# TubaDiva is back as an admin after less than 30 days - how do YOU feel? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 14, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470 "2005-03-14T15:46:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/381 "2005-03-17T15:53:30Z")
> [@](#): > > **leander** said: > Course, it’s hard to cite this as it’s been shuffled away to the dark corners of the internet. And someone got the snarkfest over at LJ shut down, so can’t cite from there either. It’s not that hard. I mirrored it, minus the link to the registry. Her words were: > [@](#): > > I can’t show the board your listing in the Megan’s Law sex offender database; the Chicago Reader/Straight Dope privacy policy does not allow me to give personal information on users without consent. Bet you won’t give it to me, either. > > However, on Live Journal, no problem: > > Link Removed > > Finally – worst of all – one of your victims has come forward. I had one of our younger members come to me and they told me what you did to them. You continue to offend. > > You cannot use the Straight Dope as your personal hunting ground for new victims. I don’t see any wiggle room. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/382 "2005-03-17T15:54:02Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > As I said, it appears (to me at least) that **TubaDiva** ’s statement was true. Well, if it is was true it’s still pretty stupid not to include the wiggle-words. For obvious reasons. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/383 "2005-03-17T15:54:12Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Do you have a law degree? Or at least some measure of expertise in the field? If not, why should we care about your opinion on a legal issue? Wouldn’t it be easier to attack the arguments and not the person if you disagree with him/her? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Ruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Blue\_Ruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Ruin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/384 "2005-03-17T15:55:06Z")
> [@Blue Ruin](#): > > I think my hypothesis that whoever was posting TubaDiva’s personal contact info (which is publically available anyway) was trying to get it shut down, and succeeded. This is what happens when you start a sentence, get interrupted for a few minutes, then try to finish it. I haven’t seen many people looking at this from the angle of the person who reported SM to TubaDiva. That’s the person whose privacy was violated the most. As many have pointed out, SM made his sex-offender status public and his full name was in an email address he used on this board. The person who reported him, however, should have been able to expect privacy, and that SM would only know he was accused when the police showed up at his door. How would you feel if someone reported that your kid was being harrassed by a sex offender on a message board, and then that message boards administration informed said sex offender that he had been reported? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/385 "2005-03-17T15:56:04Z")
> [@Blue Ruin](#): > > She made her post on Stage Manager’s LiveJournal, where he had already openly admitted that he was a former sex offender, so she wasn’t warning anyone of anything they didn’t know. Tuba posted in the child molester’s private journal, where he has control over the post? I didn’t know that. Didn’t he delete it right away? Why is this a huge privacy issue for anyone else if it was done in his own journal, where he has complete editorial control? > [@BlueRain](#): > > What she DID let people know was his full name and address, and that she had, as an administrator of this board, received a PRIVATE report that SM was talking to a minor on this board. She did not use any private information garnered from her position here to post his information which the State of California makes available to the public. Any interest SM had in his communication with the minor was dispensed with when he hit the send button. At that point, it wasn’t private anymore, it was the minor’s too. The minor did what he/she wanted with it. > [@BlueRain](#): > > Stage Manager admits to online communications with an underage board member, so he now has an idea who reported him - UNLESS it was an unfounded accusation, then he’s going to wrongly suspect whoever he was talking to of reporting him. Either way, she made it a lot harder for SM to be caught at anything improper he may or may not have been doing, and TubaDiva has violated the privacy of whomever reported the supposed improper communications. I am definitely more concerned with the privacy of the minor than SM. Which is the primary reason why **Tuba** , Ed, the Reader, are all foreclosed from discussing this issue further. Instead, they have to sit and take whatever shit posters who have absolutely nothing at stake, question their integrity. > [@BlueRain](#): > > I’d say both Stage Manager and whoever reported him to TubaDiva have grounds for a lawsuit against the Chicago Reader for her actions. You’re just plain wrong. I’ve found no example of a message board ever being held legally responsible for a post made on the board, let alone one made on a completely different board. Especially when there is no indication of any legally cognizable injury. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/386 "2005-03-17T15:57:35Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Sure, go for it! > Daniel Well, I guess I don’t have to e-mail it to you as **catsix** just posted it here. Which means this thread will probably be closed and deleted as soon as a mod finds out. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/387 "2005-03-17T15:58:28Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > I do have evidence: the fact that someone reported such activities to **TubaDiva**. (It is not _direct_ evidence, since I was not a party to those communications, but it certainly is _evidence_.) > > Do you have evidence that the report was false? What is more likely: that the report was true, or that it was an elaborate hoax? I’m not clear on why any of this is relevant. To me, SM’s actions don’t matter. IOW, it doesn’t matter if there was a “good” reason to post personal data in that manner. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/388 "2005-03-17T15:59:37Z")
> [@](#): > > **leander** said: > Well, I guess I don’t have to e-mail it to you as catsix just posted it here. Which means this thread will probably be closed and deleted as soon as a mod finds out. Because we can discuss what she did, and our opinions of it, as long as we don’t tell the whole truth about what she did? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/389 "2005-03-17T16:01:03Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > Instead, they have to sit and take whatever shit posters who have absolutely nothing at stake, question their integrity. I don’t think TD has an integrity problem. My concern is more about recklessness and rash, summary judgment than it is about integrity. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/390 "2005-03-17T16:01:48Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > I don’t see any wiggle room. Look again. **TubaDiva** is reporting allegations made to her (the legal equivalent of saying “alleged”) and then stating that the Straight Dope will not allow itself to be used as a hunting ground (which is thankfully a true statement). Don’t see a case there. **stpauler** , I am not “attacking” **Blue Ruin**. I am asking for his qualifications, so we can evaluate his expertise. If someone told you that (in his opinion) the earth was likely to crash into the sun this year, wouldn’t you want to know whether he had any expertise upon which to base that opinion? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/391 "2005-03-17T16:04:59Z")
Okay, having read that again, I’ll say that **Tuba** was intemperate to post the way she did. She believed the accusation made against him, and while she didn’t go into any details about it, we can all guess what the accusation was. It would’ve been wiser for her to say that “someone has come forward and stated that you have continued to offend, and I believe them.” I’m still not seeing the ethical breach, though I’m seeing some unwise behavior. It’s not unethical to take a person’s word at face value. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/392 "2005-03-17T16:05:22Z")
I think it was that whole ‘Bet you won’t give it to me, either.’ line that made her look vicious rather than concerned. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/393 "2005-03-17T16:05:29Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > Because we can discuss what she did, and our opinions of it, as long as we don’t tell the whole truth about what she did? Something like that. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/394 "2005-03-17T16:07:50Z")
That seems pretty fucked up to me. It’s like it reeks of covering up the real problem so that anyone who thinks it is a problem can be painted as a frothing psycho. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/395 "2005-03-17T16:10:07Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > I’m not clear on why any of this is relevant. To me, SM’s actions don’t matter. Really? Is there no point at which this ceases to be true? If the person involved had been a serial killer, would you also regard that as a “private” matter, not to be revealed by someone who finds out? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Ruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Blue\_Ruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Ruin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/396 "2005-03-17T16:10:15Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > You’re just plain wrong. I’ve found no example of a message board ever being held legally responsible for a post made on the board, let alone one made on a completely different board. Especially when there is no indication of any legally cognizable injury. The person who reported the harrassment to TubaDiva could be experiencing stress from worrying if SM is going to retaliate against them for reporting him. There may also have been people who knew that SM was talking to this person but was not aware of anything improper, who will now know that they were discussing things that a sex offender could get in trouble for talking about. I know I would be pissed if I reported something like this in private and it was made public (on the accused’s LJ, no less). TubaDiva’s responsibility was to ban SM without telling him why (which she got right, at first) and report this to the proper authorities (which she claims she did), and then SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT IT. But instead she had to go warn Stage Manager, so she could enjoy watching him squirm and imagining him worry about what was going to happen. What if SM had tracked down who he was talking to and killed them? It would ALL be on TubaDiva’s head, because otherwise he’d have no idea he had been reported. People are probably going to be a lot less likely to report this kind of thing to the board administration now, out of fear that TubaDiva will go tell the accused. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/397 "2005-03-17T16:16:07Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Really? Is there no point at which this ceases to be true? If the person involved had been a serial killer, would you also regard that as a “private” matter, not to be revealed by someone who finds out? Oh, I have no problem with said info being revealed to proper authorities, like the police. But _only_ to proper authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Ruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Blue\_Ruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Ruin)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/398 "2005-03-17T16:18:17Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > It would’ve been wiser for her to say that “someone has come forward and stated that you have continued to offend, and I believe them.” See, in my opinion, even that would have been a gross violation of the privacy of the person who reported SM to the administration. There was a good reason why no reason was given to SM for his banning - a reason that TubaDiva either didn’t understand or didn’t care about. He could have been left thinking he was banned for the ‘Ask the sex offender’ thread without knowing he had been reported for his private communications with a board member. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/399 "2005-03-17T16:18:48Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > You’re just plain wrong. I’ve found no example of a message board ever being held legally responsible for a post made on the board, let alone one made on a completely different board. Especially when there is no indication of any legally cognizable injury. Well, some folks have tried to sue message boards before. I think, though, that you are right that none has ever been “held legally responsible…” Still, since the one thing that makes the admin here quake at the knees is the threat of a lawsuit, you’d think they’d be more careful. And I’d speculate that if Stage Manager were a lawyer, or had the means to force a lawsuit, this thing would have been handle much differently. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470/400 "2005-03-17T16:19:03Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > I do have evidence: the fact that someone reported such activities to **TubaDiva**. (It is not _direct_ evidence, since I was not a party to those communications, but it certainly is _evidence_.) > > Do you have evidence that the report was false? What is more likely: that the report was true, or that it was an elaborate hoax? > > As I said, it appears (to me at least) that **TubaDiva** ’s statement was true. Oh for the love of…no, it doesn’t make it true. What it means is that someone made an accusation against SM. THAT is true. Whether or not SM did what he was accused of is another story altogether. And even if he DID, blabbing about it didn’t do anyone any favors. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tubadiva-is-back-as-an-admin-after-less-than-30-days-how-do-you-feel/294470.md?page=21)