# Proposed rule change **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 7, 2006, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449 "2006-02-07T20:36:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/41 "2006-02-08T13:44:09Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > So, let me get this straight. You’d like to give the membership of this board the opportunity to pay money to insult people anonymously. Didn’t I see something in the rules about “Don’t be a jerk”? I know I’m wierd, but I can’t get into the humour of making fun of people. > > Sorry. To me, the idea’s about as brilliant as a burnt out light bulb. Other people’s mileage may vary. **Siege** Killjoy 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/42 "2006-02-08T13:44:34Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Me, ME! Pick ME! No way, man! That title is MINE! ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/43 "2006-02-08T13:47:22Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > No way, man! That title is MINE! You will have to work a lot harder to earn the title, though you are in the running. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/44 "2006-02-08T15:25:30Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > So, let me get this straight. You’d like to give the membership of this board the opportunity to pay money to insult people anonymously. Didn’t I see something in the rules about “Don’t be a jerk”? I know I’m wierd, but I can’t get into the humour of making fun of people. > > Sorry. To me, the idea’s about as brilliant as a burnt out light bulb. Other people’s mileage may vary. Right, because if the Binarydrone persona that I use here calls you a little wilting lily that should go back to MPSIMS and suck it, that would be insulting you non-anonymously. ‘Cuz my birth certificate says Binarydrone and all. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/45 "2006-02-08T15:25:31Z")
Would there be a limit on how many Dopers can have the same custom title? If not, just imagine how many would get “Tighty Righty” or “Lefty Looney” under their names. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/46 "2006-02-08T15:26:26Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > No way, man! That title is MINE! Yeah, I forgot about that. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/47 "2006-02-08T21:31:27Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Right, because if the Binarydrone persona that I use here calls you a little wilting lily that should go back to MPSIMS and suck it, that would be insulting you non-anonymously. ‘Cuz my birth certificate says Binarydrone and all. :rolleyes: It’s the name attached to every interaction 99% of the people on this board will ever have with you. Within the context of this forum, it’s every bit as much your name as whatever is printed on your driver’s liscense. Hell, if you sent me a nasty e-mail using your real name and not your screen name, I’d have no idea who on the board sent me that email, and that’s the only place I have any contact with you. It would allow you to say nasty things about me under one name, without having to face consequences in our interactions under your alternate name. Your email, signed with your real name, would be anonymous, because I only know you as **binarydrone** , and not whoever you are in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/48 "2006-02-08T21:53:09Z")
**Miller** , First of all, just to clear things up a bit, I really don’t know who has been sending you all of the cum guzzling donkey emails but it sure isn’t me. That said, I do get your point about personas and identities and so forth, I just don’t happen to think that at the end of the day that it would be a bad thing to allow members to pay money to insult people (or complement them, for that matter) in this way. I think that it would be hilarious. But then I have also suggested in the past that we each have a little indicator somewhere that lists the number of people that we have on our ignore list and the number of people that have us on theirs so our posts would look something like this: **Binarydrone** Join date: Mar 2002 shit stirrer (or charter member if you like) Posts: 3352 Location: Seattle Ignoring: 0 Ignored By: 0 (I hope) Then all of the profound and wise stuff that I would actually post. Fun! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/49 "2006-02-08T23:11:08Z")
> [@Binarydrone](#): > > Ooooh! I like it. Charge $10, but the change is permenent (unless someone pays to change it back). My god, I would blow hundreds on this! Anyone else find this really sad? ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/50 "2006-02-08T23:19:12Z")
Don’t be like that baby. You hurt me with your unkind words. That the behavior of my anonymous on-line persona would be called sad on a message board cuts me to the quick. I…I think I may cry. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/51 "2006-02-08T23:21:38Z")
I want to be kind–fellow Seattleite, and all–but BD, this has truly got to be about the worst idea I have ever seen floated here. I’d love to have somebody nominate a worse one. Me, I don’t see that happening. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/52 "2006-02-08T23:29:42Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > I want to be kind–fellow Seattleite, and all–but BD, this has truly got to be about the worst idea I have ever seen floated here. I’d love to have somebody nominate a worse one. Me, I don’t see that happening. We could have the board moderated by hummus… ---
**Author:** ![VegemiteMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/df788c/32.png) [@VegemiteMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VegemiteMoose)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/53 "2006-02-08T23:32:00Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > I want to be kind–fellow Seattleite, and all–but BD, this has truly got to be about the worst idea I have ever seen floated here. I’d love to have somebody nominate a worse one. Me, I don’t see that happening. Hmmm…random bannings which include revelation of the poster’s IRL info? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/54 "2006-02-08T23:37:34Z")
I probably wouldn’t pay to change anyone’s custom title, but I can see the humor in it. And if someone wanted to pay to change mine, I would be amused. Probably deeply amused. Especially if I could Br’er Rabbit someone into giving me a title I like. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/55 "2006-02-08T23:44:25Z")
That’s all I’m saying. I think that it would be fricking hilarious and add a new dimension to the interactions around here ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/56 "2006-02-08T23:54:26Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > We could have the board moderated by hummus… Ha. No, I meant, any worse idea that’s ever been floated here; not to \*imagine \*a worse idea. I think we have an alltime winner in the OP, which is basically cross-forum, administration-approved namecalling. I just can’t imagine framing that idea in such a way as to make it remotely plausible. I just cannot parse out one sinlge aspect of this idea that has any value whatsoever. Now, if you want to pay to change your OWN status, fine. Each one to be approved by the mods, like a vanity plate. Maybe; that idea might be worth contemplating. More work for the mods, and has the potential for “lets see what we can squeak past the standards committee,” but still. It’s not opening up a paying board member to having the administration of this board nail a “kick me” sign to their back at the request of some whacko who might happen to take a dislike to you. Because we all know that only the most rational among us take dislikes to other posters. Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to “I’m an Asshole Retard, ignore me”? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/57 "2006-02-08T23:59:05Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to “I’m an Asshole Retard, ignore me”? I can’t speak for anyone else, but that would delight me. Someone spending money just to make fun of me? Now that’s fame! ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/58 "2006-02-09T00:07:36Z")
OK, in all seriousness, BD’s proposal _is_ a terrible idea for this board. It’s just not in the character of the place; things really would degenerate into playground name-calling and the winners (if you could term it such) would be those most willing to spend money on this venture. However, if you just change the scheme to “customize your own title”, I think you’d have something. For $20 (or whatever) I could be the “Reader in Invisible Writings”. Or “Ignore This Moron”. Depends on what mood I’m in. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/59 "2006-02-09T00:10:12Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > …Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to “I’m an Asshole Retard, ignore me”? Honestly, I don’t really know that it would bother me that much. I really don’t take this place seriously in that way. It is, to me, primarily a source of entertainment and I thought that my idea would be funny. On further reflection, thought, I do get that there are folks that do take this place pretty seriously and I can see how something like this could get them worked up. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449/60 "2006-02-09T00:10:18Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Seriously, BD, how long would you stick around here if I paid to have your status changed to “I’m an Asshole Retard, ignore me”? and for certain posters, a bidding war could easily end up occurring. Can you imagine what titles **Jack Dean Taylor** would have inspired? and in such a bidding war, rewarding the poster w/the most expendable income. Then there’d be a Lenin/Trotsky type split among the posters, and we all know how **that** ended up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-rule-change/343449.md?page=4)