# WTF? Otto was just banned by Ed. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971 "2008-09-10T18:35:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Influential\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Influential\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Influential_Panda)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/21 "2008-09-10T19:21:02Z")
Watch it, guys! No complaining, Ed’ll ban you, too (but buy his book first)! ---
**Author:** ![Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/13edae/32.png) [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interconnected_Series_of_Tubes)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/22 "2008-09-10T19:21:19Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > For those of you who are not aware, I’ll chime in that Otto was a problematic poster at best. He had received a ‘final warning’ in the past, had a lot of warnings under his belt, and the moderation staff had discussed his banning previously (though, obviously, never acted). > > Whether or not that justifies the banning is up to the individual observer, but I felt some context might be helpful. Of course it doesn’t justify banning him. Are you serious? He asked a question that could (possibly) have had the vaguest inflection of snark - and so a long-time poster who, as far as I’ve seen over the years, has been a consistently useful participant to the board… so you ban him? :dubious: :rolleyes: Doesn’t matter, though. It’ll take everybody about half an hour just to load the forum and find out this happened. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/23 "2008-09-10T19:21:40Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > Where can we find the final warning? [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6773058&postcount=25)It is old, and we let him have a few (at least 3 that I could see on a quick pass) warnings since that time without being banned (the moderator consensus was that even final warnings should expire at some point, it’s not fair to summarily ban at any point in the future thereafter). I’m guessing that Ed felt that his past history meant something, and that Otto’s sticking of a toe over the line to see how Ed would react meant that it was time to end his posting privileges. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/24 "2008-09-10T19:22:10Z")
Same bullshit, different day. Ed’s still a fucking piece of work and Tuba’s still a rude, shrill harpy. I’d still like an answer to the question Otto asked. What’s the policy for mods and admins that are rude to posters outside of the pit? Do they get the boot, too? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/25 "2008-09-10T19:22:23Z")
Dude. I didn’t always see eye to eye with **Otto** and he could be a dick, but that banning was beyond the pale for me. I’ve disagreed with bannings here before but I don’t think I’ve ever yet spoken up. That was beyond unreasonable, in my opinion. And while I’d normally call shenanigans on leaving the board because a moderator did something like this, it was Ed. I’ll be reviewing whether I intend to spend further money in a place that bans people for a comment like that. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/26 "2008-09-10T19:23:17Z")
I sincerely hope this decision is reconsidered. I do not say this as someone that likes **Otto**. I say this as someone that loves the Dope and thinks that this decision is harmful to the SDMB. It is going to piss off a lot of longtime posters. Jim ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/27 "2008-09-10T19:23:18Z")
> [@Interconnected\_Series\_of\_Tubes](#): > > Of course it doesn’t justify banning him. Are you serious? I’m not going to attempt to justify Ed’s actions. I’m just providing a viewpoint, that of a moderator, whereas an average user wouldn’t see the situation this way. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/28 "2008-09-10T19:24:46Z")
Wow. Jesus fuck Ed, grow some skin. Did widdle Otto hurt your widdle feelings with an honest qwuestion? Aww, there, there widdle Eddie, take a deep breath and welax. I’ve suspected it for a long time but you really are a shit crap administrator. Retarded monkeys in comas could run these boards better. BTW, it’s a fair question, care to answer it? The idea of respect and civility on these boards is a one way street: As long as it flows towards the admins everything’s hunky dory, but for the paying customers? Tell the rabble to be quiet and leave the powers that be alone. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/29 "2008-09-10T19:25:19Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > I’m sorry **Otto** had to be used as an example that way. I hope everyone just calms down, because these are not the boards I’ve come to love over the years! Used an an example of what? Capricious, arbitrary dick waggling? I’m guessing Ed doesn’t belong to the “Right Way” when it comes to moderating! How does this action improve the worthless state of this ridiculous mock-up of a message board? In what way does it make the case that Jerry is doing the best he can? Any less than shining discussion of the boards is quashed with impugnity? Blow it out your ass ya mucusy fuckstain! I’ll fucking calm down when I see where it was posted that his limp-dick interpretation of what constitutes snark is the basis for a banning! ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/30 "2008-09-10T19:27:01Z")
[QUOTE=Ed Zotti] The above constitutes snark in my book, Otto. Goodbye. [/QUOTE] “Your book” is written in crayons rolled from your own shit. Fucking hell, I’m glad I didn’t pay to renew last time. I wouldn’t give you cunts two dead flies. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/31 "2008-09-10T19:26:59Z")
Bad Banning, but didn’t Ed seem to maybe reserve doing this for Pit users also? ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/32 "2008-09-10T19:28:02Z")
A suspension I’d understand; not agree with, but understand. A banning? Bullshit. > [@Anaamika](#): > > I thought the mods were vetted on here to make sure they weren’t allowed to make childish bannings? Childish is right. But as we’ve been told multiple times during the Barn Home kafuffle, this is Ed’s playground. We just visit it and through his largesse are granted the ability to play with the toys. Never mind that the playground would be a desolate, dull sandbox without us; we are never to forget that admission to Ed’s playground, even by those who pay for the privilege, is merely tolerated by young Ed and welcomed only when he’s got some brand new baseball card to sell. Now Ed has turned into a playground bully by having a temper tantrum and throwing one of the other kids. Who, admittedly, could be a bit of a whiner, but Ed’s actions against him for such a minor and easily misinterpreted question resemble the vicious, mindless lashing out of a petulant, bullying brat. This is embarrassing in the extreme. Creative Loafing should be ashamed of its employees. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/33 "2008-09-10T19:28:16Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6773058&postcount=25)It is old, and we let him have a few (at least 3 that I could see on a quick pass) warnings since that time without being banned (the moderator consensus was that even final warnings should expire at some point, it’s not fair to summarily ban at any point in the future thereafter). I’m guessing that Ed felt that his past history meant something, and that Otto’s sticking of a toe over the line to see how Ed would react meant that it was time to end his posting privileges. A three year old warning? Holy crap, that’s funny. Honestly, I feel bad for you because I realize they look to you guys to find possible reasons, but that’s pretty sad. You guess that Ed felt the past history meant something, I’d guess that Ed’s a pissy little bitch with a bad attitude on a power trip. Thank goodness he has little power in the “real world” where he can exercise his questionable decision making ability. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/34 "2008-09-10T19:28:33Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6773058&postcount=25)It is old, and we let him have a few (at least 3 that I could see on a quick pass) warnings since that time without being banned (the moderator consensus was that even final warnings should expire at some point, it’s not fair to summarily ban at any point in the future thereafter). I’m guessing that Ed felt that his past history meant something, and that Otto’s sticking of a toe over the line to see how Ed would react meant that it was time to end his posting privileges. I am glad to see there was, indeed, a final warning, but it still seems like knee-jerk to me. However, I understand this is very much Ed’s forum. I just feel like the friendliness is slowly slipping away from here. Having said my piece though, I will now bow out of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/35 "2008-09-10T19:30:28Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > [Here.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6773058&postcount=25)It is old, and we let him have a few (at least 3 that I could see on a quick pass) warnings since that time without being banned (the moderator consensus was that even final warnings should expire at some point, it’s not fair to summarily ban at any point in the future thereafter). I’m guessing that Ed felt that his past history meant something, and that Otto’s sticking of a toe over the line to see how Ed would react meant that it was time to end his posting privileges. From November 200fucking5? Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/36 "2008-09-10T19:30:48Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > For those of you who are not aware, I’ll chime in that Otto was a problematic poster at best. He had received a ‘final warning’ in the past, had a lot of warnings under his belt, and the moderation staff had discussed his banning previously (though, obviously, never acted). > > Whether or not that justifies the banning is up to the individual observer, but I felt some context might be helpful. Not in this particular case, I fear. **Ed** made no mention of **Otto’s** history in his post, and while that’s certainly not necessary, I think it’s a fair understanding to take from his post that he felt **Otto’s** post in question was enough alone to break the rule. To the contrary; it is precisely matters where a poster has such a history that this rule becomes a problem. **Otto’s** post, to me, did not read as snark nor rudeness, but I have to wonder whether a person without such a history would have been treated that way. If we’re talking context, I suppose it also makes sense to point out some of the things that do not recieve an automatic banning; outright insulting of a poster outside the Pit, general rudeness outside the Pit, insulting or otherwise aiming offense at a general group that may include Dopers, swearing, and accusing other posters of lying. Yet, being rude about a mod action is considered enough to result in a banning - with the reasoning being that the staff are annoyed by it. Not annoyed by rudeness in general, since we’re still allowed to be rude to others outside the Pit and not be automatically banned; no, it is specifically rudeness about mod actions that it the basis of this rule. I have no problem with warnings or swattings for those outside the Pit - you know, the way the rules have worked up until now. But this is a rule motivated not by interest in fairness and politeness (otherwise rudeness to anyone would be bannable), but solely because sometimes the staff gets annoyed. It’s a pisspoor decision, motivated by cowardice and revenge, and it’s not even one that **Otto** bloody _breaks_. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/37 "2008-09-10T19:32:03Z")
I have never complained about the administration or performance of this board in the 14 or so months I’ve been here. But really, that was some fucked up shit. You know what, I run big IT systems too. When my customers complain, you know what I do? I fix the fucking problems. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/38 "2008-09-10T19:32:52Z")
That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back? For fuck’s sake, that’s ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/39 "2008-09-10T19:33:09Z")
'the fuck was that shit? Get the fuck outta here. Where can I buy my ‘Unban Otto’ tshirt? ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971/40 "2008-09-10T19:33:34Z")
Otto banned for being “snarky”? WTF is this, a livejournal now? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-otto-was-just-banned-by-ed/462971.md?page=3)