In Scylla’s “I think my testicles are going to explode” thread, TubaDvia wrote:
I must have missed this memo. When did this start? What does “raising the tone of the board” mean? I didn’t realize anything was in need of fixing around here. 
Esprix
I’ve seen a few other web-based message boards. Relatively speaking, the tone of this one is so high only dogs can hear it. And you know what dogs are like. 
Though I expected the IMHO “Tell me about your labia” thread (that’s not what it’s called, you you know what I mean) to be closed, I didn’t expect Scylla’s thread to bel closed. So I’m not really sure where the line is, either.
Well, I for one don’t really wanna know about his near-exploding testes, although I did open the thread. (Uh, no offense intended, of course.)
That’s my thinking, Larry - I’ve always seen us as a cut above, but never needing to be “raised up” any higher than we already are. Now we’ve got Pit rules. Now threads are being closed in MPSIMS for being TMI. (And no one in Scylla’s thread said they were disgusted or offended, only highly amused by his predicament - isn’t that one of the reasons for MPSIMS? And dan, why did you open the thread in the first place? The thread title couldn’t have been more descriptive.). What can we expect next - doing away with everything except GD, GQ and Cecil’s columns? After all, that would “raise” the tenor of the board to purely academic, ignorance-fighting purposes… and, IMHO, ruin this board.
I’m not Mod/Admin bashing here, I’m just shocked at the phrasing used here and the implications thereof.
Esprix
But dantheman, the thread was called “I think my testicles are going to explode”. If you didn’t want to hear about it, why in god’s name did you open the thread?
That’s the beauty of message boards, IMO. You can sift through it all and focus on things that actually interest you.
bella–seeing esprix beat me to it, hitting submit anyway.
I got the impression that it kind of came on the heels of the labia thread in IMHO. Perhaps Tuba was just in a crappy mood or something. Also, the whole “raising the tone of the board” thing matched up with the new pit rules and everything, to my mind.
Wow, I accidentally italicized your name instead of bolding it there, Esprix, and it looks kinda snotty.
Unintentional, I assure you.
Carry on.
Why? Because I’m a curious fool, that’s why. 
I mean, it was interesting, very much so. So I clicked on it. I’m not going to duck my responsibility - it was me.
But I did stop myself for posting. In fact, I actually thought to myself, “mmmmmm… Nah.” The thread made me feel oogy, that’s all.
Now, Esprix, don’t you think you’re being a tad alarmist here? Let’s assume that the powers that be have some kind of plan for “raising the tone” of the board. And let’s further assume - just hypothetically - that they did plan on making some kind of announcement to that effect. When they do so, I think it’s also safe to assume that they’ll do it in the same manner as Tuba’s Pit Rules thread - in other words, ask us all for input.
Ok, you may think. Well if they were going to do that, why didn’t they wait until after creating that thread before closing Scylla’s? And you might also think, “Well, why did Tuba have to be so harsh about it?”
Both would be very good questions, and I’m not disputing their validity at all. My thinking is that Tuba and others had been kicking the idea around - in a general sense - and that they did plan on announcing something in the near future. Then this thread popped up that pretty much fell under what they had been considering - but they hadn’t told us yet. So Tuba, being human, basically did a “uh-uh, no way” kind of post. Abrupt? Yeah. Brusque? Yeah. Harsh? Sure. Won’t argue with any of these assessments, really.
Of course, this all could be wrong. Perhaps there was a different reason for closing the thread - perhaps a fuller explanation is in order.
But personally, I fail to see how it’s the end of the board if that particular thread is closed. You can connect the dots all you want, but it’s all speculation.
I think regulating the content of threads beyond the guidelines of illegal or jerkish behavior is a mistake. It would decrease the open nature of this board, which in my opinion, is it single biggest strength. Smart people from all walks of life, talking about whatever strikes their fancy. Threads which are too distasteful or idiotic tend to drop off the front page reasonably quickly. Threads about taboo or risque subjects are sometimes very popular, because people are interested. Where is the harm?
I fully recognize that this is a private board – I’d just like to suggest, as a poster, these new content-regulating trends would diminish this valuable and unique resource.
I rarely ever get involved in threads of this nature (“Why was blah blah blah closed?”), but this struck me as…odd…too. And honestly, it bummed me out. Though graphic, Scylla’s thread didn’t strike me as the least bit profane or vulgar–just detailed. And hey, amusingly detailed. I loved his first thread on the matter a year or so ago–seriously, it was one of the most hilarious and memorable ones I can think of from all this time I’ve wiled away here at the SDMB.
It got me wondering if my infamous Oral Sex Techniques thread from 3 years ago would get shut down with the “raised tone of the board” nowadays. The thought of that is so disappointing; that thread was actually very useful and very honest, and not the least bit (IMHO) obscene or vulgar. I was honestly seeking advice, and got it, from people I felt safe with (my IRL friends would essentially say EW! or, TMI!). I still think highly of the helpful ladies who posted there.
I don’t understand this sudden need to take even higher moral ground, and am more confused by what defines it. Whatever it is, I find killing Scylla’s thread as over the top–not the thread itself.
Indeed, dan, it’s all speculation. My hope is that one of the Powers That Be, even Tuba herself would be kind enough to drop in to clarify a bit, as I’m obviously not the only one to be taken aback by the comment made.
Esprix
I was really a bit shocked by this turn of events as well. But what really gets me is that Tuba, whom I do love dearly, seems to be able to get one last shot in before locking the thread. Also, I’m curious to see why a thread title like:
“Life, lick the dripping smegma from my foreskin” isn’t considered low brow.
This is going to lead to the blurriest of lines.
I think even the seemingly pointless TMI threads have a role in fighting ignorance. More than once, I’ve read some TMI thread and thought, “Oh, I’m not strange after all! Other people do that too!”
If there were nothing on the board but TMI and coarse sexual jokes, I wouldn’t have hung around. But with the caliber of posters here, the TMI threads are actually informative, and often amusing. And if they’re clearly labelled as such, anyone who wants to avoid them can.
Larry Mudd said:
Absolutely.
Lynn also closed an innocuous pit thread yesterday on the word “pre”.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?th readid=128077
This all seems to be a manifestation of the “lawn chair” rule – if it isn’t a positive contribution, it shouldn’t be posted. I freely acknowledge that the board administration can do whatever it likes. Nonetheless, if there’s going to be a dramatic change in established custom, perhaps Lynn, Tuba & co. could explain exactly what that change is and what is motivating it. The current approach seems unnecessarily harsh.
/shrug
Their board, their rules… Right?
Doesn’t really mean fuckall, if the rest of us have not a shrimp-pimpin’ clue what the rules are though.
Here, have a tuppence, ain’t worth squat anywhere else either.
Oddly enough, the thread I read before that was the resurrected “I saw someone eat horseshit” thread. It wasn’t locked. Eating shit is more highbrow than Scylla’s attempts to have another child? Maybe TD’s necktie is tied too tight today?
The more I think about it, the more I wish a “warning” had actually be posted for us all. Perhaps, as was suggested either here or in the other thread on this topic, Tuba simply Had Had Enough and reacted uncharacteristically. I do not presume to know her or her reasonings, though.
It’s also possible that the reputation of the OP played a big role in this, of course. Maybe she had less tolerance for what he had posted than she would if someone else had done it (me, perhaps).
And along those lines, if a relative newbie had begun that thread, how would you all have reacted? My guess is that you wouldn’t be in his corner as you are in Scylla’s.
Truth Seeker, that “pre” thread was a case of someone presenting a George Carlin routine, practically verbatim, as their own thoughts. It was properly closed, IMHO. Plagiarism is not kosher, and on a message board affiliated with a corporate entity with substantial assets, (making them an attractive target for the overly-litigious,) it’s important to have zero tolerance for that sort of thing. Not that Carlin or his handlers would likely sue for that, but it’s simpler just to disallow it all. Not to mention that it’s just plain tacky to post someone else’s work as your own, especially when it’s pitifully mediocre to begin with. Man, Carlin sure went straight into the toilet. Not just around the rim, but into the bowl.
[sup]Okay, I admit it, I plagiarized Sammy Davis Jr. for that last line. So sue me. But leave the Chicago Reader out of it.[/sup]
I can’t speak for Tuba, but I can speak about her.
She’s human. She snapped at me once in a most uncharacteristic way. When she did, I went into my usual oh-woe-is-me shell until I starting weighing that one incident against the many many many times she has been kind, thoughtful, and supportive. In the end, I cut her the slack.
She’ll drop in most likely and defend herself better than I can, but I just want to remind y’all that this is Tuba we’re talking about. Maximum patience, please. Maximum patience.