature social skils. Having been through the DavidB era in Great Debates, it is my opinion that Tomndebb is one of the best mods the forum has ever had. He and Buck (MEBuckner) do an excellent job. And that’s all I have to say about that. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/68 "2009-11-09T14:16:31Z")
Hey, Lib! Want to lose ten pounds of ugly fat fast? Just answer the following intelligence questions! Cecil is… A) God B) A god C) Good D) Good God! **elucidator** deserves A) All of my money B) Most of my money C) as much of my money as he can get his grubby mitts on While we’re waiting, please fill in all of your credit card numbers below. Don’t forget the expiration dates! The Nigerian letter is A) a scam B) the path to instant riches c) no, really, a scam d) There is no such place as Nigeria e) Band name! Liberal is A) a political centrist B) a political movement centered on the views of the world famous Austrian political philosopher, von Whats-his-face C) Not to be trusted, ever, ever again… ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/69 "2009-11-09T14:25:14Z")
> [@intention](#): > > tomndebb, you claim to be a moderator, who is supposed to be neutral. Now you want to accuse me of “cherry picking factoids”, “inventing issues”, having a “little crusade”, “playing games”, “ranting”, “silly claims”, and "pouting’??? So what? Since when are those subject to moderation? They aren’t - this whole thread is just **tomndebb** ’s overheated imagination. Despite **tomndebb** ’s desperate need to rant against any poster with whom he disagrees, the real problem, and the reason that the thread was locked, was this - > [@tomndebb](#): > > …the notion that I would be prompted to close a thread just because you had posted one more rant based on cherry-picked factoids, as if you had actually persuaded anyone who did not already agree with you, is just silly. The notion is not silly in the least - it is, in fact, directly contradicted by [this post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11747885&postcount=694). The problem was that you, **intention** , were making the Usual Suspects look silly in their blind Obama-worship. **tomndebb** hates it when that happens. So, he locked the thread. Now that the thread is in ATMB, **tomndebb** can dance as close to the line as he can manage, attacking your motivations and otherwise doing in this forum exactly what he does not allow in GD. (If you do it back, of course you will be Warned and the thread locked.) **tomndebb** seems to have the fixed idea that all rules violations always come in two patterns - [ol][li]from posters with whom he disagrees, or [\*]equally from everybody in a thread.[/ol] If posters with whom he disagrees violate the rules, no problem - warn them, even if he has to manufacture rules out of whole cloth to do so. If posters with whom he agrees begin violating rules, he often waits to see if the other side will respond in kind. If they do, that’s pattern 2 and he can lock the thread and pretend not to notice any rules violations. This has the desirable effect of discouraging debate from those with whom he disagrees, without taking official note of the rules violations intended to create such discouragement. [/li] That’s what happened in this case. You were making Obama and his worshippers look stupid, the Usual Suspects were trolling away as hard as possible, you responded to them in kind, so **tomndebb** can pretend it is all too complicated for him to do his job and just lock the thread and hope you have learned the lesson. Regards, Shodan ---
**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:** [November 9, 2009, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/70 "2009-11-09T14:51:02Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > It is certainly my job when there is any question about what violations might have occurred or when correcting one or two posters will keep a thread on track. Once the thread has derailed under the assault of multiple flagrant violations, that is just a waste of time. Aren’t warnings kept track of for comparison with future violations? Why was it a waste of your time in this case? It certainly lends credence to **Shodan** ’s claims of a pattern. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/71 "2009-11-09T15:30:49Z")
OK. Since there seems to be a deep desire to have me issue Warnings around, let’s look over the potential Warnings for either direct insults or accusations of lying. Given that, while not cast in concrete as a rule, the issuance of three Warnings in a short period is generally a flag indicating that the staff will review a poster’s privileges to post, is everyone still on board with my going ahead and issuing the Warnings and does anyone still want to make believe that there were no rules violations prioor to my closing the thread? > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/603): > > This is a direct lie - > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/615): > > Cue your own fucking cricket, fool. > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/617): > > Yes, I can answer it. Perhaps you don’t understand the difference between “can’t answer” and “have no interest in answering a total idiot who thinks simplistic statements mean something.” > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/643): > > Or, you pour yourself a big ol’ cup of STFU. > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/651): > > Or, you pour yourself a big ol’ cup of STFU. > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/672): > > These are the words of a bigot. > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/676): > > [_Responding to **Really Not All That Bright** _]Oh, please, do you have to constantly prove the aptness of your screen name? > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/681): > > I said you misrepresented it. You know you did. > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/686): > > I do have to thank you for your idiocy, > [@Obama vs. Fox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-vs-fox/514497/709): > > He didn’t say any such thing, this **intention** fellow is lying through his teeth! There might be a little quibbling over the “STFU” comments, but I have consistently held that “Fuck you,” “Go to Hell,” and similar expressions are treated as a direct insult in **GD**. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/72 "2009-11-09T15:35:24Z")
Accusing someone of lying is against the rules? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/73 "2009-11-09T16:02:52Z")
Depending on how you phrase it, yes, in GD you’re not allowed to say “You’re a liar”. There are all sorts of loopholes though–like “That post is an untruth” ---
**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:** [November 9, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/74 "2009-11-09T16:05:27Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > does anyone still want to make believe that there were no rules violations prioor to my closing the thread? Who was doing that again? In fact, that third example from **intention** sort of demonstrates what **Shodan** was talking about, you “wait[ing] to see if the other side will respond in kind”. I guess it’s probably because you hadn’t been to the thread but it’s a strange example to use here. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/75 "2009-11-09T16:11:26Z")
**Scissorjack** , I have issued warnings in this thread for your failure to follow moderator instructions. Satire or no, joke or no, impersonating a mod is out of line in this thread. You’ve chalked up two warnings so far on this, I recommend you cease and desist. Others: this thread is supposed to be about a moderating decision, and not supposed to be a joke-fest. You want to be taken seriously? Pfui. And “it’s only joke” has never been a valid excuse for things like personal insults. “I was only joking when I called you a half-wit!” Yeah, right. Even if these comments were jokes at the start, once a moderator said to stop it, it needed to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/76 "2009-11-09T16:15:20Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Depending on how you phrase it, yes, in GD you’re not allowed to say “You’re a liar”. There are all sorts of loopholes though–like “That post is an untruth” Got it. Thanks Fenris. Hey - how’s your strike going? Have those capitalist pigs that have been oppressing you finally submitted to your (entirely reasonable) list of demands? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/77 "2009-11-09T16:50:53Z")
Heh–it’s resolved, but we should keep that stuff elsewhere lest we offend the powers that be here 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/78 "2009-11-09T16:52:05Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Heh–it’s resolved, but we should keep that stuff elsewhere lest we offend the powers that be here 🙂 OK. Ix-nay on the other ord-bay. Got it. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/79 "2009-11-09T18:06:54Z")
So, if I’m getting this straight–mods can insult posters anywhere they like, including ATMB, with impunity but “impersonating a mod is out of line.” I suppose this makes sense, since a true and accurate impersonation of a mod would inevitably result in blatant insults to someone in an inappropriate forum. Wonder if anyone will bother to update the various rules stickies to reflect the “mustn’t impersonate a mod” rule? And is it cynical of me to speculate that a more accurate version would be “don’t impersonate a mod and do a better job of moderating than the real mods are doing because that causes butthurtedness and rather than step up the mods’ game we find it easier to tell people to shut up?” ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/80 "2009-11-09T18:17:34Z")
It’s hardly impersonating a mod, since he wasn’t doing the \< MOD HAT ON \> thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691.md?page=5)