# Pit Manners **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271 "2007-04-01T06:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/61 "2007-04-02T08:02:06Z")
[QUOTE=LifeOnWry] And what YOU’RE not getting is that some posts don’t qualify for commentary at all. If you have nothing but a rating to post, why bother posting at all? To continue to add responses to a post keeps it coming back up to the top of the page, where you weren’t interested in it in the first place. I just honestly don’t understand this need to respond to things that don’t interest you. It comes across as pointless post-padding. [/QUOTE] Because he’s desperate to be the originator of a board in-joke along the lines of “'20s death ray” or “Rio, By Duran Duran”, IMO. Of course, the more desperate he gets, the more pathetic it looks (to me), but apparently he’s found some people who’ll play along. It’s nice to have friends. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/62 "2007-04-02T08:05:33Z")
Also, I mean, just look at his join date vs. post count. Clearly there is an element of postcount padding there too. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/63 "2007-04-02T13:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Also, I mean, just look at his join date vs. post count. Clearly there is an element of postcount padding there too. [/QUOTE] You know this is something I think is pit worthy. Accusations of post padding are pretty juvenile and silly. Some people like \*\*Oakminster \*\* and myself just enjoy posting and conversing with others. What is post padding suppose to do anyway? Does anyone think more posts means anything except maybe we spend too much time posting on the dope? I have never seen a single poster go, “Oh you have an impressive number of posts, and therefore you must be correct”. We have a few dozen posters that post at very high rates. We are not post padding.\* **We might have other problems** \*, but I do not believe a single one of us are trying to get our post counts up. Why don’t you keep your attacks to **Oakminster** to something sensible like his ratings annoy you. This charge of post padding is just silly. If you strongly dislike **Oakminster** ’s pit ratings, more power to you, I can see why many do not like it. I find it mildly humorous. I would not miss it if it was gone, but I also recognize he did not start it. Jim ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/64 "2007-04-02T13:41:21Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] You know this is something I think is pit worthy. Accusations of post padding are pretty juvenile and silly. Some people like \*\*Oakminster \*\* and myself just enjoy posting and conversing with others. What is post padding suppose to do anyway? Does anyone think more posts means anything except maybe we spend too much time posting on the dope? I have never seen a single poster go, “Oh you have an impressive number of posts, and therefore you must be correct”. [/QUOTE] To pretend the postcount means nothing is just as juvenile and silly. Yes, it \*should \*mean nothing, but it does. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous, or why do we even have rules against postcount parties? [QUOTE=What Exit?] We have a few dozen posters that post at very high rates. We are not post padding.\* **We might have other problems** \*, but I do not believe a single one of us are trying to get our post counts up. [/QUOTE] I believe differently. And you’re a bit defensive for someone I never called out (I was thinking more of **H&R** , from this very thread). Plus a lot of people with super-high postrates have a lot lower signal-to-noise ratio than **Oakie**. But if it’s him you want to be counted with, that’s fine too. [QUOTE=What Exit?] Why don’t you keep your attacks to **Oakminster** to something sensible like his ratings annoy you. This charge of post padding is just silly. If you strongly dislike **Oakminster** ’s pit ratings, more power to you, I can see why many do not like it. I find it mildly humorous. I would not miss it if it was gone, but I also recognize he did not start it. Jim [/QUOTE] Well, the complaint (or me agreeing with **Wry** , and stating what I think the reason is) was post 1. Post 2 was a throwaway, but yes, I do think there’s an element of posting for posting’s sake there. Whether he started it is irrelevant, he’s the one that keeps perpetrating it with that whiff of desperation. Personally, I’d be happier if it was the OPs say-so as to whether ratings counted as threadshitting or not, but I’m aware everyone is just going to come back with “it’s a free Board, anyone can post anything not against the rules”. Fine and good, but no need for people to get in a tiff when their unfunny, overdone, desperate threadshitting gets called just that. Perhaps I should start my morning by searching the Pit for ratings posts, and then giving them a rating based on my own arcane system? That sounds like fun - maybe I’ll start next week, after Easter Break… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/65 "2007-04-02T13:49:04Z")
Just a clarification - I meant H&R was included as a “friend” playing the ratings game, not a postcount padder. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/66 "2007-04-02T14:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] To pretend the postcount means nothing is just as juvenile and silly. Yes, it \*should \*mean nothing, but it does. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous, or why do we even have rules against postcount parties? I believe differently. And you’re a bit defensive for someone I never called out (I was thinking more of **H&R** , from this very thread). Plus a lot of people with super-high postrates have a lot lower signal-to-noise ratio than **Oakie**. But if it’s him you want to be counted with, that’s fine too. …snip… Perhaps I should start my morning by searching the Pit for ratings posts, and then giving them a rating based on my own arcane system? That sounds like fun - maybe I’ll start next week, after Easter Break… [/QUOTE] I thought the post padding was just some silly legacy to days gone by. I guess I could be wrong. I just do not see it. You are correct, I am being a bit defensive, sorry about this. I have seen the charge brought up instead of other arguments over the time I have been here and I waited until your post to say something. So you got two years of annoyance, leveled at you. 😉 I am sure the last paragraph is a joke, but it looks as dumb as the thread \*\*Auto \*\* started last night in the pit. I sincerely hope it was just a joke. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/67 "2007-04-02T15:21:34Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Because he’s desperate to be the originator of a board in-joke along the lines of “'20s death ray” or “Rio, By Duran Duran”, IMO. Of course, the more desperate he gets, the more pathetic it looks (to me), but apparently he’s found some people who’ll play along. It’s nice to have friends. [/QUOTE] Which is why a certain word will not appear in any of my posts. Besides, I prefer the term dumbass. The whole rating thing is like posting to say you haven’t anything to say. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/68 "2007-04-02T15:31:56Z")
I think the OP of this thread is valid (contentless posts are a waste of bandwidth), and I think rating OPs is silly. I have a general rule for responding to OPs - if I have nothing in particular to say, and nothing in particular to add to a thread, I don’t post. I know it’s crazy, but it’s true (mostly). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/69 "2007-04-02T16:12:47Z")
[QUOTE=LifeOnWry] And what YOU’RE not getting is that some posts don’t qualify for commentary at all. If you have nothing but a rating to post, why bother posting at all? To continue to add responses to a post keeps it coming back up to the top of the page, where you weren’t interested in it in the first place. I just honestly don’t understand this need to respond to things that don’t interest you. It comes across as pointless post-padding. [/QUOTE] And you apparently don’t grok that you do not get to determine what I post. Let me be blunt. You are utterly irrelevant to me. I don’t care if you live or die. I care even less whether you like or dislike what I post. I’ll rate posts when it pleases me to do so. Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/70 "2007-04-02T16:13:28Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] To pretend the postcount means nothing is just as juvenile and silly. Yes, it \*should \*mean nothing, but it does. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous, or why do we even have rules against postcount parties? [/QUOTE] I believe they have a rule against it 'cause they considered it a waste of bandwidth. And I concur that it’s not typically assumed that 'large number of posts = must be right" or anything of the sort. In fact, we used to have a prolific poster here who was known for his innaccuracies. What on _earth_ do you presume a post count to mean (other than the obvious ‘they post frequently’ or ‘post rarely’)? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/71 "2007-04-02T16:14:18Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Because he’s desperate to be the originator of a board in-joke along the lines of “'20s death ray” or “Rio, By Duran Duran”, IMO. Of course, the more desperate he gets, the more pathetic it looks (to me), but apparently he’s found some people who’ll play along. It’s nice to have friends. [/QUOTE] Blah blah blah. You’re a fuckwit. -437/10. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/72 "2007-04-02T16:23:06Z")
If we did away with contentless posts this board would die in a week. Besides, define “contentless.” To some, a word or two speaks volumes. To others, anything less than a three page screed with footnotes is meaningless. To some, any post by a conservative is “contentless.” Then we get into the forum-specific designations. There are posters I know are posting content-free glurge whenever they post in **GD** , for example. If they post in **CS** I read their contributions, because there they have meaning. All in all, railing against “contentless” posting is like railing against entropy. Feel free to indulge in your little drama, but don’t expect the rest of us to play along if we don’t want to. The world doesn’t run by your rules, because they are silly. (My rules, OTOH, are perfectly logical and sane. So there!) ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/73 "2007-04-02T16:49:34Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] Also, I mean, just look at his join date vs. post count. Clearly there is an element of postcount padding there too. [/QUOTE] I was thinking the same of your join date vs post count 😉 See why that bird won’t fly? Post count means nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/74 "2007-04-02T17:02:44Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] Blah blah blah. You’re a fuckwit. -437/10. [/QUOTE] He’s right, though. You’re trying to own and revive an incredibly stale and unfunny joke that got played out years ago. It’s a shame, because you’re steadily replacing an image of someone who could hold their own around here with that of a dancing monkey-clown. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/75 "2007-04-02T17:19:43Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I am sure the last paragraph is a joke, but it looks as dumb as the thread \*\*Auto \*\* started last night in the pit. I sincerely hope it was just a joke. [/QUOTE] Of course it was a joke - If I started at 9 it’d probably take me 'til 11. Where would I find the time to search for other things to get offended about then? 😉 [QUOTE=Hakuna Matata] I was thinking the same of your join date vs post count. See why that bird won’t fly? Post count means nothing. [/QUOTE] _Au contraire_ - it is an indication of how often you post. That’s not nothing. When your posts are as content-free as **Oakie** ’s Pit ratings, that says a lot. To wit: [QUOTE=Oakminster] Blah blah blah. You’re a fuckwit. -437/10. [/QUOTE] Still, I’m not hearing a no… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/76 "2007-04-02T17:25:35Z")
…now, whenever I see an **Oakie** Pit rating, I’m going to be picturing a monkey in clown make-up wearing bad cosplay elf-ears. Dancing to the hurdy-gurdy. Yelling out “fuckwit” in a helium-high Munchkin voice. Thanks for the mental image, **Giraffe**. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/77 "2007-04-02T17:27:37Z")
[QUOTE=Giraffe] He’s right, though. You’re trying to own and revive an incredibly stale and unfunny joke that got played out years ago. It’s a shame, because you’re steadily replacing an image of someone who could hold their own around here with that of a dancing monkey-clown. [/QUOTE] Yup. But I don’t like the image of a dancing monkey-clown - too scary. How about something like a penguin waddling around quacking? (I don’t care if penguins quack or not - I’m assuming they make a sound like quacking for the purposes of this image.) Okay, I like **Mr.Dibble’s** image better. Forget about the quacking penguin. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/78 "2007-04-02T17:29:28Z")
[QUOTE=Oakminster] Blah blah blah. You’re a fuckwit. -437/10. [/QUOTE] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/79 "2007-04-02T17:32:46Z")
[QUOTE=MrDibble] _Au contraire_ - it is an indication of how often you post. That’s not nothing. When your posts are as content-free as **Oakie** ’s Pit ratings, that says a lot. To wit: Still, I’m not hearing a no… [/QUOTE] I actually agree with you about these types of contentless posts–just giving you a little shit about the post count thing. For me I just ignore them and move on, but to each their own. I have had a few posters give me a hard time that I weighed in on something because I don’t have a high post count. Doesn’t mean a thing from my end. Often I find that someone else has said basically what I was going to post, and I hate the ‘me too’ types of posts the most. Or the poster who has to have the last word–I just ignore them as well. I won’t get into a pissing poster contest with someone either, rarely does something on this message board get me that riled up. The times I have posted, either no one said what I wanted to say, or the issue caught me at the right time and place, so I responded. Like today, I am bored at work and decided to spend some time here, but I might not be back for a week. Life gets in the way. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271/80 "2007-04-02T17:40:48Z")
[QUOTE=Hakuna Matata] I actually agree with you about these types of contentless posts–just giving you a little shit about the post count thing. For me I just ignore them and move on, but to each their own. I have had a few posters give me a hard time that I weighed in on something because I don’t have a high post count. Doesn’t mean a thing from my end. Often I find that someone else has said basically what I was going to post, and I hate the ‘me too’ types of posts the most. Or the poster who has to have the last word–I just ignore them as well. I won’t get into a pissing poster contest with someone either, rarely does something on this message board get me that riled up. The times I have posted, either no one said what I wanted to say, or the issue caught me at the right time and place, so I responded. Like today, I am bored at work and decided to spend some time here, but I might not be back for a week. Life gets in the way. [/QUOTE] I can honestly say - I would not give you shit over your postcount, nor do I attach more importance to someone else because of their 20-thou plus postcount. My point was merely that when you look at what **Oakie** _does_ often post, and then look at his postcount, it’s easy to draw a padded, low-content line from the one to the other. I’m sure he’s a valuable contributor to the MMORPG threads in CS or whatever a half-elf druid does other than ratings, but you have to see where a large proportion of his posting here is content-free drivel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pit-manners/398271.md?page=5)