# What about us voting posters off the SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163 "2010-10-05T19:26:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/1 "2010-10-05T19:26:10Z")
Not that I would agree with the suggestion. Hell, even I might lose posting privileges. Yet I get the sense that a lot of posters are frustrated with certain posters and TPTB who let them slide. I’d like to get the sense of the majority SDMB community with regard to having the power to ban certain posters. Some are simply trolls. On the other hand, my view is that the contrariness of certain posters is neccessary to express the general view and the straight dope on the issues. TPTB don’t always get it right. Perhaps a poster could start a poll for the proposition to ban a certain poster and after 1 week, a 2/3 majority would compel TPTB to ban the poster in question. What do you think? Poll coming ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/2 "2010-10-05T19:34:36Z")
I’m a Charter Member, you’re not voting me off. And besides, if we voted off the stubbornheaded types like Rand Rover & Der Trihs, how would we [del]make fun of them[/del] try to change their minds? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/3 "2010-10-05T19:44:54Z")
No way. Cause I’d never think it’d be an honest vote. All kinds of people would vote just to be shits about it. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/4 "2010-10-05T19:46:15Z")
I only want to do it if it’s like Survivor. Every week, we can vote off another poster. There will be tiki torches. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/5 "2010-10-05T20:01:54Z")
And in the end, **AClockworkMelon** and **MeanOldLady** would be left to fight it out. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/6 "2010-10-05T20:03:01Z")
1. If we voted off only the stubborn posters, who would be left? 😕 2. If this goes through, I’m voting ban The Flying Dutchman. 😛 ---
**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:** [October 5, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/7 "2010-10-05T20:04:38Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I’m a Charter Member, you’re not voting me off. Exactly. Us Charter Members should be the only ones allowed to vote ('cause of our high, exalted status), and the only ones who are allowed to be voted in/out are the [del]non-paying[/del], er, non-Charter Members. … and shit. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/8 "2010-10-05T20:05:49Z")
Mob mentality with a minimum of information. Yeah, that always works out fine in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/9 "2010-10-05T20:12:33Z")
I voted yes, assuming the moderators would control veto power. Basicaly, I would support an exception to the “Do not be a jerk” rule to allow posts/polls of the type “Should poster X be banned?” Assuming the vast majority of the community agrees to the ban, the moderators should support that. Suppose a poster continually toes the line and sometimes crosses it, leading to an unpopular opinion from the masses. Suppose this poster lucks out of warnings and mod notes often enough for the members to notice it, and open pit threads and ATMB threads about it. Maybe they even butter up and befriend the mod staff and get unfair treatment. A poll requesting to ban the user, with a thorough list of offenses, and a X% majority from Y% of the community should convince the mods to ban the poster on the basis of “being a jerk” to a lot of people over a long time. I don’t think the poll itself should have the power to ban anyone. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/10 "2010-10-05T20:16:12Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Mob mentality with a minimum of information. > Yeah, that always works out fine in the end. What’s wrong with that? Whole countries are run that way… on second thought, maybe it’s not such a good idea. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/11 "2010-10-05T20:21:51Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Mob mentality with a minimum of information. > Yeah, that always works out fine in the end. Just like an election for president of the US? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/12 "2010-10-05T20:48:56Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > And in the end, **AClockworkMelon** and **MeanOldLady** would be left to fight it out. It’s not like you get one vote for every post you’ve made… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/13 "2010-10-05T20:51:28Z")
_As some days may happen That a victim must be found I’ve got a little list I’ve got a little list Of society offenders Who might well be underground And never would be missed They never would be missed_ ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/14 "2010-10-05T20:52:11Z")
That’s what moderators are for. Plus, given the left slant of the board, I think the righties would be susceptible to mob mentality. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/15 "2010-10-05T20:58:55Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > That’s what moderators are for. Plus, given the left slant of the board, I think the righties would be susceptible to mob mentality. I don’t think so. I mean, maybe **Starving Artist** would be voted off, but that’s not because he’s a conservative, it’s because he argues in a particularly irritating and disingenuous fashion. OTOH, very few people would want to vote off **Bricker** , because even when he disagrees with the majority viewpoint, he does so in an articulate and thoughtful manner that doesn’t make one want to punch him through the internet. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/16 "2010-10-05T20:59:02Z")
Wow, this is the most agreement we’ve had on anything except Bermuda shorts. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/17 "2010-10-05T21:01:25Z")
I don’t see why I’d wish to do such a thing. I’d probably reflexively vote to keep anyone who was subject to such a vote. Anyway, if I want to ignore someone, I can just ignore them. It’s not hard. And I’m not even talking about using the Ignore feature. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/18 "2010-10-05T21:02:44Z")
Any time tempers ran high you’d have people getting thrown off for having unpopular opinions. You’d probably also see a dampening of discussions because of people being afraid to offend the Mob and get banned. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/19 "2010-10-05T21:09:15Z")
I’d like to see a vote on planned bannings. Like, a weekly run where anyone TPTB plan to ban for bad behavior (no use including socks or bots) would go on a list and at the end of the week, and we’d vote on which to let go. This might avoid some of the hard feelings and confusion which so often erupt after a banning, and would allow for discussion to occur in advance instead of the current bitter after-the-fact rumblings . We could suspend their posting ability and put “LISTED” in red under the name for the week. But I think an open nomination process would get way out of hand, way too fast. And I’d have way too much time on my hands when I got voted out. . . ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163/20 "2010-10-05T22:07:21Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I mean, maybe **Starving Artist** would be voted off, but that’s not because he’s a conservative, it’s because he argues in a particularly irritating and disingenuous fashion. OTOH, very few people would want to vote off **Bricker** , because even when he disagrees with the majority viewpoint, he does so in an articulate and thoughtful manner that doesn’t make one want to punch him through the internet. Right - as long as dissenting opinions are expressed in a gentle, respectful, humble way, they can be tolerated. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-about-us-voting-posters-off-the-sdmb/556163.md?page=2)