# Nothing on your permanent record
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 22, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646 "2020-12-22T14:09:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/1 "2020-12-22T14:09:23Z")
I’ve recently noted a couple of moderator actions (most recently in Politics) saying something like, “This is just a warning, and will not go on your permanent record.”
I’m imagining this is intended as tongue-in-cheek, but is it? What sorts of “permanent records” are being kept?
Am I the only person who finds this mildly off-putting? Kinda paternalism w/ a soupcon of dominance?
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/2 "2020-12-22T14:14:14Z")
_ **"This is just a guidance, not a warning. Nothing on your permanent record."** _
I built a canned response to make sure people know that a modnote is not a warning.
Warnings are recorded automatically by the software and manually by the mods. Modnotes are not recorded at all. Just used to try and prevent threads going off or having to give out warnings.
“Nothing on your permanent record” could perhaps be phrased better, but seems to be concise and covers everything. Do you think there is a better way to phrase it? I am open to suggestions that improve it.
I think I’m the only one using the phrase above.
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/3 "2020-12-22T14:25:20Z")
Yeah - they were from you. Thanks for asking, but I’d probably stop at “just a warning.” No reason to go further, to suggest there is a permanent record. What is your goal of including the second sentence? What extra does it add?
I cannot read your mind. I imagine it is meant in a joking, familiar manner. But I (for one) feel the intended tone may not come across.
I generally favor conciseness. Of course, many people think me a terse asshole, so go figure. 😉
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/4 "2020-12-22T14:30:59Z")
It is “Not a Warning” not “Just a Warning”. Somehow you’re misreading it.
The most important point of the canned response is _ **This is just a guidance, not a warning.** _
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### Author:  [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/5 "2020-12-22T15:02:28Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> It is “Not a Warning” not “Just a Warning”. Somehow you’re misreading it.
Goodness, maybe not misreading it, but misremembering it as I paraphrased when posting in this thread. Forget I mentioned anything. Feel free to close this thread.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/6 "2020-12-22T15:04:59Z")
OK, cool
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nothing-on-your-permanent-record/928646/7 "2020-12-22T15:05:06Z")