# Terr and BrainGlutton

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terr-and-brainglutton/733406>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [October 3, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terr-and-brainglutton/733406 "2015-10-03T20:59:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 269

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**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:** [October 7, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terr-and-brainglutton/733406/269 "2015-10-07T01:38:01Z")

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> [@TroutMan](#):
>
> **Bricker** has one example in 15 years, **Shodan** has an example from 5 years ago where he was only noted, and neither of those are clear-cut examples of unfair moderation.

Indeed, in Shodan’s case it’s an example of the board’s lenience towards conservative posters, as he posted a remark with the word “lie” _immediately_ after a moderator tried to settle things down by putting a halt to posters calling each other stupid. This sort of running up to the very edge of what is acceptable is warnable. (Years later Shodan would report a post with the term, “deliberately distorted”.)

> [@dropzone](#):
>
> I suspect your “whipped pup” concerns are disingenuous: Unlike **Shodan** you don’t like to make a show of pissing people off. You prefer taking a loftier, more lawyerly tack, coming this\>\<close then, when another poster reacts, you whip out your plausible deniability and show how you did not exactly say what you are accused of. It’s your thing, enough that “to bricker” is a verb with some of us. We all have our things.

I suspect that Bricker’s lawyerly tactics are what piss people off. On this interpretation, I take Bricker’s side. We’re here to fight ignorance and deploying his legal knowledge while making fine distinctions is legitimate and even to be encouraged in my view. I’ll _also_ concede that the _alloy_ of a lawyerly approach with conservatism causes him extra problems. That’s not to the good.

The idea that the mods are out to get him is something I disagree with, though I do think Bricker got tripped up by a shifting civility bar.

Incidentally, prior to his April 2015 warning I’d say the slings and arrows actually improved his posting quality, ironically. Since then, his speech may very well have been chilled, I don’t know. (Note: “Chilling effect” is a term often used in first amendment contexts and free speech discussion. Cite: [Chilling effect - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilling_effect) ) Usage here is a little overwraught: I’ll quote wolfpup again from the June 2015 thread and add emphasis:

> [@Does "Deliberately Distorted" = "Lied"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-deliberately-distorted-lied/722598/72):
>
> The first point is of interest to me, too, relative newbie here though I am, and I offer my opinion that it’s quite different from accusing someone of lying. The prohibition against accusing someone of lying or being a liar is something that I think most of us can live with because it’s unnecessarily insulting and hostile. **But when we start outlawing anything that can even remotely be considered possibly synonymous, then IMHO we start to seriously impair the ability to communicate on this board.**

That’s the actual _potential_ downside of a higher civility bar. I don’t take conservative oppression arguments too seriously. I do think that some posters are better at some shticks than others. I’m careful with one liners, as I often fear they are insufficiently humorous (also my language can veer towards turgidity). I think Bricker’s formalism makes for strong arguments; in the rarer and rarer occasions when he mouths off he inspires pile ons. I suspect that rankles a little, but again it also makes for stronger arguments on his part, IMHO.

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