# Pitting third-party pity party pitters
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [March 16, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663 "2004-03-16T17:06:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/1 "2004-03-16T17:06:34Z")
It’s a good thing Reeder’s been silenced, so we have all this first-page real estate available to dopers who want to pit their boss or their cat.
I can’t think of a more egregious waste of SD bandwidth than this kind of third-party bullshit. IMHO, such MUNDANE AND POINTLESS SHIT should be posted elsewhere, if space in this forum is so precious that we can use it as an excuse to start censoring dopers with a political agenda.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/2 "2004-03-16T17:16:36Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> I can’t think of a more egregious waste of SD bandwidth…
You mean like this thread? :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/3 "2004-03-16T17:18:40Z")
Aw, c’mon. Bitch about your boss a little. We know you want to.
**Reeder** has not, in point of fact, been silenced, BTW. That would be the case if he had been banned.
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### Author:  [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/4 "2004-03-16T17:25:44Z")
You forgot “petty.” They’re definitely petty, too.
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### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/5 "2004-03-16T17:40:05Z")
Goddamn, you’re an idiot, lissener.
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### Author:  [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/6 "2004-03-16T17:45:03Z")
Yeah! Because possible election fraud in a 3rd world Central African country or Bush’s latest fashion foible is _WAY_ more relevant to peoples day-to-day lives then the people they interact with on a day to day basis! Fuck 'em!
A rant is a rant, sheesh.
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### Author:  [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/7 "2004-03-16T17:45:50Z")
Thank you for that intelligent contribution, **UncleBeer** …
I think he has a point. The Pit needs to be purified and restricted to pure unbridled hatred and unrestricted vitriol and rage! 😉
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/8 "2004-03-16T18:06:32Z")
[Who](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=245041) [cares](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=245014)? [I](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244417) [mean](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244895) [really](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244925), [who](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=243767) [the](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=245043) [fuck](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=244702) [cares](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=245180)?
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### Author:  [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/9 "2004-03-16T18:22:59Z")
Concur.
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### Author:  [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/10 "2004-03-16T18:30:04Z")
Concur what, and with whom?
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/11 "2004-03-16T18:32:01Z")
Who cares?
I do.
I like people more than I like their politics.
You don’t have to read threads that don’t interest you.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/12 "2004-03-16T18:39:52Z")
Sigh.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t post them at all, only that these threads are the very definition of MUNDANE, POINTLESS STUFF I MUST SHARE.
And I DON’T read them. That’s not the point. If BBQ Pit real estate is at such a premium, these threads have a forum ready and waiting for them, where people who DOwant to read them gather in great flocks.
IMO, the Pit should be for expressing anger at issues that we share with other dopers–politics, cable companies–or for addressing other dopers. Whining about your boss belongs in MPSIMS.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/13 "2004-03-16T18:48:58Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Sigh.
>
> I’m not saying they shouldn’t post them at all, only that these threads are the very definition of MUNDANE, POINTLESS STUFF I MUST SHARE.
>
> And I DON’T read them. That’s not the point. If BBQ Pit real estate is at such a premium, these threads have a forum ready and waiting for them, where people who DOwant to read them gather in great flocks.
>
> IMO, the Pit should be for expressing anger at issues that we share with other dopers–politics, cable companies–or for addressing other dopers. Whining about your boss belongs in MPSIMS.
I completely agree with this. The BBQ Pit description says, “If you gotta flame, do it here. This is the place for all complaints and other discussion regarding administration of the SDMB”. I think people are putting a comma between “complaints” and “and”, as well as assuming that anything that contains cursing goes in the Pit. Maybe a description clarification or rewrite is in order if the Admin wants to go in that direction.
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### Author:  [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/14 "2004-03-16T18:49:56Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> IMO, the Pit should be for expressing anger at issues that we share with other dopers–politics, cable companies–or for addressing other dopers. Whining about your boss belongs in MPSIMS.
To me, “My boss is a fuckwit!” is equivalent in pitworthiness to “My cable installer is a fuckwit!” which is equivalent in pitworthiness to “My congressman is a fuckwit!” which is equivalent in pitworthiness to “I am a fuckwit!”
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### Author:  [@PhalPhoto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhalPhoto)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/15 "2004-03-16T18:52:06Z")
Hold on there a second, hoss…you’re not implying that something shared by many dopers is less mundane than something unshared, are you? Wouldn’t the commonality of the situation make it more mundane? And what gives you the idea that hating the cable company is less mundane than hating your boss? Yeesh, most people have some degree of angst toward both of these beasts, yes?
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/16 "2004-03-16T19:15:24Z")
If you’re just looking for a public place to whine about something that affects no one but you, you should do it in MPSIMS. “My sister is a fuckwit.”
If you want to share your angst as regards a more common (as in doperly universal) situation, then fine, bring it to the Pit. “My congressman is a fuckwit.”
To me the difference is that, in the first example, there’s a tiny teapot tempest that has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone but you and your sister. (And if she’s a doper too, we’re not supposed to bring outside beefs into the Dope.)
In the second case, there’s a good chance that other dopers will share your congressman–even though of course there’s a pretty good chance that some of your sisters have been pretty widely shared, too.
Am I making the distinction any clearer? IMHO, if you read an OP and the only POSSIBLE response you can make is, “Sorry to hear your mom won’t let you dye your hair blue. Buck up, it gets way worse,” that OP should be in MPSIMS.
Surely this is making sense. If the only response sought is commiseration, don’t waste the Pit space.
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### Author:  [@Hamadryad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamadryad)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/17 "2004-03-16T20:12:38Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> If you’re just looking for a public place to whine about something that affects no one but you, you should do it in MPSIMS. “My sister is a fuckwit.”
Me, I’d think this should go in an online journal - LJ, Diaryland, Blogspot, etc.
> [@](#):
>
> If you want to share your angst as regards a more common (as in doperly universal) situation, then fine, bring it to the Pit. “My congressman is a fuckwit.”
Agreed.
> [@](#):
>
> To me the difference is that, in the first example, there’s a tiny teapot tempest that has nothing whatsoever to do with anyone but you and your sister. (And if she’s a doper too, we’re not supposed to bring outside beefs into the Dope.)
See, and I don’t think the first example should be here at all. It’s “Mundane Pointless Stuff I **Must** Share,” which I don’t think includes, “My sister stole my eyeliner, boo hoo.”
> [@](#):
>
> Am I making the distinction any clearer? IMHO, if you read an OP and the only POSSIBLE response you can make is, “Sorry to hear your mom won’t let you dye your hair blue. Buck up, it gets way worse,” that OP should be in MPSIMS.
How many Pit threads have there been in which the only possible responses are, “You’re right, what a sicko, s/he should be put in jail for life/barbequed/staked out on an anthill?” I don’t think you can realistically use “variety of possible responses” as criteria.
> [@](#):
>
> Surely this is making sense. If the only response sought is commiseration, don’t waste the Pit space.
Then why did you start this thread? Are you looking for people to agree with you that third-party Pit threads are horrible, or are you trying to encourage spirited - if somewhat obscene - debate? Using your “girl with blue hair” as an example of threads with only one possible response (about which, by the way, you’re wrong), isn’t this thread pointless because it encourages only two responses: agreement or disagreement?
Or were you just looking for a reason to foam at the mouth? If you were, I can understand. I recommend Midol. It takes care of cramps AND bloating AND minor mood swings. I keep a bottle in my purse all the time…just in case.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/18 "2004-03-16T20:30:38Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> …don’t waste the Pit space.
MPSIMS: 56,188 threads; 1,145,430 posts.
The BBQ Pit: 17,742 threads; 654,162 posts.
Which one would _you_ say has less space to spare? 😛
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/19 "2004-03-16T20:33:45Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#):
>
> MPSIMS: 56,188 threads; 1,145,430 posts.
> The BBQ Pit: 17,742 threads; 654,162 posts.
>
> Which one would _you_ say has less space to spare? 😛
Um, the one that is using shortage of space as an excuse for limiting discussion of political topics.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-third-party-pity-party-pitters/234663/20 "2004-03-16T20:42:08Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Um, the one that is using shortage of space as an excuse for limiting discussion of political topics.
Um, perhaps you should brush up on your reading comprehension skills. From the thread to which you refer:
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#):
>
> …first page space in **any** forum is at a premium.
I bolded that big, hard-to-understand word for you.
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