# Should this thread have been closed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 5, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617 "2000-03-05T19:01:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617/1 "2000-03-06T06:47:00Z")
In the General Questions forum, the thread “Money Laundering - how do I do it?” [http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/006253.html](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/006253.html) has been closed by the moderator, Nickrz. His reasons were: > [@](#): > > The Straight Dope neither encourages or condones the illegal practice of shielding ill-gotten gains from taxation. > Discussing means by which illegal activities may be accomplished is never a good idea on the SDMB. I am closing this thread. I reread the guidelines of this board and while it does say that moderators have the right to close a thread for any reason, there’s nothing that specifically prohibits discussions of illegal activities. The original poster, Powers106, wrote that he was looking for information for a novel he was working on. And the “plans” that were discussed involved owning a casino or offshore bank, so it’s not like someone was going to rush out and try them. I’m not looking to flame Nickrz but I think he overreacted. What do other people think? Is there a policy of banning discussions on how illegal activities are performed? Should there be? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617/2 "2000-03-05T19:01:00Z")
I would think that planning an actual crime that the contributing posters should reasonably realize is likely to be committed would be unacceptable. But the course of the thread in question, I believe, was well within acceptable inquiry. If someone asks how drug smugglers get their booty across the border, I’d think it OK for the TM to spill what they know. But if someone revealed that they were really pissed at so-and-so and described their lifestyle and asked how to whack’em, I would hope the TM would reject the opportunity to plan the crime. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617/3 "2000-03-05T19:13:00Z")
Could it be that the Chicago Reader doesn’t want to get it’s ass sued off?? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617/4 "2000-03-05T20:30:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Could it be that the Chicago Reader doesn’t want to get it’s ass sued off?? No one would have standing for filing a civil suit. As for criminal penalties, the First Amendment would preclude them, just as it protects newspapers, books, magazines, websites, etc. which discuss how actual crimes were committed. “The suspect entered the store, pointed a gun at the cashier and demanded the money from the register” is a blueprint for how to commit armed robbery. If a newspaper was opened up to criminal penalty every time it published the police blotter, we’d have no free press. Based on the information presented here, closing the thread was uncalled for, but then it’s the SDMB’s ball; they can take it and go home if they want. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2000, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617/5 "2000-03-05T20:55:00Z")
I also wondered a bit about the closing of that thread - but also reiterate - it’s SDMB’s call, and if they wanted to close it, they can. But - if SDMB cannot condone any discussions of how to do something that is illegal ie: > [@](#): > > Discussing means by which illegal activities may be accomplished is never a good idea on the SDMB. I remember not to long ago someone wanted to know how to pass a drug test. Someone had obviously been using _illegal_ drugs, and didn’t want to get caught. I don’t know if this compares, (and personally, I am very intolerant of drugs) but why no outroar about that? I am not sure, but I don’t think it’s the first time that illegal drug use has been discussed and explored on this message board. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-this-thread-have-been-closed/17617/6 "2000-03-06T03:19:00Z")
[Moderator Hat: ON] All complaints about moderator actions belong in the Pit. And so that’s where this is going. * * * David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator [Moderator Hat: Handed off to Lynn]