# Rather Obvious Trolling in the Pit **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 21, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389 "2012-09-21T12:42:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/1 "2012-09-21T12:42:08Z")
Some time back, **Euthanasiast** was warned for trolling because the title of a thread he started in the Pit was “misleading”. I and many others disagreed, but that is not really the point. The rule seems to be that thread titles cannot be misleading. Well and good. We currently have a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=666133) in the Pit where the thread title is not simply misleading; it is an outright lie. It refers to an incident that never took place. The OP contains a falsified quote inside quotation marks. I was under the impression that text inside quote boxes and/or quotation marks was sacrosanct, and not to be doctored or made up. The OP then finishes up with a fake link, leading back to a discussion about a completely different incident. How can this possibly considered anything but trolling? If this kind of thing is acceptable in the Pit, then perhaps you should put up an announcement that the rules against misleading thread titles and falsified quotes have been lifted. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/2 "2012-09-21T12:51:32Z")
It’s a parody thread (post). I believe humour is still allowed here. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/3 "2012-09-21T12:52:59Z")
I thought parody Pit threads were explicitly not allowed. Am I remembering wrong? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/4 "2012-09-21T12:56:24Z")
It’s a shitty thread but then IMO so is this OP. Could we maybe get a link to the Euthanasiast thread/warning/etc. or would that be too much trouble? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/5 "2012-09-21T13:13:22Z")
Since it will be the first thing that comes up, did you report it? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/6 "2012-09-21T13:22:19Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I thought parody Pit threads were explicitly not allowed. Am I remembering wrong? You are supposed to include a link to the post which is the subject of the parody which the OP did do. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/7 "2012-09-21T13:22:42Z")
**Shodan** makes a good point. There are a lot of undecided single-issue voters who’ll cast their vote solely on a candidate’s ability to remember the size of his penis, and suggesting that Romney lacks this ability—absent clear evidence that this is the case—may give Obama an unfair advantage. I’ve no doubt that **Shodan** would campaign just as doggedly against unfair criticism of the President, even if it came from his colleagues on this board. I salute you, sir. Whoops… forgot a few fingers. There we go! ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/8 "2012-09-21T13:24:14Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Some time back, **Euthanasiast** was warned for trolling because the title of a thread he started in the Pit was “misleading”. I and many others disagreed, but that is not really the point. The rule seems to be that thread titles cannot be misleading. Well and good. > > We currently have a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=666133) in the Pit where the thread title is not simply misleading; it is an outright lie. It refers to an incident that never took place. The OP contains a falsified quote inside quotation marks. I was under the impression that text inside quote boxes and/or quotation marks was sacrosanct, and not to be doctored or made up. The OP then finishes up with a fake link, leading back to a discussion about a completely different incident. > > How can this possibly considered anything but trolling? > > If this kind of thing is acceptable in the Pit, then perhaps you should put up an announcement that the rules against misleading thread titles and falsified quotes have been lifted. > > Regards, > Shodan The quote you claim is “falsified” is [precise, as shown in the headline quoted here](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-14/news/sns-rt-us-usa-campaign-romney-annbre88d1a4-20120914_1_ann-romney-mitt-romney-alistair-bell), and the link that you claim is fake leads back to the thread being parodied, as is required of Pit threads that parody other threads. Of course, the quote is in answer to a different question than the one I imply in the OP there, but that’s just SOP for the Romney campaign, taking quotes out of context and making a big R.O. flap about them, but that was my attempt at humor, so you’re excused, since you don’t know much about humor, or poking fun at Republican foibles. If I had more computer skills, or time, I would have liked to do a mashup where I dubbed a voice-over “What is the size of your dick, Governor?” and then cut directly to “As little as possible” with Ann smiling at his answer, but I got lazy, hence that drive-by attempt at humor, which seems to have evaded most viewers. Mea culpa for that. But you get high praise for trying to nail me with your (I believe) nineteenth accusation of trolling. This one was particularly sharp and insightful, **Shodan** –excellent work! ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/9 "2012-09-21T13:28:40Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > You are supposed to include a link to the post which is the subject of the parody which the OP did do. Got it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/10 "2012-09-21T13:29:37Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Since it will be the first thing that comes up, did you report it? Yes. FWIW, I have been told that at least one mod discounts whatever I report because I don’t report enough violations from non-liberal posters, so maybe that is part of the issue. [QUOTE=MsWhatsit] Could we maybe get a link to the Euthanasiast thread/warning/etc. or would that be too much trouble? [/QUOTE] There were a number of spin-offs from the thread, which is [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=496205&highlight=Parenthood&page=2). Post 52 is the one where the mod says misleading and inflammatory thread titles are trolling, and #67 is where she says it is against Pit rules to change quoted material. There are other instances of warnings for falsifying quotes, of course. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/11 "2012-09-21T14:09:36Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The OP contains a falsified quote inside quotation marks. I was under the impression that text inside quote boxes and/or quotation marks was sacrosanct, and not to be doctored or made up. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7697048#post7697048](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7697048#post7697048) 1. The rule only applies to posts made on the forum. Modifying, or inventing a quote made by a public figure is not specifically against the rules. 2. only quote boxes are sacrosanct. Quote marks aren’t. 3. Parodies are specifically excluded from the rule. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/12 "2012-09-21T14:25:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > 1. Parodies are specifically excluded from the rule. To Clarify: > [@SDMB rules](#): > > This does not apply to parodies _to which no name is attached_. emphasis mine. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/13 "2012-09-21T18:52:05Z")
**Shodan** ’s cute when he’s mad, isn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/14 "2012-09-21T19:04:41Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > **Shodan** ’s cute when he’s mad, isn’t he? Oh, I don’t know. Actually, he comes off as one of the unhappiest people I’ve ever heard of. Pretty much everything in his life seems to bug the hell out of him, and nothing more so than most of the people on this board. As the barman said to the horse, “why the long face”? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/15 "2012-09-21T19:59:49Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > **Shodan** ’s cute when he’s mad, isn’t he? Pretty much all the time, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/16 "2012-09-21T20:00:44Z")
I thought we weren’t supposed to level accusations of trolling outside the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/17 "2012-09-21T20:20:45Z")
It was a dickish thread (in every sense of the word) but by no stretch of the imagination could it be considered trolling. And, as someone showed above, it doesn’t fall foul of the rules as parody either. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2012, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/18 "2012-09-21T20:56:20Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Yes. FWIW, I have been told that at least one mod discounts whatever I report because I don’t report enough violations from non-liberal posters, so maybe that is part of the issue. > There were a number of spin-offs from the thread, which is [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=496205&highlight=Parenthood&page=2). Post 52 is the one where the mod says misleading and inflammatory thread titles are trolling, and #67 is where she says it is against Pit rules to change quoted material. There are other instances of warnings for falsifying quotes, of course. > > Regards, > Shodan That particular mod note is from 2008, and was controversial when made. While it is possible to troll in the Pit, and it is possible to do so with a single thread title or post, you really have to be an excellent troll to pull it off. The current Pit moderation staff doesn’t hand out warnings that easily (which is probably why you had to go back to 2008 to find one). And I don’t see any trolling there anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/19 "2012-09-22T02:25:52Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > **Shodan** makes a good point. There are a lot of undecided single-issue voters who’ll cast their vote solely on a candidate’s ability to remember the size of his penis, and suggesting that Romney lacks this ability—absent clear evidence that this is the case—may give Obama an unfair advantage. I’ve no doubt that **Shodan** would campaign just as doggedly against unfair criticism of the President, even if it came from his colleagues on this board. I salute you, sir. > > Whoops… forgot a few fingers. There we go! It’s entirely possible that Romney does not know the size of his penis because it’s too small to see. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389/20 "2012-09-22T03:02:59Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > It’s entirely possible that Romney does not know the size of his penis because it’s too small to see. Presumably his staff could take a poll. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rather-obvious-trolling-in-the-pit/635389.md?page=2)