# The Wildest Bill precedent, and what it means for the "don't be a jerk" rule **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 3, 2002, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023 "2002-05-03T07:32:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/81 "2002-05-06T20:10:45Z")
Thank you for the clarification, **John**. Makes perfect sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/82 "2002-05-06T20:14:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andros \* > \*\ ***Cnote** , I’m sorry to sound snippy. _It seems to me_ that you came in like gangbusters, liberally dosing your post with sarcasm and some venom, equating “get on with your life” with “get a life” (which I think was unwarranted), and generally sounding upset. **Corrado** responded in kind, admittedly, but **Coldfire** was patient and polite, and provided ytou with a comprehensive and satisfactory answer. > > I think that deserves thanks. Again, my apologies for being jerkish instead of saying that outright. \*\* Same here. My comment was intended to back up **andros**. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/83 "2002-05-06T20:26:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andros \* > You’re comparing apples and rotary engines, **Sauron** , and if you’re too dense to see that, then you can go ahead and enjoy your little self-righteous masturbation by yourself. Did I offend you in another life, **andros**? You called me a “puling little child” in the other thread for denoting the timeframe of events that led up to the thread (and after I’d apologized twice). Now, when you presume to apologize for someone else, and I note the irony, you uncork that beauty above. I must be fairly dense, because these two events seem pretty similar to my way of thinking. In one, you condemn me for asking for thanks from another poster; in the other, you offer thanks for another poster, while implying that they’re not going to do it. I’m not trying to pick a fight; I’m just trying to figure out why one is acceptable and the other isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/84 "2002-05-06T21:28:51Z")
OK. I’m sorry. I disagree that the two events are particularly similar, but you clearly think they are, and I apologize without reservation for any and all real and perceived insults and slights. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/85 "2002-05-06T21:57:18Z")
I tried posting earlier, but apparently it didn’t take … I’m not trying to prod you, **andros**. I’m just not used to being a jerk (Really! Honest!) and I don’t want to accidentally cross a line without knowing it. Thanks for the post. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Hand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mr.Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Hand)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/86 "2002-05-06T22:16:06Z")
**SPOOFE** , et al.: BTW, even Mark Twain correctly attributed the “lies, damn lies, and statistics” quip to British PM Benjamin Disraeli. > **[Oxford Languages | The Home of Language Data](https://languages.oup.com)** > > Explore Oxford Languages, the home of world-renowned language data. Just trying to do my part to fight ignorance! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/87 "2002-05-06T22:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > If **Coldfire** misinterpreted my comments as being jerkish or somehow lacking in enthusiasm, then he can… e-mail me for clarification. 😃 I’m sorry, but that was just classic. ---
**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:** [May 7, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/88 "2002-05-07T01:58:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\* > > Of course, you _could_ just assume that we had a damn good reason for banning a poster, and get on with your life. \*\* What is this ‘life’ of which you speak? Is it something to do with Cecil? Where can I find a life? How much does it cost? ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/89 "2002-05-07T02:37:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*What is this ‘life’ of which you speak? \*\* Direct from the Master, [What is life?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a971212.html) ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/90 "2002-05-07T08:02:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > **If Coldfire misinterpreted my comments as being jerkish or somehow lacking in enthusiasm, then he can… e-mail me for clarification.** Hey, don’t make me turn this message board around! Why, I oughta… [sub]No harm done. “It does” was a short and to-the-point response. And besides that: if I would have been looking for a job with lots of gratitude, I should have probably picked something other than message board moderator.[/sub] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/91 "2002-05-07T12:10:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > What is this ‘life’ of which you speak? Is it something to do with Cecil? Where can I find a life? How much does it cost? My therapist told me I couldn’t get one, since it wasn’t covered under my health insurance… ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/92 "2002-05-07T14:48:33Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Coldfire_ > **No harm done. “It does” was a short and to-the-point response.** Exactly- short and to the point. Granted, it wasn’t a specific, word for word, written out, ‘Thank You’, but who cares, it’s not like this is the fora of formality- it’s a messageboard- things can, and often are, written casually. Truth be told, that’s what I would have said had we been standing next to each other, and had that been the case, it’d been obvious it wasn’t meant with malice. The problem, for me anyways, is that when someone brings up this kind of thing up (A missed ‘Thank you’) it immediately transports me back to the days when I was four years old and my mother would say, ‘What do you say to the kind gentleman, Christopher? ‘Thank you’, that’s what you say. Say ‘Thank you’ Christopher.’ It was patronizing then, and it’s patronizing now, especially when it comes from two strangers on the internet. I wasn’t going to say it at that point even if you had paid me… I’m stubborn that way. Personally, I think I’m pretty good at getting back to people who’ve helped me with whatever it is I’ve asked of them. I’ve gone back and bumped an old thread to specifically do just that. So, I think I’m alright with it and take a bit of offense when someone comes along and says I’m not thankfull _enough_. What I said, or wrote, I feel/felt is/was appropriate. To look at it specifically, in this situation both **Coldfire** and I were being aggressive with each other. I started it, but started it because of a sentence I took offense to. **Coldfire** responded to my words in kind (BTW **Andros** , you got the names transposed above in your post- **Coldfire** was being snippy and **John Corrado** was being civil and to the point, not the other way around). The dialogue between us wasn’t out of hand and whatever snide-ness was being expressed quickly dissolved into a pretty reasonable discussion. No harm, no foul. When it seemed resolved, or was resolved on my end, I said as much- ‘It does’ in response to ‘Hope that helps’. It still seems appropriate to me given the situation, and given how I write for this place- casual. Sheesh, all this over the lack of a stupid, written out, ‘Thank you’. I’ve explained it to you all in hopes that you understand what I meant, and how I meant it. I also explained it in hopes that the next time you run into an ‘it does’ from me, you don’t explode on me and take all sorts of offense to what wasn’t implied. Square? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/93 "2002-05-07T15:20:45Z")
Hey, I may have been snippy, but I certainly was to the point as well. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/94 "2002-05-07T15:32:17Z")
Where’s my thanks ya bastards? 😉 Now, can we get back to extincting - sorry, noting the parsing of -The Ryan? ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/95 "2002-05-07T15:43:17Z")
Thank you. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/96 "2002-05-07T17:01:09Z")
Gotcha, **Cnote**. I wasn’t aware I’d exploded, and I’m sorry it came across that way. I was quite aware of being patronizing, and did it deliberately. I think explained my reasons, but it was nevertheless unwarranted, and I apologize. Public forum or no, your beefs with the adminstration of the board are none of my business. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023/97 "2002-05-07T19:04:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Hey, I may have been snippy, but I certainly was to the point as well. Well spoken, **Coldfire**. I quote from the _Secret Handbook for Moderators_: 1. You should always address the point raised by the member. 2. Whenever possible, throw in some sardonic wit in the style of our Perfect Master to amuse the Teeming Millions. If it is directed at the poster, so much the better. (Rules 3-10,234,198 omitted) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wildest-bill-precedent-and-what-it-means-for-the-dont-be-a-jerk-rule/107023.md?page=4)