I apologize, you are correct. I never go to the Pit, so I’m not aware of the finer distinctions. My point still stands, although my example is defunct: personal insults are not allowed outside the Pit. Inside the Pit, there are a few terms that we consider to be too over-the-top to permit. Not many, a handful, but nonetheless.
We do not either kick kittens. And if we find kittens, we keep them.
Puppies are fair game, though.
What do you mean “we”? It might be a debate for others. To me it couldn’t be any clearer. If you don’t agree with the TOS, don’t click “Register”. It’s not even a debate for me.
They aren’t, you just can’t call them a “fucking douchebag”. And I disagree that being able to call a mod a “fucking douchebag” is a necessary prerequisite for being able to dispute a moderator decision.
I find the OP to be rather humorous.
Tell me, kidneyfailure-would it also apply the other way around? Would the mods and admins be able to start BBQ Pit threads about posters without fear of being accused of prejudicial treatment? Could a moderator bitch you out royally for your opinions, then give you a reprimand while acting as a mod?
We actually have an example right now where a mod was actively involved in a position in a thread, and then moderated the conversation. That issue is drawing pages of criticism of mods being involved in a thread and moderating it at the same time.
If we allowed Members to Pit Mods, we have to allow Mods to Pit members. Already the ability of the mods to be partisan in debate and then also be neutral in moderation is called in question. Czarcasm is correct: all you would be doing is opening ground for more complaints of favoritism/antipathy and unfair treatment/abuse of mod powers.
Sure. I’m a fair person. If I’m going to call someone an asshole, they have the right to do the same to me. And, anyway, mods bitching people out for what they say and then officially warning them as a mod happens all the time.
I dunno, maybe I’m just not paying attention, but 9 times out of 10 have trouble seeing what people have got their panties in a wad over.
That’s quite full of crap. You’re not allowed to “bash” mods; you don’t have to remotely approach calling them a “fucking douchebag” for a thread to be shut down.
Sure. Coincidentally you remind me of the time Czarcasm moved a thread to the Pit just so he could call a poster an asshole so I have trouble buying his concern now about a double standard going the other way.
THIS
I think it goes back to the idea that if you punch some random stranger on the street then that’s a simple misdemeanor battery, but if you punch a cop, then All Hell Rains Down.
Some people are just more equal than others.
What would be truly evil would be to move a thread to the Pit in order to call a poster an asshole, then move it back to the original forum again. 
1.) They can’t now? A Mod acting as a private poster can’t Pit someone else as a private poster?
2.) I’d say “I have no power but I can call you a fucking douchebag when you do something I don’t like” is balanced pretty well by “I have all the power but I can’t call you a fucking douchebag when you do something I don’t like.”
FWIW, I’m ambivalent about re-allowing the Pitting of staff for official actions. There are certainly times I’d like to have been able to express myself in harsher words, especially when we enter “wagon circling” territory (or, better yet, we just get blown off), but it’s certainly not necessary. And I can understand the desire to have your official role here exempt from insults, such that any complaints will be (hopefully) legitimate and substantiated instead of simply a list of which genetive organs you resemble. Speaking personally, it would not bother me to be Pitted as a mod, but I’m not a mod here.
No.
The irony inherent in this statement is why I stick around here… Delicious… just Delicious… Do you serve Ice Cream, too? Perhaps you should consider being civil in your language when speaking to TPTB. They may be assholes, but they DO have feelings. Call Rand an asshole, if you like, but he won’t care, nor will I. The mods, here, on the other hand, DO care. That’s why they waste their time here. They are probably assholes, and so is Rand, and so am I. They at least waste their “asshole-time” babysitting imbeciles (we won’t mention names) to, at least, make this board worth our time…
After TubaDiva’s arrogant tantrum in the other thread, the one that shows the blatant contempt she (and, most likely, other mods/admins, as well) has for the users of this board, I couldn’t give two flying fucks what a mod/admin thinks anymore. If it breaks their hearts that users of this community think they’re asshole then maybe they should stop acting like assholes? This isn’t rocket science.
link: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13095027&postcount=3
It seems to me we have tried “all complaints about moderators go in the PIT”, and that didn’t work because everything was then a Pit thread, and anyone with a legitimate question or gripe had to deal with the asshats who can’t be civil about anything poking their nose in the thread. And any mod trying to address an official question had to put up with the abuse.
Now we have tried “all complaints about moderation goes in ATMB, and you cannot Pit moderators (and mods can’t Pit other members)”. I don’t know that that is working, either.
Might I suggest athird alternative: “All questions and complaints expecting an answer relating to moderation go in ATMB with ATMB rules. Bitching and whining and throwing insults for the sake of insulting goes in The Pit, with the caveat that it may be completely ignored by the Powers That Be.”
If you want a serious answer, ask (politely) in ATMB. If you want to gripe, post it in the Pit. Don’t hijack ATMB with whinefests. Don’t post in the Pit and expect an answer.
Mods can Pit posters, and posters can Pit mods, but any pitting of moderation or board policies will be ignored at the moderators’ discretion.
I don’t know, seems to me worth a shot.
Please dial it back a bit.
**
Gfactor**
ATMB Moderator
Irishman - sounds good to me. But how would you ensure that all the posts in ATMB were polite?
Please dial it back a bit.
Gfactor
ATMB Moderator