# Why did handsomeharry's thread get moved to the Pit? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 11, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236 "2014-09-11T21:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/1 "2014-09-11T21:08:22Z")
This thread: > **[Not mean, but, can't understand strangers' love of K-9 dogs...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733796)** > > Inspired by this thread: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733772 I’m not trying to be a dick, but, I am actually stunned, no, STUNNED by the people who are such goobers when a K-9 dog dies. I was at work the other day, and an... After multiple insults to the OP, which went unnoticed by mods, as well as some interesting information refuting hh’s position, **twickster** moved it to the Pit “so y’all can just let loose” - presumably meaning so the insults can continue full steam ahead. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before - I’ve seen mods remind people that they can open their own Pit thread if they want to insult another poster, but a mod just move a thread there to make it easier to pile on the OP? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/2 "2014-09-11T21:15:53Z")
Maybe **twickster** is a dog person. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/3 "2014-09-11T22:27:33Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > … but a mod just move a thread there to make it easier to pile on the OP? Yeah. It happens semi-regularly. It certainly wasn’t an unprecedented move. \ ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/4 "2014-09-11T22:34:55Z")
I was surprised, too, since the thread didn’t seem like it was that hostile. Seemed like people were expressing dissenting opinions pretty calmly, for the most part. The “so y’all can let loose” comment seemed somewhat gratuitous and a touch mean-spirited. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/5 "2014-09-11T23:02:43Z")
While hardly rising to a supreme level of rage, the OP in that thread was clearly a rant. He opens his little diatribe by referring to the targets of his scorn as “goobers.” He refers to the person leading the discussion as a “sappy old retiree.” By Pit standards that is mild, but it is still little more than Recreational Outrage against a group of people for doing something he does not understand. Insulting words used to describe other people with whom one disagrees. How is this not a Pit thread? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/6 "2014-09-12T00:01:54Z")
But that’s not what she said. She said she’s moving it there “so y’all can just let loose”. Which is what the OP (of this thread) is asking about. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/7 "2014-09-12T00:13:40Z")
Better that the thread was moved to the Pit instead of mods issuing a pile of warnings and then closing the thread. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/8 "2014-09-12T00:14:59Z")
I suppose the OP could be seen as pitting dogs somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/9 "2014-09-12T01:55:24Z")
I was going to start my own thread pointing out that it seems a little unfair to just move a thread to the Pit without a request from the OP, regardless of its content. I think it’s reasonable to assume that we can start threads without having the goalposts moved and finding ourselves targeted by attacks. This especially applies to threads like the one in question, where posters might react emotionally; the rules against insults outside the Pit might encourage them to express their views in a manner more conducive to discussion. I don’t like to criticize the mods, but I think the encouragement of insults aimed at **handsomeharry** , especially combined with moving the thread to make those insults possible, was pretty unprofessional. It’s not a major sin, but I thought we did better than that here. If the content of the thread is really only appropriate for the Pit and a moderator _must_ take action, the thread should be closed unless the OP is happy with a move to the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/10 "2014-09-12T02:58:59Z")
People were starting to flout the rules in MPSIMS anyway. There was a post before the thread was moved that all but called **hh** an asswipe. Mods don’t need permission from posters to move or close people’s threads and as the thread was starting to slide into Pit territory anyway, it was a good move. As much as we like to think we all follow the rules, there are some of us who are good at rules lawyering. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@Clark\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_K)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/11 "2014-09-12T03:42:47Z")
I read the thread and found the responses to be calm, measured and informative. Very few of them were out of line. With the move to the Pit, I suspect all the good content will be pushed aside for “Fuck you” and the like. Bad decision to move it. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/12 "2014-09-12T04:31:02Z")
I don’t have a problem with it. **handsomeharry’s** thread wasn’t particularly offensive, but he phrased it in a way that was a touch combative. He opened with a link to a different thread about a police officer being shot. It’s not really about that, though he for some reason had to lead with it, it’s about how he is “stunned, no, STUNNED!” that people would mourn a dog. You put those together and, well… I can’t fault a mod for moving that. Besides, it’s not like the Pit is some backwater where threads go to die. There is some very, \* very\* good discussion that happens in the pit. I’ll even go so far as to say that the pit is more intelligent than MPSIMS and more likely to produce an interesting discussion on how humans mourn dog deaths. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/13 "2014-09-12T07:40:58Z")
> [@Clark\_K](#): > > I read the thread and found the responses to be calm, measured and informative. Very few of them were out of line. With the move to the Pit, I suspect all the good content will be pushed aside for “Fuck you” and the like. > > Bad decision to move it. Well, technically it’s against the rules to say “Fuck you” in the Pit, but I’ve never seen **Miller** give any warnings for it, just mod notes. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/14 "2014-09-12T13:40:29Z")
The OP was being deliberately provocative, and he was provoking responses. (IMHO, however, he stayed on the safe side of the “trolling” line.) Rather than going through the thread and issuing a slew of mod notes, or perhaps warnings, I decided to move the thread to the Pit. The “y’all” in my note included, in my mind, the OP – I didn’t intend that to be a one-sided invitation to go after him. It’s not necessarily common to move threads from MPSIMS to the Pit, but it’s certainly not unprecedented. As with any thread moves or closures, we don’t require permission from the OP. And, for the record, I don’t particularly care for dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/15 "2014-09-12T14:07:26Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The OP was being deliberately provocative, and he was provoking responses. (IMHO, however, he stayed on the safe side of the “trolling” line.) Okay, so he was **not** trolling. He started a thread he wanted people to respond to. That is (obviously) not against the rules - everybody wants responses to their threads. > [@](#): > > The “y’all” in my note included, in my mind, the OP – I didn’t intend that to be a one-sided invitation to go after him. If the OP had wanted a thread in which to issue insults, I expect he would have opened in the Pit in the first place. And he has issued no insults even now that the thread has been moved there. I see no reason to suspect that the OP wished to either insult or be insulted. > [@](#): > > Rather than going through the thread and issuing a slew of mod notes, or perhaps warnings, I decided to move the thread to the Pit. This I don’t understand. You begin by saying that the OP did not break any rules by opening the thread, continue by mentioning that there are instances of rule-breaking worthy either of Mod Notes or even warnings. But you let those pass. So the OP is blameless, so you move the thread to the Pit where he can be insulted. Some of the posters to the thread are at fault, so you overlook their rule-breaking. There was so much rule-breaking in the thread that you decided to punish the OP who was innocent. This makes sense to you? Regards, Shodan PS - FTR I like dogs, and think the OP was a posting of dumb things. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/16 "2014-09-12T14:30:28Z")
We’re pretty consistent about being inconsistent. I think. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/17 "2014-09-12T15:12:09Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > While hardly rising to a supreme level of rage, the OP in that thread was clearly a rant. He opens his little diatribe by referring to the targets of his scorn as “goobers.” He refers to the person leading the discussion as a “sappy old retiree.” > By Pit standards that is mild, but it is still little more than Recreational Outrage against a group of people for doing something he does not understand. > > Insulting words used to describe other people with whom one disagrees. How is this not a Pit thread? Exactly. As an old person myself, I find “sappy old retiree” to be an insult and calling the people who care about dogs “goobers” is clearly insulting. The OP should have been moved to the Pit right away. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/18 "2014-09-12T15:20:50Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > The OP was being deliberately provocative, and he was provoking responses. (IMHO, however, he stayed on the safe side of the “trolling” line.) > > Rather than going through the thread and issuing a slew of mod notes, or perhaps warnings, I decided to move the thread to the Pit. The “y’all” in my note included, in my mind, the OP – I didn’t intend that to be a one-sided invitation to go after him. > > It’s not necessarily common to move threads from MPSIMS to the Pit, but it’s certainly not unprecedented. As with any thread moves or closures, we don’t require permission from the OP. > > And, for the record, I don’t particularly care for dogs. Lets call it as it is, you moved the thread because of your personal reaction to what he was saying. If you hated dogs and agreed with his opinion you would not have moved that thread. If a simple poster had disagreed with the OP he would have had to go and start a Pit thread of his own to say that. You had the power to just move the thread and save yourself the hassle, so thats what you did. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/19 "2014-09-12T15:37:30Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > While hardly rising to a supreme level of rage, the OP in that thread was clearly a rant. He opens his little diatribe by referring to the targets of his scorn as “goobers.” He refers to the person leading the discussion as a “sappy old retiree.” > By Pit standards that is mild, but it is still little more than Recreational Outrage against a group of people for doing something he does not understand. > > Insulting words used to describe other people with whom one disagrees. How is this not a Pit thread? So are you saying it is now against the rules to insult non-posters outside of the Pit? Because if so you mods are going to be busy moving a lot of threads to the Pit. If that is not what you are saying then there was no reason to move it and mod notes or warnings should have been handed out. **twickster** even said there were posts that deserved them. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236/20 "2014-09-12T16:04:52Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Exactly. As an old person myself, I find “sappy old retiree” to be an insult and calling the people who care about dogs “goobers” is clearly insulting. The OP should have been moved to the Pit right away. That’s not how it works. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-handsomeharrys-thread-get-moved-to-the-pit/698236.md?page=2)