# Telling someone to "Dial it back" is against the rules? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 6, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945 "2016-08-06T15:12:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/21 "2016-08-06T21:21:21Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > There was no “please” included. It was written as a command not a request. You had to add “please” to your hypothetical to make it sound like a request. So manners are the difference between a mod note and not? Would “Please dial it back” have made a difference? > [@](#): > > Sure context is important biut note that Pizzaguy said the context here was questionable so why didn’t you note that part of his post as well? Because his post is not my cite, and regardless he’s not the authority on this. I was just agreeing with him that context is important. Again, “You’re offending me, dial it back” sounds like a request to me, take it or leave it. “You’re coming close to breaking a board rule, dial it back” is junior modding. JohnT did the former, not the latter. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/22 "2016-08-06T21:40:09Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > So manners are the difference between a mod note and not? Would “Please dial it back” have made a difference? No. “Please” is the difference between a command and a request. You said it was a request and then tweaked your paraphrase just enough to make it into… a request. Whether or not a request would get a mod note I wouldn’t know. But **John T** ’s post was not a request, so I’m not seeing any fuzziness that needs special interpretation. > [@](#): > > Again, “You’re offending me, dial it back” sounds like a request to me, take it or leave it. “You’re coming close to breaking a board rule, dial it back” is junior modding. JohnT did the former, not the latter. It sounds like a command to me, and apparently it sounds like that to the mods and most of the other people posting here, too. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/23 "2016-08-06T21:45:10Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Ah, my up’s not worked. They have pills for that. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/24 "2016-08-06T21:53:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > No. “Please” is the difference between a command and a request. You said it was a request and then tweaked your paraphrase just enough to make it into… a request. Whether or not a request would get a mod note I wouldn’t know. But **John T** ’s post was not a request, so I’m not seeing any fuzziness that needs special interpretation. > It sounds like a command to me, and apparently it sounds like that to the mods and most of the other people posting here, too. Well bully for you John, guess ya won! At the end of the day I was just surprised that that exchange warranted mod attention. Didn’t mean to get into an argument or score points over it. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2016, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/25 "2016-08-06T23:52:18Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Well bully for you John, guess ya won! > > At the end of the day I was just surprised that that exchange warranted mod attention. Didn’t mean to get into an argument or score points over it. You asked me a bunch questions and I answered them. If you want to call that scoring points, go ahead. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/26 "2016-08-07T00:04:42Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > That still comes off as junior modding to me. The first sentence voices disagreement with what was said, which is fine, but the second sentence is an instruction telling the first poster how to post. While it may not be quite as blatant as your second example, it’s still telling someone what to do. Posters with poor punctuation skills are told to use paragraphs yet they are not warned AFAICR. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/27 "2016-08-07T05:04:02Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Posters with poor punctuation skills are told to use paragraphs yet they are not warned AFAICR. Do they say “use paragraphs” or do they say “paragraphs are your friend”? It will help if you quoted the specific post or posts you are thinking of. Context is always important. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/28 "2016-08-07T09:54:25Z")
I’m curious if **John T** had said: “Take it easy” would that have warranted a mod note? I agree with the other posters that context is everything. [FTR: This pings barely a 1 on my outrage meter] ---
**Author:** ![heartsplayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@heartsplayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heartsplayer)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/29 "2016-08-07T11:53:51Z")
Yeah, it comes under junior moderating, which some forums aren’t too keen on. Should have reported it instead ---
**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:** [August 7, 2016, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/30 "2016-08-07T12:12:19Z")
Junior Modding is one of those irritating things that should be nipped in the bud. That about covers it. We can close this thread now. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/31 "2016-08-07T12:46:11Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > … > > I’ve used the phrase “dial it back” fairly often in mod notes. What exactly does “dial it back” mean? Does it mean that you’re getting close to crossing a line? Does it mean that you’ve crossed that line? It certainly leaves a lot open to interpretation. How much, how far, what part, etc. Mod warnings work best when they are clear and on point. Dial it back may be a friendly warning, but it’s really unclear and open to too many questions. If you’re going to warn, that warning should leave no question about what was inappropriate and what is expected. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/32 "2016-08-07T12:57:58Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > What exactly does “dial it back” mean? Does it mean that you’re getting close to crossing a line? Does it mean that you’ve crossed that line? It certainly leaves a lot open to interpretation. How much, how far, what part, etc. > > Mod warnings work best when they are clear and on point. Dial it back may be a friendly warning, but it’s really unclear and open to too many questions. If you’re going to warn, that warning should leave no question about what was inappropriate and what is expected. You appear to be confusing warnings with notes. I would use “Dial it back” in a note, not a warning. A note means you’re going to get a warning if you keep up said behavior…so when I use “Dial it back” (which I always use in a note), it means “If you keep doing what you’re doing and ignore this note, you may get a warning”. So, in comparison to your post, it’s the “You’re approaching the line, but haven’t yet crossed what deserves harder action yet”. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/33 "2016-08-07T14:02:22Z")
Perhaps people shouldn’t talk about “the line” as if it actually existed. As if one step forward puts you over the line and one step back puts you in front of the line. For instance, posters might argue that if “I’m not over the line, why do I need to dial it back? Don’t I jus need to make sure I don’t dial it up any more than I already have?” If we could draw out lines, we could moderate with algorithms. That probably makes some people uncomfortable, but it’s reality. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/34 "2016-08-07T16:04:08Z")
I think the phrase “dial it back” is going to be, 99% of the time, a pretty junior-mod thing to say - given that it’s frequently used by actual mods when telling a poster to calm the f down. But I think this is that last 1% - it’s simply saying “don’t you think that argument is just a bit extreme? We’ll have a much more productive conversation over here…” ---
**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:** [August 7, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/35 "2016-08-07T17:01:15Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > What exactly does “dial it back” mean? Does it mean that you’re getting close to crossing a line? Does it mean that you’ve crossed that line? It certainly leaves a lot open to interpretation. How much, how far, what part, etc. > > Mod warnings work best when they are clear and on point. Dial it back may be a friendly warning, but it’s really unclear and open to too many questions. If you’re going to warn, that warning should leave no question about what was inappropriate and what is expected. As has been said, when coming from a mod “Dial it back” is used in a note rather than a warning. I usually use it when a poster or posters are becoming more and more confrontational. If they haven’t crossed the line, they look like they are likely to if they keep escalating. It’s an instruction to take a step back and be more civil. Sometimes I will cite particular language, but most of the time it’s the general tone that’s the problem. And I don’t find that posters find the instruction difficult to understand. I think about 90% of the time the instruction serves to prevent a conflict from escalating. And when it doesn’t, it’s not because the poster didn’t understand it, it’s because they let their emotions get out of control despite the instruction. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/36 "2016-08-10T03:32:41Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I think the phrase “dial it back” is going to be, 99% of the time, a pretty junior-mod thing to say - given that it’s frequently used by actual mods when telling a poster to calm the f down. But I think this is that last 1% - it’s simply saying “don’t you think that argument is just a bit extreme? We’ll have a much more productive conversation over here…” I looked at that thread, and I’m completely flummoxed as how that got a warning. It was completely unnoticed by me. I guess that’s why I’m not (and have no desire to be) a moderator. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2016, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/37 "2016-08-10T03:38:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I looked at that thread, and I’m completely flummoxed as how that got a warning. Possibly because it didn’t receive a warning. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/38 "2016-08-10T03:42:17Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Possibly because it didn’t receive a warning. OK, then “reprimand.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/39 "2016-08-10T03:50:05Z")
In other words, I’m flummoxed that that statement was singled out as being against the rules or inappropriate or whatever the hell it was. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945/40 "2016-08-10T04:02:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > In other words, I’m flummoxed that that statement was singled out as being against the rules or inappropriate or whatever the hell it was. I’ve been told by someone who knows someone that moderators read each post backwards. That is, starting at the end of the post and reading, word by word, toward the beginning of the post. Think it over, it’ll make sense once you try a few posts yourself. Oh, plus their monitors have the contrast turned way up. And they are regularly gaused, or degaused, one of those. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telling-someone-to-dial-it-back-is-against-the-rules/761945.md?page=3)