Yes there is… It’s held at the NY State Fairgrounds every year!
Ya know…
Normally in a thread like this the mods are on it like a sparrow on a mosquito thats just sucked a diabetics blood…yet all we have are just a couple decent comments and a handful of basically one liners. I guess ALL the mods could be out partying all this weekend. But I suspect the emails are a flying and the wagons are a being circled first.
I just don’t feed him anymore - problem solved on my end. One of the other key characteristics is that he’ll individually respond back to every single poster in the pack - even (especially?) if they’re saying the exact same thing, instead of just quoting them all at the same time and issuing the same statement. That tends to beat a thread into submission and let you direct it to wherever you’d like to take it.
But yes - I think that anyone who creates or is involved a thread hijack so distracting as to get the thread locked should be told to leave the thread. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.
Um, yeah. You’ve opened such a hornet’s nest here that they’re in panic mode, scrambling to engineer an appropriate response to the earth-shattering “Dio Problem.”
:rolleyes:
I’ve often seen Tomndeb tell posters they can no longer go down a certain path in a thread or bar them from discussing some topic altogether because he deems it an irrelevant discussion.
Now, I admit I sometimes think he goes too far in this, but the fact is that moderators can tell posters to knock it off if they repeatedly derail a thread. If Dio is doing that in some particular instance, why can’t a moderator come in and say, “Dio, either explain your reasoning and respond to the other posters’ arguments or leave the thread. Failure to comply will be considered ‘being a jerk’”?
Yeah, your probably right. They probably have a detailed script of what to do when the regular Dio problem rears its ugly head yet again. Its probably like those sealed envelopes for nuclear missle launch codes, except they are used on a regular basis. We could ASK them who emailed who about what and how much and when they did such when it finally hits the fan (monday morning perhaps after coffee time?), though I doubt we’d get an answer detailing that.
From the recent Superbowl thread:
I’m just guessing here, but in a 9 page Superbowl thread there are going to be a few Packer fans. Still can’t think why you didn’t get a proper warning for that crap.
Okay…
Its nearly 2 am eastern time. The feces will likely hit the air current production device shortly. Anyone want to take bets on me get formally warned and/or this thread getting locked in short order?
Night all.
NightAll is okay. But have you tried new extra strength DarnitAll?
No, it just moved that shit to this thread. It’s like saying you’ve solved the homeless problem by shipping them to a different city.
I’d say that’s simply fixed by issuing them warnings as well as issuing warnings to Dio. Everyone who is derailing a thread should be warned to stop, and punishments handed out if they refuse to do so.
There is a very bad habit on this board of using the phrase “don’t be a jerk” to mean “don’t hold opinions I don’t like and if you argue back vehemently, you are a jerk.” Quite a lot of overly pious self-congratulation and pots calling kettles black. I do not agree with him re the subject at hand and he’s certainly annoying.
But being annoying is not an operational definition of jerk - well I suppose it could be but then the already excessive calls for banning X, Y or Z would expand further.
(or in essence agreeing with needscoffee, cashew etc.)
At least part of the complaint is that Dio cannot simply state his point once and move on, that he unnecessarily and annoyingly repeats the same damn thing.
Well, welcome to the billfish show:
mmm
Anyone remember “the Mr. Billfish show”? Basically a character made of playdoh constantly antagonized by the sadistic Diogenes The Sluggo.
It’s because he wants to pad his post count. He’s basically acting on compulsion.
I feel sorry for his wife and kids-he must spend several hours each day here (and for a computeraholic like me that’s saying something).
As I’ve mentioned earlier, and several people have rightly pointed out, we do have the tools at hand to handle this problem. And that is to step in early when a thread appears to be going off the rails by a combination of dug-in Dio posts and those egging him on and to issue reminders and/or warnings to stop the behavior.
The problem is to balance Diogenes’ right to post his opinion with the “dont’ be a jerk” rule.
In my mind, both sides bear responsibility here:
-
Diogenes needs to acknowledge his posting habits are aggravating to people and for general harmony to modify them, and
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Everyone else should take some responsibility for poking him with a stick and to cease this behavior. Particularly, stop with the “it’s the Dio Show!” posts, which are just inciting drama and taking the thread off topic.
In the future — and of course, as has happened in the past — a moderator can step in with instructions to Dio to either stop repetitive, dug-in type posts, to other poster(s) to stop engaging him in this circular fashion, or to everyone to let it drop and move on with the conversation. Failure of any one of these parties can result in official warnings, which as everyone should know, can eventually lead to a review of posting privileges (if you accumulate enough in a short enough period of time)!
Also please remember that the BBQ Pit was created partially to alleviate these situations. If you need to unburden yourself regarding another Doper, please, have at it over there. We strive to keep the threads drama-free and contained to the topic at hand. Do your part.
Realize that the two thread closures were rather an anomaly than a rule. I am hoping that this thread has been cathartic and that we can move on from here resolved, both moderators and posters, to monitor our own behavior and create a more pleasant posting experience for everyone. [/Mother hen]
And, billfish, I think it has actually been addressed if we’d “allow” another thread. I mentioned it when I closed one of the threads and at least one other time. Yes! Open a new thread on the topic! Sometimes starting afresh can give everyone a breather, time to reframe arguments, and to start thinking anew without the clutter of whatever drama was happening in the other thread.
Here at Straight Dope, you are allowed to start threads. 
FWIW, I think that Ellen Cherry’s two posts above are examples of exemplary moderation. This is exactly how moderation should be: conciliatory, well reasoned, moderate and persuasive.
Like a breath of fresh cherry air, your warmth and frankth has calmed my cantankerous argumentitude. Would all moderators followth!
I honestly don’t see how anyone can read sports threads that include over-the-top insults and not understand the concept of hyperbole.
Why in the world do you think you’d get warned?