# What's the Official Mod ruling on "Drumpf"? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392 "2016-03-09T10:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/81 "2016-03-10T23:07:59Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I have been to no other website that is this anal about the quote thing. It’s as weird as how this website freaks out about socks. Are you sure this the right message board for you? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2016, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/82 "2016-03-10T23:50:38Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > So not changing texts within quote boxes is a **hard rule** but there may or not may be warnings. What will this **hard rule** not be enforced be based on? The same leeway moderators have in all situations to show leniency, especially when the violations appear to be inadvertent. > [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > For some reason, no moderators saw fit to respond to either question. Any thoughts? Based on previous behavior and standard practice, I would suspect the occassional spell check correction of quoted text would probably be overlooked, and if observed, likely it would just garner a mod note, unless said poster had a habit of such or appeared to be deliberately making changes and using the spell check excuse to game the system. I know, that seems unlikely. Similarly, the List issue did not get an official policy statement. I suspect the recommended practice would be to either use […] after the unaddressed statements, or just quote the addressed comments separately. That is certainly a board software [del]glitch[/del] feature that provides inadvertent problems. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/83 "2016-03-11T00:06:33Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > Which people are acting like they are stupid? The one I started this chain responding to: > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Now that you know that you have an extension which breaks one of the rules of the SDMB, and you don’t disable it, why shouldn’t you be punished for a breach of the rules? That’s someone acting like it’s stupid to disagree with a rule or how it is punished. So I tried to respond about how it isn’t so stupid. I tried to explain the point of view, since I share it to some degree. I do think this whole thing is being blown out of proportion * * * > [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > no one has been told to uninstall the extension. They’ve been notified about a side effect that could break the rules and that they should keep in mind. **Colibri** just got through saying that the **SlackerInc** was told three times to uninstall the extension. And then showed contempt when I voiced the opinion that telling someone to uninstall an extension was taking things too far. Someone asked you how to deal with the extension, and you told them they shouldn’t have installed such a childish extension in the first place. While your post in Elections offers further options, both seem absurd. You can’t not quote people, and there’s no way to be sure you catch every change. The only realistic option you offer is to uninstall the extension. Furthermore, I explicitly asked you for clarification on the childishness issue, and pointed out that I have a version of the extension that would not change quote boxes, asking if it would be allowed. You still have not gotten back to me on that. > [@](#): > > Lastly, trying to argue how other boards do it is a non-starter to me. That was not the argument I was making. I was merely pointing out that the SDMB is an outlier in this situation. I did point out that I think the quote rule is a bad rule, but I did not in any way advocate that it be changed. > [@](#): > > Our goal here should be to have standards that exceed others and to provide a pleasant, grown up place to discuss and debate. To do so we have rules to try and minimize the sort of nonsense so pervasive on the Internet and from commenters in general. This is the one thing I don’t find convincing. If you want to elevate the board, then why are terms that attack members such as “Repuglican” and “Demoncrat” still allowed? You flat out said they lower the discourse, but you have previously said you would not police them. It does not seem like this desire to elevate the board has any relevance to the rule in question. It seems to be a rule with a gem of a good thing that was taken to an extreme to the point that it caused an unnecessary problem. And, again, this is not me advocating for the rule to be changed. This is me voicing my opinion. An opinion that I knew I should have not started with, but now feel I must clarify. All I really wanted was to do was make sure it would be okay to give out my extension. And if you’d mention alternate extensions in the sticky so people would know to look for it. And now I fear that I’ve made a mess of things. Me and my big mouth, getting into a pointless argument. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/84 "2016-03-11T00:36:27Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Has there been a ruling on whether “Trumpkin” (for a Trump supporter) is verboten? > [@Derleth](#): > > Or Trumpling? Has Trump-pet been floated? > [@kayaker](#): > > People intentionally leaving out the “h” in Whig are the worst. People are mocking the hWhig Party? Why would anyone want to ridicule the hWhig Party? I hear they like Cool hWhip. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/85 "2016-03-11T01:37:52Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Has Trump-pet been floated? I’m still waiting for “[Drumpfelstiltskin](http://static.sfdict.com/staticrep/dictaudio/R04/R0439800.mp3)” - Noun - 1. A short fingered vulgarian. 2. A fictional political character that is able to spin lies into odd-looking orange hair 3 times per day. Exudes an external illusion of wealth and humanity that may not be dispelled by any Conservative within 1000 miles. _No Saving Throw_ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/86 "2016-03-11T04:15:33Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > There’s a reason why the meme “FTFY” or “fixed that for you” exists. That meme couldn’t exist if websites generally banned everyone from changing quotes. > > I have been to no other website that is this anal about the quote thing. It’s as weird as how this website freaks out about socks. Every MB I post to has this rule. Yes, FTFY is used, but generally the actual quote is given, then mis-FTFY-quoted after. I can’t image a MB where you’re allowed to change "_Like every real American I like Freedom and hate Nazis"_ to “\* I like Nazis”.\* I do ask one question, how about if a minor typo is fixed? Neither condoned or condemned? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/87 "2016-03-11T06:10:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Every MB I post to has this rule. Yes, FTFY is used, but generally the actual quote is given, then mis-FTFY-quoted after. > > I can’t image a MB where you’re allowed to change "_Like every real American I like Freedom and hate Nazis"_ to “\* I like Nazis”.\* > > I do ask one question, how about if a minor typo is fixed? Neither condoned or condemned? The temptation to pare the above down to just _I like Nazis_ is a strong one, sucker for cheap irony that I am. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/88 "2016-03-11T07:50:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > . . . I do ask one question, how about if a minor typo is fixed? Neither condoned or condemned? I never do even this. If I absolutely must call attention to it, I use the traditional form of [sic]. I’m willing to guess the mods won’t hammer you for it, but if you do it too often – or, worse, if you do it contentiously – someone might report it. (For example, I use the spelling “judgement.” Others prefer “judgment.” If you “corrected” my “error” inside a quote box, I would have to report you for improper alteration.) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/89 "2016-03-11T08:28:22Z")
Trumpelstiltskin? ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/90 "2016-03-11T09:20:28Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Trumpelstiltskin? Trumpty-Drumpfty built a great wall… ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/91 "2016-03-11T09:20:47Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Now that you know that you have an extension which breaks one of the rules of the SDMB, and you don’t disable it, why shouldn’t you be punished for a breach of the rules? 1. The extension doesn’t offer the feature of excluding certain sites, perhaps enough people will raise the issue with John Oliver’s team and it will be added but it’s doubtful. 2. I derive legitimate, significant enjoyment from having the extension on. You may call it childish and maybe it is but there are plenty of childish things in the world that make people happy. 3. The combination of circumstances required to trigger a rule violation are so specific that they’re miniscule for each individual, even if the frequency is non-trivial in the aggregage. 4. I may have seen this thread but the chances of most other people who have the plugin installed are not going to read this, nor will people even remember about this specific combination and think to check every single time they post. 5. I absolutely support the rule that any human initiated change to a quoted post should be punished but I feel that machine caused changes should be treated differently because they don’t carry intent. 6. The specific circumstance of this plugin make it specifically hard to stay in compliance with this rule, even if I wanted to. For one, I don’t know if the poster I’m quoting actually said Trump or Drumpf since they both look the same to me, Maybe me manually correcting Drumpf to Trump actually modifies their quote. Secondly, until I was notified in this thread, I had no idea it actually modified the actual text and not just my view of it. Both scenarios look exactly the same to me. Thirdly, it takes something like 8 or 9 clicks each time I want to toggle on or off the extension. That’s an absurd amount of effort that I’m simply not going to take every time just to stay in compliance. Like I said before, I don’t see an easy, good answer to this. But punishing people for it strikes me as an incredibly bad one in a lot of different ways. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/92 "2016-03-11T12:21:48Z")
So, what’s the argument here exactly? My violations of the rule should be ignored because it’s convenient for me to violate the rule in order to do something utterly trivial? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/93 "2016-03-11T12:30:10Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > 1. I absolutely support the rule that any human initiated change to a quoted post should be punished but I feel that machine caused changes should be treated differently because they don’t carry intent. Indeed it was human initiated. You’re the one who installed the extension. > [@](#): > > 1. The specific circumstance of this plugin make it specifically hard to stay in compliance with this rule, even if I wanted to. For one, I don’t know if the poster I’m quoting actually said Trump or Drumpf since they both look the same to me, Maybe me manually correcting Drumpf to Trump actually modifies their quote. Secondly, until I was notified in this thread, I had no idea it actually modified the actual text and not just my view of it. Both scenarios look exactly the same to me. Thirdly, it takes something like 8 or 9 clicks each time I want to toggle on or off the extension. That’s an absurd amount of effort that I’m simply not going to take every time just to stay in compliance. None of this is my problem, nor is it the board’s problem. It’s your problem. You have deliberately installed an extension that makes it difficult for you to abide by the rules of the board. Your decision; your problem. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/94 "2016-03-11T12:40:24Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > That’s an absurd amount of effort that I’m simply not going to take every time just to stay in compliance. You’re making it a lot harder than it needs to be for the sake of making a hyperbolic point. On the occasion that you’re quoting somebody who said “Trump” or “Drumpf,” (seriously, how often is that REALLY?) open the post in IE for a moment and take a look at it. The extension only works in Chrome, so problem solved. If that’s too much effort, then I guess you’re either going to have to stop quoting people who are talking about Donald Trump or else engage in a campaign of passive resistance and ‘fight the power’ right up until the day you get suspended, at which point the posters of the SDMB will rally behind you and cry out JUSTICE FOR SHALMANAESE! JUSTICE FOR SHALMANESE! #makechromegreatagain ---
**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:** [March 11, 2016, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/95 "2016-03-11T13:00:52Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > So, what’s the argument here exactly? My violations of the rule should be ignored because it’s convenient for me to violate the rule in order to do something utterly trivial? And “All the _other_ message boards let _their_ kids do it!”. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/96 "2016-03-11T14:33:00Z")
AND I haven’t had a report about it since I posted the sticky two days ago. Ahhhh…blessed sweet reason. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/97 "2016-03-11T14:46:16Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > open the post in IE You are clearly dangerously deranged. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/98 "2016-03-11T15:03:17Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I do ask one question, how about if a minor typo is fixed? Neither condoned or condemned? The most important consideration is that the meaning of the post not be altered. The rule allows normal editing practices. Indicate changes with brackets, or errors with [_sic_]. However, I don’t know why you would want to fix a minor typo in someone else’s post unless to clarify the meaning. You’re not going to save the poster from embarrassment, since the original post is still there. Minor alterations that don’t change the meaning are likely to get only a mod note, not a warning. What we are particularly concerned with is changing quotes in order to insult or mock a poster, or to otherwise violate other rules. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/99 "2016-03-11T15:04:51Z")
Hey man, sometimes you gotta break a few eggs. I use Firefox myself but didn’t want to get into a whole “uggh now you’re saying I have to download a whole new browser!?” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392/100 "2016-03-11T15:09:05Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#): > > Like I said before, I don’t see an easy, good answer to this. I do. If you use the extension _and don’t correct it in the quote boxes_ buh-bye. > [@Shalmanese](#): > > But punishing people for it strikes me as an incredibly bad one in a lot of different ways. “Like Cliven Bundy I should be allowed to ignore rule I disagree with when they interfere with my own selfish wants and desires.” - FTFY [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-official-mod-ruling-on-drumpf/748392.md?page=6)