# Uh, I'll use "u" if I damned well please. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 21, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396 "2004-02-21T18:33:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/181 "2004-02-22T22:07:55Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Ah, well. Whether **Civil Defense** has indeed crossed that line is now in the deftly capable hands of our Esteemed Admin, since I’ve brought post number 170 to her dread attention. The last time I reported a Bad Post, the individual involved got the boot shortly thereafter. Whether my radar is still properly calibrated, and **CD** is indeed an under-bridge dweller, or merely an infantile twit, we shall see.[/SIZE] Hmm. Well, IANAMod of course, but since the post in question was addressed to me, allow me to venture an opinion: I don’t think **CD** was trolling. Not really. It can be very hard to back down when everyone seems to be attacking you. It’s easy to say some regrettable things that you didn’t really mean when your back is to the wall. I rather suspect **CD** may be regretting the decision to ride this particular ship to the bottom, but some people are stubborn like that. Even—and you may find this hard to credit—even me, sometimes. 😉 Anyway, I don’t think that was a bannable offense. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/182 "2004-02-22T22:30:11Z")
> [@Ferrous](#): > > Hmm. Well, IANAMod of course, but since the post in question was addressed to me, allow me to venture an opinion: I don’t think **CD** was trolling. Not really. IANAMod either, which is why, rather than explicitly passing judgment in the thread, I reported the post. If Lynn (or whoever’s on patrol duty today) agrees, there’s always a range of options short of banning. If she thinks I jumped the gun, she I’m sure will let me know I should be more cautious. She may also tell me to keep my mouth shut about having reported a post, the next time I feel the need to do it. I bow to her authority, in any case. My own feeling is that **CD’s** behavior doesn’t necessarily sink to the level of banning (although he’s not doing himself any favors), but he might need a refresher course on the SDMB Prime Directive. That’s a mod/admin’s job, not mine. I do, however, feel free to state my opinion that he’s a gormless oaf. ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/183 "2004-02-22T22:49:26Z")
> [@Ferrous](#): > > I don’t think **CD** was trolling. Not really. It can be very hard to back down when everyone seems to be attacking you. Anyway, I don’t think that was a bannable offense. I agree with you emphatically. I think it’s ironic that this whole thread has been about how the posters here are educated and intelligent, yet some don’t have the perception to see why CD said what he said. It’s unfortunate that the “!” button has been used for this. Can’t be easy being a mod/admin when people use the panic button so liberally. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/184 "2004-02-22T23:08:12Z")
_In **CD’s** own words:_ > [@](#): > > I am very well aware of that. Perhaps my intent was, indeed, to actively irritate you? > [@](#): > > I actually do think it’s amusing to watch those who are extraordinarily anal get all worked up. So, I suppose I am an asshole. Walking a very fine line if not over it. As I said, banning is likely not called for, but a reminder of certain behavioral standards here IMO is. As I pointed out, if **Lynn** thinks I’ve erred, I have no doubt she’ll let me know exactly how she feels about it. I’ll take her advice and admonishment over any mere member’s. It’s my impression, from what mods/admins have said in the past, that they’d prefer to have Dopers use the report post button rather than lynching perceived malefactors in a thread. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/185 "2004-02-22T23:14:04Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > _In **CD’s** own words:_ > Walking a very fine line if not over it. As I said, banning is likely not called for, but a reminder of certain behavioral standards here IMO is. > > As I pointed out, if **Lynn** thinks I’ve erred, I have no doubt she’ll let me know exactly how she feels about it. I’ll take her advice and admonishment over any mere member’s. It’s my impression, from what mods/admins have said in the past, that they’d prefer to have Dopers use the report post button rather than lynching perceived malefactors in a thread. I thought they diabled the “Lynch Poster” button! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/186 "2004-02-22T23:27:52Z")
> [@Ilsa\_Lund](#): > > I thought they diabled the “Lynch Poster” button! 😃 Yeh, they had to disable it when they couldn’t bugfix its habit of auto-banning every Doper who used more than one smiley per post. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/187 "2004-02-22T23:28:16Z")
Oh dear. This is an internet message board and so any “conversation” in a public forum is open for someone else to join in. however, if you do feel the need to join in, then please make sure you understand what the other participants are talking about. By “conversation” in this instance I mean the small part of this thread where I noted that the OP had mentioned that he doesn’t _normally_ post in contractions anyway, and he/she replied that, actually, they never use it. Now, I think that anyone with some basic reading comprehension skills and common sense could tell that neither of us were talking about this particular thread. > [@Starving Artist](#): > > Do you even know what you’re talking about, moron? > > First of all, _he_ was the one who so smugly said he hadn’t actually used u-speak in any of his posts defending its use. No, he didn’t. He didn’t mention (and neither did I) his posts defending u-speak. He said: > [@](#): > > In fact, I’ve never typed in the manner that I’ve defended in this series of posts. =D He definitely did _not_ say “In fact, I’ve never typed in that manner while defending this posting style. =D” > [@](#): > > I pointed out that this was not so. Secondly, I omitted the instances where he used it to quote others or as an example of its usage. The quotes I posted were his actual comments to other posters, before he decided it would be cute to continue to annoy people without actually using the annoying phrasology. You’re right, I concede defeat, it was exceptionally clever of you to notice and point out that he’d used u-speak in this very thread. In case you missed it, and it wasn’t even a point, just an interesting observation, I thought it unlikely for anyone to ignore his posts due to the use of “u” for “you”, because he doesn’t actually post like that anyway (in normal posting). Perhaps this will make it clearer 4 u. Despite the above sentence, I have absolutely no problem stating that I never post using silly contractions such as u, b, and 4. > [@](#): > > Don’t be so quick to point out the stupidity you perceive, the liklihood is it’s your own! I’m sure there are many people who can make me look, sound, or feel stupid. You are not one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/188 "2004-02-22T23:28:16Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > My own feeling is that **CD’s** behavior doesn’t necessarily sink to the level of banning (although he’s not doing himself any favors), but he might need a refresher course on the SDMB Prime Directive. Since when did anyone on the Enterprise knock themselves out following the Prime Directive? 🙂 🙂 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/189 "2004-02-22T23:33:20Z")
Well, there was that one time that Riker was sedated on that one planet where he was impersonating that alien guy and there was this nurse or something but it was definitely a woman or a female of that alien species or whatever and Riker says you gotta help me get outta this hospital, and the nurse person says okay, except the secret police are… Oh. Does sedation even count? ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/190 "2004-02-22T23:43:48Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > Well, there was that one time that Riker was sedated on that one planet where he was impersonating that alien guy and there was this nurse or something but it was definitely a woman or a female of that alien species or whatever and Riker says you gotta help me get outta this hospital, and the nurse person says okay, except the secret police are… > > Oh. > > Does sedation even count? RIKER doesn’t count! What an irritating boob. I always prayed for him to get a real ass-beating on every episode. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/191 "2004-02-22T23:47:27Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > RIKER doesn’t count! What an irritating boob. Worse than Janet Jackson’s? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/192 "2004-02-22T23:47:52Z")
> [@1920s Style Death Ray](#): > > I’m sure there are many people who can make me look, sound, or feel stupid. > > You are not one of them. Oh, I don’t know about that, however you’re doing fine on your own. Your splitting hairs over whether or not he meant \*this \* thread when he said he \*never \* typed that way, and what difference it makes given that he said he \*never \* did it when in fact he had (never is an absolute; either you’ve never done something or you have), makes you look foolish enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396/193 "2004-02-22T23:53:30Z")
> [@Civil Defense](#): > > I am very well aware of that. Perhaps my intent was, indeed, to actively irritate you? Well, that would be trolling. And that would be against the rules. Lynn For the Straight Dope [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uh-ill-use-u-if-i-damned-well-please/230396.md?page=9)