# Seriously, twickster? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 17, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711 "2011-02-17T16:23:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/101 "2011-02-23T14:42:20Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Any chance **Ed** or **TubaDiva** will weigh in? I’d like to know the administration’s take. You can always e-mail them and ask. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/102 "2011-02-23T22:36:59Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Any chance **Ed** or **TubaDiva** will weigh in? I’d like to know the administration’s take. “Shut up,” he explained. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/103 "2011-02-24T20:51:05Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > At what point does it become clear that she’s not really cut out to be a mod here? Several infractions ago. However, \*\*Ed \*\*apparently isn’t concerned whether or not his staff actually follow his rules. > [@Quasimodem](#): > > **Twicks** said “sorry” and that should be enough. It it isn’t, then _why_ isn’t it? > [@Quasimodem](#): > > I’m just telling y’all that it doesn’t matter about the mistakes. What does matter is do we realize we’ve made one, and **Twicks** did. Here’s the thing, \*\*Quasi \*\*mein Freund: we don’t want \*\*twickster \*\*to leave the site. We just want her to step down as a moderator. She has demonstrated, time and again, that she has a chronic incapacity to separate her personal feelings from her moderation. Repeatedly, she has taken official actions based not on the rules of the board she’s supposed to be enforcing but on her personal preferences. And this isn’t the Twickster Message Board; it’s the SDMB. There’s a difference between forgiving an action and excusing it. We can forgive \*\*twickster \*\*while still requesting that she be held accountable for her actions. Let’s say there’s a police officer who really doesn’t like blue cars. So sometimes, for no legal reason at all, he’ll pull over a blue car and give the driver a ticket. If he says he’s sorry every time he gets caught doing it, do you think he should keep his job? > [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Any chance **Ed** or **TubaDiva** will weigh in? Nnnnnnnnnope. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/104 "2011-02-24T21:29:33Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Let’s say there’s a police officer who really doesn’t like blue cars. So sometimes, for no legal reason at all, he’ll pull over a blue car and give the driver a ticket. If he says he’s sorry every time he gets caught doing it, do you think he should keep his job? Hi **SFG**. Quibbling with analogies if like, oh, shooting fish in a barrel: good messy scaly fun. There’s an unpaid local deputy who puts in regular hours keeping drunks from pissing in the town’s fountains. About every two months the deputy pulls over someone in a blue car and gives them a ticket. It takes ten minutes for the driver to email the courthouse, and explain the situation. The ticket is voided. There is then a five day protest rally calling for the volunteer deputy’s resignation. Do I think the deputy should keep Her unpaid job? Shrug. The key issue (as has been mentioned) is if there is a ready and waiting pool of superior applicants ready to step in. Is there? I have no idea. I do notice there is no shortage of SDMB posters who are, IMO, idiots. There’s also a large pool of posters who make a big deal over very minor fuck-ups. Maybe I’m overly aware of the problem posters, and ignoring the teeming dozens of consistently even-handed ones. But until I find out otherwise I’m going to assume that the Big Benevolent Powers That Be know better than I do about the availability of good, ready and willing Mods in waiting. If a whole bunch of posters I respect speak up in a thread, and reveal that they have volunteered to moderate then I’ll change my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/105 "2011-02-24T21:39:15Z")
The whole idea of taking applications for moderators kind of weirds me out. IME it works best when current mods and staff nominate moderators out of the current pool of posters. Letting people nominate themselves seems like a great way to get people who just like waving around the big stick. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/106 "2011-02-24T21:39:47Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > If a whole bunch of posters I respect speak up in a thread, and reveal that they have volunteered to moderate then I’ll change my mind. I volunteered. Was told I can’t be a mod here because \*\*Ed’\*\*s afraid I might be mean to people. Given **Twickster** ’s history, and that of at least one other mod here, I find that more than a little ironic. I have a decade of mod experience elsewhere, generally know the rules of the various forums at least as well as most mods here, and am usually correct when I report threads. But Big Bad Oak might be mean to people. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/107 "2011-02-24T21:43:12Z")
Hell, if I weren’t so sure I’d be flat-out rejected from having spent too much time pointing out awkward things like “your staff are breaking your own rules” and “you’re putting short-term profits above long-term community viability,” I’d toss my own hat into the ring. God knows I’d qualify if they were only objectively considering prior experience. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/108 "2011-02-24T21:47:32Z")
> [@Lord\_Ashtar](#): > > At what point does it become clear that she’s not really cut out to be a mod here? Just to be clear, I didn’t mean this as a slight against **twickster**. Not everyone is cut out to be a mod. I know I’m not. There’s no reason to be ashamed that you (general “you”) can’t pull it off. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/109 "2011-02-24T21:49:01Z")
Can those who are claiming that “what the fuck is wrong with you” is an insult please tell me where the insult is? An insult is a derogatory description of someone - there’s no description in “what the fuck is wrong with you”. People need to either grow some thicker skin around here or figure out a way to prevent their panties from getting \*so \*bunched up. ---
**Author:** ![Library\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@Library\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Library_Boy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/110 "2011-02-24T22:08:16Z")
Just FYI, the next time someone tells you that there is something wrong with you as a person, they are not trying to flatter you. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/111 "2011-02-24T22:18:16Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Can those who are claiming that “what the fuck is wrong with you” is an insult please tell me where the insult is? An insult is a derogatory description of someone - there’s no description in “what the fuck is wrong with you”. People need to either grow some thicker skin around here or figure out a way to prevent their panties from getting \*so \*bunched up. The statement is saying “there is SOMETHING wrong with you and I want to know what it is that causes you to think/behave the way you do”. Just as a test (I don’t really mean this), what would you think if I had responded: “what the fuck is wrong with you that you couldn’t figure that out?” ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/112 "2011-02-24T22:28:04Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > Just as a test (I don’t really mean this), what would you think if I had responded: > “what the fuck is wrong with you that you couldn’t figure that out?” I’d think to myself “RaftPeople is being a little testy and snarky”. That’s not against the rules and there’s still no insult. You can be offended by it all you like - or you could just grow some thicker skin/unbunch the panties/desandify your vag and move on. Getting worked up over warmed-over snark isn’t worth it. Demanding a change of guard over warmed-over snark is butthurtness to the Nth degree. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/113 "2011-02-24T22:30:13Z")
The question of whether anyone should be offended by it is different from the question of whether it’s an insult. IMO it’s pretty clearly an insult, whether or not you think it’s serious enough to warrant offense or not. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/114 "2011-02-24T22:35:27Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Hell, if I weren’t so sure I’d be flat-out rejected from having spent too much time pointing out awkward things like “your staff are breaking your own rules” and “you’re putting short-term profits above long-term community viability,” I’d toss my own hat into the ring. God knows I’d qualify if they were only objectively considering prior experience. I’d be an excellent king, too, but there’s a conspiracy in the Illuminati to keep me down. Wheels within wheels, man. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/115 "2011-02-24T22:39:40Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > People need to either grow some thicker skin around here or figure out a way to prevent their panties from getting \*so \*bunched up. Our rules are built around coddling sandy-vagina types. Since they exist, however, they should be applied universally. ---
**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:** [February 24, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/116 "2011-02-24T22:47:30Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > The whole idea of taking applications for moderators kind of weirds me out. IME it works best when current mods and staff nominate moderators out of the current pool of posters. Letting people nominate themselves seems like a great way to get people who just like waving around the big stick. I believe that they do it both ways. > [@MsWhatsit](#): > > The question of whether anyone should be offended by it is different from the question of whether it’s an insult. IMO it’s pretty clearly an insult, whether or not you think it’s serious enough to warrant offense or not. I have tried to make this same argument, in vain, many times over the years. > [@Munch](#): > > Can those who are claiming that “what the fuck is wrong with you” is an insult please tell me where the insult is? An insult is a derogatory description of someone - there’s no description in “what the fuck is wrong with you”. People need to either grow some thicker skin around here or figure out a way to prevent their panties from getting \*so \*bunched up. Either it’s an insult or it isn’t. If it isn’t, people shouldn’t get warned or admonished for it. If it is, Moderators shouldn’t be allowed to use it. Either way works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/117 "2011-02-24T22:51:10Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > The question of whether anyone should be offended by it is different from the question of whether it’s an insult. IMO it’s pretty clearly an insult, whether or not you think it’s serious enough to warrant offense or not. Then I’ll ask again - what is the specific insult? > [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Our rules are built around coddling sandy-vagina types. Since they exist, however, they should be applied universally. While I cannot disagree with this with regard to the current practice of moderation on the board, it’s a fairly new phenomena. The rules themselves allow for a great deal of abuse - poster to poster, mod to poster, poster to mod, you name it - but we’ve gone from a “strict constructionist” model to a “legislating from the bench” model (to the occasional “interpretational jazz” technique). ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/118 "2011-02-24T22:53:46Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Then I’ll ask again - what is the specific insult? “What the fuck is wrong with you?” = “There is something fucking wrong with you.” To me, that sounds like an insult. Although I do realize that interpreting what is and is not an insult is somewhat subjective. I agree with this: > [@hajario](#): > > Either it’s an insult or it isn’t. If it isn’t, people shouldn’t get warned or admonished for it. If it is, Moderators shouldn’t be allowed to use it. Either way works for me. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/119 "2011-02-24T22:54:36Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Then I’ll ask again - what is the specific insult? “There is something very wrong with you.” ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711/120 "2011-02-24T23:01:31Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Either it’s an insult or it isn’t. If it isn’t, people shouldn’t get warned or admonished for it. If it is, Moderators shouldn’t be allowed to use it. Either way works for me. I wasn’t sure if it was the kind of thing that people got warned or admonished for. Is it? I don’t remember ever seeing a moderator note because someone said “what is wrong with you” outside the pit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seriously-twickster/571711.md?page=7)