# Yes, this is the pit. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 2, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277 "2001-06-02T00:16:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/1 "2001-06-02T00:16:06Z")
I was going to say something good here. I was going to get buck-wild about how yeah, it’s the pit, and whooptie-doo, you’re allowed to curse here so it’s the thing to do. Then I realized that it’s been said already, and better than I could say. I’m not resurrecting the thread, since it’s frankly quite old, and I flamed someone rather well in it. I’d hate to seem self-congratulatory in this instance. So, I give back to you, the Pitizens, **Flypsye’s** masterpiece, _ **Gratuitous Pit Behavior** _ O.P. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Flypsyde:_ > Okay. I think a lot of people here know I’m no stranger to the Pit, either in earnest or in jest. I am not posting this under the misguided illusion that I am somehow the patron saint of this particular forum. This is simply a rant about something that is really annoying the shit out of me. Two things, actually. > > 1)Felch. Let it die, kids. I’ll admit it, I was right in there with you when this first hit the MB. We should all thank (or deplore, depending on how you see it) the powers that granted us the knowledge of this unholiest of unholy acts, and we’ll all save a special place in our hearts for Coldfire, bless his soul. This most beloved of verbs (or gerund or adjective, however it’s being used) has given us more than our fair share of chuckles, innuendo, and zany product ideas. But this particular bit of vernacular has run its course. Like an old dog who knows it’s going to die, why don’t we just let this one find a nice, peaceful spot in the woods and pass to its reward. Let’s not drag this out past its time, like In Living Color or the Police Academy movies. > > In other words, cut it the fuck loose. > > 2)“And since this is the Pit, let me just add…”. See, this is just missing the point. If you don’t really have anything to bitch about, if you’re not going at it like two boars fighting over an ear of corn, if you were able to state your mind without using any swear words, it is not required to swear or flame in the Pit! We all know this is where people come to bitch, moan, cry, freak out, accuse and belittle each other. We don’t need some lame ass little comment at the end of your post to remind us. In fact, it makes it seem as though you feel some kind of burden when you post here. “Oh, now I must add some clever little remark here. How dreadfully plebian. Ho-hum.” We can deal with people not swearing. We can deal with people posting _gasp_ non-flame posts in the Pit. We’re all grown-ups. Really. We promise. We won’t yell at you for not putting a little parting shot in there. > > Now I’m sure someone’s going to jump in here and say something about the “Ass Slammer” thread. “Oh, real nice, Flyp, you hypocrite. Look at all the fake flames you had in that! You dick!” “Yeah, fuck you, Flyp! Don’t tell me how to post!” Yeah, well, Sparky, listen up. The difference between what Drain, Omni, Chef, Demo and I (as well as the others who posted there) did in that thread and what I’m bitching about is this; all of the posts in that thread were supposed to be slams against each other taken in jest. And that was the entire point of each and every post. There weren’t any posts where someone made a non-flame statement and then followed it up with some fucking twee little comment involving explicit sexual acts, farmyard denizens and your father’s Oldsmobile. Honestly, this practice detracts from some otherwise good posts. > > Oh, and for all the people who will post after me with anything along the lines of “And since this is the Pit, go felch yourself/go felch a dead goat/go felch your father’s Oldsmobile, Flyp!” I kneel in awe of your comic genius. You rock. Really. You’re cool. I’m busting a gut. Tears. Rolling down face. Honest Injun. God love ya, Flyp. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/2 "2001-06-02T00:44:34Z")
I have to say, I truly enjoyed that OP. Good on ya, Flyp. ---
**Author:** ![Freedom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Freedom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freedom)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/3 "2001-06-02T01:36:17Z")
Nice call on bringing that one back. [sub]oh yeah…[/sub] You dickwad. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/4 "2001-06-02T01:44:44Z")
And just what _IS_ the proper etiquette for recognizing someone’s “very first pit thread”? Does a short note written with a fountain pen (black ink only, of course) on woven ivory or white paper suffice, or should newly-minted Pitizens start registering at Crate & Barrel? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/5 "2001-06-02T01:55:31Z")
I do not write the news, I merely report it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/6 "2001-06-02T06:48:41Z")
What a Felcher. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/7 "2001-06-02T11:29:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by magdalene \* > \*\*And just what _IS_ the proper etiquette for recognizing someone’s “very first pit thread”? Does a short note written with a fountain pen (black ink only, of course) on woven ivory or white paper suffice, or should newly-minted Pitizens start registering at Crate & Barrel? > \*\* Blood red paper, blood red envelope. 🙂 Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/8 "2001-06-02T17:03:45Z")
still on my way to my first pit thread-start, but how about my first pit hijack?! this is a question i’ve been meaning to ask you “pitizens” for a while now. where is the balance to be found between reasoned debate and kneejerk flameage? for example, check out the OP and the first couple responses in [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=72838) i’m sure most or some of you are familiar with it. granted, the OP’er was inarticulate and boorish in his presentation of his points. granted, he looked a lot like a troll. or a sock. or whatever. okay, and granted, the OP’er didn’t actually have anything valuable to say at all. but my point is that i’ve seen a whole lot of Pit posts and threads, as well as posts on other MBs in other (less Dope) universes, where everything but the quest for the most perfectly eloquent flame gets tossed by the wayside. it seemed to me like no one barely bothered to answer this poor fool’s lackwit ideas at all, and that would seem to me to be the _first_ thing to accomplish before insulting his education, lineage, upbringing, moral character, sexual deviance, whatever. the Pit purports to be the place for more than one purpose: namely, it’s the place to go to a) rant about anything or other, b)flame some asshole on the board (there, i said a dirty word), and c) _it’s the place to go to complain or make otherwise disparaging remarks about the state of the MB and/or its members._ am i not correct? what if i have something intelligent and reasonable to say about something i don’t like about the board, but i don’t want someone to make me cry? what do i do then? again, sorry about the hijack **Manservant Hecubus** and **Flyp** , but the purpose of the OP will be accomplished by reading the OP itself and the further discussion didn’t seem to be going anywhere. and the thread title is perfect for my purposes. \*\*\*disclaimer: this is my first real Pit post (the gwyneth one doesn’t count, right?), so i’m trying to follow all the rules. i said a dirty word, here i am notifying the public that this is my first pit-post, and here i go with the requisite: “and i know you guys are just gonna say ‘you suck you cocksucking newbie go the fuck home’ so go ahead and say it you cowardly bastids…” and just to get it out of the way now: “you dumbnutz are too afraid to actually debate me, you’ve encountered such a superior intellect that you’re unable to refute my points so you resort to circular argumentation and personal insults instead of actually rebutting my statements.” ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/9 "2001-06-02T18:38:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by White Lightning \* > > \*\*disclaimer: this is my first real Pit post (the gwyneth one doesn’t count, right?), so i’m trying to follow all the rules. i said a dirty word, here i am notifying the public that this is my first pit-post, and here i go with the requisite: “and i know you guys are just gonna say ‘you suck you cocksucking newbie go the fuck home’ so go ahead and say it you cowardly bastids…” > and just to get it out of the way now: “you dumbnutz are too afraid to actually debate me, you’ve encountered such a superior intellect that you’re unable to refute my points so you resort to circular argumentation and personal insults instead of actually rebutting my statements.” \*\* ::tearing hair in frustration:: No, these AREN’T the rules. There is no need to identify that this is one’s first pit post, as if proclaiming one’s mastery of toilet training to a roomful of grownups. There is no need to say dirty words, but there is no need to apologize for or call undue attention to profanity by saying “Look, I said a dirty word. Giggle. Everyone look at me!” There is no need to identify yourself as a newbie or include a disclaimer or pathetic peremptory strike against those who might disagree with you. And, just to get this out of the way, there is no need to refer to Opal in any way when making a list. Fuck the rules. Say SOMETHING. Say it with wit, passion, _cojones_, style, or lunatic ramblings that we can make fun of. In the thread you linked, Compound 1080 may have had a legitimate question about why we can’t edit our own posts - a simple search would have turned up answers. However, the rest of his post was pure trolling, and was treated as such by the masses. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/10 "2001-06-02T18:54:31Z")
**Hecubus** , I don’t want to sound like I’m attacking you here, but what, in particular, caused you to quote someone else’s post as your entire argument? Has bad Pit behaviour increased recently? Something pissed you off? Shouldn’t you have said so, if only to give some context for this OP? I agree wholeheartedly with **Flypsyde’s** post, but I think you’re being disingenuous when you say that you couldn’t do it any better. Surely you can think of some commentary to justify this OP. I don’t see that this is any better than posting a blank OP with only a link to the previous thread. Is it not bad enough that we have summer repeats on TV, we must have them on this board too? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/11 "2001-06-02T19:06:07Z")
Kamandi, the post says it all. I don’t need to say any more than that. [quote] _I, the great Manservant Hecubus spake:_ Then I realized that it’s been said already, and better than I could say. I’m not resurrecting the thread, since it’s frankly quite old, and I flamed someone rather well in it. I’d hate to seem self-congratulatory in this instance. [quote] The OP was perfect. I could not have added anything to it. And, as usual, if you don’t like the thread, don’t read the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/12 "2001-06-02T19:21:11Z")
Never said I didn’t like the thread. I love the thread. I think the OP’s brilliant. I think you’re brilliant. I agree with you, the post’s message needs to be said, and often. But a little **context** for why you’re bring it up **at this time** is all I’m asking for. Or will you be quoting **Flypsyde’s** post weekly from now on? ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2001, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/13 "2001-06-02T23:07:04Z")
god dammit, even my fucking hijack got hijacked. how rude is that, to hijack your own useless thread back from me when i try to put it to some good? christ. can we talk about _ **MY** _ post again please??? > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by White Lightning \* > \*\*my point is that i’ve seen a whole lot of Pit posts and threads, as well as posts on other MBs in other (less Dope) universes, where everything but the quest for the most perfectly eloquent flame gets tossed by the wayside. it seemed to me like no one barely bothered to answer this poor fool’s lackwit ideas at all, and that would seem to me to be the _first_ thing to accomplish before insulting his education, lineage, upbringing, moral character, sexual deviance, whatever. > > the Pit purports to be the place for more than one purpose: namely, it’s the place to go to a) rant about anything or other, b)flame some asshole on the board (there, i said a dirty word), and c) _it’s the place to go to complain or make otherwise disparaging remarks about the state of the MB and/or its members._ am i not correct? what if i have something intelligent and reasonable to say about something i don’t like about the board, but i don’t want someone to make me cry? what do i do then?\*\* so? i actually really want to know what you people think about this. is it possible to distinguish between pit-rants and pit-constructive criticisms? or what? and as far as > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by White Lightning \* > \*\*_ **disclaimer: this is my first real Pit post …etc…** _ is concerned, and **magdalene** ’s maddengly oblivious response to it, _how dumb do you really think i am??_ i was making an (admittedly poor) ironic nod to the “rules” that i know don’t need to be FOLLOWED in order to be FLIPPANT. was the constant self-reference to the fact that i was following cliched and outdated modes of Pit behavior not enough of a tip-off that i had some idea of what i was doing? sorry. next time i’ll include any attempts at humor that i may make in the [joke] and [/joke] boxes so you’ll have some advance warning. and you have the nerve to insinuate that i’m juvenile, pathetic, and pointless. see what i mean? now **magdalene** could just totally go off on me and tear me to bits, again ignoring the point of my post, which is to get an answer to my questions about the nature of this here Pit, and our whole discussion, and this whole thread, would become a worthless exercise in name-calling and flame-throwing. and it’s so easy to get caught up in that as soon as people start to get the teensy bit offended. **magdalene** , please don’t get offended. i didn’t _really_ mean any of those things. i’m just sort of trying to make a point. and get someone to talk about what i’d like them to talk about. on the other hand, maybe **magdalene** ’s post contained an even more subtle sarcasm than mine, enhancing the humor and wit that i created, and i just totally missed it entirely. if this is the case, i apoligize and ask that you do please continue. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/14 "2001-06-03T01:01:30Z")
I think my eyes are actually bleeding after reading that. Look, you annoying long-winded shitmonkey, there was no “embracing” of your “subtle humor and flippancy” or attempt at “enhancing” anything you posted. Go burn an aromatherapy candle, think about what you did, and for the love of Great Shuddering Yaweh on a ferris wheel, save us from any more “explanations” of your comic stylings. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/15 "2001-06-03T01:59:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kamandi \* > \*\*Or will you be quoting **Flypsyde’s** post weekly from now on? \*\* BRILLIANT IDEA! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/16 "2001-06-03T03:26:04Z")
White Lightning: In theory, it is possible to offer reasonable criticism of this board without being flamed. One good tip is not to start off your complaint with “This Board Sucks,” like Compound did. “Sucks” isn’t exactly constructive criticism. Plus, his “question” has been asked and answered over and over. A little work with the search function can answer most of these sort of questions pretty quickly (assuming the server is being nice), and spares the people who have been on the board for a while from having to see yet another rehash of the same old topic (that’s what GD is for). I don’t think that there are any board management issues that haven’t been addressed at least once at some point. Anyway, the point here is that Compound’s post wasn’t a legitimate question about the board, it was simply an attempt to start a fight, which pretty much worked. Now, speaking of constructive criticism, there are a few things about your own behavior that might help you avoid being called a “shitmonkey” in the future. First off, capital letters are your friends. Writing in all lower-case got old by e.e. cummings second poem. Writing without caps, or with all caps, or without punctuation or paragraph breaks, makes your posts more difficult to read, and more likely to be ignored. This is a debate forum: clarity is highly valued. Which brings up another point: don’t repost if you’re not getting enough responses. First, just wait a little while, at the very least a day. Give dopers who are at work or away from their computer a chance to read it and maybe reply. If your post got buried in a very busy thread, {which, BTW, this one is not) you might try bringing the question up again later, after other issues settle down. If you’re still not getting any responses, try starting a new thread, in whatever forum is most appropriate. Remember, no one here is under an obligation to respond to you. If your post or thread is ignored, just deal with it and hope your next try works out better. Other than that, you seem to be a promising Doper. Good luck, and welcome aboard. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2001, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/17 "2001-06-03T16:22:46Z")
Just a hijack to ask a question: “1)Felch. Let it die, kids. I’ll admit it, I was right in there with you when this first hit the MB” I’m probably just misremembering. Was Flypsyde around that long ago? I don’t remember him from the AOL board. Of course, my memory for names sucks ass so it’s likely just me. Totally aside from the point of the original hijack… I’m one of the unfortunate folk who knew what it meant before the board. How nice it is to have ex-convice felon prison friends who share such lovely bits of knowledge with you. :X ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2001, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/18 "2001-06-04T16:35:09Z")
Nah, **Opal** , Flyp was referring to the “felch” outbreak last year sometime, where it seemed everyone had to use it at least twice in every sentence. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/19 "2001-06-05T04:06:28Z")
Thank you for the advice and good wishes, **Miller**. Much appreciated. Bite me, **magdalene**. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2001, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277/20 "2001-06-05T06:35:28Z")
Yes, I think “felch” had run its course, and must now be replaced with the much more hilarious (and flavorful) “mung”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-this-is-the-pit/67277.md?page=2)