# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/21 "2015-11-03T17:59:55Z")
> [@Ramira](#): > > Why? is it impossible not to leave things alone? we can all guess what is happening. This. Guys, give the mods a break. It’s best to just report posts and let them handle it, particularly when it’s over something so inconsequential that just having a discussion about it seems silly. Do we really _need_ to have the language rules in the Pit more clearly delineated and enforced? Why? ---
**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, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/22 "2015-11-03T18:09:30Z")
In the pit, I don’t think anything should be off limits. Makes moderation easier, that’s for sure. ---
**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, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/23 "2015-11-03T18:23:15Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > In the pit, I don’t think anything should be off limits. Makes moderation easier, that’s for sure. As far as language goes, I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/24 "2015-11-03T20:00:23Z")
> [@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. Yeah, but long, fragmented, disorganized, rambling threads are the threads of the future here. Poor Miller. He’s stuck there, all alone, moderating the 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound bag thread. At the very least, give him a raise, a seat on the board, a key to the clean restroom, and move his office from the basement to a room with a working window. You hear me Ed, this is only fair. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/25 "2015-11-03T20:15:38Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > ETA: On further reading, not sure how the mods the comments were addressed to missed them. I saw them, and also saw that they had been reported by others. As **Loach** says, we tend not to moderate in forums we’re not assigned to. It was basically **Miller’s** call on how to handle it. It should also be noted that the remarks were addressed to us as posters, not moderators, just as the remarks we had made in that thread were made as posters rather than moderators. ---
**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, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/26 "2015-11-03T20:25:43Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Yeah, but long, fragmented, disorganized, rambling threads are the threads of the future here. Poor Miller. He’s stuck there, all alone, moderating the 10 pounds of shit in a 5 pound bag thread. > > At the very least, give him a raise, a seat on the board, a key to the clean restroom, and move his office from the basement to a room with a working window. You hear me Ed, this is only fair. Hey, he [del]was tricked[/del] volunteered for the job. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/27 "2015-11-03T20:48:27Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > 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. I have no issue with this approach, however it’s not supported by the sticky as you say. The “e.g.” in the sticky means, “for example” which would have to mean there are other variants that are also included in the forbidden language. By interpreting the way you have, you have nullified the “e.g.” part and treated it as a discreet list. That can’t be what was intended and is contrary to the meaning of the phrase. On the other hand, at the beginning of the sticky, it does also say _“The following expressions **should not** be directed at other posters.”_ (emphasis added) This essentially means that while it’s not recommended, there is no line in the sand so to speak that prohibits it. If that rule were to be written in terms of “shall not” or “may not” then it would be much more forceful. As it is, it seems merely a recommendation. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/28 "2015-11-03T20:54:44Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > As far as language goes, I agree. So, we can say it in Mandarin? ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/29 "2015-11-03T21:00:04Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Hey, he [del]was tricked[/del] volunteered for the job. We asked him if he liked barbecue. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/30 "2015-11-03T21:06:20Z")
I support this as a manifestation of this board’s longstanding affirmative action plan for conservatives. The poster dances on the line 3 times: twice with moderators. I think if a board liberal does this he or she should be warned. But I think the poster in question should be given a pass for the posts discussed in the OP. This is MHO of course. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/31 "2015-11-03T21:42:13Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > 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. Fuck off and prosper, I guess is implied? ---
**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, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/32 "2015-11-03T21:48:02Z")
> [@AncientHumanoid](#): > > So, we can say it in Mandarin? Curiously, no. I seem to recall there’s a rule about posting in languages other than English. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/33 "2015-11-03T23:39:00Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > 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. > [@Bone](#): > > I have no issue with this approach, however it’s not supported by the sticky as you say. The “e.g.” in the sticky means, “for example” which would have to mean there are other variants that are also included in the forbidden language. By interpreting the way you have, you have nullified the “e.g.” part and treated it as a discreet list. That can’t be what was intended and is contrary to the meaning of the phrase. > > On the other hand, at the beginning of the sticky, it does also say _“The following expressions **should not** be directed at other posters.”_ (emphasis added) > > This essentially means that while it’s not recommended, there is no line in the sand so to speak that prohibits it. If that rule were to be written in terms of “shall not” or “may not” then it would be much more forceful. As it is, it seems merely a recommendation. While I laud Miller’s restraint, I agree that his approach does not stand up to even cursory scrutiny. The stick says: \*fuck you and variants, e.g., go fuck yourself, fuck off and die \* “Fuck off” is unquestionably a “variant” of “fuck you”. Having said that… as long as **Miller** isn’t getting any heat from above, what’s the harm? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/34 "2015-11-03T23:56:49Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Fuck off and prosper, I guess is implied? They rarely show Mr. Spock giving \*that \*finger gesture. ---
**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 4, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/35 "2015-11-04T00:01:03Z")
It would be nice to have the enforcement of the rules bearing some relation to the rules. Pretending that the stickie does not set out a prohibition on telling a poster to fuck off is mincing nonsense – about the same level as a judge saying “I cannot hear you” when your tab is askew. If the Fuck Off rule is not going to be enforced, then take it off the books. If The Master will not permit it to be removed, then post that it will not be enforced. Leaving it to posters to guess whether it is enforced or not is not appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Grotonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c2a13f/32.png) [@Grotonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grotonian)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/36 "2015-11-04T00:23:37Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > It would be nice to have the enforcement of the rules bearing some relation to the rules. Pretending that the stickie does not set out a prohibition on telling a poster to fuck off is mincing nonsense – about the same level as a judge saying “I cannot hear you” when your tab is askew. > > If the Fuck Off rule is not going to be enforced, then take it off the books. If The Master will not permit it to be removed, then post that it will not be enforced. Leaving it to posters to guess whether it is enforced or not is not appropriate. Do you not realize that every “Fuck Off!” is not the same? If you and I are already hurling gross insults at each other and one of us writes, “Fuck off,” it probably doesn’t change the tenor of the thread. However, if you’re pitting the price of baby food and I come at you with an F-bomb, it may derail the discussion that was going on. No one wants young mothers to have to tolerate, “fuck off you fucking bitch and fuck your stupid baby, too!” **Miller and Colibri** being told to fuck off? Eh, no one’s getting too riled. I would think this would be obvious. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/37 "2015-11-04T00:32:00Z")
Miller’s enforcement of board rules is a breath of fresh air. His “No warning issued, but please don’t do that again” notes are a model of civility. Why anyone would choose to rock that boat is something I can’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/38 "2015-11-04T00:47:28Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Guys, give the mods a break. It’s best to just report posts and let them handle it. . . . One hardly needs to report a missive to the mod named as the target of one of the three verboten phrases, does one? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/39 "2015-11-04T01:31:16Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Curiously, no. I seem to recall there’s a rule about posting in languages other than English. Indeed. ---
**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 4, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517/40 "2015-11-04T02:33:09Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > I have no issue with this approach, however it’s not supported by the sticky as you say. The “e.g.” in the sticky means, “for example” which would have to mean there are other variants that are also included in the forbidden language. By interpreting the way you have, you have nullified the “e.g.” part and treated it as a discreet list. That can’t be what was intended and is contrary to the meaning of the phrase. > > On the other hand, at the beginning of the sticky, it does also say _“The following expressions **should not** be directed at other posters.”_ (emphasis added) > > This essentially means that while it’s not recommended, there is no line in the sand so to speak that prohibits it. If that rule were to be written in terms of “shall not” or “may not” then it would be much more forceful. As it is, it seems merely a recommendation. It also strongly suggests that said usage should only be “occasional.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-in-the-pit-to-fuck-off/736517.md?page=3)