I didn’t read that in the sticky, I did see a poster Jinx asked that question toward the end for which he got no answer, so perhaps you better amend the sticky in question to reflect further clarification of this rule.
Of course it could be spelled out clearly somewhere else, but thats the thread I read in regards to wishing death on someone.
I suspect that if your thread stated that all moderated message boards were run by idiots and all moderators needed to die, there would be a number of moderators, here, who would let that pass. On the other hand, if you stated that the Moderators of the Pit needed to die–a specific group of named individuals posting to this board–you probably would incur a Warning. (You would not get banned for a single incident of posting “tomndebb should die,” although another Moderator might issue a warning for that and if you posted about a moderator action, “tomndebb was stupid to issue that ruling and he should die” you might incur a suspension, but not from me.)
As Abbie Normal has noted, the issue of wishing death on people not members of the SDMB has never been nailed down with finality, although the moderating has tended to react to threats/wishes against members rather than non-members.
When I say “I wish those fuckin’ Telemarketers would die,” it’s pretty clear I’m not serious, that I’m just expressing my dislike of telemarketers in a colorful fashion. I don’t really want them to die, just for them to stop bugging me at dinner. The comments of the two pitted posters seem to express a genuine pleasure at the thought of U.S. servicemen’s deaths, at least the ones serving in Iraq. This group includes several dopers. It seems to me that their comments cross some sort of line, at least the “don’t be a jerk” line, if they don’t violate the specific letter of the wishing death rule.
As I’ve stated before, how do things change the moment an Iraqi insurgent signs up for the board? At that point, may people no longer advocate the position that the Iraqi insurgency needs to be rooted out and eliminated?
We had a pedophile on the board awhile back. While he was a member, should users have been forbidden from advocating the position that sexually abusing children ought to carry the death penalty, and that they’d be thrilled if that law were passed?
There are situations in which people can seriously advocate the deaths of a group of people from a political position. I think it’s a bad idea for a messageboard devoted to robust debate to stifle that position, even when it’s one that I disagree with vehemently. (For the record, I disagree with both of the examples here, and with the position that US soldiers ought to die).
Advocating the death of a specific doper is different. Unless that doper is a well-known criminal, advocating their death is not a political position, it’s a personal position, and it’s an abhorrent one. Stifling such declarations does not stifle political debate.
Daniel
I was going to mention that (Dopers that are in Iraq or who will be headed there) but I figured Giraffe would realize the mistake in his ruling before it came to that. I can wish death on anyone I want in here, with just some minor changes with the rule as he made it. But I would guess that this rule will be adjusted according to the best interest of this board.
Things I thought where not allowed but apparently are.
I donated money to UBL, the more americans he kills the better off the world is.
I cannot wait for more abortion doctors to get what they have coming, another bullet in the head doc?
Fucking christians, they believe in heaven, fuck it I will send all there intelligent design asses to the afterlife.
Fucking muslims, I am donating money to the army, so they can buy more bullets to kill the fuckers.
Stupid conservatives, everyone who voted for Bush deserves nothing but heads sliced off.
If a liberal takes office, I will donate to the KKK so they can murder the fuckers.
etc.
Not that I would say that stuff anywhich way but its something that I thought the rule would cover.
Very well said. The goal is to set a limit on the nastiness of personal attacks without stifling debate.
By allowing someone to speak, we’re not in any way endorsing what they say. We’re quite confident that stupid, ignorant opinions will be roundly trounced by our smarter, more good-looking members.
It does seem that if one can say “I hope that the US forces beat the Iraqi insurgents soon.” that one could also say “I hope that the Iraqi insurgents beat the US forces soon.”
Well as the most good-looking poster on this board IMOELO* I have to say this, that will work until you wish death on a group most of the group dislikes. That would leave the minority in a constant state of being summarily executed in every post that they become a part of.
*In My Own Egotistical Lying Opinion
On preview I seen** FinnAgains** post, and I do not think that is the debate. The debate is can I say “Everytime someone kills a muslim, it makes the world a better place”
How does that differ from “The world needs stability, and by eliminating the Iraqi insurgents we’ll make the world a better place.” or “The world needs less warmongering, if the US troops are stopped then the people of the world will be better off.”
Don’t get me wrong, I think that the sentiments expressed in the Pit thread that this spawned were absolutely abhorent.
No, your example would not be covered under the “do not wish death on another poster” rule. Depending on the context and whether the poster had a history of being deliberately inflammatory, it might prick up my ears with respect to possible trolling, but it’s out of the jurisdiction of wishing death on other posters.
Consider the source though, Airman. They’re not exactly the cream of the Doper crop.
You know who your real friends are, and you know as well as I do that not everyone’s gonna like you.
And remember-GO STEELERS!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hung Mung
It’s not the same thing and you fucking know it. We aren’t going into homes and killing random people. We aren’t blowing up shit just because we can. Regardless of which moldy, old-ass fatcats want to bluster about war and heroism here at home, the military is taking care of its business as best it can. They’re people too. They aren’t shooting kids for fun.
Der Trihs responds…
Prove it.
Sorry, the burden of proof is on you. You prove it…
crickets…
…chirp…
…chirp…
Airman Doors, please put me down in the column of respecting what you do. I may be also firmly in the group that feels that it was a mistake to put you and others like you in harm’s way without sufficient cause and when other means had not yet been exhausted, and feeling that members of the military are being placed in positions that they are inadequately prepared to deal with, that there has been more harm done to Iraqis than good by our having gone in, and lots else that you may or may not agree with, but I respect the professional military for the difficult job that they do and wish greatly for their safe return home having accomplished some good. I do not respect civilian leadership that puts them danger without adequate cause or benefit to be gained, but those are different issues.
Those who wish you ill and would celebrate your death are similar iin mentality to terrorists and their supporters.“Americans deserve to die because of the evil that Great Satan does.”
In my mind it is far beyond “being a jerk” but some people are beyond jerkdom. They do not represent anyone or anything other than their own sick thinking. As to the rules of the board … that’s the mods job to do how they will. If they want a discussion that is provoked by such idiocy that’s okay by me, if they want to slap them down, okay by me. None of my business. But again, please know how much the rest of us wish you and others in service to stay safe.
How convenient.
My posting above is a comment on posting #100 in this thread.
In what way is it convenient? Do you think that Giraffe secretly wants to see US soldiers killed, or their deaths applauded, and has somehow twisted the rule into one that allows this?
Read the Pit Sticky through all the way, and you’ll see that this conversation on this exact issue goes back several years.
Daniel
The Feb 1st issue of the Washington Post has an articleabout a couple of fellows who are morally equivalent to terrorists, according to many people posting in this thread. Here are some excerpts:
Morally equivalent to terrorists, right? Joined the military so they could kill, right?
And Airman, at least you got a response from a moderator. I reported Der Trish’s posts a few times and was completely ignored.
Seek help, dude. That’s not what I meant.
It’s quite convenient for someone to wish death on a group to which he knows the poster he’s targeting with his comment belongs. That’s because, as the mod has now explained, that kind of comment isn’t covered by the rule.
Read the sticky through and you’ll notice that I have read that, especially the jerkish comment from the OP of that particular sticky.
Again, it’s quite convenient for a poster to wish death on a group to which he knows a particular poster belongs. Since it’s quite convenient, that rule is now a lame rule.
:rolleyes: which is why I asked. I appreciate the clarification on what you meant, but not the snark.
How would you propose that this loophole be filled? I think you’re right that it could lead to abuse: “Screw off, LHoD,” someone might say, “I think that all red-headed Dungeons-and-Dragons-playing geeks in Asheville ought to die a horrifying death! And that’s my considered political position.” Obviously, that wouldn’t be kosher.
At the same time, would you prefer a rule that forbids folks to call for the government to continue a bombing campaign in Afghanistan in order to eliminate Al Qaeda?
How would you draw the rule?
Daniel
Perhaps you could’ve asked it differently. But that’s just my opinion. Let’s both let that bit between us–the phrasing of your query and my “snarkiness”–pass, okay?
Depends on how many of y’all there are in that town, I guess! Actually, I had what I find to be a funny thought: even one constitutes a group in set theory, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask for you, or your group, to die. Anyway, I like your postings usually, I think.
Ah, Daniel, that’s the dilemma, isn’t it? I don’t know. But I think the OP in the pit sticky is lame and I think the mod’s comment in this thread gives a quite convenient out for someone to abuse the “rule.”
Oh, well. Perhaps it is all in the context. I really don’t kow.