# Please rescind this warning **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 24, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466 "2011-09-24T16:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/81 "2011-09-25T21:11:02Z")
**Measure for Measure** , I get the feeling that Preview is not _your_ friend. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/82 "2011-09-25T21:17:58Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > There was no screw up. The poster should have been clear that the post was a quote, and not intended as an insult. The mods can’t be omniscient about pop culture. Can they not ask each other to weigh in on a confusing reference? Can they not use Google? Should a Cafe Society mod even be doling out warnings and notes about a subject with which they’re unfamiliar? OK, that last one might be expecting too much of the SDMB. But this was not some obscure line of dialogue. It’s probably the most famous bit of extreme profanity to come out of the South Park universe (which, again, was the subject of the thread). ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/83 "2011-09-25T21:18:14Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > There was no screw up… Uh…Ok, sure. We all agree. Mods, you can come and close this up now. _ **whisper…hey everyone, let’s all just let them ‘win’ this one. We got what we came for …whisper** _ ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/84 "2011-09-25T21:19:34Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Poster makes odd comment perceived by Mod as personal insult. > > Mod issues Warning for insult. > > Thread opened to explain context of perceived insult. > > Mod rescinds insult. > > Multiple uninvolved posters chime in to then insist that the rescinding post was “grudging” and complaining that there was no apology issued. > > Next will be the inevitable complaint that the Mods are “circling the wagons,” even though the purpose of the thread was actually addressed in favor of the affected poster. > > Next year, I want a raise to two coffee mugs. Yet **Tom** multiple posters had in fact positively acknowledged **twixter** ’s reversal, with only a very few making grudging comments, when **Colibri** felt the need to chime in with denial of any moderator error being made. It was that uninvolved moderator chiming in with a perspective that evinces a lack of any desire or need to learn from a minor error. **Twixter** ’s was a simple mistake, a minor mistake, an inconsequential mistake, an understandable mistake. Again,\* in the context of that thread\* even people like me, who have hardly ever seen the show, should have been able to grok it was a reference. Or at least suspected enough to check before firing. **Colibri** ’s mistake, IMHO, is a much bigger one. But whatever. (Yes, posters can help moderators who may be monitoring a thread about a subject they know nothing about by making it painfully clear that such is a quote. Lots of ways to do that: [South Park:Terrance and Phillip]…[/SP:TP], so on. But the only one in the thread who needed that was likely the mod. Yes I had to google to see which characters said the phrase. And it took me less than ten seconds.) ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/85 "2011-09-25T22:07:04Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > This is the SDMB where entire threads will be comprised of nothing but puns and pop culture quotes. If I were to open a thread about Monty Python (and I may be the only Doper with no MP familiarity) I would readily assume half of the thread was references and direct quotes that I didn’t get. If it were a thread about Monty Python and someone posted “Along with Monty Python they have a lot of shows about battered women”, and then someone quoted that and replied “[some highly insulting and not very well known Monty Python line that somehow ties shows about battered women into the assertions being made about Monty Python]” with no explanation, quotation marks or attribution, I would assume the same outcome. Unless by sheer chance the mod happened to be a Python fan and understood the reference. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/86 "2011-09-25T22:11:31Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Can they not ask each other to weigh in on a confusing reference? Can they not use Google? Should a Cafe Society mod even be doling out warnings and notes about a subject with which they’re unfamiliar? Oh for fuck’s sake. How is any mod or even all the mods together supposed to be fluent in every stupid pop reference the posters here make. So, no they shouldn’t do any of those things. Posters should be more careful in making it clear when they are posting a line from somewhere that could be misconstrued as an insult. Failing that, there is always this forum to right the wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/87 "2011-09-25T22:13:41Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Reported as hate speech. I want you to fuck your own face! ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/88 "2011-09-25T22:13:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > In fact, the thread _is_ linked in the OP. The ‘greater-than’ signs after the quoted poster’s names are links to their posts, and thus the thread. Apologies, and thanks for the heads up. > [@DSeid](#): > > But the only one in the thread who needed that was likely the mod. Yes I had to google to see which characters said the phrase. And it took me less than ten seconds.) Posters should endeavor to avoid creating unnecessary work and judgment calls for the mods. Look, I know that contributors don’t want to step on their own punch line. But as others have pointed out, there are a number of ways of signaling: quotes, italics and quote-boxes are 3. And complaints about insufficient contrition on the part of moderators who reverse their decisions within 24 hours or 15 posts are just pettiness, unworthy of an ignorance-fighting message board. Contributors: please post more thoughtful, constructive and magnanimous commentary. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/89 "2011-09-25T22:22:16Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Contributors: please post more thoughtful, constructive and magnanimous commentary. We have to be \*magnanimous \*now? I want a coffee cup too. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/90 "2011-09-26T03:30:24Z")
> [@Scissorjack](#): > > I want you to fuck your own face! Gross, man. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/91 "2011-09-26T14:44:31Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > … Look, I know that contributors don’t want to step on their own punch line… Terrence and Phillip disagree: – “Shut your fucking face, uncle fucker.” And that’s how the warned poster could have accomplished a) the intent of the post, b) making sure anyone not a South Park fan knows it wasn’t an insult, and c) not step on the punchline of the joke. **twix** didn’t make a mistake, here. The warned poster did. **twix** doesn’t owe an apology. She only owes a recension of the warning after the context was explained, which she did. Just my humble opinion… (On preview, I have to mention that I’m just taking that line from your post, **MfM** because it perfectly says what I was thinking on reading this thread, rather than a comment about your post. The warned post was intended as a joke, the poster didn’t want to step on the punchline, how could it be rewritten so it’s obvious that it’s a joke, without ruining the joke? The above is what I came up with.) ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/92 "2011-09-26T14:51:03Z")
Nobody here is expecting an apology, or at least they shouldn’t be, I just thought the whole thing was hilarious. Moderator makes obvious mistake to anyone reading the thread, mod rescinds warning with some snark which loosely translates “Fine, assholes, I’ll rescind, but remember YOU messed up here, not ME.” I mean, laughing-out-loud. Can’t even admit a simple mistake, huh? I guess not, and we should all just shuffle along. I know, I know, the poster made the mistake by quoting an obscene line South Park in a thread about obscenity in South Park. Got it. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/93 "2011-09-26T14:54:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > In fact, the thread _is_ linked in the OP. The ‘greater-than’ signs after the quoted poster’s names are links to their posts, and thus the thread. Holy cats, they are! When did that happen? Learn something new every day, you do. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/94 "2011-09-26T15:59:22Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I posted this in the other thread by accident so I’ll put it here as well > > In Twix’s defense, if she didn’t know it was a song lyric, she’s not likely to google it. I doubt the mods google every insult they run across ‘just in case’. Having said that, in another thread we ran across something similar where someone (new poster, not a regular) called another poster creepy it went back and forth for a while and eventually one of the regulars said "You’re so fucking special. I wish I was special, but I’m a creep. " and was warned for it by Ellen Cherry which was taken back as soon as she realized it was a Radiohead song…I’d imagine that’s all that’ll happen here. Just to be clear, I didn’t officially warn anyone. I thought they were fussing and told them to stop hijacking the thread. But, as has been pointed out, they were quoting a song I didn’t know, so I just said sorry and let them laugh at me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/95 "2011-09-26T16:03:46Z")
Just because Twickster has decided to give this poster some slack doesn’t mean she made an initial mistake or error. The mistake/error was made by the poster for not making the parody clear; even within the context of the thread, the post was over the top. This is ridiculous. People demanding apologies and getting dramatic. How do you posters expect to be taken seriously when there _is_ a genuine moderator gripe or issue? You’re discrediting yourselves by making this an obvious game of attack and pile on the moderator. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/96 "2011-09-26T17:39:22Z")
One can’t help wondering if those exclaiming ‘classy move’ also comment the girl in the drive-thru: ‘Excellent job! You go girl!’ Maybe the janitor mopping the floor in the office building gets a high five along with a ‘smooth moves with the mop, dude!’ or the guy who picks up the garbage and accidentally knocked over the trash and has to pick it up gets ‘Great work, appreciated!’ ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/97 "2011-09-26T17:47:20Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Nobody here is expecting an apology, or at least they shouldn’t be, I just thought the whole thing was hilarious. Moderator makes obvious mistake to anyone reading the thread, mod rescinds warning with some snark which loosely translates “Fine, assholes, I’ll rescind, but remember YOU messed up here, not ME.” I mean, laughing-out-loud. Can’t even admit a simple mistake, huh? I guess not, and we should all just shuffle along. > > I know, I know, the poster made the mistake by quoting an obscene line South Park in a thread about obscenity in South Park. Got it. Your username really fits, doesn’t it? I didn’t see snark in the moderator’s words, but you must have been looking for it. And I’m one of those Dopers who didn’t realize that was a quote from South Park. If I watch cartoons I prefer something that’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/98 "2011-09-26T18:30:07Z")
Plus, you don’t even _own_ a television. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/99 "2011-09-29T19:55:34Z")
The context should have been clear to anyone short of Stevie Wonder. Incredibly profane post in a thread about profanity on South Park? Gee golly willikers, whatever could THAT be about? Not getting the context here is like seeing 2+2 and coming up with 22 as an answer. Not that I think some huge apology is needed. Rescinding the warning is all that was needed on Twickster’s part. But the apologists need to stop acting like the post was somehow lacking context. It wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466/100 "2011-09-29T20:39:55Z")
Since the warning was reversed in the middle of page one, there’s no reason this thread needs to continue. I’m closing it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-rescind-this-warning/597466.md?page=4)