# What does 'RO' mean in regards to Pit threads? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 14, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673 "2008-02-14T23:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/1 "2008-02-14T23:07:41Z")
I don’t venture into the Pit very often, but I noticed a couple of threads with ‘RO’ in the title. What does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/2 "2008-02-14T23:09:53Z")
I have no idea, that’s a new one on me. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/3 "2008-02-14T23:11:43Z")
Stands for recreational outrage. The threads so marked are about issues that don’t actually affect the OP but they wish to make their displeasure known anyway. [Link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320298) ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/4 "2008-02-14T23:37:34Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] Stands for recreational outrage. The threads so marked are about issues that don’t actually affect the OP but they wish to make their displeasure known anyway. [Link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320298) [/QUOTE] Ah, they’ve updated the glossary since the last time I read it. Interesting that the Glossary definition lends a condescending air to the term, but these posters are proudly displaying it in their thread titles. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/5 "2008-02-14T23:43:07Z")
I think it’s changed from a term of derision to just a heads-up to posters who like to threadshit. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/6 "2008-02-15T01:45:00Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] Stands for recreational outrage. The threads so marked are about issues that don’t actually affect the OP but they wish to make their displeasure known anyway. [Link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=320298) [/QUOTE] RO threads are generally about “smaller” or more localised issues than politics or current events: typically they’ll involve a news story _du jour_ about a murdered child or an abused animal; there tends to be a certain level of prurient fascination about any sex or violence involved, with much frothing at the mouth and lengthy speculation about the type of punishment - typically involving more sexual violence - the offender ought to receive. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/7 "2008-02-15T01:49:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Interesting that the Glossary definition lends a condescending air to the term, but these posters are proudly displaying it in their thread titles. ? I guess I don’t see why you think the Glossary is “condescending”? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/8 "2008-02-15T03:14:55Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] ? I guess I don’t see why you think the Glossary is “condescending”? [/QUOTE] It isn’t anything concrete maybe it is just the way I interpret the words. Like “completely irrelevant to the person’s own life and has no effect on that poster personally.” Also, in my experience, I find that people who “express outrage and moral indignation, frequently including a sense of moral superiority” are often neither moral nor superior. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/9 "2008-02-15T03:49:40Z")
My two cents is that the condescension comes from the thread shitters and is directed at the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/10 "2008-02-15T04:31:50Z")
[QUOTE=Inner Stickler] I think it’s changed from a term of derision to just a heads-up to posters who like to threadshit. [/QUOTE] If a poster wanted to threadshit, they would do so with or without the heads-up. There’s no rule that you can’t still threadshit (as you call it) to a thread with RO in the title. For me, it gives me the heads-up not to have to click on the thread and know that I’m not missing anything. > [@USCDiver](#): > > Also, in my experience, I find that people who “express outrage and moral indignation, frequently including a sense of moral superiority” are often neither moral nor superior. Though I agree with your observation, does that not sound condescending as well? ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/11 "2008-02-15T12:11:22Z")
[QUOTE=Heffalump and Roo] If a poster wanted to threadshit, they would do so with or without the heads-up. There’s no rule that you can’t still threadshit (as you call it) to a thread with RO in the title. [/QUOTE] From the same linked glossary (emphasis added): Threadshitting – basically, shitting on a discussion, by belittling the topic or the people discussing it. It typically takes the form of a dismissive comment, like “Who cares?” or “This is stupid!” or similar. The implication of the threadshitter is that discussion of such a topic is beneath them, and should be beneath everybody else. _If you really do think that a discussion is inane or pointless, the appropriate thing to do is to not participate in it. And, of course, if you see someone threadshitting, please do not respond in kind, but REPORT the post to a Moderator._ I believe the practice of noting “RO” in thread titles is that the OP is just venting their irritation over the cute widdle puppies being abused, or whatever, and realizes that the story doesn’t really affect their life. It (mostly) immunizes the thread from the (mildly threadshitting) comments like “why do you care about the cute widdle puppies, they don’t affect your life,” with the inevitable countercomments from those who think the widdle puppies (or the right to vent over them) are overwhelmingly important, followed inexorably by a scrum over the pros and cons of venting over the cute widdle puppies. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/12 "2008-02-15T12:21:53Z")
[QUOTE=Billdo] I believe the practice of noting “RO” in thread titles is that the OP is just venting their irritation over the cute widdle puppies being abused, or whatever, and realizes that the story doesn’t really affect their life. It (mostly) immunizes the thread from the (mildly threadshitting) comments like “why do you care about the cute widdle puppies, they don’t affect your life,” with the inevitable countercomments from those who think the widdle puppies (or the right to vent over them) are overwhelmingly important, followed inexorably by a scrum over the pros and cons of venting over the cute widdle puppies. [/QUOTE] Right. When Recreational Outrage experienced a bit of a fad a few months back, it became a bit of A Thing. You couldn’t get through 3 posts before someone would go, “ZOMG! This is recreational outrage! Why don’t U get a LIFE, suklkorrz?!?!?!?” It got real tedious, real fast. Then it got abbreviated to RO so the wankers could be more efficiently tedious. Now, putting “RO” in your title is like hanging a lantern at a plot hole - if the writer notes it, it lets the audience off the hook. Once they’re no longer on the scent of weakness, they may either read and contribute to the thread on its own merits or find prey more to their liking. See also: “Title XYZ (Warning: long!)” or “Title 123 - Lame rant!” for more lantern hanging behavior on message boards. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/13 "2008-02-15T13:46:29Z")
I don’t disagree, **WhyNot** , but I don’t fully agree, either. Sure, sometimes adding a title like “RO” or “lame” is to avoid the obvious retorts (such as “get a life”)… but sometimes, I think it’s also a self-awareness by the poster. Posting “RO” is a lot shorter than “Yeah, I see this injustice, and I’m angry about it even though it doesn’t touch my life.” Or posting “lame rant” instead of “Man, this really pissed me off although I realize it’s pretty trivial and my anger was probably out of proportion.” Message Boards and the online world do adopt vocabulary shortcuts, probably because many people aren’t such great typists 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/14 "2008-02-15T20:02:04Z")
I for one applaud the greater clarity in Pit thread titles that such markers as RO and “Lame” afford. Then you know where you’re at, and you can make a more informed decision about whether to open the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/15 "2008-02-16T04:56:58Z")
[QUOTE=Billdo] From the same linked glossary (emphasis added): Threadshitting – basically, shitting on a discussion, by belittling the topic or the people discussing it. It typically takes the form of a dismissive comment, like “Who cares?” or “This is stupid!” or similar. The implication of the threadshitter is that discussion of such a topic is beneath them, and should be beneath everybody else. _If you really do think that a discussion is inane or pointless, the appropriate thing to do is to not participate in it. And, of course, if you see someone threadshitting, please do not respond in kind, but REPORT the post to a Moderator._ [/QUOTE] I’m not sure why you quoted this in response to my quote. We’re discussing RO here which can only happen in The Pit. Unless you’re claiming that threadshitting is a reportable offense in The Pit, then your quote doesn’t apply to this thread. If threadshitting _is_ a reportable offense in The Pit, that’s news to me and I’d like to get that clarified. My report-a-post finger has been itching to do more in The Pit. > [@WhyNot](#): > > Right. When Recreational Outrage experienced a bit of a fad a few months back, it became a bit of A Thing. You couldn’t get through 3 posts before someone would go, “ZOMG! This is recreational outrage! Why don’t U get a LIFE, suklkorrz?!?!?!?” It got real tedious, real fast. Then it got abbreviated to RO so the wankers could be more efficiently tedious. > > Now, putting “RO” in your title is like hanging a lantern at a plot hole - if the writer notes it, it lets the audience off the hook. Once they’re no longer on the scent of weakness, they may either read and contribute to the thread on its own merits or find prey more to their liking. I don’t appreciate this characterization. As someone who is clearly in the against-RO camp, I don’t feel that I’m a “wanker” (although I guess opinions on that could vary), but I definitely know that I don’t “prey” on the “scent of weakness” in others. There are many and varied reasons why I’m against RO on message boards and we’ve already had some good discussion on this in The Pit, but I’d be happy to discuss it further if people are interested. I do think that placing RO in the title is at least a compromise that allows me not to have to deal with those threads unexpectedly. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/16 "2008-02-16T05:33:31Z")
[QUOTE=Heffalump and Roo] Unless you’re claiming that threadshitting is a reportable offense in The Pit, then your quote doesn’t apply to this thread. If threadshitting _is_ a reportable offense in The Pit, that’s news to me and I’d like to get that clarified. My report-a-post finger has been itching to do more in The Pit. [/QUOTE] I believe that threadshitting is indeed a reportable offense in the Pit (which is why I quoted the definition), though the standards of what is threadshitting would no doubt be looser. However, I would appreciate mod clarification as well. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/17 "2008-02-16T06:12:15Z")
[QUOTE=Heffalump and Roo] I don’t appreciate this characterization. As someone who is clearly in the against-RO camp, I don’t feel that I’m a “wanker” (although I guess opinions on that could vary), but I definitely know that I don’t “prey” on the “scent of weakness” in others. [/QUOTE] Did you pounce on anyone with the roll-eyes a-blazing? Then I’m not talking about you. I humbly acknowledge that there are wankers and non-wankers in the anti-RO group, and accept your word that you’re of the non-wanker variety. **C K Dexter Haven** , I agree with you, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/18 "2008-02-16T06:44:23Z")
[QUOTE=WhyNot] Did you pounce on anyone with the roll-eyes a-blazing? Then I’m not talking about you. [/quote] Well. . . er. . . I rarely use that emoticon. The smilie itself lacks a subtle character. But if you’re asking if I sit here with my tongue hanging out, frothing at the mouth while I type, I’ll leave that to your imagination. > [@WhyNot](#): > > I humbly acknowledge that there are wankers and non-wankers in the anti-RO group, and accept your word that you’re of the non-wanker variety. I understand. It can be difficult to tell us apart unless we self-identify. 😉 Non-wankers unite! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/19 "2008-02-16T11:48:41Z")
… and let’s please remember that THIS thread is in ATMB, and no personal insults are permitted. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673/20 "2008-02-16T13:33:57Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven] … and let’s please remember that THIS thread is in ATMB, and no personal insults are permitted. [/QUOTE] How about some clarification on the issue that has arisen, namely, whether or not “threadshitting” is a violation of the “do not be a jerk” rule for the Board when done in the Pit. My supposition is “yes.” After all, it really doesn’t matter that it’s in the Pit; it’s still jerky behavior. The Pit isn’t the place where you can be a jerk of any kind, just the place you can let off some steam without being considered a jerk for so doing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-ro-mean-in-regards-to-pit-threads/437673.md?page=2)