# Telling someone in The Pit to fuck off. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 3, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517 "2015-11-03T14:11:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/1 "2015-11-03T14:11:22Z")
The Master’s decree stickied to The Pit: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10894824&postcount=1](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10894824&postcount=1) Repeated deliberate use of the proscribed by the same person toward several others, including two mods: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18818672&postcount=6824](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18818672&postcount=6824) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18823324&postcount=6875](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18823324&postcount=6875) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18823327&postcount=6876](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18823327&postcount=6876) Censure: [crickets] Has the prohibition against telling people to fuck off (or variants) in The Pit been rescinded? If not, why has that particular poster been given a pass? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/2 "2015-11-03T14:15:25Z")
Obvious question: did anyone report it? ETA: On further reading, not sure how the mods the comments were addressed to missed them. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/3 "2015-11-03T14:16:12Z")
Did you hit the alert button? I highly doubt the mods read every post in every thread, and certainly not immediately. As they’ve said before, if you think something violates the rules just click the alert and give them a heads-up about it. (Damn it Gyrate! I type too slowly…) ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/4 "2015-11-03T14:17:45Z")
Yeah, though not only were mods involved in the discussion, but also the targets of the comments, reporting is how one ensures a violation is noted. It looks pretty clearly to me like Clothahump wishes to engage in suicide by mod and it’s possible that the moderators are simply determining whether more drastic measures are called for. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/5 "2015-11-03T14:20:02Z")
IIRC, some mods have said they find the language rules silly and don’t always enforce them if it’s just a thowaway. No cite for that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/6 "2015-11-03T14:26:56Z")
I share that opinion, but what I would like is reasonable consistency in the enforcement of clear rules. Either enforce deliberate and repeated violations of clear rules (via pm, mod note, warning, etc.), or rescind the rule, or if there is some dispute between The Master and the mods, then append the top of the prohibitory stickie to state specifically what is and is not enforced. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/7 "2015-11-03T14:44:21Z")
That thread has over 6,000 posts and there is only one mod who was tricked into modding the Pit. We tend to not mod the forums we are not assigned to unless it needs immediate attention. Report it and give it a little time. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/8 "2015-11-03T15:04:27Z")
Perhaps “fuck off” =/= “fuck you”? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/9 "2015-11-03T15:19:07Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Perhaps “fuck off” =/= “fuck you”? It does. > [@Ed Zotti](#): > > fuck you and variants, e.g., go fuck yourself, fuck off and die ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/10 "2015-11-03T15:36:34Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > IIRC, some mods have said they find the language rules silly and don’t always enforce them if it’s just a thowaway. No cite for that, though. [Doesn’t seem the least bit ambiguous or something which is subject to idle mod whims to me](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=508858). And 3 uses is not a throwaway- **Ed** in said post made it 100% clear that _repeated_ insults of such a nature are verboten. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/11 "2015-11-03T16:01:51Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > That thread has over 6,000 posts and there is only one mod who was tricked into modding the Pit. We tend to not mod the forums we are not assigned to unless it needs immediate attention. Report it and give it a little time. I won’t speak for Miller but reporting questionable posts is always a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/12 "2015-11-03T16:09:35Z")
While it’s an easy enough rule to follow, it seems like an odd one to me. And I think some people simply forget that there’s a line drawn in the sand there. For instance, the two insults by the mods toward Clothahump were good ones, and far more insulting than a mere “fuck you” or “fuck off”. ::shrug:: ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/13 "2015-11-03T16:11:56Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > While it’s an easy enough rule to follow, it seems like an odd one to me. And I think some people simply forget that there’s a line drawn in the sand there. For instance, the two insults by the mods toward Clothahump were good ones, and far more insulting than a mere “fuck you” or “fuck off”. ::shrug:: If nothing else, the rule gives us a better quality of abuse. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/14 "2015-11-03T16:13:45Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > IIRC, some mods have said they find the language rules silly and don’t always enforce them if it’s just a thowaway. No cite for that, though. It _is_ a silly rule. It’s fine to tell someone to “lick my infected hemorrhoid” but “fuck you” is all ouchy? Seriously? ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/15 "2015-11-03T16:43:31Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > [Doesn’t seem the least bit ambiguous or something which is subject to idle mod whims to me](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=508858). And 3 uses is not a throwaway- **Ed** in said post made it 100% clear that _repeated_ insults of such a nature are verboten. I didn’t say they were legalistically right to do it. Just that that’s the response I recall - although finding a cite is not working for me. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/16 "2015-11-03T16:52:02Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Obvious question: did anyone report it? Why report a post of a poster you disagree with when you can start an ATMB thread and bring the whole boards attention to it? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/17 "2015-11-03T16:53:13Z")
I interpret the phrases included in the language sticky as narrowly as possible. The specific phrase mentioned there is “fuck off _and die_,” not just “fuck off,” so I tend to give it a pass. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/18 "2015-11-03T16:56:31Z")
Would you please amend the sticky to indicate that it is not prohibited to tell a person in The Pit to fuck off? ---
**Author:** ![Ramira](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ramira/32/344_2.png) [@Ramira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ramira)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/19 "2015-11-03T17:12:58Z")
Why? is it impossible not to leave things alone? we can all guess what is happening. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/20 "2015-11-03T17:14:15Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > If nothing else, the rule gives us a better quality of abuse. If only that were the case. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517.md?page=2)