# So what was wrong with this GQ response: **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 4, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221 "2010-05-04T00:07:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/1 "2010-05-04T00:07:13Z")
in “I found an iPod on the road today - any chance it still works?” I was the first to answer the OP. This is my reply: > [@](#): > > be careful. the rightful Macfag owner may call up his god, Steve Jobs, and enlist his help, and the help of the Apple Gestapo, in recovering his precious piece of iShit by getting the local sheriff to come and execute a search warrant. And then sending you the bill for the pleasure. > > To answer your question: why don’t you try plugging it in and seeing if it works? Would hooking it up to the computer not be a fairly good way to tell of its current operational status? Then maybe plug in some iHeadphones and play a song (is it possible to start playing the song through the computer application, or otherwise pushing the play/enter buttons enough time to get to a song) (I mean I understand that you would need to buy a cord for it, but wouldn’t spending the 4 bucks, or whatever some generic ripoff for the cord costs on ebay, be worth it for a 8gig solid piece of gol… ipod?) Marley takes umbrage and writes, while only partially quoting the post in question (specifically the first paragraph): > [@](#): > > [Moderator Note] > > Rumor\_Watkins, this kind of post is not appropriate in GQ. If you want to rant about Apple (or on any other subject), do so in the Pit. Don’t do this again, or you will receive a formal warning. I also note that you have several other moderator warnings and notes for inappropriate posts. As I have before, I strongly advise you to pay closer attention to forum standards. This is from the GQ rules post: > [@](#): > > Please do not race to a thread to post that hilarious one-liner in response to the thread title, and don’t drive by just to drop in an anecdote that doesn’t answer the question.\*\* If you want to be funny while contributing to the thread, go for it.\*\* [emphasis mine] I believe I substantively answered the question, while trying to be funny. I’m not quite sure how this violates “forum standards”. Since I actually substantively answered the OPs question (at least attempted to) I don’t see how this can fairly be construed as me posting merely to rant or bitch about apple, and instead it’s more like “being funny while contributing” which is expressly allowed as per the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/2 "2010-05-04T00:15:34Z")
Well, I was posting with my sock account, **Colibri** , at the time. I’ll have to get back into **Colibri** mode to answer your question. [In the mean time here’s a link to the thread in question.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=561894) ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/3 "2010-05-04T00:16:35Z")
ok I don’t get that at all. Did I just halucinate and was it always Colibri? (if so, sorry!) ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/4 "2010-05-04T00:43:47Z")
Seriously? “Macfag owner” and you’re questioning it? ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/5 "2010-05-04T00:49:07Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > Seriously? “Macfag owner” and you’re questioning it? yes. it’s a joke word, jesus. it’s in urbandictionary fer chrissakes. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/6 "2010-05-04T00:53:16Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > yes. it’s a joke word, jesus. it’s in urbandictionary fer chrissakes. So are “cunt” and “motherfucker” but you can’t use call someone that in GQ, and you know that. Stop being disingenous. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/7 "2010-05-04T00:59:30Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > So are “cunt” and “motherfucker” but you can’t use call someone that in GQ, and you know that. Stop being disingenous. a) those are specifically proscribed words, even in the pit. some made-up joke word “macfag” is not. b) i wasn’t calling anyone anything (ok, yes, I was calling the unknown person who lost the ipod on the side of the road) ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/8 "2010-05-04T01:02:27Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > a) those are specifically proscribed words, even in the pit. some made-up joke word “macfag” is not. > > b) i wasn’t calling anyone anything (ok, yes, I was calling the unknown person who lost the ipod on the side of the road) I really think that the crux of this was that you were trying to make a joke, answer the question, and express an opinion about Apple all at the same time. The way it came across was that you were trying to make a joke, express an opinion, and pass judgement on people who like Apple products. It’s a text-based medium. Tone doesn’t always translate like we’d hope. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/9 "2010-05-04T01:05:18Z")
> [@Soul](#): > > I really think that the crux of this was that you were trying to make a joke, answer the question, and express an opinion about Apple all at the same time. The way it came across was that you were trying to make a joke, express an opinion, and pass judgement on people who like Apple products. > > It’s a text-based medium. Tone doesn’t always translate like we’d hope. so the part where i explicitly state “to answer your question” falls by the wayside because… ? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/10 "2010-05-04T01:06:45Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > ok I don’t get that at all. > > Did I just halucinate and was it always Colibri? > > (if so, sorry!) You could always go back and read the original thread. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/11 "2010-05-04T01:08:25Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > You could always go back and read the original thread. It’s not like I didnt. I think I really just halucinated - probably had a thread open in another tab and marley was actually answering the question. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/12 "2010-05-04T01:20:40Z")
Meh. Seems like a pretty trifling offense, if that. You probably got hammered with a strongly worded reminder because you have existing warnings, about which I know nothing. I say it was a waste of time for the mod in question to come down on you. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/13 "2010-05-04T01:21:20Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > a) those are specifically proscribed words, even in the pit. some made-up joke word “macfag” is not. > > b) i wasn’t calling anyone anything (ok, yes, I was calling the unknown person who lost the ipod on the side of the road) > [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > so the part where i explicitly state “to answer your question” falls by the wayside because… ? No, it didn’t fall by the wayside. You gave a perfectly good answer. BUT… You prefaced it with an extended jab at Apple, Jobs, iphones, etc. If it had been a single thing, you probably wouldn’t have raised a blip. Sure, someone may have hit the “report this post” but we would probably have ignored it. But, you made a rather lengthy diatribe against Apple et al. It just wasn’t necessary and it tends to disrupt what might be a normal post in GQ. It tends to sidetrack the thread. Note–you got a mild rebuke, not a formal warning. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/14 "2010-05-04T01:43:32Z")
I agree with what **Gfactor** said above. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/15 "2010-05-04T02:36:46Z")
> [@xash](#): > > I agree with what **Gfactor** said above. I see what you did there, Tomndeb ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/16 "2010-05-04T02:39:08Z")
> [@xash](#): > > I agree with what **Gfactor** said above. I’m sure you must mean Gary “Wombat” Robson. > [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > I believe I substantively answered the question, while trying to be funny. I’m not quite sure how this violates “forum standards”. Since I actually substantively answered the OPs question (at least attempted to) I don’t see how this can fairly be construed as me posting merely to rant or bitch about apple, and instead it’s more like “being funny while contributing” which is expressly allowed as per the rules. Seriously, **Rumor\_Watkins** , if that’s your idea of a jolly jest you would do well to avoid ever trying to post a humorous answer in GQ. It might have been slightly amusing in an anti-Apple thread in the Pit, but as the first post in a GQ thread, it just shows a tin ear for what’s appropriate. I would particularly point to your use of “Macfag,” which you call a made-up joke word, but which contains the word “fag,” which many people regard as highly offensive. And considering the PC-Apple Wars that periodically break out on the board, as **samclem** said the whole thing could easily have caused the whole thread to be disrupted. (And, I might add, it could be construed to fall under the “no religious jabs in GQ” rule.;)) > [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > so the part where i explicitly state “to answer your question” falls by the wayside because… ? I only quoted the first part of your post, because that was the part that was a problem. You don’t get a pass on posting inappropriate stuff in GQ just because you also post a factual answer. In any case, as has already been pointed out, it was a Mod Note, a reminder of forum standards, rather than a formal warning. ---
**Author:** ![Rumor\_Watkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Rumor\_Watkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumor_Watkins)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/17 "2010-05-04T03:01:15Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > You don’t get a pass on posting inappropriate stuff in GQ just because you also post a factual answer. In any case, as has already been pointed out, it was a Mod Note, a reminder of forum standards, rather than a formal warning. apparently, you do. > [@](#): > > If you want to be funny while contributing to the thread, go for it. the “inappropriate component” apparently was the rant about apple, not the use of a term which contains a possibly offensive term\*, so i’m not sure why you bring this up now. it seems like ex post justification for what others here have even considered a non-issue. and, fwiw, it is a made-up joke term, go look at urbandictionary, so i wouldn’t just call it one. there was clearly no derailing of the thread, since there were 9 posts before yours and clearly no derailing went on, including in posts 3 and 4, some continuing, obviously jocular banter between me and the OP. surely at the point you decided to intervene, there was no indication that the rant was blossoming into anything else. probably because everyone could understand that it was a tag on to my actual substantive reply to the question. i’ve been warned before by you for extremely ticky-tack stuff before, and the response i always get from you is the variant of the “bah, you have tin ears” if-you-can’t-see-then-it’s-your-problem tripe you just used as a justification. maybe the board would be better served by mods actually having clearly defined standards (pity that i thought “If you want to be funny while contributing to the thread, go for it” was one) instead of apparently playing bully and making ex-post justifications for their moderation. and sure, maybe it’s bad humor (i really do appreciate moderators acting as both content managers and content critics, btw, it does wonders for the perception of neutrality that your job [ought to] demands) but, bad humor ought not to turn something into impermissible “inappropriate content” that would otherwise be “being funny while contributing to the thread” \*There is no mention here of my use of a supposedly offensive word > [@](#): > > Rumor\_Watkins, this kind of post is not appropriate in GQ. If you want to rant about Apple (or on any other subject), do so in the Pit. Don’t do this again, or you will receive a formal warning. I also note that you have several other moderator warnings and notes for inappropriate posts. As I have before, I strongly advise you to pay closer attention to forum standards. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/18 "2010-05-04T03:31:00Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > the “inappropriate component” apparently was the rant about apple, not the use of a term which contains a possibly offensive term\*, so i’m not sure why you bring this up now. it seems like ex post justification for what others here have even considered a non-issue. and, fwiw, it is a made-up joke term, go look at urbandictionary, so i wouldn’t just call it one. Just because I highlighted one thing in the mod note doesn’t mean that was the only thing wrong with your post. And really, if you don’t understand that the word “fag” can be offensive, then you shouldn’t be casually tossing it around. Adding the prefix “Mac” to it doesn’t make it non-offensive. Neither does finding it in urbandictionary. > [@](#): > > there was clearly no derailing of the thread, since there were 9 posts before yours and clearly no derailing went on, including in posts 3 and 4, some continuing, obviously jocular banter between me and the OP. surely at the point you decided to intervene, there was no indication that the rant was blossoming into anything else. probably because everyone could understand that it was a tag on to my actual substantive reply to the question. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. We don’t wait to comment on a potentially disruptive post until _after_ a fight has already broken out. And nine posts is trivial, and hardly evidence that the remark was innocuous. > [@](#): > > i’ve been warned before by you for extremely ticky-tack stuff before, and the response i always get from you is the variant of the “bah, you have tin ears” if-you-can’t-see-then-it’s-your-problem tripe you just used as a justification. maybe the board would be better served by mods actually having clearly defined standards (pity that i thought “If you want to be funny while contributing to the thread, go for it” was one) instead of apparently playing bully and making ex-post justifications for their moderation. You’ve been warned three times for insults, twice by me and once by my alter-ego Marley. I’ve also given you several moderator notes for other inappropriate comments in GQ. (The first couple of times I gave you notes instead of warnings in the hope that maybe you would change your behavior. That doesn’t seem to have worked.) You also have a tendency to be condescending and rude to other posters in your responses in GQ. You really do need to modify your behavior on this board. > [@](#): > > and sure, maybe it’s bad humor (i really do appreciate moderators acting as both content managers and content critics, btw, it does wonders for the perception of neutrality that your job [ought to] demands) but, bad humor ought not to turn something into impermissible “inappropriate content” that would otherwise be “being funny while contributing to the thread” Your post was inappropriate, offensive, and potentially disruptive. If it had merely been bad humor I might have let it pass. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/19 "2010-05-04T04:18:54Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > So are “cunt” and “motherfucker” but you can’t use call someone that in GQ, and you know that. Stop being disingenous. Bzzzt. You can certainly call people a cunt in GQ. The rule is that you can’t call other _posters_ a cunt in GQ. Learn the rules before you start preaching, kthnx. **Rumor** : The problem is you got moderated by **Colibri**. I thought **Wombat** was the GQ mod, but apparently not. Anyway, **Colibri** has a documented history of completely ridiculous mod actions combined with a strong tendency to hold grudges for a _long_ time. Your mini rant wasn’t necessarily worse than anyone else’s GQ misadventures in lame humor (without even trying to answer the OP) and WAG posts and uninformed crap, but you must have hit one of the apparently enormous SDMB buttons. Really, your best bet to avoid getting banned is just to not post in ways that might arbitrarily be found to be abusive. There’s really no other option; petitioning the administration isn’t a viable course of action. And whatever you do, don’t mention combat boots. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221/20 "2010-05-04T06:44:31Z")
I agree with **Colibri** ’s moderation. “Fag” is an offensive slur whether or not you put “Mac” in front of it, and isn’t really appropriate for GQ. Plus the whole anti-Mac diatribe just strikes me as trying to bait people into a flame war. (For what it’s worth, I don’t think I own a single Mac product, so it’s not like it’s personal for me.) Just because the FAQ says that it’s fine to try to be funny, it doesn’t mean you can be as inappropriate as you want in the service of being funny. Sure, “appropriate” may be a bit of a subjective judgement call, which is why it makes sense that **Colibri** just posted a “mod note” telling you it was over the line instead of issuing a warning or something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-was-wrong-with-this-gq-response/538221.md?page=2)