# Take it to the Pit so it can be summarily closed **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 21, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877 "2013-10-21T22:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/1 "2013-10-21T22:42:30Z")
I’m curious first about why the thread about our resident problem poster was closed. There was a discussion going on with genuine disagreement about what are group insults v. simple opinions. It was closed with a note to “take it to the Pit” even though there was no flaming that I saw. So the poster does as instructed and is then told that comments about the moderation belong in ATMB. Well, with all respect to the mods, it \*\*was \*\*in this forum, but closed, and told to go to the Pit, where it was **again** closed. In which forum may we discuss the moderation of the certain poster and the line between insults and opinions? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/2 "2013-10-21T23:31:26Z")
I for one have no freaking idea what you’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/3 "2013-10-21T23:35:00Z")
I do and I thought **Miller** was perfectly clear in listing the rules, which are themselves perfectly clear. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/4 "2013-10-21T23:38:01Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I do and I thought **Miller** was perfectly clear in listing the rules, which are themselves perfectly clear. You got it. So did I. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/5 "2013-10-21T23:48:33Z")
With all due respect, I think it was **TubaDiva** who caused this little kerfluffle - not **Miller**. It’s her instructions in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704917) that caused the catch 22. However, instead of posting a new thread myself, I sent a PM to **TubaDiva** a few hours ago pointing out the conflict in the hopes that the mess could be somewhat contained. I will wait for her response before I post further. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/6 "2013-10-21T23:50:55Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > I for one have no freaking idea what you’re talking about. It’s about some recent threads on things Der Trihs has posted. He posted some comments in this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16755411#post16755411) which led to a moderator note. That moderation caused a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704917) in ATMB. Tuba Diva closed the thread and said “[take it to the pit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16777017&postcount=143)”. A [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=705573) was opened in the pit. And Miller closed that thread and said “[take it to ATMB](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16777462&postcount=12)”. So I guess it’s now the lost orphan thread. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/7 "2013-10-21T23:51:14Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I do and I thought **Miller** was perfectly clear in listing the rules, which are themselves perfectly clear. Yep. **XT** misunderstood what could and what could not be taken to the pit. He took the wrong part. No mystery here if you read that thread. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/8 "2013-10-21T23:55:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yep. **XT** misunderstood what could and what could not be taken to the pit. He took the wrong part. No mystery here if you read that thread. Exactly this. Starting in [post 128](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16776429&postcount=128) (and continuing, pretty much, to the end of the topic), **XT** and **Karrius** got into a slapping match over how each of them saw something and started bickering back and forth over it. That bickering (over the small issue) is what should have been taken to the Pit…not discussion of the original question and issues. **XT** seemed to try to say the above mentioned bickering was about said rules/mod actions, but really (again, from about [post 128 on](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16776429#post16776429)) it really just seemed like a hijack over POVs/opinions going away from the OP at hand. To sum up: The bickering should be taken to the Pit. The discussion of mod actions (which passed post 128 seemed to be abandoned for the bickering secondary hijack) should be for ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/9 "2013-10-21T23:56:25Z")
Yes. The “clear” rule is: [QUOTE=Miller] Complaints about moderation go in ATMB, not the Pit. Complaints about other posters go in the Pit, not ATMB. [/QUOTE] The posters WERE discussing moderation in ATMB and the thread was closed and the posters were instructed to open a new thread in the Pit. They did, and the Pit thread was closed and told that threads about moderation go in ATMB. Apart from the contradictory instructions, there is no reason the ATMB thread should have been closed. What was said there that needed to go to the Pit? Two posters were debating the difference between having negative opinions about a group versus insulting a particular group: a perfect valid topic for moderation and the board rules. ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/10 "2013-10-22T00:01:30Z")
**Edit:** Thought better of this. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2013, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/11 "2013-10-22T00:02:39Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > The posters WERE discussing moderation in ATMB and the thread was closed and the posters were instructed to open a new thread in the Pit. Really? Because it seems to me posts like [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16776958&postcount=139) and [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16776980&postcount=140) (what the last thread generated into) have nothing to do with mod actions at all anymore. They were about personal opinions of how posters saw another posters posts…in which case, the Pit is the place to go. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/12 "2013-10-22T00:06:40Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Really? Because it seems to me posts like [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16776958&postcount=139) and [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=16776980&postcount=140) (what the last thread generated into) have nothing to do with mod actions at all anymore. They were about personal opinions of how posters saw another posters posts…in which case, the Pit is the place to go. Yeah. There’s some high emotions there, but the argument (which pertains to board rules) was the question of how it is different, or is it not different at all, to suggest that libertarians have a mental illness versus transgendered persons having a mental illness, and the appropriate rule to apply. I thought it could have been dialed back a few notches, but the debate about moderation and board rules was there. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/13 "2013-10-22T00:09:12Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Yeah. There’s some high emotions there, but the argument (which pertains to board rules) was the question of how it is different, or is it not different at all, to suggest that libertarians have a mental illness versus transgendered persons having a mental illness, and the appropriate rule to apply. > > I thought it could have been dialed back a few notches, but the debate about moderation and board rules was there. Not really. It was a debate about whether or not the two situations were comparable. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/14 "2013-10-22T00:27:01Z")
Miller summed it up nicely. If you have a question about a moderator action About This Message Board is where such queries belong. If yoou have a problem with another poster, About This Message Board is not the place to air it out. About This Message Board is not where you go to complain about other posters, or to assess their character, or question their motives, their thought processes – or lack thereof – or their ancestry. All too often About This Message Board is treated as “Pit Lite.” People get their licks and cheap shots in, thinking they can get away with it in About This Message Board and they won’t be slapped around like they would be in the Pit. Maybe if we start passing out some Warnings this kind of crap will stop. If that’s the way you want to go, all right then. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/15 "2013-10-22T00:30:07Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not really. It was a debate about whether or not the two situations were comparable. Right. And if they were comparable then moderation was needed in the transgender thread and/or not needed in either thread. I’ll admit that it was a couple of steps removed from the OP, but it didn’t need closed and certainly wasn’t Pit-worthy. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/16 "2013-10-22T00:35:46Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Miller summed it up nicely. > > If you have a question about a moderator action About This Message Board is where such queries belong. > > If yoou have a problem with another poster, About This Message Board is not the place to air it out. > > About This Message Board is not where you go to complain about other posters, or to assess their character, or question their motives, their thought processes – or lack thereof – or their ancestry. > > All too often About This Message Board is treated as “Pit Lite.” People get their licks and cheap shots in, thinking they can get away with it in About This Message Board and they won’t be slapped around like they would be in the Pit. > > Maybe if we start passing out some Warnings this kind of crap will stop. If that’s the way you want to go, all right then. I thank you for your response, but you still have not explained why the original thread was closed. Yes, **Karrius** and **XT** were getting awful chippy with one another, but it seems to me that a simple mod note would have sufficed to keep them in line. Instead, it did seem like you were trying to use them as an excuse to lock an ATMB thread containing criticisms you were uncomfortable about answering. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/17 "2013-10-22T00:53:09Z")
Is there any chance that by post 128, the OP’s question about why the other thread was closed had been answered? If so, the thread was circling the drain. Once it became apparent that useful discussion had ended, time to close it. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/18 "2013-10-22T01:12:15Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Is there any chance that by post 128, the OP’s question about why the other thread was closed had been answered? If so, the thread was circling the drain. Once it became apparent that useful discussion had ended, time to close it. Not really. It was a definite highjack, but the central question didn’t really go away. In fact, it was the responses of the moderators that made it even _more_ an interesting question. For example, **Jonathon Chance** made some responses that could be interpreted as him making unilateral deciscions without discussing anything with other mods. For her part, **TubaDiva** cautioned a poster for making 'hyperbolic claims" in a thread criticizing the mods for not cautioning **Der Trihs** for things far more hyperbolic; an action that seemed to lend credence to **John Mace’s** original criticism of the mods. You should really read the thread. It’s got some interesting parts in it. Excepting the sniping between **Karrius** and **XT** , of course. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/19 "2013-10-22T03:28:37Z")
If people feel that way then just reopen a new thread making it clear it’s not to contain sniping about the evils of libertarianism but only about the alleged double standard regarding the moderation of Der Trihs. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877/20 "2013-10-22T03:37:25Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Right. And if they were comparable then moderation was needed in the transgender thread and/or not needed in either thread. It’s possible to discuss the equivalence issue w/o regard to any SDMB rule. That is the issue. Take the equivalency issue to the Pit, but not the part about SDMB rules. > [@](#): > > I’ll admit that it was a couple of steps removed from the OP, but it didn’t need closed and certainly wasn’t Pit-worthy. Wait. If it wasn’t Pit worthy then why not close it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-it-to-the-pit-so-it-can-be-summarily-closed/671877.md?page=2)