# What if the Dope offered a ban amnesty? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 22, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371 "2023-07-22T00:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**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:** [September 17, 2023, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/162 "2023-09-17T15:21:40Z")
Can we have higher standards than “They blowed up real good!!”? ---
**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:** [September 17, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/163 "2023-09-17T15:34:09Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > I’d prefer environments full of robust diversity of opinion And I’d prefer one where bigots weren’t allowed free play. Because almost all of your “interesting” posters were bigots of one stripe or another - racists, misogynists, often both and more. “Diversity of opinion” here seems to equal bigotry. Hell no, we don’t want them back. And “thin skins” is some disingenuous bullshit when used to refer to women, POCs, other minorities and their allies not wanting to put up with bigoted trolls. > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > There are posters here who are jerks but don’t seem to get warned and it’s probably because nobody reports them So … report them. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/164 "2023-09-17T15:39:15Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Can we have higher standards than “They blowed up real good!!”? The explosions were the best part of Mythbusters - I’m happy with a standard that allows them. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/165 "2023-09-17T15:46:31Z")
That is not a “standard”-That is a desperate plea for attention. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/166 "2023-09-17T16:00:27Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > I’m not arguing that those posters weren’t jerks or rule-breakers. I’m arguing that they were interesting. My answer to the thread title, “What if the dope offered a ban amnesty?” is that the board would be more interesting if controversial posters with strong opinions were allowed to, and were willing to, start posting again. One thing about this place is that it attracts quirky and unconventional people. It’s like the Star Wars Cantina or the Island of Misfit toys. But even if someone has personality quirks, they can’t be so disruptive that they overwhelm the culture of the place. I agree that they made the place more interesting, but they also added more chaos. Sometimes they added so much chaos that it made the place overall worse. I think that’s sometimes the yin and yang of interesting people. One reason they’re interesting is because they aren’t just another generic person. They are innovative and inventive in ways that stand out. But sometimes that gets expressed in ways that rub people the wrong way. I don’t know that they can always tone it down but still preserve that thing that makes them unique. Sometimes people in entertainment are like that. For instance, Stanley Kubrick made some great movies, but he sounds like a jerk to work with. But if he wasn’t a jerk on set, maybe his movies wouldn’t be as good. I enjoy watching his movies, but I wouldn’t want to work for him. I wouldn’t be surprised that if he was here, he’d rub people the wrong way with his discussions in CS and get banned. The board would lose an interesting member, but if he was too disruptive and overwhelmed all the discussions, then it’s probably better for the board that he’s not here. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/167 "2023-09-17T16:10:27Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I agree that they made the place more interesting Counterpoint - they did not. They made it _less_ interesting, by driving away the people who actually _were_ interesting. You can’t seriously tell me you think _ **shodan** _ was more interesting than **Una\_Persson**? > [@filmore](#): > > They are innovative and inventive in ways that stand out. You mean “giant fabulists”? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/168 "2023-09-17T16:34:39Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > You mean “giant fabulists”? Not just “giant”, but “giant, losing, unoriginal, BORING fabulists.” If there were any chance a troll could be interesting, they might survive here. But all the bannees were BO-RING. Dullards in wit and wisdom, jerking the same boring chains, acting out in the same predictable ways, BO-RING. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Banned they are, and banned they stay. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/169 "2023-09-17T16:38:35Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > I’m arguing that they were interesting. We have plenty of interesting people here, with a range of views. People do not cease to be interesting when they don’t pick fights and disrespect other people. Just the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/170 "2023-09-17T17:57:10Z")
The banned poster i sometimes miss is zpg zealot. She earned her ban and i don’t think the board ought to tolerate posters who do what she did. > **if you want to be reminded why she was banned** > > She bragged about her skill in using the n-word to hurt people. It’s hard to imagine a clearer case of “hate speech” than that. But when she wasn’t being vile and hateful, she had a very different perspective from … Pretty much anyone I’ve met. We lost more by Una Perrson leaving than from any of the banned posters, right, by a large margin. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/171 "2023-09-17T19:46:38Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > And I’d prefer one where bigots weren’t allowed free play. Because almost all of your “interesting” posters were bigots of one stripe or another - racists, misogynists, often both and more. > > “Diversity of opinion” here seems to equal bigotry. Hell no, we don’t want them back. > > And “thin skins” is some disingenuous bullshit when used to refer to women, POCs, other minorities and their allies not wanting to put up with bigoted trolls. And there are a lot on people of this board that throw out allegations of bigotry, trolling, etc. because someone doesn’t hold the same opinion they do. (or even for just being a Republican.) Immediate case on point, I don’t think any of the posters I listed were trolls, defining a troll as a person who makes a post in a thread with the sole purpose of disrupting the thread. Disagreement \<\> trolling. For that matter, bigotry \<\> trolling. Furthermore, you just referred to my post as “disingenuous bullshit”. That’s not very nice. Good. I’m going to tell you you’re wrong, you’re going to tell me I’m wrong, maybe one of us will win the argument; probably not but we’ll give each other things to think about, and possibly be interesting to people reading our disagreement. I greatly prefer that to threads where the same opinion is uttered over and over, repeating the same sentiments of earlier threads with almost exactly the same theme. > [@MrDibble](#): > > So … report them. Why would I do that? I’m the one advocating allowing controversial posters. I’d be a hypocrite if I reported someone for being a jerk just because their jerkiness was aimed at me. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/172 "2023-09-17T20:02:21Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That is not a “standard”-That is a desperate plea for attention. No, it’s an enjoyment of spectacle. Think of it in terms of contact sport. You can have a friendly game where both teams are trying to avoid injuries and allowing the other team to score without putting up an physical defence. Other than individual flairs of brilliance, it’s boring. It’s a lot more interesting when opposing teams are fighting tooth and nail and dealing violent blows against their opponents. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/173 "2023-09-17T20:07:02Z")
That sounds a lot like “I’ve got my lawn chair, beer and popcorn-Let’s you and him fight!”. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/174 "2023-09-17T20:09:36Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > Immediate case on point, I don’t think any of the posters I listed were trolls, defining a troll as a person who makes a post in a thread with the sole purpose of disrupting the thread. You mean like Shodan who literally admitted to doing that? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/175 "2023-09-17T20:15:07Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > However, I do think part of the reason they were reported is because they were unpopular with people they disagreed with. Yeah. It is clear some posters follow others in order to refute, argue or report. > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > There are posters here who are jerks but don’t seem to get warned and it’s probably because nobody reports them. Yeah, "why report a poster you agree with? ". ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/176 "2023-09-17T20:17:37Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > It’s a lot more interesting when opposing teams are fighting tooth and nail and dealing violent blows against their opponents. FYI there is a whole lot of internet outside this message board. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/177 "2023-09-17T20:19:18Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Dullards in wit and wisdom, jerking the same boring chains, acting out in the same predictable ways, BO-RING. Saying that the listed posters were the same is ridiculous. I don’t think _any_ of the five had similar sets of opinions. They may have been jerks, but none of them were stupid jerks and at least a couple were unique sources of information and perspective. Not boring to anyone with an open mind. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/178 "2023-09-17T20:21:50Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That sounds a lot like “I’ve got my lawn chair, beer and popcorn-Let’s you and him fight!”. I’m not disagreeing with you. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/179 "2023-09-17T20:43:05Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > You mean like Shodan who literally admitted to doing that? If he did, I missed it. I remember that he stated he was using his Regards, Shodan as a way of annoying SDMB posters who didn’t like him. He meant it as a “Fuck You” to those posters. But he also did the Regards, Shodan more or less 100% of the time, even if he was agreeing with someone. I believe he had thousands of posts and know many were on point to the conversations of the thread he was participating in. And from what I can recall, he wasn’t banned from being a troll. Having said that, I’m not going to discuss individuals further. I answered a question that was on-topic to the thread. I think it would be off-topic to debate each individual’s worthiness for their banning. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2023, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/180 "2023-09-17T20:59:35Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > And there are a lot on people of this board that throw out allegations of bigotry, trolling, etc. because someone doesn’t hold the same opinion they do. Very few people here hold the same opinions as me - I’m not liberal, or atheist, or in favour of free speech, or many of the other traits most of the board subscribes to. Doesn’t make me call those people "bigots’ I call racists, homophobes, transphobes, misogynists bigots, though. Because they are. And that includes almost every poster you listed. > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > bigotry \<\> trolling. Openly posting your bigotry in public, on a non-bigot-majority board, is. > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > I’d be a hypocrite if I reported someone for being a jerk just because their jerkiness was aimed at me. You didn’t specify who they were jerks to. Just that they were jerks. I wasn’t accusing you of hypocrisy, just inaction. And I don’t believe they _are_ jerks. I believe they’re _not_ jerks, I believe you _know_ they’re not jerks, and _that’s_ why you don’t report them. But _if_ they are, and you don’t report them, you don’t get to use their existence versus those who are reported as some kind of indication of board or moderator bias, as you were insinuating. The only bias here is yours towards inaction. > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > And from what I can recall, he wasn’t banned from being a troll. He was banned for blatant misogyny in a political discussion. That’s trolling. > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > Having said that, I’m not going to discuss individuals further. Given the individuals you chose, that’s a good thing. I mean, picking _ **Shodan** _, of all people to use as an example of who to bring back… > [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > I think it would be off-topic to debate each individual’s worthiness If your side can’t make the case for _particular_ individuals as worthy of reinstatement, the _general_ case is even less supported. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371/181 "2023-09-17T21:14:11Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > He was banned for blatant misogyny in a political discussion. That’s trolling. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Openly posting your bigotry in public, on a non-bigot-majority board, is. _You keep using that word. I do not think that word means what you think it means._ If you are a misogynist and post misogynistic stuff that you believe- you are not a troll. Unless your definition of “troll” is 'someone I do not agree with". [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-dope-offered-a-ban-amnesty/987371.md?page=10)