# So calling another poster a "mongoloid" is a-ok eh? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 6, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037 "2017-05-06T23:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**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:** [May 9, 2017, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/101 "2017-05-09T16:48:25Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I’m not sure I see the point of making up absurdly far-fetched examples. Would you maybe see the point of it if a madman held a gun to your head? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/102 "2017-05-09T16:51:39Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > You just made William Thomson very sad. That was awesome. /hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/103 "2017-05-09T16:51:51Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Would you maybe see the point of it if a madman held a gun to your head? And how about if you and your pet iguana were trapped in the elevator of the Eiffel Tower with _five_ madmen, four armed with guns and one with a high-powered laser? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/104 "2017-05-09T17:04:49Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I’m curious. Would the use of “gurgling mongoloid” have been moderated if used outside The Pit? I would have modded it in CS or MPSIMS, because of it being an insult, yes. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/105 "2017-05-09T17:08:59Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > I would have modded it in CS or MPSIMS, because of it being an insult, yes. “Has anyone seen the new David Lynch movie, _Gurgling Mongoloid_?” ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/106 "2017-05-09T17:10:49Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I’d suggest that people who are sensitive to insulting language of the like, as for example **Mr. Dibble** is, should simply avoid reading or participating in that forum. I’m perfectly fine with insulting language in the Pit. What I’d like is some consistence as to how the Pit is moderated, though. A mix of “list of verboten words” (e.g “cunt”) and “we know it when we see it” (e.g. “kike” ) is a bit too open to Mod fiat for my liking. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/107 "2017-05-09T18:31:07Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > “Has anyone seen the new David Lynch movie, _Gurgling Mongoloid_?” Is that about that CW band The Gurgling Mongoloids? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/108 "2017-05-09T18:41:13Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > “Has anyone seen the new David Lynch movie, _Gurgling Mongoloid_?” Are you trying to get this thread moved to CS??? ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/109 "2017-05-09T18:52:31Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > All I’m hearing hear is “I don’t want to do it because it seems like work”, frankly. > > > [@samclem](#): > > > > Then get your hearing aid checked. > > > > > [@MrDibble](#): > > > > > > Yeah, this is why I come to ATMB, for the quality customer service… Was that a “shut up about it until we rule on it, peons”? I would think reading glasses versus hearing aid is more apropos. I.e. the ATMB seems to be more for quality-customer service. You seem to want the Moderators to do a lot for work so that your reading experience is not a lot of work. You interpret whatever is said in whatever manner you want. If you want to take insult, you will. It seems much more productive to mock or ignore speech that you find nonsensical or unproductive than to try to regulate it. Regulation just invites attention to discussing the limits, providing examples, and just generally - getting attention. Better to mock and ignore-when-that-gets-boring than provide rules that generate lots of ATMB rules-moderation threads. On the other hand, I think there is a very simple\* solution. Create a new Custom-Pit Forum. In it, every poster gets to keep a custom dictionary. All of the posts in The Pit are duplicated in the Custom-Pit but \*\*\*\* replaces each word in your custom dictionary. Then you don’t have to see any words you don’t wish. - [sub]NB: The use of “simple” wasn’t hate speech or a racist slur, just to be clear.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/110 "2017-05-09T18:55:44Z")
Geez, learn how to nest quotes properly. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/111 "2017-05-09T19:01:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m astounded that question needs to be asked. Insults are not allowed outside the Pit. Was that phrase not intended as an insult in the post in question? > > Perhaps a better question would be: Would that phrase be moderated if it were used to describe someone who is not a poster on this MB? “Trump is a gurgling mongoloid”. Would that be moderated? > > Anyway, I think it’s important to distinguish between insults aimed at posters and insults aimed at non-posters. Apologies if that is what you meant. I don’t think it was obvious from just reading your post. I think you missed my two related points. First of all, “gurgling mongoloid” doesn’t have to be used to describe another poster. Suppose I’m posting in GD, and in the process of discussing someone’s actions from the political sphere, I say something like, “That gurgling mongoloid of an Attorney General just did the most ridiculous thing today…” Would that be moderated? If that phrase used OUTSIDE The Pit would not be moderated, then clearly you should be able to use it to refer to another poster IN The Pit. But if it would be moderated outside The Pit, but you get to call someone that IN The Pit, I’m fine because of point two: The Pit is a place where insults are intended to be used, and unless they are so far beyond the pale that we simply cannot as a well-functioning group in today’s society allow them, then they are acceptable there, even if they don’t reflect well upon the person using them. In short, if you’re going to wallow with the pigs… ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/112 "2017-05-09T19:10:18Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Suppose I’m posting in GD, and in the process of discussing someone’s actions from the political sphere, I say something like, “That gurgling mongoloid of an Attorney General just did the most ridiculous thing today…” > > Would that be moderated? Bear in mind that mods do not go through every thread, and even when they do, they cannot always be counted on to respond to out-of-bounds comments. A mod might see a thing like that and decide to let it slide, if the mod felt the comment was not that big a deal, or might have skimmed over the tldr of your post. It seems as though there is a certain level of democratization to moderation: if no one complains, a transgression might just be overlooked. If a number of people complain, action becomes much more likely. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/113 "2017-05-09T19:14:56Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > I think you missed my two related points. > > First of all, “gurgling mongoloid” doesn’t have to be used to describe another poster. Suppose I’m posting in GD, and in the process of discussing someone’s actions from the political sphere, I say something like, “That gurgling mongoloid of an Attorney General just did the most ridiculous thing today…” > > Would that be moderated? If that phrase used OUTSIDE The Pit would not be moderated, then clearly you should be able to use it to refer to another poster IN The Pit. But if it would be moderated outside The Pit, but you get to call someone that IN The Pit… Hmm. That was exactly the point I was making in my post. Hence, the reference to Trump. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. I thought it was obvious that if X is allowed outside the Pit, it would be allowed inside the Pit, so I didn’t say that explicitly in my post. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/114 "2017-05-09T19:58:20Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > I would think reading glasses versus hearing aid is more apropos. I.e. the ATMB seems to be more for quality-customer service. I … don’t know what you’re saying …here? > [@](#): > > You seem to want the Moderators to do a lot for work so that your reading experience is not a lot of work. No, I want the Mods to do a \*little \*work upfront, so \*nobody \*has to do “a lot for[sic] work” later. For instance, now that the dust has settled, how much work is involved in maintaining the absence of “cunt” in the Pit? > [@](#): > > You interpret whatever is said in whatever manner you want. If you want to take insult, you will. Why does everyone assume _I’m_ feeling insulted? > [@](#): > > It seems much more productive to mock or ignore speech that you find nonsensical or unproductive than to try to regulate it. Well, what do we even need Pit Mods for, then? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037/115 "2017-05-09T21:59:09Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Hmm. That was exactly the point I was making in my post. Hence, the reference to Trump. Sorry if that wasn’t clear. I thought it was obvious that if X is allowed outside the Pit, it would be allowed inside the Pit, so I didn’t say that explicitly in my post. Gotcha. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-calling-another-poster-a-mongoloid-is-a-ok-eh/786037.md?page=5)