# Shagnasty's topic ban? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 30, 2018, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791 "2018-01-30T10:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/41 "2018-01-30T21:47:19Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Given the current climate WRT misogyny, if an employee or CEO or whatever says or does something hateful towards women, it doesn’t matter if they are the most talented, effective person ever. They get the boot. And rightly so. > > So I don’t buy into the concept of: “Let’s keep Shags on board and just ban him from this one topic because he adds so much “value” to this board in other ways.” > > Our standards seem to be lower than what is the current norm. But he has such interesting things to say about race relations. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/42 "2018-01-30T22:54:33Z")
I don’t disagree with topic bans in general, but I do question using them if someone is found to be trolling. Even if they only do it on one topic, it’s still trolling. It’s still being a jerk and pissing off people for laughs. The topic is irrelevant: they’ve shown they post here for the purpose of riling people up. That they found one topic where they can consistently pull it off isn’t really that important. This is actually the first I heard of the topic ban for Shagnasty, and I thought that meant you decided he wasn’t actually trolling (or, at least, might not be), and is just unable to help himself on a single topic. For that purpose, I agree with topic bans. Honestly, that’s what I actually tend to think. He just can’t help himself on a single topic (and maybe one other one–race stuff–but we’ll see). It’s why I refused to really go after him in the Pit. I see him as having a problem. If we can mitigate that without losing him completely, I would prefer that outcome. So I approve of this topic ban. (Though I note topic bans are often a prelude to people being fully banned.) Finally, **AK84** : if the mods tell you to stop doing something, and if you do it and you do it again you get a Warning, how is that different from the mods telling someone to stop posting about something and if they do it anyways, they get a Warning? The latter is a topic ban. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/43 "2018-01-30T23:26:34Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Agreed. > > So there are people who only post about one topic and troll about that topic. There are people who post about multiple topics and troll on all of them. They should be banned. > > There are others who post on multiple topics but only troll on one of them. They should, in my opinion, be banned on the one topic. We simply disagree then. To me that is akin to saying that some guy who only mugs people in Dublin should just be banned from going to Dublin. No, he is a mugger, he should be arrested. I understand your point, I simply think that such dishonest posting deemed to be trolling does not deserve such accommodation. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/44 "2018-01-30T23:47:06Z")
I don’t necessarily disagree with my topic ban either. I probably should have have laid off the subject a while ago or at least toned it down. However, I maintain that I was neither dishonest nor trolling. The facts are real and very dedicated board members that love to research such things know it because everything matches what I said. I wasn’t trolling either. Those are my real opinions and even my parents know that because I have said the same types of things to them in person. They may not be popular opinions and maybe I shouldn’t have been so aggressive about expressing them but I came by them honestly through lots of direct experience. I love most women in general and many more than anyone else. There are just certain ones in roles that I know can do anything from disappoint to wreck me financially if they wanted to. I don’t like being vulnerable to anyone else’s wrath yet it has happened over and over. I know it will come as a relief for everyone to know that I am never getting banned. I know how to follow the rules perfectly fine. That is just the one topic that causes me to go a little out of bounds but I already said everything I wanted to so everything is going to be fine now. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/45 "2018-01-31T00:16:51Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > They may not be popular opinions and maybe I shouldn’t have been so aggressive about expressing them but I came by them honestly through lots of direct experience. I love most women in general and many more than anyone else. There are just certain ones in roles that I know can do anything from disappoint to wreck me financially if they wanted to. I don’t like being vulnerable to anyone else’s wrath yet it has happened over and over. Oh good–he’s found a way to start talking about it here. I suspect a ban on starting threads is just going to lead to this sort of leakage. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/46 "2018-01-31T00:21:05Z")
I really don’t like the idea of topic bans, even if the poster is a one trick pony. I’ve seen a good number of his threads, but I haven’t kept up to speed, is there a certain two or three recent threads that are especially egregious? ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/47 "2018-01-31T00:23:23Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I don’t necessarily disagree with my topic ban either. I probably should have have laid off the subject a while ago or at least toned it down. > > However, I maintain that I was neither dishonest nor trolling. The facts are real and very dedicated board members that love to research such things know it because everything matches what I said. I wasn’t trolling either. Those are my real opinions and even my parents know that because I have said the same types of things to them in person. > > They may not be popular opinions and maybe I shouldn’t have been so aggressive about expressing them but I came by them honestly through lots of direct experience. I love most women in general and many more than anyone else. There are just certain ones in roles that I know can do anything from disappoint to wreck me financially if they wanted to. I don’t like being vulnerable to anyone else’s wrath yet it has happened over and over. > > I know it will come as a relief for everyone to know that I am never getting banned. I know how to follow the rules perfectly fine. That is just the one topic that causes me to go a little out of bounds but I already said everything I wanted to so everything is going to be fine now. Why would a troll admit to being a troll? Kinda defeats the purpose, ya know? Of course everything you say is true. Why would you lie? Especially when you say you’re not lying. It’s enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/48 "2018-01-31T00:24:55Z")
There’s one in the pit that refuses to die. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/49 "2018-01-31T00:37:48Z")
* * * ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/50 "2018-01-31T00:39:10Z")
safe now. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/51 "2018-01-31T00:45:55Z")
This isn’t the Pit folks. Keep it above board. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/52 "2018-01-31T01:27:28Z")
He adds nothing to the board. As a result of the topic in question, his opinions are worthless to me and I scroll his posts. He’s but a very faint buzzing like a far-off mosquito. However, he devalues this board by his mere presence in other threads. People engage him and quote him, and I want nothing to do with him so I don’t return to the thread. Not that my contributions are that valuable, but I suspect I’m not alone. He kills participation. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2018, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/53 "2018-01-31T01:39:04Z")
There is moderator instruction directly above your post to keep this above board. This post is not acceptable in ATMB. No warning issued but this thread is not a place for trashing Shagnasty but discussing the topic ban. > [@Helena330](#): > > He adds nothing to the board. As a result of the topic in question, his opinions are worthless to me and I scroll his posts. He’s but a very faint buzzing like a far-off mosquito. However, he devalues this board by his mere presence in other threads. People engage him and quote him, and I want nothing to do with him so I don’t return to the thread. Not that my contributions are that valuable, but I suspect I’m not alone. He kills participation. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/54 "2018-01-31T01:45:45Z")
The vast majority of my posts have nothing to do with women or relationships at all and never have. I know lots about aviation, Louisiana history, travel, New England history, general science, politics and much more. I am not especially liberal compared to most of the board but that doesn’t mean I don’t contribute anything. I have for over 17 years. I can perfectly understand why some of my more extreme views tick people off but I am not the only one that has some of those. The vast majority of my posts are just factual, neutral or mundane. I am sorry that my views on relationships block you from seeing the rest. That was never the intent. There are other posters that have some views that I don’t like either but I just take it on a thread by thread basis. I look more at individual ideas rather than just branding people as a friend or enemy in general and even that isn’t absolute. There are plenty of people that I disagree with strongly on many things that I would still go out to eat with as long as they are civil. That is what being open-minded really is. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/55 "2018-01-31T01:47:25Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Oh good–he’s found a way to start talking about it here. I suspect a ban on starting threads is just going to lead to this sort of leakage. Not for long, it won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/56 "2018-01-31T01:48:14Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > There is moderator instruction directly above your post to keep this above board. > > This post is not acceptable in ATMB. No warning sued but this thread is not a place for trashing Shagnasty but discussing the topic ban. My apologies. My intention was to comment on the non-banning. I’ll bow out now. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/57 "2018-01-31T03:34:09Z")
> [@Emiliana](#): > > But he has such interesting things to say about race relations. And anserine cognition. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/58 "2018-01-31T03:41:59Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I’d be more curious why the poster judged by the mods to be flat out trolling was not just banned for trolling. Trolling, schmolling. Who cares whether it was technically trolling or not? Shags has been around forever and he adds some flair to the joint. There was a problem. The mods are trying to fix it without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. So quit splitting hairs and get back to complaining about stupid commercials or whatever you people do in all those threads that I skip. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/59 "2018-01-31T04:34:48Z")
Edited: didn’t see mod note. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791/60 "2018-01-31T05:37:36Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Trolling, schmolling. Who cares whether it was technically trolling or not? > > Shags has been around forever and he adds some flair to the joint. There was a problem. The mods are trying to fix it without throwing the baby out with the bathwater. > > So quit splitting hairs and get back to complaining about stupid commercials or whatever you people do in all those threads that I skip. Those of us who care about the board. You indicate you don’t even care to find out what people actually talk about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shagnastys-topic-ban/807791.md?page=4)