# What are you babbling about? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 18, 2020, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888 "2020-06-18T05:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/1 "2020-06-18T05:50:19Z")
Ok, the last thread on this took a unwanted turn. But I- and I suspect others that use that little phase- want to know : is this now considered a insult and a bannable phrase? Let not bring in whether or not that person (who shall remain nameless here, please) deserved his banning or not. But that common phrase- is it warnable or OK? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/2 "2020-06-18T05:53:37Z")
It’s been said to me. But I usually am babbling. I, personally did NOT take offense. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/3 "2020-06-18T06:22:12Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It’s been said to me. But I usually am babbling. > I, personally did NOT take offense. YMMV. \*\* Beckdawrek\*\*- the voice of reason and sanity. who’d a thunk it? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/4 "2020-06-18T07:09:54Z")
I got noted–maybe not even that, but a mod pointed out my comment and had something say about it–for asking someone “what the fuck are you talking about” or words to that effect. Seriously, the asinine post about me which generated my query was really trollish; it was either that or the poster making the post in question was insane at the time. I see the question “What are you babbling about” as in the same league as my question was. If one deserves moderating oustide The BBQ Pit, then so does the other. If one does not, then neither does the other. But I really think the upshot is it depnds on the moderator. Mind you, I support the moderators and really do believe they’re trying to herd kittens and plug a dike with just one thumb. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/5 "2020-06-18T07:40:04Z")
You don’t think the word \*fuck \*makes a difference? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/6 "2020-06-18T07:50:26Z")
In today’s speech? Nope. Not at all. Had I said, “You fuck, what are you talking about?”, well, yeah, that would be decidedly different. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/7 "2020-06-18T08:21:42Z")
Well, [here’s the post in question](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15787339#post15787339). People can judge for themselves if the preceding comment was asinine or trollish. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/8 "2020-06-18T10:38:53Z")
**Peter Morris** : I’m not interested in relitigating (or litigating in the first place) the warning I received for that post. All I’m saying is that I see that comment to be in the same frame as the expression in question in the OP here. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/9 "2020-06-18T11:17:05Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > **Peter Morris** : I’m not interested in relitigating (or litigating in the first place) the warning I received for that post. All I’m saying is that I see that comment to be in the same frame as the expression in question in the OP here. Colibri didnt warn you. He told u to dial it back. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/10 "2020-06-18T11:40:57Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But that common phrase- is it warnable or OK? In which forum? I’m reasonably sure you can use it in the Pit to your heart’s content. Why don’t you give it a try in a GQ thread, see how that will go? I’m also reasonably sure you already know. Just like I’m sure you already know the answer to the question is “it depends”. This thread is just performative. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/11 "2020-06-18T12:30:20Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Colibri didnt warn you. He told u to dial it back. Right. My mistake. I’m not interested in (re)litigating the moderating. I think my point in this thread stands though. I still see both the expression I actually used and the expression under discussion in this thread’s OP as being in the same league. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/12 "2020-06-18T12:38:01Z")
I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/13 "2020-06-18T13:10:46Z")
Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/14 "2020-06-18T13:11:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > is this now considered a insult and a bannable phrase? This question suggests a fundamental misunderstanding. Most people who are banned for being a jerk did not write “a bannable phrase.” I’m sure those exist, e.g. threatening a lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/15 "2020-06-18T13:32:57Z")
There could be a few. But yes, Deth, you are again needlessly obsessing over minutiae of moderation. As we’ve always said, a great deal of moderation is context dependent and we have very little incentive to provide hard and fast rules. You’re just going to have to learn to live with uncertainty. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/16 "2020-06-18T14:33:38Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > You’re just going to have to learn to live with uncertainty. That’s almost word-for-word (in translation of course) what my department head told our students yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/17 "2020-06-18T14:37:44Z")
The level of disconnect here is not minutiae. Of course context matters, which why this declaring that commonly used phrase, in a forum that “what the fuck are you talking about?” is used [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=22223755&postcount=511](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=22223755&postcount=511) with no concern, and snark is pretty gosh darn common by many, is worth a warning ( which means banning to someone on thin ice) is so absurd. CONTEXT. And while that post might not have been reported, I don’t know, it is part of what is the functionally accepted norm, the context, of that forum. Claims of its mod otherwise notwithstanding. IF that forum is going to not tolerate that pretty benign level of comment it must be made absolutely clear and some consistent effort made to enforce it other than only upon a poster that the mod has not liked. Minutiae? No. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/18 "2020-06-18T14:40:36Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > You’re just going to have to learn to live with uncertainty. During these uncertain times. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/19 "2020-06-18T17:02:43Z")
I really wish the board didn’t give me so many reasons for trotting out my favorite phrase. CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888/20 "2020-06-18T17:52:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > \*\* > Beckdawrek\*\*- the voice of reason and sanity. who’d a thunk it? 😛 I shall use this for my sig line, forever more. I now have proof I ain’t crazy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-babbling-about/855888.md?page=2)