# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**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, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/81 "2009-11-09T18:24:53Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > 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. > > > [@Shodan](#): > > > > This is a direct lie - I don’t expect any Warnings for posting this, since my accusation (which is entirely true) is that the cite provided is the one making the lie, not any poster. Regards, Shodan ---
**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, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/82 "2009-11-09T18:45:18Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > It’s hardly impersonating a mod, since he wasn’t doing the \< MOD HAT ON \> thing. Mods don’t use that construction in this forum because they’re always speaking as mods here. ---
**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, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/83 "2009-11-09T18:57:55Z")
Wanna bet? I can instantly find a bunch of “Mod whistle blows: TWEET” type intros. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/84 "2009-11-09T19:24:10Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Pfui. What does this acronym mean? I’ve never heard it before… ---
**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, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/85 "2009-11-09T19:33:00Z")
Fooey. It’s a spitting sound. ---
**Author:** ![Apex\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/86 "2009-11-09T19:38:54Z")
> [@ToeJam](#): > > What does this acronym mean? I’ve never heard it before… I think it’s meant to be a joking refusal, “Fooey”. ---
**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, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/87 "2009-11-09T19:46:57Z")
Man, that was weird. Did you ever have that dream where you’re moderating a thread and everyone’s laughing, and then you look down and realise you’re not wearing any pants? ---
**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, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/88 "2009-11-09T19:52:41Z")
You mean “not wearing any jackboots”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![The\_Falling\_Reverend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Falling_Reverend)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/89 "2009-11-09T20:02:04Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > Man, that was weird. Did you ever have that dream where you’re moderating a thread and everyone’s laughing, and then you look down and realise you’re not wearing any pants? Heh, you know you are in trouble when you see [mod pants off] ---
**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, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/90 "2009-11-09T20:19:49Z")
> [@The\_Falling\_Reverend](#): > > Heh, you know you are in trouble when you see [mod pants off] I guess that would mean you’re about to get fucked–so it would be different from usual in what way now? ---
**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, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/91 "2009-11-09T20:36:58Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Wanna bet? > > I can instantly find a bunch of “Mod whistle blows: TWEET” type intros. With my luck I’d lose. It is odd though; this is the one forum where mods always have their hats on. They’re replying _ex cathedra_ to members’ questions about the message board. ---
**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, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/92 "2009-11-09T20:45:18Z")
Since the moderator said earlier on that this is NOT the place for joke posts, and since this has now degenerated into nothing but jokes, the thead is closed. ---
**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, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/93 "2009-11-09T20:55:18Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > 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?” I really sometimes don’t know why I bother, but let’s go back to ABC’s for the sake of the obviously new poster. 1. No, Mods cannot insult posters. 2. There is a difference between “insulting a poster” and “attacking what the poster says.” Mods, like anyone else, can disagree with what a poster says. 3. Impersonating a moderator has always been out of line. It has little to do with personal insults (it’s not permitted in the Pit either); it has to do with there being new members here who won’t know the diff and won’t know the rules. It also has to do with avoiding chaos, and with not being a jerk. I hope it doesn’t need to be a separate rule, I thought it was pretty obvious. 4. I’m not making rules in general, I made a specific warning IN THIS SITUATION, telling a poster to stop a behavior that I felt was contrary to the best interests of reasonable discussion in this thread. The warnings were NOT for satirizing a mod, but for failing to follow a mod’s direct instruction. See the Registration Agreement for details. 5. The excuse “I was only joking” has never been valid here as a reason for breaking the rules. That could be used as a way of getting around anything, from vile racist hate speech through personal insults, and including spam. Pfui, again. Since this thread has now become nothing but jokes (and I assume **SmartAleq** ’s post to be another such), it will be closed. Since closing the thread now will result in nasty comments about me being the last poster, the thread will be closed at some future time in the next hour most likely, selected at random. ---
**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, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/94 "2009-11-09T20:58:48Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > If everyone wants me to go back and hand out Warnings for personal insults, accusations of lying in GD, and assorted other problems, I’ll be happy to do that. > > The thread will remain closed, however. I explicitly noted that none of the topics were prohibited– **not even Intention’s desperate need to rant on about the Green Peril** –but once a certain level of hostility has been reached in a thread, closure is the only way to ensure that that cycle is broken. \*\*@Dex–\*\*And, just for the record, you don’t consider this bolded statement to be an insult to the poster? Because it sure isn’t referencing a post. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/95 "2009-11-09T21:02:10Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > I really sometimes don’t know why I bother, but let’s go back to ABC’s for the sake of the obviously new poster. You don’t think that this statement is insulting and demeaning? ---
**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, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/96 "2009-11-09T21:10:29Z")
HA! Last post! ---
**Author:** ![Elyanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5ac83/32.png) [@Elyanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elyanna)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/97 "2009-11-09T21:22:05Z")
Not if I can help it! Bitchin’! ---
**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, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691/98 "2009-11-09T21:22:21Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > You don’t think that this statement is insulting and demeaning? Thanks **haj,** but I’m sure \*\*Dex \*\* simply didn’t notice the paid up status of my membership, the 2005 join date and the 3600 posts. Because it’s not allowed for mods to insult posters, y’know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-one-expects-the-tomndebb-inquisition/516691.md?page=4)