# The "Pit" is a contemptible forum unworthy of the SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 6, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044 "2005-10-06T14:11:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/21 "2005-10-06T17:51:50Z")
This thread is clearly pitting the Pit. Shouldn’t it be moved? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/22 "2005-10-06T18:21:29Z")
I agree with the OP. The Pit totally sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/23 "2005-10-06T18:35:50Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I used to think of it that way too, until Lynn told me in no uncertain terms that the Pit is not a place for debates, and that if I wanted to debate, I should go to GD. Since about an hour after I came back from suspension, I’ve spent zero time there. And it has helped me a lot. Lots of fun debates happen in the pit. I, for one, like it for the exact same reason cited above: it tends to be _less_ contaminated, somehow, with the **lekatt** s of the world, since we’re not forced to suffer such fools gladly. Incidentally, I think it was rather poor form of you to, upon returning, immediately start in with a pit thread but then refuse to follow it. > [@Liberal](#): > > I don’t buy into the theory that the Pit serves as some sort of cleanser for the other forums. The rules of GD would still be the rules of GD with or without a Pit. It has been my experience that the Pit is just MPSIMS, except without the suppression of meanness and cruelty. And I say that as one who was just as cruel there as anyone else. Personally, I’d rather deal with the more straightforward stuff you find in the pit than the “plausible deniability” type of passive aggressiveness one sometimes sees in other forums. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/24 "2005-10-06T18:54:50Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I agree with the OP. The Pit totally sucks. Yea, and the Mods totally suck too. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/25 "2005-10-06T18:59:58Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Yea, and the Mods totally suck too. 😛 Totally. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/26 "2005-10-06T19:02:23Z")
The Pit, I think, is more like what most of the 'net is really like, but it’s still definitely part of the Straight Dope. Even with the different rules, you sometimes get good arguments and interesting threads. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/27 "2005-10-06T19:10:43Z")
I’ve seen many other boards that do not allow Pit-like posts anywhere and have no set aside place for them. These boards tend to have a tension running through them, because on any messageboard, the longer you stick around, the greater the chance you’ll come across something that just makes you steaming mad. **Mr. Moto’s** analogy of a safety valve is excellent. If you got into a debate in GD with someone who believes the earth is flat, and no amount of GD-style debating got through to them, you have two choices: ignore it or rant about it in the Pit. Some people can do the former; some people want to do the latter. The Pit also serves as a way to vent about stupid bosses, sales clerks, and others in ways that we would never do in real life. Why? Because sometimes you’re just really, really angry. And you don’t want to be polite. But calling your boss a cunt to his face is just a fast way to get fired. Calling him a cunt here lets you get it out of your system. (You know the ol’, “write that letter then stick it in a drawer” approach people always talk about). Finally, the Pit serves as a place to complain about the administration of this board. Several changes have taken place as a result of member complaints. The admins and mods are not jackbooted Nazis (really, they aren’t, not even **Giraffe** ) who can get away with anything because no one is allowed to complain. A very large, very popular messageboard imploded either this year or last (don’t remember) because of this very behavior. I love the debates that can come out of Pit threads. I enjoy them better than those in GD on the whole. ---
**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 6, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/28 "2005-10-06T19:36:20Z")
Most everyone has a place here they really like. And a place they really despise. So I get emails that beg me to remove \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ from the board. (Fill in with what you hate hate hate.) Usually \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a place. (Sometimes it’s a person.) And oh, the board would just be perfect if \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ was removed. Except one person’s despised place is someone else’s favorite place. Sorry. It’s not going to happen. Don’t like it? Don’t go there. Brighten the corner where you are and make it a more worthwhile place where you DO like posting. And let the rest slide. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/29 "2005-10-06T19:51:14Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Most everyone has a place here they really like. > > And a place they really despise. > > So I get emails that beg me to remove \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ from the board. (Fill in with what you hate hate hate.) > > Usually \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ is a place. > > (Sometimes it’s a person.) > > And oh, the board would just be perfect if \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ was removed. > > Except one person’s despised place is someone else’s favorite place. > > Sorry. It’s not going to happen. > > Don’t like it? Don’t go there. Brighten the corner where you are and make it a more worthwhile place where you DO like posting. And let the rest slide. > > TubaDiva Blatant case of Brown-nosing, but Hoorah. Well said and should be supported. I find good, fascinating and funny threads in every forum, but then I navigate largely by the New Posts and User CP buttons. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/30 "2005-10-06T21:09:56Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Lots of fun debates happen in the pit. I, for one, like it for the exact same reason cited above: it tends to be _less_ contaminated, somehow, with the **lekatt** s of the world, since we’re not forced to suffer such fools gladly. I realize that debates happen in the Pit. I did not say that debates do not happen in the Pit. I said that Lynn told me that the Pit is not the place for debates, and that if I wanted to debate I should go to GD. > [@](#): > > Incidentally, I think it was rather poor form of you to, upon returning, immediately start in with a pit thread but then refuse to follow it. I think it is rather poor form of you to attack me here, rather than in the Pit. So much for the Pit serving to draw away personal attacks and the like from other forums. > [@](#): > > Personally, I’d rather deal with the more straightforward stuff you find in the pit than the “plausible deniability” type of passive aggressiveness one sometimes sees in other forums. Uh huh. No passive aggressives in the Pit, for sure. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/31 "2005-10-06T21:21:38Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I think it is rather poor form of you to attack me here, rather than in the Pit. So much for the Pit serving to draw away personal attacks and the like from other forums. He didn’t exactly “attack” you, did he? He just made an observation. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/32 "2005-10-06T21:45:54Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > He didn’t exactly “attack” you, did he? He just made an observation. And of course, you’re not defending him, you’re just making an observation, right? It seems to me that an observation is along the lines of: I noticed that you posted in the Pit immediately upon your return. That would be what someone _observed_. But to say that you think posting it exhibited “poor form” is to express an opinion about the poster. Why you might believe that we all should be here in ATMB expressing our opinions about each other’s posting ethics is unclear. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/33 "2005-10-06T21:51:15Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > And of course, you’re not defending him, you’re just making an observation, right? Yes. > [@](#): > > But to say that you think posting it exhibited “poor form” is to express an opinion about the poster. No. I sometimes feel **Excalibre** is a hypocrite about some things, but in this case you seem to lack an ability to distinguish criticism of a posting style/post from criticism of an individual. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/34 "2005-10-06T21:54:30Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > And of course, you’re not defending him, you’re just making an observation, right? It seems to me that an observation is along the lines of: I noticed that you posted in the Pit immediately upon your return. That would be what someone _observed_. But to say that you think posting it exhibited “poor form” is to express an opinion about the poster. Why you might believe that we all should be here in ATMB expressing our opinions about each other’s posting ethics is unclear. It’s the word “attack” that’s wrong. He didn’t attack you. To me, when somebody addresses your behavior (“you left the seat up”) as opposed to the person (“you’re such a slob”), it’s not an attack, and being able to listen and respond to such criticisms – when they are politely offered – is a major part of getting along. Whether or not he should be posting even mild criticisms in this forum is a question for the moderators. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/35 "2005-10-06T21:55:18Z")
Because you won’t respond to people in the pit. It is poor form to take a shit in the pit (your first post back) then not respond. [end hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/36 "2005-10-06T21:55:49Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Agreed. I see the Pitt as a sort garbage pit where occasionally a true gem of a thread surfaces. Why do you hate the University of [Pittsburgh](http://bigeast.collegesports.com/schools/pitt/bige-pitt-body.html), **askeptic**? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/37 "2005-10-06T22:04:34Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > To me, when somebody addresses your behavior (“you left the seat up”) as opposed to the person (“you’re such a slob”), it’s not an attack, and being able to listen and respond to such criticisms – when they are politely offered – is a major part of getting along. Me too, but that’s not what happened. What happened was (“you left the seat up and I thought that was slobbish”). Also, the description of another member, Lekatt, as a contaminant seemed less than complimentary. > [@](#): > > Whether or not he should be posting even mild criticisms in this forum is a question for the moderators. Much like the question of whether an OP must in every instance return to his thread. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/38 "2005-10-06T22:08:06Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Because you won’t respond to people in the pit. It is poor form to take a shit in the pit (your first post back) then not respond. I did not take a shit. More needlessly pejorative language, only you seem to be escalating it. I had a complaint about the administration. I posted it in the appropriate forum. I did not intend, and had no obligation, to host a debate over it or defend myself against criticisms about it. If people cared to express opinions about “poor form”, that would have been a good place to do it. > [@](#): > > [end hijack] Hope springs eternal, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/39 "2005-10-06T22:09:52Z")
And another thread, upon further reflection, turns out to be all about Lib. Why am I not surprised? I have a theory. He realizes that techniques he uses are being discussed, even if the posters do not realize it yet. However, he subconsciously catches on, and posts to defend his methods. Or maybe he just really likes attention. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044/40 "2005-10-06T22:16:01Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > Or maybe he just really likes attention. The irony, it burns usssss. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pit-is-a-contemptible-forum-unworthy-of-the-sdmb/325044.md?page=3)