# Unjust warning for responding to dehumanizing language **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 13, 2022, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623 "2022-08-13T23:50:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/43 "2022-08-14T19:38:46Z")
This is an excellent point and is more evidence that the conservatives on this board are not held to the same standard, they’re given much more leeway. He literally has compared liberals to insects dozens of times. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/44 "2022-08-14T19:39:55Z")
What relevance is that to _this_ thread? This particular thread is about a warning for hijacking a topic that had already drifted. If the post in question hadn’t existed I would not have replied to it. That’s what’s confusing about being warned for a hijack. I answered, in another thread, a question by Miller that wasn’t strictly related to the thread topic. Should I provide a link so that post can be warned as well? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/45 "2022-08-14T20:04:25Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > assume you are directing this post to octopus. Is that correct? Is there anyone else who constantly compares us to insects? Of course it’s Octopus. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/46 "2022-08-14T20:06:24Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > What relevance is that to _this_ thread? You are talking about your response to a dehumanizing comment. It is literally the title of this thread, Octo. Yet you constantly, in this thread, in that one, in a large % of your posts… you remove our humanity. You dehumanize us. You compare us to insects. You claim we have no autonomy, as humans. This ‘hive mind’ comment is your go-to insult, and it, literally, dehumanizes the entire Board. In regards to your complaint and your ‘I was just defending the defenseless’ silliness… which not a soul is buying… as we used to say in 1985, puh-leeeze! ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/47 "2022-08-14T20:12:49Z")
I genuinely do not understand how the mods let you get away with it. If I went around mooing at everyone, calling their friends a ‘herd’, telling them their posts were little more than cud chewing, I wouldn’t last 1/10th as long as you with your “the SDMB is a hive and the posters are just insects to me” attitude and verbiage. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/48 "2022-08-14T20:17:22Z")
Again, this isn’t relevant. I got warned for a hijack when I responded to a post. The post had dehumanizing language in it but I am not concerned about that in terms of what should or should not be sanctioned. I’m complaining that when I answered a post I was warned for hijacking when my post was directly addressing a prior post. Now if the rule is posts should strictly address the original topic and that discussion should be narrowly constrained I can live with that. But that’s not the de-facto environment here and you can go to a multitude of threads and see that thread drift is common and is rarely corrected with a warning as first step. There is definite personal animus involved and it’s frankly silly. We have all seen similar behavior when Hari Sheldon straight up called a post trolling yet since he agreed with it the post and poster didn’t even get a note. Furthermore, even though it isn’t at all relevant to this particular thread and I may get warned for hijacking this thread for responding to your ‘hive-mind’ point, I, to the best of my knowledge _ **reserve that for the pit** _ unless I am referring to off board folks. I see no significant difference between my usage of hive mind and the quite common language on these boards, even outside of the pit, such as MAGAt which is clearly a homonym of maggot and is meant to be read as such. Second furthermore, your post insulting me directly _is_ an objective violation of board rules. No intent is necessary to infer or create. It was objective, yet, because the target is me, an unpopular poster, and your point of view is in congruence with the majority of the board you get a pass. A stern pass but a pass nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/49 "2022-08-14T20:17:53Z")
I demand Octopus stop his/her dehumanizing language of the SDMB and its participants: [moderator note - poll removed] ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/50 "2022-08-14T20:23:07Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > to the best of my knowledge _ **reserve that for the pit** _ unless I am referring to off board folks You do know how the search function works, right? > [@What would an American "civil war" look like?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-american-civil-war-look-like/817213/187): > > That’s rich coming from one of the hive who constantly are telling people what they think and what they mean when they type. Let’s try for a little less irony. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/51 "2022-08-14T20:33:36Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I demand Octopus stop his/her dehumanizing language of the SDMB and its participants: It seems suspicious that there are 8 votes for “No”. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/52 "2022-08-14T20:39:47Z")
You all crack me up. You know, one warning ain’t gonna kill me and I see no constructive outcome with this staying open. I won’t be opposed to this being closed. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/53 "2022-08-14T20:48:54Z")
I’m sure you wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/54 "2022-08-14T20:51:01Z")
Because of a poll? Ok, fine keep it open. I don’t control a thread much less the board. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/55 "2022-08-14T20:56:40Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > The post had dehumanizing language in it but I am not concerned about that Your post in the Pit says otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/56 "2022-08-14T21:35:55Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I’m complaining that when I answered a post I was warned for hijacking when my post was directly addressing a prior post. This remains untrue. I quoted your post up above. You didn’t address a previous post, let alone answer it. You made a post attacking “the left” and “dems” for the positions taken in the thread in question. And that is clearly far afield from the original topic of the thread, unlike the other posts you claim are hijacks. Your post was different in kind to the other posts. It was an attack on posters in the thread. It was not a continuation of a previous post that wound up taking the thread off track, but a clear attempt to change the topic entirely. Had it not also been an attack, I would say it only deserved a note (unlike the other posts which deserved nothing). But the attack sent it over the top to Warning territory. ---
**Author:** ![lum\_s\_husband](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lum_s_husband/32/3698_2.png) [@lum\_s\_husband](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lum_s_husband)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/57 "2022-08-14T21:38:07Z")
Octopus grinds his organ and the monkeys caper. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/58 "2022-08-14T22:31:57Z")
> [@lum\_s\_husband](#): > > Octopus grinds his organ What Dopers do on their own time… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/59 "2022-08-14T23:10:05Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > > [@Monty](#): > > > > assume you are directing this post to octopus. Is that correct? > > Is there anyone else who constantly compares us to insects? Of course it’s Octopus. 🙂 But, a comparison to insects is [complimentary](https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/benefits). ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/60 "2022-08-14T23:31:20Z")
I think your concern should be that if people are now aware of your egregious behavior, they will report it more often. This wouldn’t have happened had you not started this thread, which is why I imagine you would like it closed. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2022, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/61 "2022-08-15T03:42:36Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@JohnT](#): > > I demand Octopus stop his/her dehumanizing language of the SDMB and its participants: This is completely inappropriate for ATMB. Your poll has been removed. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2022, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623/62 "2022-08-15T03:43:52Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@lum\_s\_husband](#): > > Octopus grinds his organ and the monkeys caper. Treat all users with respect in ATMB. If you want to make Pit-style comments, do so in the Pit, not here. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unjust-warning-for-responding-to-dehumanizing-language/969623.md?page=4)