Yes, this IS the BBQ Pit. However, some folks have been taking it way too far, particularly in regards to vulgarity and personal attacks, particularly to innocent third parties. From now on, if a post goes over the line, I delete or modify it. And I’m the one who draws the line.
Lynn/SDStaff Lynn
For the Straight Dope
How about a hint as to what’s allowed and what’s not?
Or do posters now have to wander around like dogs inside one of those invisible fences, not knowing where the line is, but assured of getting an electric shock if they cross it?
I’m not a warlock.
I’m a witch with a Y chromosome.
Um, I thought that was the point… Frankly, you sound like the folks at my school who put up a graffiti board and then shut it down when people started to write what they thought. We have this great message board here, EXPRESSLY for flaming, and I think that it would be foolish of you to delete it. Non-flaming posts on controversial subjects belong on Great Debates, yesno?
Yes, if this is to be the new policy (The BBQ Pit: Flame away, but be nice and don’t talk dirty!) it would be nice to have some actual guidelines as opposed to:
“I am the Goddess of the Board and I shall make My Decisions as I See fit. Question me not, and obey!”
I’m wondering which posts in particular instigated this? Maybe I’m frequenting the wrong threads, but I haven’t seen anything out of line, except us ganging up on Adam (who can take it like a man, I may add).
There ARE actual guidelines. Have been all along, folks have just forgotten or lost sight of them.
Reproduced from the registration form, the stuff you clicked by when you signed up here:
We give you more latitude in the Pit (that’s the whole point), but that’s your Words To Live By. Or, at least, the Words You Agreed To Live By When You Got Here.
Cecil sums it up best of all, and it’s also in the registration form:
For most of our folks, living by these simple rules is not difficult.
your humble TubaDiva/SDStaffDiv
for the Straight Dope
“Mr. Zotti, you’re on in five”
I just read through the “My Pet Trolls” thread and it is pretty painful to read. It sounds like a couple of 13 year olds trying to outgross one another. I can’t even tell wht the subject is.
I ahave to agree with Lynn here. There is a line. Some stuff is just simply vulgar and offensive. and after all, it is their board.
You misrepresenting what I said, Con3. I said we want the rules to be flexible enough to go by “smell test.” I said that we did NOT want to draw up a 30-page document defining what’s OK and what’s not. There are certainly shades of grey, but there IS black and white, as well. I personally think the line has been crossed – way and beyond.
You come over into the forum that I moderate, and try this malarky, and see how fast the rules are enforced.
Suggestion: Replace “Don’t be a jerk” with “Don’t act like Contestant #3.”
Anyone unclear on what this means could easily find examples of how not to act.
I dunno, I guess I always thought there was a difference between “flaming” and simply “cursing out.”
And, no, Con#3, I’m neither threatening nor taunting you, I’m describing reality.
Am I correct in assuming that Dex is responding to posts by Con #3 that have been pulled? If so, yippeeee! Not having to read any of Connie’s posts (even by accident) will just about make my day!
Jess
Full of 'satiable curtiosity
I expect people to act like adults in here. When they don’t, I’m gonna put them in time out. I can mass-delete all of a poster’s messages in one easy operation. Right now, I only chose to delete in one forum, the one that I moderate. It may be that C3 has made good points in other forums. However, I haven’t seen any good posts by him in this forum, and I have seen a lot of nasty posts. Usually way, WAY over the limit. So far, C3 has retained posting privileges. Whether or not he keeps them is entirely up to him.
I’m going to TRY to go through the threads and delete posts that make no sense without C3’s posts. But I’m not going to guarantee it. Deleting individual posts is a pain.
“I am the Goddess of the Board and I shall make My Decisions as I See fit. Question me not, and obey!”
I like it! But, of course, I’ve got permission to do this from the boss.
Lynn/SDStaff Lynn
For the Straight Dope
I always liked, “My decisions are arbitrary, prejudiced, and final!”
“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy
So’s your old man!
I don’t get it. I agree some of Connie’s posts were over the line. And some were vulgar. But, how does that make it fair to delete all of them, or did I misunderstand, and you just deleted the ones in this thread only?
I mean, I read the one he said to Mr. Zambezi, He wasn’t vulgar, or even very mean, just kind of petty, didn’t seem reason enough to delete him.
don’t know, doesnt seem quite fair to take them all out.
on the other hand, i guess its a big pain to delete individual posts, so maybe thats why you did it.
pat
I guess part of this is my fault. I DID get a little upset when I was accused of stalking an underaged poster, and VERY upset when he took some very cheap shots at my wife. If I went overboard in any of my replies, I apologize.
Note to all-I WILL drop off any thread where three people think I am trolling. I try to learn from my mistakes.
I have to say I do enjoy c#3’s handle.
On 7-6-99 I wrote this:
"Look folks,
I’m not issuing a complaint. Go back and read my OP if you re confused about that. I’m not insulted or offended by sexual language or situations either.
The whole point is this:
The TOS says this specifically:
You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is:
knowingly false and/or defamatory,
inaccurate,
abusive,
vulgar,
hateful,
harassing,
obscene,
profane,
sexually oriented,
threatening,
invasive of a person’s privacy,
or otherwise violative of any law.
I certainly didn’t invent this. It’s there for anyone to read. I simply asked an honest question about #9. I could also make a strong case with plenty of examples of regular violations of numbers 1-6 as well.
There is no need for anyone to get so defensive, turning the tables toward me. If you can’t or won’t answer the question that I have posed then simply admit it.
I suspect that I already know the answer. It is this:
That the TOS are a joke. The TOS needs to be modified to remove items 1-6, and 9. Why? Because those items are not actionable violations (in practice), rather they are normal and accepted types of posts here on the SDMB.
That is all."
and on 7-17-99, CDEXThavn responded with this:
"You’re damn right the rules are fuzzy. That’s our stand; we’re trying to protect our ass(es), and we (advised by our lawyers) are the best judge of where that protection line should be drawn.
Does that mean that our stance is subjective? You bet. We are under no obligation to set objective standards. We are not a law court and not a government office, required to be fair and even-handed. We do our best to be fair and even-handed, but we make no pretense that we have (or want to have) firm definitions. We use a smell test – does it smell like it could cause problems? If yes, then we act. If no, then we don’t.
If you don’t like it, go find another site. The alt.fan.cecil-adams site, for instance, has no sponsors, as I understand it, so no modators and no rules. You’d be much happier there, I’m sure."
There you have it folks. I’ve already posted this once tonight and it’s been deleted. They don’t want you to know the truth out here. Their new motto should be “Covering up our mistakes since 1999. There’s a lot to do!”
Contestant #3
Con#3 quoted the rules:
<< You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is:
Yes, we have been lax in enforcement in the BBQ Pit, this is supposed to be an arena for flaming. Con#3 has demonstrated the folly of the administrators being too lax; since he first posted this, his posts have violated all 12 of these. Well, the first 11, anyway.
There are certainly grey areas, and there are many grey areas in the BBQ Pit… but there’s black and white as well. Enough is enough.