As wring has pointed out, it is you that are unable to tell the difference. Furthermore, your pulling rank on me is an abuse of power. I really don’t think that the purpose of the moderator rank is to give some people the right to have the last word. If you thought that the discussion had gotten out of hand, you shouldn’t have added to it. I don’t see why people are allowed to make desparaging remarks about me, but if I want to defend myself, I have to go do it in another
:rolleyes:
Why does everyone think that if someone is in a position of authority that they should not be allowed to voice their opinions?
On the other hand, a link couldn’t hurt either, so as I can make an informed judgment instead of the knee jerk one that you deserve for an unsubstantiated comment like the OP.
Lolababy’s correct link…
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=112348
Your post could have been taken in two ways: as a light-hearted joke, or as a pointed jab at the moderators. I took it as the former. However, the moderators clearly read it as the latter.
You know why? Because of threads like this one.
Oops, sorry, I just went to the page that it stared on… :o
On one hand, it seems like an attempt at humor.
On the other, I am very new, and I don’t know TheRyan’s posting style…yet.
Back to the other hand, moderators are human too. :eek:
OK, now that I’ve read the post in question, I can see what you were trying to do. Therefore, I apologize.
However, since we couldn’t see the wink or the grin, and it was a bit more brusque than the other jibes in question, I can see why Coldfire was disturbed by it.
I’ll just step back and see how this plays out from here. Hopefully it will be settled relatively quickly and peacefully.
-Dave
The correct response should have been:
“My post was meant to be a joke, in the same vein as the previous posters’ digs at their friend and mentor. I’m very sorry it was not taken that way. Next time I’ll make sure to rephrase or use smileys.”
Now, was that so hard, The Ryan?
Humour and wit are closely related. The former will fail when the latter is absent.
If it was a joke, he’s done a VERY poor job of saying as such.
Here’s a hint, The Ryan… if people misconstrue your words, then it’s a smart idea to clarify. Don’t pull machismo-wannabe crap like “Oh YEAH? Well, look what THESE people did!”
Yes, I did point it out. However, you might go back and look again 'cause I prefaced it with something like “I’m a bit leery of trying to interpret (your) words”
This is not a dig. In other threads, when some one attempts to paraphrase you or interpret your words, you do have a tendancy to reply quite quickly “I did not say that. show me where I said that”, hence my trepidation at attempting to interpret your words as other than specifically and word for word exactly as written.
You tend to use your words very precisely and not always as others commonly interpret them. You have two options.
A. Insist that everyone else is obviously wrong all the time, and they need to conform to your definitions pronto (except in this case here, when you were joking)
or
B. Acknoweldge that in a written medium, while being precise in what you say is admirable, when there is confusion, assume a neutral stance - perhaps they misunderstood your intent because you failed to make it clearly, or the words you’ve chosen have multiple meanings and there was not a consensus on which definition.
I ain’t perfect, but I do try to allow that misunderstandings don’t always mean an attack, and certainly don’t always mean that some one else is deficient in their reading comprehension skills.
IOW - when you make a habit of getting curt w/folks when they attempt to paraphrase you, don’t be surprised/shocked and offended when you attempt a bit of humor and it falls flat 'cause they took you literally.
Just because you are not paranoid, doesn’t mean people aren’t out to get you.
Wit is difficult. As is communication. One needs an ear for it.
The above is a very good suggestion. To add to it, why not send such a statement by email? From experience I know that does not always work, but it still would be the first option I used.
The Ryan, if your remark to JillGatt was indeed meant as a joke, I do apologise. I honestly couldn’t tell. Whether my English skills or your sense of humour are the determining factor here, is perhaps something we’ll never know.
Given that I did not interpret it as a joke, but as a dig at a (former) staff member, it is not very hard to see how my recommendation to take further issues to the Pit are not “pulling rank”, as you chose to put it. I was merely reminding you that comments on the message board moderators and administrators belong in the Pit - a fact you’re quite aware of, seeing as how you’ve placed this thread in that very forum.
Surely, a man of logic like yourself must be able to appreciate the concistency of this explanation. I do wonder what shortcomings (plural) you were referring to in your threat title, though. Obviously, you think it’s about more than a difference in humour alone?
Gee, and I thought I had issues…man, Ryan, you really do take ?sensitive? to new heights. I?d ask, ?Does it hurt to be you?? but I already know the answer.
I?ve tangled with you before and you take EVERY LITTLE THING so SERIOUSLY it hurts.
Really, does your face hurt? No? Because, it?s KILLING me!
Oh, come on. You get so set in your pants there isn?t room for your dick let alone anyone else. How the fuck can you take EVERYTHING so seriously? You don?t have Mark Serlin in your brain, do you?
Just asking.
Byz
But you did not say that the comment belonged in the Pit. You said that any further explanation of the comment- not anyone else’s comments on the comment- belonged in the Pit. I took this to mean “I can say anything I want about your statement wherever I want, but if you want to defend yourself, you’ll have to do it in the Pit.” Perhaps I misunderstood you.
The Ryan, I’ve read over that last post of your six times, each time coming up with a different possible interpretation. Rather than spiraling down into one of those 5 page semantics debates with tons of quotes and dictionary links, can we just agree that:[ul][]Comments on the staff’s current or past performance belong in the Pit, and;[]I misunderstood your joke for a comment on Jill’s past performance as a staff member.[/ul]And leave it at that?
Yay.
I say we all have a beer now.
Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp
I’ve read the links and I still don’t get this thread.
Someone want to provide the missing link…
Yes, I get the idea that Coldie has somehow abused his secret mods powers (what do you expect from someone who just had to vote in the Dutch elections :d&r:). 
Could you please save us all some energy in the future The Ryan and follow the accepted format of attacking mods/admins?