# Seriously, can't something be done about handy? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 25, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082 "2003-11-25T01:20:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/41 "2003-11-25T11:02:15Z")
\*\* [/QUOTE] Is doing the things you mention **handy** doing in this “disclaimer” somehow different from being a jerk?\*\* [/quote] Perhaps. For what it’s worth, I don’t believe he should be banned. I made the disclaimer explicitly neutral on the banning issue so that it could attract the widest possible support. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/42 "2003-11-25T12:34:11Z")
Well, I would have serious issues with banning a member, even from a single forum, solely on the basis of his being occasionally “wrong” about stuff. Something about “people in glass houses” springs to mind, eh? 😉 Which of us would care to put himself forward as “Mr. Infallible”? > [@](#): > > If the OP had taken handy’s answer at face value, he might have ended up going and buying a new printer or just giving up entirely. If someone did do that, I’d think he was pretty dumb for accepting a single response on an Internet message board as gospel and shaping his actions accordingly. GQ doesn’t have any kind of “mission from God” to _always_ give ONLY the correct answers. Have any idea how many GQ threads may be in the Archives where the OP’s question was apparently completely answered by the first poster, and so nobody else bothered to post in the thread, but the answer was actually wrong, but since nobody who knew that happened to see the thread and post an “Um…”, the OP went home with the wrong answer? Neither have I, but I bet there are more than a few. I’ve seen lots of “tech” threads (ballistics, for example) where I didn’t really know what they were talking about, but it looked like the first response “got it”, and nobody else was posting to it. But I have no way of knowing how many of those ballistics questions were answered incorrectly. Threads slide off Page 1 so fast that it’s possible that the GQ Ballistics Geeks didn’t see _that one_ and post a needed correction. I’ve seen threads where the first answer was basically wrong, and where subsequent posters only “sort of” clarified things, and the OP came back with a “Huh?”, but everybody else had lost interest and so the OP’s question never did get answered. So calling for banning Handy from GQ because he sometimes gives the wrong answer is IMO a Bad Idea, and unfairly discriminates against him. Now, if we thought that he was doing it deliberately, as in “spamming” or “trolling”, that would be different. But I have always had the sense that his problem is, well, just that he’s wrong sometimes. We’re all wrong sometimes. Lighten up. There are far more worthy targets at the SDMB for your “can’t we do something about this poster?” spleen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/43 "2003-11-25T12:53:21Z")
I guess the issue, DDG, is that people are sick of someone consistantly posting about subjects they are not knowledgeable about, sometimes even contradicting prior posts with their guesswork and nonsense. Give me a break with the “we’re all wrong sometimes” business. If I were wrong in a GQ I would correct myself or at least acknowledge it. Your post does not (IMHO) address what handy does at all. I personally DO think he’s trolling in a way- I have just never understood the reason for posting in a factual forum if you don’t know the actual facts. He’s even been banned from posting in medical threads for it, it got so bad. He needs to lay off the keyboard and stick to non-factual forums. He knows that but apparently won’t do that on his own, so people are calling for it to happen by force, taking the “don’t post to medical threads” ban further. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/44 "2003-11-25T13:01:05Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve seen threads where the first answer was basically wrong, and where subsequent posters only “sort of” clarified things, and the OP came back with a “Huh?”, but everybody else had lost interest and so the OP’s question never did get answered. and it all would have been resolved with a quick google search, I’ll bet. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/45 "2003-11-25T13:01:30Z")
I do agree with **DDG** , but I think **Zette** has a better proposal: no **handy** posts in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/46 "2003-11-25T13:47:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bill H. \* > \*\*Man, I miss **manhattan**. There has never been, and likely will never be another Mod that can lay down the strong pimp hand like him. Even **Lynn** in all her glory is a distant second place. \*\* Maybe **Alphagene** is good at it, but I question if he even exists. I never seen a single post. I always look at the date, not the post count. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/47 "2003-11-25T13:57:04Z")
But I look forward to his advice about how to deal with chicks! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/48 "2003-11-25T14:01:28Z")
vBulletin has _access masks_ which can control forum access on a user-by-user basis. Get into the control panel, ans switch **handy’s** access to GQ from “deafult” to “no”. Problem solved. If he wants to read GQ, he’ll have to log off, but at least he won’t be able to post to it. I, however, have probably been guilty of giving faulty “I think” advice in GQ. People who live in glass houses … ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/49 "2003-11-25T14:06:46Z")
Someone should be banned from _all_ forums or none of them. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/50 "2003-11-25T14:39:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*Maybe **Alphagene** is good at it, but I question if he even exists. I never seen a single post. > \*\* He’s posted over 2,500 times, but he’s been a member for so long that that only amounts to a couple of posts a day. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/51 "2003-11-25T14:59:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > I have always had the sense that his problem is, well, just that he’s wrong sometimes. People who are “just, well, wrong sometimes” can **admit it** occasionally, not muddy issues further by desperately clinging to their faulty claims. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/52 "2003-11-25T15:03:40Z")
> [@](#): > > In all seriousness though, couldn’t we do something about his post count like **Colibri** suggested. \*\* Howsabout if he posts something factually incorrect or uses the phrase “just do a search for…” then he’ll get his post count zeroed out? It would be like one of those “X number of days since an accident” signs at factories. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/53 "2003-11-25T15:07:23Z")
Cany anybody possibly imagine what the FUCK this guy is like IRL? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/54 "2003-11-25T15:17:09Z")
Ilsa, IRL, he is the 99% of people out there who don’t know everything about everything but are still willing to give advice. Get some perspective. I’m also not certain why this new thread was started, when there’s a very recent other pit thread on the same subject: [handy pitting du jour](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=224224). I know Novemeber 19th was so long ago, last Wednesday even, but it seems a bit redundant. Lastly, I bet if you created a thread asking people to post if they hate handy, you would get a lot of honest posts. And that’s sad IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/55 "2003-11-25T15:23:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Ilsa, IRL, he is the 99% of people out there who don’t know everything about everything but are still willing to give advice. Get some perspective. 😕 Perspective? What the fuck are you talking about? IRL, most people, even idiots don’t get smackdowned by 30,000 people everytime they say something wrong and still continue to do it. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/56 "2003-11-25T15:25:21Z")
So what do you think he is like in real life? Draw us a picture. ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/57 "2003-11-25T15:25:21Z")
IRL = Cliff Clavin from Cheers. How about this- for every wrong answer in GQ- subtract a thousand posts from his total. That should shut him up, or zero him out pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/58 "2003-11-25T15:32:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*So what do you think he is like in real life? Draw us a picture. \*\* Man, fuck you! Cliff Clavin for sure, but with the entire cast of Cheers yelling at thim that he’s a dumbass everytime he says something. I am having a hard time visualizing him IRL. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/59 "2003-11-25T16:45:20Z")
Hey, don’t knock Cliffy! Pompous, annoying, sure; but IIRC, just once, he was right! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082/60 "2003-11-25T16:46:54Z")
(My implication being…) :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-cant-something-be-done-about-handy/215082.md?page=4)