# yet again: Mods who can't moderate ... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 6, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177 "2010-12-06T19:00:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/41 "2010-12-07T14:44:03Z")
Let’s stick to the issue that prompted this thread rather than diverging into generalized complaints about other mods and unrelated topics. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/42 "2010-12-07T14:49:35Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Are you serious? The final two quotes you cite aren’t remotely critical of any mod personally, and if you’d care to discuss how \*\*Tom \*\*and \*\*Twickster \*\*aren’t notorious for their thin skin, vindictiveness and defensiveness, please open up your own ATMB thread (so I don’t get blamed for snarking on the Mods) and see if you get some argument that these are long-standing complaints. The response when I point this out always seems to be the same: the mod saying something mean to me is wrong because moderators shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Me saying something mean about a moderator should be OK, because it’s true. I don’t think “we should be allowed to be mean to people, but only if it’s true” is a useful guideline, because people will never agree on what’s true. Or are you saying that if the hijack truly was dumb, then it would be OK for tomndebb to call it dumb? OK then, the hijack truly was dumb. Problem solved! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/43 "2010-12-07T15:49:16Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I’ve tried my entire life to speak truth to power, and I’ve done it to people holding far more power over me than the Mods on this messageboards, with far higher stakes than my continued membership. There’s speaking truth to power for noble reasons, and then there’s, say, “taking a stand” and berating a cashier because she permitted the old lady in front of you to pay for 11 tangerines in the “10 items or fewer” lane. And hopefully, there’s the wisdom to recognize the difference. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/44 "2010-12-07T16:01:58Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Let’s stick to the issue that prompted this thread rather than diverging into generalized complaints about other mods and unrelated topics. Does this apply to \*\*Arnold \*\*'s point? If so, I won’t respond to it. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/45 "2010-12-07T16:04:44Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > There’s speaking truth to power for noble reasons, and then there’s, say, “taking a stand” and berating a cashier because she permitted the old lady in front of you to pay for 11 tangerines in the “10 items or fewer” lane. And hopefully, there’s the wisdom to recognize the difference. Nobody’s forcing you to read these threads, is there? Or do you want me to accede to your wisdom on the principle that you know the time to bring up abusive behavior and the time to let it slide? If so, I’ll just run all my complaints past you first, and we can discuss them in PM for a couple of weeks as you strive to educate me in the ways of the wise. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/46 "2010-12-07T16:43:31Z")
Don’t think I can commit to reviewing \*all \*of them, but I’ll do what I can to reduce the workload. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/47 "2010-12-07T17:01:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Apparently. Now, why does this matter? Is “dumb” that significant? I would suspect that if a poster called a mod “dumb” or their actions “dumb” said poster would be in more “trouble” than if it was the other way around. Hey, as a freeloader here I greatly appreciate the work mods here do. Having said that, I also think there could be a fair bit of improvement on mods being either mods OR posters in any given situation. And, for that matter, when a mod get all “official” on your ass, being actually “official” rather than dropping a “here’s YOUR insult from me to you and don’t fuck with me now or else” bomb to end it all. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/48 "2010-12-07T17:05:31Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I would suspect that if a poster called a mod “dumb” or their actions “dumb” said poster would be in more “trouble” than if it was the other way around. But we see a poster caling a mod’s actions dumb all the time. Look at this thread. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/49 "2010-12-07T17:06:31Z")
1.) \*\*tomndebb \*\*shouldn’t have used the opportunity to get a last dig in as to his opinions on the hijack before telling everybody else to take it elsewhere. 2.) \*\*prr \*\*shoudln’t have brought it up in that thread. 3.) \*\*tom \*\*shoudln’t have continued to express his opinion on the hijack in the thread while instructing \*\*prr \*\*to neither comment further on the hijack or his moderation in that thread. The threat of a warning for further extra-ATMB moderation complaints, however, strikes me as fair. Really, this would be so much easier if the PTB would just come out and say “we’re okay with the mods being snarky to everybody all the time.” And then make me a mod, because I’d be the bestest at it ever. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/50 "2010-12-07T17:18:54Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > But we see a poster caling a mod’s actions dumb all the time. Look at this thread. And said posters can do it ELSEWHERE, not get in trouble doing so, get in the last word while doing so, and to top it all off threaten a mod with official action while doing so? I take it you’ve never gotten a ticket from a “jerky” cop? Same thing here IMO. Well, a generic “here” in this case. The specific case the OP is bitching about I have no idea about. But, the general principle still stands I think. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/51 "2010-12-07T17:33:54Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > I would suspect that if a poster called a mod “dumb” or their actions “dumb” said poster would be in more “trouble” than if it was the other way around. People are quick to make this accusation, but in this case it has nothing to do with anything. > [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Does this apply to \*\*Arnold \*\*'s point? If so, I won’t respond to it. I didn’t have a problem with **Arnold Winkelried** ’s post. I was referring to comments about **twickster** and about other moderating issues. What I’m sayins is this: this thread is about **tomndebb** ’s comments and the general issue of moderators making editorial statements while moderating. Other subjects belong in another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/52 "2010-12-07T17:41:38Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > So nothing. It was a trivial point, a suggestion I made in the thread, and expected no response at all to, until **Tom** barreled in and started yammering on about the misdeed I committed by suggesting his Mod/Poster post was inappropriate and threatening me with sanctions because I didn’t take up in a separate thread in ATMB. So I took it here. End of subject. Well, you could have just let it go. It’s not like **tomndebb** _demanded_ that you start a thread, only stated that if you continued the complaint that you do so in the correct forum. If it was so trivial, you had already made your suggestion, you could have just dropped it. > [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Nope. A minor complaint, expressed as a suggestion for better public relations with your clientele, blown up by **Tom** by his need to chastise me in the thread, and ordering me to open up an ATMB for any further permissible syllables from me on the subject, exacerbated by your (and others’) defense of a pretty indefensible point. Let it go–I’ve said my say. How ironic - you telling someone else to “let it go”. Why don’t you try it first? > [@tomndebb](#): > > I have seen this thread and I agree with all the posters who agreed with me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/53 "2010-12-07T17:47:17Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > What if a cop gives you only a 20 dollar ticket? Are you just gonna pay it, and say 'So what?" Indeed. Some are willing to go to the mat on principle. I know somebody who spent about $1,000 successfully battling an unjust $500 levy. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/54 "2010-12-07T18:22:05Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > And said posters can do it ELSEWHERE, not get in trouble doing so, get in the last word while doing so, and to top it all off threaten a mod with official action while doing so? There comes a point where the moderator is going to have final authority and be able to tell someone to knock it off. If the moderators don’t have that authority then we might as well not have them. My point is that the stuff moderators say to posters is not any worse than the stuff posters say to moderators. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/55 "2010-12-07T18:33:26Z")
IMHO both sides are right here. In general, it’s wrong for moderators to get the last word in by using their mod powers to cut off further discussion. Nonetheless, in a case like this one, in which the hijack was so completely retarded and idiotic, I think there’s an exception. Because the moderator is not taking sides in a legitimate discussion, but only dismissing a crackpot position for what it so obviously is. But now the OP is saying that there’s a poll out there and a substantial percentage of Dopers agree with her (I’ve not checked this). If so, that changes everything back again. Because even though the notion remains as idiotic as ever in my opinion, and no doubt Tom’s as well, for purposes of this MB it needs to be taken seriously, since it’s within the mainstream of viewpoints on this MB. But the thing is that Tom didn’t know that at the time he made his post. So from his vantage point at the time, he was merely calling some drivel by it’s correct name. So he’s off the hook. And PRR has a valid point now that she’s (apparently) been vindicated by a subsequent poll. I’m OK, You’re OK. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/56 "2010-12-07T18:34:30Z")
> [@Arnold\_Winkelried](#): > > There comes a point where the moderator is going to have final authority and be able to tell someone to knock it off. If the moderators don’t have that authority then we might as well not have them. > My point is that the stuff moderators say to posters is not any worse than the stuff posters say to moderators. Oh, I can well agree with that. But there is having “authority”, exerting “authority”, and using “authority” in a “professional” manner. Its doing one and two without three that gets my (and others) goat on occasion. Now, is it SOOO bad that the SDMB is a hell hole of power abuse? Of course not. Could the mods do better ? Certainly IMO. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/57 "2010-12-07T19:28:27Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > the moderator is not taking sides in a legitimate discussion, but only dismissing a crackpot position for what it so obviously is. > > But now the OP is saying that there’s a poll out there and a substantial percentage of Dopers agree with her (I’ve not checked this). If so, that changes everything back again. Because even though the notion remains as idiotic as ever in my opinion, and no doubt Tom’s as well, for purposes of this MB it needs to be taken seriously, since it’s within the mainstream of viewpoints on this MB. > > But the thing is that Tom didn’t know that at the time he made his post. So from his vantage point at the time, he was merely calling some drivel by it’s correct name. So he’s off the hook. And PRR has a valid point now that she’s (apparently) been vindicated by a subsequent poll. Ain’t a “her”–this is very unreasonable. In that thread, up to that point, there were several posters giving credence to the notion that I was posting. It’s not as if **Tom** could safely conclude that I was a lunatic because I held an off-the-wall position. It just happened not to be a position he agreed with. His position, whether a majority or minority position, has nothing at all to do with the fact that the discussion was hijack. That was sufficient to have the sub-discussion moved to a separate thread–which already existed. **Tom** understood perfectly that there were some of us who agreed my speculation was within the realms of possibility–still, he gratuitously decided to label that position “truly dumb” while moderating. [QUOTE=Irishman] How ironic - you telling someone else to “let it go”. Why don’t you try it first? [/QUOTE] No, you. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/58 "2010-12-07T19:34:38Z")
Oh, and I keep forgetting to ask… > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > This isn’t a 20 ticket. It is a .10 ticket that should be filed under D for ‘dontgiveacrap.’ Does this mean you’ll send someone $0.10 every time they see an issue with a way a moderation issue was handled here? If you’re willing to put your money where your mouth is, we could whip up an invoice. Balances could be paid in the form of gifted custom title subscriptions. ---
**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:** [December 7, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/59 "2010-12-07T19:41:58Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Ain’t a “her” Sorry. > [@](#): > > –this is very unreasonable. In that thread, up to that point, there were several posters giving credence to the notion that I was posting. It’s not as if **Tom** could safely conclude that I was a lunatic because I held an off-the-wall position. It just happened not to be a position he agreed with. His position, whether a majority or minority position, has nothing at all to do with the fact that the discussion was hijack. That was sufficient to have the sub-discussion moved to a separate thread–which already existed. **Tom** understood perfectly that there were some of us who agreed my speculation was within the realms of possibility–still, he gratuitously decided to label that position “truly dumb” while moderating. I think it was only one other person at that time. And a couple of other posters had already had pretty much the same reaction as Tom before he posted. So I think he was within reason to assume that your position was out of the mainstream. [Whether you yourself are therefore a lunatic is not part of this discussion, AFAICT.] ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177/60 "2010-12-07T19:57:54Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I think it was only one other person at that time. True. My error. But there were only a few people who had chimed in at all, so \*\*Tom \*\*certainly had no basis to judge whether most Dopers agreed with me or with him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-again-mods-who-cant-moderate/563177.md?page=4)