# Suggestion: rescind the rule forbidding mod/rule complaints in the Pit **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 26, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094 "2009-06-26T18:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/81 "2009-07-01T22:13:39Z")
> [@RaftPeople](#): > > Which part? The frog thing? The rest of it. No comment on the frog thing. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/82 "2009-07-02T05:06:18Z")
Warning: The quotes in the post have been snipped by me, and are both from **C K Dexter Haven**. > [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > ACCEPTABLE: That was the dumbest moderating decision ever. > NOT ACCEPTABLE: You are the dumbest moderator ever. > > ACCEPTABLE: That was a shitty ruling. > NOT ACCEPTABLE: You are a shitty person. > > Is this really that hard to grasp? This post exemplifies the thick-headedness of the administration here at the SDMB. I don’t think people have a hard time understanding that you _expect_ people to attempt to hide their disdain using linguistic tricks, I just don’t understand why the distinction is so important. I also don’t see how anyone would think playing with language and dancing on the edges of silly rules somehow improves the tone of the boards. Additionally, I can not see the difference between commenting on a post or a person. The only thing we have here are our posts - attacking a post is no different than attacking a person. > [@](#): > > We really don’t think it’s that hard. It’s standard debate practice from high school. Oh noes. My high school didn’t have a debate team. In fact, I’ll bet the majority of the members of this board have not been on a debate team, and haven’t had these silly distinctions drilled into their heads. Perhaps my liberal arts education has let me down, as I still don’t understand the reasoning behind these ridiculous rules. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/83 "2009-07-02T05:29:20Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > Our assumption is that you can complain about a moderator action without insulting the moderator. No, we don’t want you to open multiple threads. > Anyhow, back to the point: no, you may not open multiple threads on the same complaint, and no, you may not insult the moderator as a person. > > As has been noted several times above: > ACCEPTABLE: That was the dumbest moderating decision ever. > NOT ACCEPTABLE: You are the dumbest moderator ever. > > ACCEPTABLE: That was a shitty ruling. > NOT ACCEPTABLE: You are a shitty person. > > . My question is- why should this apply only to Mods? Why not have it rule for everyone? That you can insult their idea but not them personally? Why allow personal insults at all for anyone?😕 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/84 "2009-07-02T06:08:50Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > My question is- why should this apply only to Mods? Why not have it rule for everyone? That you can insult their idea but not them personally? Why allow personal insults at all for anyone?😕 The only place where insults are permitted is in the Pit. Otherwise, the same rules do apply to everyone. The only change has been that we previously permitted personal insults of mods in the Pit for mod actions and we now insist that criticism of mod actions take place in ATMB in the hope that actual issues with moderator actions will be discussed rather instead of simply hurling brickbats at the mods. One may still insult mods in the Pit, you merely have to base the insults on their actions as posters rather than targeting their actions as mods. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/85 "2009-07-02T06:44:35Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > (2) \*\*Moderators in their role of posters (NOT in their role as moderators) can be pitted like anyone else.\*\*To go back to the legal example: you don’t call the judge a motherfucker in court, you discuss the issues. That’s all well and good, but it’s plainly incomplete. Of course you’re not likely to call the judge a motherfucker in court (ATMB). But when he makes a stupid ruling, you’re not going to stop thinking about it in court, you’re going to continue to mull it over, say with your colleagues down at the dive bar down the street. You know, the type of place with dim lighting, cheap beer, and greasy food that’ll leave your arteries clogged like nothing else. The sort of place with a name like, I don’t know, The Pit. And when you’re discussing the ruling with your pals there, you just might call the judge a motherfucker. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/86 "2009-07-02T10:03:54Z")
> [@akennett](#): > > That’s all well and good, but it’s plainly incomplete. Of course you’re not likely to call the judge a motherfucker in court (ATMB). But when he makes a stupid ruling, you’re not going to stop thinking about it in court, you’re going to continue to mull it over, say with your colleagues down at the dive bar down the street. You know, the type of place with dim lighting, cheap beer, and greasy food that’ll leave your arteries clogged like nothing else. The sort of place with a name like, I don’t know, The Pit. And when you’re discussing the ruling with your pals there, you just might call the judge a motherfucker. Exactly. Instead of calling the thread “Mod, a minute of your time” call it “Mod, don’t read here” and all is solved. Or instead of “Mod, you are a mofo” it should be “Mod, oh he is such a mofo” to make clear you are not talking to him but about him with your pals. I vote for this. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/87 "2009-07-02T14:44:55Z")
> [@lightingtool](#): > > Warning: The quotes in the post have been snipped by me, and are both from **C K Dexter Haven**. > This post exemplifies the thick-headedness of the administration here at the SDMB. I don’t think people have a hard time understanding that you _expect_ people to attempt to hide their disdain using linguistic tricks, I just don’t understand why the distinction is so important. I also don’t see how anyone would think playing with language and dancing on the edges of silly rules somehow improves the tone of the boards. Additionally, I can not see the difference between commenting on a post or a person. The only thing we have here are our posts - attacking a post is no different than attacking a person. So you’re saying that we should have Pit rules in every forum? ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/88 "2009-07-02T14:52:41Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > So you’re saying that we should have Pit rules in every forum? No, I’m arguing (not very well, I’ll admit) that mod complaints should go back in the pit - you know, the whole reason for this thread. I did get off on a bit of a tangent there which probably muddied my point. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/89 "2009-07-02T15:09:06Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > The only place where insults are permitted is in the Pit. . Yesbut- why should we even allow personal insults there? ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/90 "2009-07-02T15:12:42Z")
> [@lightingtool](#): > > The only thing we have here are our posts - attacking a post is no different than attacking a person. No different? Let us say you made a post on some subject and I replied, ignoring your arguments completely or dismissing them out of hand and calling you fool, dolt, dunderhead, excoriating your style, your spelling, your vocabulary, calling into question your parentage, in short doing anything other than addressing the actual points you had raised. Another poster does address those arguments and politely differs, corrects several errors of fact, denies the validity of your conclusions and so on and so forth. Really, no different? ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/91 "2009-07-02T15:26:51Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > No different? > > Let us say you made a post on some subject and I replied, ignoring your arguments completely or dismissing them out of hand and calling you fool, dolt, dunderhead, excoriating your style, your spelling, your vocabulary, calling into question your parentage, in short doing anything other than addressing the actual points you had raised. > > Another poster does address those arguments and politely differs, corrects several errors of fact, denies the validity of your conclusions and so on and so forth. > > Really, no different? I will admit again that I got off on a tangent with my post, and the statement you quoted really has no place in this discussion. I see and agree with your point. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/92 "2009-07-02T15:30:27Z")
> [@lightingtool](#): > > I will admit again that I got off on a tangent with my post, and the statement you quoted really has no place in this discussion. I see and agree with your point. Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/93 "2009-07-03T07:06:24Z")
I never really understood why complaints about moderators’ actions went to the Pit, rather than ATMB. Sending it to the Pit pretty much guaranteed personal attacks, rather than a genuine discussion about the pros and cons of the mod’s actions. If there’s a legitimate complaint about a mod’s actions, it should be discussed civilly, in hopes of resolving the issue. I was very glad when they made this change. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094/94 "2009-07-03T08:04:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yesbut- why should we even allow personal insults there? Because personal attacks, or rather attacks on a poster’s character, happen. Sometimes they’re even valid and critical examinations of a person’s flawed or screwy perceptions. Sometimes they’re just venting pent-up aggression from a long GD thread where poster X is behaving in a intellectually dishonest way. And sometimes people just want to tell a poster that he can go screw himself. We’d rather saturate one purposed, isolated board with this rather than filling the rest of them with low-level passive agressiveness. It works - in my opinion rather well - as a pressure valve. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestion-rescind-the-rule-forbidding-mod-rule-complaints-in-the-pit/501094.md?page=4)