# The real life of posters: Private or public? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 19, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798 "2013-02-19T15:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/101 "2013-02-20T01:06:55Z")
Though I don’t believe he should be punished this severely, a warning would have sufficed, I can see how he not only violated the “Don’t be a Jerk” rule but also could be interpreted as Junior Modding, or of impersonating an official of the SDMB (even if unintentionally, it’s not hard to see how this may seem like an official contact from an admin.) I don’t think he should be suspended, but wanted to point out this possible angle. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/102 "2013-02-20T01:11:18Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > So, would it be fair to extrapolate from this then that any off-board conduct is fair game for moderation if it violates “being a jerk” and involves (or potentially/purportedly involves) another poster on the board? No, that’s overly broad. I’d say if there’s an issue on the board that spills over into off-board life in an inappropriate way, we might act on that. Two Dopers having an IRL problem isn’t our concern, and we’ve long told posters here to keep their off-board problems off-board. > [@](#): > > Will such moderation decisions be made solely on the admission of the original poster (by bragging or just telling about what he did off the board), or should we require that another poster lodge a complaint? As long as we’re sure of what happened, I don’t think it matters how we know. Like I said, things being what they are, **pchaos** hasn’t said anything about a phone call and has disputed some of what has been posted (and at least once it sounded like he was taunting posters in the Pit thread). But it would have to come to our attention somehow, and there are only a few ways that can happen. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/103 "2013-02-20T01:23:05Z")
Ok that makes sense. Thank you for clarifying things Marley! ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/104 "2013-02-20T05:19:09Z")
FWIW, I think Marley’s initial reading of the situation was correct. As silly as SL’s behaviour undoubtedly was, it is not something that calls for moderation. Censure perhaps, but there are no grounds on which to moderate him. No, not even the “Don’t be a jerk” rule. I don’t even think he was being a jerk. Overstepping some boundaries perhaps, but being clueless is not always the same thing as being a jerk. If the mods think his behaviour does give them grounds for moderating him, they need to spell it out more clearly in the rules, and it can’t just have retrospective effect. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/105 "2013-02-20T06:35:39Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > FWIW, I think Marley’s initial reading of the situation was correct. As silly as SL’s behaviour undoubtedly was, it is not something that calls for moderation. Censure perhaps, but there are no grounds on which to moderate him. No, not even the “Don’t be a jerk” rule. I don’t even think he was being a jerk. Overstepping some boundaries perhaps, but being clueless is not always the same thing as being a jerk. > If the mods think his behaviour does give them grounds for moderating him, they need to spell it out more clearly in the rules, and it can’t just have retrospective effect. SL started with his ATMB thread, followed up with his pit thread culminating with his phone call. He had his ideas about pchaos, fine. But stalking him around the board and off-board was being a jerk. I agree with Marley’s sum up, fwiw. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/106 "2013-02-20T14:29:42Z")
**Simple Linctus** should get a complimentary membership. Sometimes you need a volunteer to call out trolls and other assorted bullshit artists. Remember the fake quadriplegic? OMG, he called someone on the phone? So what. It’s hard not to laugh at the precious-snowflake crowd who equate an anonymous phone ball with felony stalking. What happens when these people see a number on the caller I.D. they don’t recognize? Hours of uncontrollable sobbing and pillow-clutching whilst locked in a closet? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/107 "2013-02-20T14:53:00Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > It’s hard not to laugh at the precious-snowflake crowd who equate an anonymous phone ball with felony stalking. It’s hard not to laugh at strawmen like this. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/108 "2013-02-20T15:10:58Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > **Simple Linctus** should get a complimentary membership. Sometimes you need a volunteer to call out trolls and other assorted bullshit artists. And you can do that at great length in the Pit. Just don’t actually call them. As several posters explained, in addition to being kind of creepy it was pointless. I doubt any of our socks and trolls were exposed because somebody picked up a phone and called them- much as I appreciate the whole supervillain-explaining-his-plans-to-James-Bond quality of the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/109 "2013-02-20T15:18:06Z")
I’m wondering how the new owners would react if they started getting complaints about personal information being released and/or unwanted off-board contact being made? Does this board make enough money for them to just brush things like that aside? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/110 "2013-02-20T15:19:14Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s hard not to laugh at strawmen like this. It’s hard not laugh when people can’t distinguish hyperbole from the dreaded strawman. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/111 "2013-02-20T15:24:17Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > It’s hard not laugh when people can’t distinguish hyperbole from the dreaded strawman. Your hyperbole was not distinct from a strawman. You were directly imputing an irrational degree of hysteria to those objecting to Simple Linctus’s actions of an equivalent level as used in your hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/112 "2013-02-20T15:35:19Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Your hyperbole was not distinct from a strawman. You were directly imputing an irrational degree of hysteria to those objecting to Simple Linctus’s actions of an equivalent level as used in your hyperbole. You’re right. I should have said “misdemeanor” stalking. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/113 "2013-02-20T15:57:28Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > So I’m guessing I prolly shouldn’t use my google fu to identify **Silenus** , and have a couple cases of chilli with beans delivered to his office? Even if that is an obviously superior form of chilli, and he is poisoning the minds of his students with notions of beanless chilli? > > What about the children? The poor children forced to a life of misery and beanless chilli…Can it really be wrong when it feels so right? > 😉 Can we add a rule that anyone who puts beans in chili is being a jerk? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/114 "2013-02-20T16:27:10Z")
**Simple Linctus** has been banned. Announcement here. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/115 "2013-02-20T16:31:10Z")
He should have been a more Cunning Linctus. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/116 "2013-02-20T17:37:45Z")
At first I thought that was a bit harsh, but after seeing he already had four warnings… ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/117 "2013-02-20T18:55:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > At first I thought that was a bit harsh, but after seeing he already had four warnings… Still a bit harsh, IMO. As I posted upthread, I’m a reasonably intelligent member of this community (and I have read many posts about “warnings” and “rules” and whatnot) and it just would not have occurred to me that a phone call under these circumstances was out of line in a way that would result in moderation. I don’t it was a violation of any clear rule. Going forward, of course, we’re all on notice. I wonder if it would be okay to call **Simple Linctus** and offer my condolences? ---
**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:** [February 20, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/118 "2013-02-20T19:03:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The issue is that **Simple Linctus** took it on himself to “investigate” this mystery by bothering a poster off-board and asking him to confirm his identity. There was no reason to do that, he had no right to do it, and it’s inappropriate. Yet the exact thing happened with **Umkay** and no one was modded. Also there’s been several instances where posters have suspected some new poster was a spammer or troll and then went searching for them and then they come back and posted proof that the new poster has posted the same message on several different boards and no one was modded. So why the new stance of “investigating” other posters? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/119 "2013-02-20T19:13:43Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Yet the exact thing happened with **Umkay** No, it didn’t. Please pay attention: the issue here is **Simple Linctus** tried to call **pchaos** (and he definitely called someone) to try to get person verification. It’s not about “investigating” or comparing posts made on this message board and others. That’s all information the posters themselves disclosed. Like I said just a few posts ago: > [@Marley23](#): > > And you can do that at great length in the Pit. Just don’t actually call them. As several posters explained, in addition to being kind of creepy it was pointless. I doubt any of our socks and trolls were exposed because somebody picked up a phone and called them- much as I appreciate the whole supervillain-explaining-his-plans-to-James-Bond quality of the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/120 "2013-02-20T19:44:30Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Yet the exact thing happened with **Umkay** and no one was modded. Also there’s been several instances where posters have suspected some new poster was a spammer or troll and then went searching for them and then they come back and posted proof that the new poster has posted the same message on several different boards and no one was modded. > > So why the new stance of “investigating” other posters? But no one ever attempted to get ahold of her in meat space. THAT’S the whole point. It wasn’t that **Simple Linctus** looked the guy up. Nobody really cares about that. It’s that he went and actually called him on the phone, trying to say, “hey, this is some guy from the internet who wants to know if you’re who you say you are?” That’s crossing the line. It’s one thing to search for someone’s troll persona, and finding say, them bragging about it somewhere, or that there’s someone with a similiar history and the same story, blah blah blah. It’s that he CONTACTED THE GUY. I don’t want people contacting me in real life – that’s fucking creepy. And despite what he says, it’s not just an “American thing”, I suspect. I don’t think it would have gotten him banned this time, except for the fact that he had a previous suspension. Otherwise, he’d just be suspended. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798.md?page=7)