Recently I started a thread (since closed) asking what the most obnoxious thing you’ve ever seen said on the SDMB was. (Actually, I said “asinine”, but same difference.) I got what I thought was a fairly interesting range of answers – I also got a couple of people ripping me for, in moriah’s words, posting something that was “spitefully designed to create dissension and friction in a community.” WTF? It’s one thing to say you don’t think I should post something like that because it will create friction. It’s another thing to say it was spitefully designed for that purpose. How the hell do you know my intent in starting the thread? If you must know, I had just read a few things recently on here that I found rather appalling (I won’t say what 'cause that’s a whole other thread), and was hoping to have it put in some perspective. You know, like, “Sure, so-and-so said ____, but at least they weren’t denying the Holocaust like such-and-such once did.” Excuse me if I didn’t exactly think that starting a thread where people would criticize each other in a forum that exists for people to criticize each other would exactly rupture the fabric of the SDMB.
I also don’t get why the administrator (Lynn Bodoni) would say it should be in IMHO, but that it’s too rancorous to move there. If I knew it would be somewhat rancorous, then didn’t it make sense to start the thread in the Pit? I figured if I started it anywhere else, it would have been moved here anyway?
Just to clarify, though – I’m not complaining about Lynn’s decision to close the thread, or to say it was in the wrong place. That’s her job as an admin. I’m just saying I don’t understand the “wrong place” comment. I am, however, complaining about people who would criticize my intent in starting a thread, despite the fact that this is something that they cannot possibly know.