# Why did this get a note? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 26, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068 "2010-07-26T16:30:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/1 "2010-07-26T16:30:36Z")
> [@Talk me IN to having a "luxury" gastric bypass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-in-to-having-a-luxury-gastric-bypass/540689/215): > > > [@Talk me IN to having a "luxury" gastric bypass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-in-to-having-a-luxury-gastric-bypass/540689/213): > > > > > [@Talk me IN to having a "luxury" gastric bypass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-in-to-having-a-luxury-gastric-bypass/540689/211): > > > > > > Maastricht, you’re a lot better person than I. Not because you went through with it, but that you aren’t upset that people can’t have the moral decency to stick with the thread topic: reasons TO do this. > > > > I’m going to go start a thread: Why black people suck. > > > > And only people who agree get to post in it! > > **Moderator Note** > > **AClockWorkMelon** , you should know better than to use such obviously inflammatory language, even if if it isn’t your intent to inflame. If it is a joke I’m still not seeing how anything that’s gone on before it in the thread could possibly have created a context in which this is acceptable. I think it’s pretty clear that: 1.) \*\*BigT \*\*is taking a swipe at the people who posted in **Maastricht** ’s thread to give her reasons why a gastric bypass \*wouldn’t \*be a good idea and to provide potential alternatives, when she created the thread only asking for reasons why she \*should \*have the surgery. 2.) \*\*AClockworkMelon \*\*responded with a satirical hypothetical that pointed out why **BigT** ’s criticism was so ridiculous. It was deliberately _as hyperbolic as possible_ to make a point, and it would be interpreted by \*no one \*who was actually paying attention as endorsing that position. \*\*Melon \*\*wasn’t being racist, just being a bit snarky at someone who was snarky at him first. I could see a mod stepping in to ask people to _drop the issue entirely_, but I fail to see any justification for issuing a note to **Melon** , especially in a way that seems to be pretty clear that it’s specifically _the subject of the hypothetical thread_ (which only exists to provide an _intentionally deeply stupid premise_) that the moderator objects to. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/2 "2010-07-26T17:11:01Z")
Yeah, that was a bit odd, especially given that the mod in question also said: > [@Talk me IN to having a "luxury" gastric bypass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-me-in-to-having-a-luxury-gastric-bypass/540689/218): > > Obviously it was a joke; the part I thought objectionable was the subject matter of his hypothetical thread. So we’re moderating hypotheticals now? Jeebus. The topic of the hypothetical thread was _intended_ to be hyperbolic, in order to demonstrate the silliness of expecting everyone who posts in a thread to agree with the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/3 "2010-07-26T18:13:25Z")
Thanks for pulling in that further clarification from **Spectre**. I’d meant to include it since it reinforced my assertion about what he was actually moderating. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/4 "2010-07-26T19:50:19Z")
Yes, ACM was letting BigT know that if a person starts a thread that invokes strong feelings, they won’t expect that everyone is going to tell them only what they want to hear, as Maastricht already knew. There was no inflammation occurring. Maybe we’re all oversensitized because of that other actual offensive thread that is going on. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/5 "2010-07-26T19:54:55Z")
First my first pitting and now my first row row fight the powah thread? Shucks, guys. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/6 "2010-07-26T19:57:45Z")
Teacher’s pet. ETA: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/7 "2010-07-28T12:03:54Z")
No mod response? I have a vested interest in this one! ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/8 "2010-07-28T18:00:41Z")
I vote for acquittal, for what it’s worth. **ACM** was clearly saying “What, people can’t disagree with the OP? Don’t you see how that’s a stupid rule? Why, I could start a racist thread and demand that everyone agree!” ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/9 "2010-07-28T18:04:21Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > First my first pitting and now my first row row fight the powah thread? Shucks, guys. 🙂 You were pitted? Where? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/10 "2010-07-28T18:12:05Z")
[Thread in question.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12725472) ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/11 "2010-07-28T18:15:36Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > \*\* Why did this get a note?\*\* Because the modding around here is capriciously inconsistent to the point of whimsy. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/12 "2010-07-28T20:09:14Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > **ACM** was clearly saying “What, people can’t disagree with the OP? Don’t you see how that’s a stupid rule? Why, I could start a racist thread and demand that everyone agree!” And the premise doesn’t even \*work \*unless the hypothetical thread \*is \*offensive and one with which (presumably) \*everybody \*will disagree. ETA: > [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > [Thread in question.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12725472) It’s linked in the OP. (Click the breadcrumb links on the quotes and they will take you there.) ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/13 "2010-07-28T21:19:34Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > It’s linked in the OP. (Click the breadcrumb links on the quotes and they will take you there.) Cool, how do you do that? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/14 "2010-07-28T21:38:21Z")
I quoted the post in the original thread as though I was going to reply to it there, copied the code out, then pasted it into a new thread here. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2010, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/15 "2010-07-28T21:44:42Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > > [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > > > First my first pitting and now my first row row fight the powah thread? Shucks, guys. 🙂 > > You were pitted? Where? [Here you go.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=561726). > [@PlainJain](#): > > > [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > > > It’s linked in the OP. (Click the breadcrumb links on the quotes and they will take you there.) > > Cool, how do you do that? You just did it. Every time you quote someone using the quote button there’s a list of numbers that appears after the name. That’s a post number or something. It links back to where they originally said it. Obviously it doesn’t happen automatically when you’re manually quoting someone. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/16 "2010-08-02T20:58:00Z")
So, is a moderator or an admin going to comment on this at all? ---
**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:** [August 3, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/17 "2010-08-03T02:47:53Z")
Hey, yeah. I don’t even have a problem with it. He made a valid point by using hyperbole. Then again, I got called out for the same thing once. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/18 "2010-08-03T05:27:35Z")
I’m glad you aren’t upset, **BigT**. I was hoping you’d get what I was going for without having to ruin the point by adding a smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/19 "2010-08-03T20:22:50Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > > [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > > > **ACM** was clearly saying “What, people can’t disagree with the OP? Don’t you see how that’s a stupid rule? Why, I could start a racist thread and demand that everyone agree!” > > And the premise doesn’t even \*work \*unless the hypothetical thread \*is \*offensive and one with which (presumably) \*everybody \*will disagree. I’m hopeful that we’ll get some clarification from **ACM** if I’m wrong here. As I see it there were two possibilities. [ul] [1] He is postulating an OP that asserts a premise that nobody will agree with, yet only those who do agree are allowed to respond. [2] He is postulating an OP that asserts a _ **repugnant** _ premise that nobody will agree with, yet only those who do agree are allowed to respond. [/ul] I’ll consider these seriatim. the first possibility, he could have asserted the opposite of a physical law, like “gravity works upward”. In that case there would have been no justification for a race-related example. The second possibility requires a repugnant premise to work, it is true, but even so it didn’t have to involve race. Knowing from the context that there was nothing more sinister at work here, and knowing **ACM** to be a decent guy, I was handling this as a question of good taste. We don’t prohibit bad taste, and a mod note doesn’t necessarily mean that something is going to happen to **ACM** , but we do like to encourage good taste and a racially sensitive attitude. Remember that everything you type here is searchable by Google, and if you google “Why black people suck”, that thread comes up. Do you really want people to find us that way? If you don’t believe that race is a sensitive topic, just look at the other ATMB thread [Why is this thread in GD](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572720), which is about [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503736) thread, since moved to IMHO. There’s nothing to acquit **ACM** of–there’s no formal infraction or warning. We think he’s a great guy who adds a lot to the board here. I didn’t think for a moment that he was sincerely expressing a racist attitude. The intent of the mod note was simply as if to say, hey, next time just use something less sensitive. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068/20 "2010-08-03T20:37:33Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > The second possibility requires a repugnant premise to work, it is true, but even so it didn’t have to involve race. The point was to create a hypothetical thread that **BigT** would be morally outraged by and realize that if he supported such a position as he did in **Maas** ’ thread he’d have to advocate a similar position for all others. But if my mentioning race is the problem, by all means, you can go edit my post so that I’m suggesting a gaybashing thread instead. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-this-get-a-note/548068.md?page=2)