# quoting non-existent posts??

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [January 17, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398 "2006-01-17T20:06:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398/1 "2006-01-17T20:06:47Z")

</div>

In this thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354201](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354201) , **Superdude** quotes **Doolian** , who doesn’t have a post in the thread.

And in this thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354178](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354178) , \*\*Hung Mung \*\* quotes **Rubystreak** , who doesn’t have a post in the thread.

I thought maybe there were duplicate threads but don’t they usually get combined, so you’d be able to see the posts that were quoted from?

😕

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398/2 "2006-01-17T20:13:04Z")

</div>

Speaking in relation to the first poster you mention who doesn’t have an actual post in the thread:

He was a sock, banned, and all posts deleted. Unfortunately, anyone who quoted him is still gonna have his quote in their post.  
From here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354285](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=354285)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398/3 "2006-01-17T23:16:59Z")

</div>

The second one just looks like a board hiccup.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398/4 "2006-01-18T01:26:53Z")

</div>

What **Happy** said.

This was a multi-named poster who had been banned several times before. In such a situation, after we ban him, we cause all his posts to disappear. We also usually cause direct responses (i.e., posts that quote him) to disappear. This causes some hiccups in the fabric of space-time and reality, of course, since we’re effectively re-writing a bit of history. However, we want to discourage these jerks from continuing returns, and the best way to deter them is to let them know that all their work, all their conversations, all their threads, and all direct responses will vanish when we ban them.

This policy doesn’t apply to everyone who is banned, only to those who try to return under different names.

**gigi** , now that you’ve pointed out this one post that we missed, I’ve handled it. Thanks.

I’m not sure what happened with the **Rubystreak** post.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quoting-non-existent-posts/340398/5 "2006-01-18T02:59:22Z")

</div>

The hamsters have grown bolder, that’s what I say.