# Yet another pre-emptive move to the pit
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [December 23, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365 "2009-12-23T20:32:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/1 "2009-12-23T20:32:10Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545044](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545044)
> [@Acts of cruelty you're not ashamed of](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acts-of-cruelty-youre-not-ashamed-of/522358/8):
>
> Ordinarily I’d just post a warning and reminder that people should keep their responses civil, but I don’t think that’s a realistic goal with this OP.
>
> Moving MPSIMS –\> Pit.
>
> twickster, MPSIMS mod
Why is there a need to babysit the posters? They know the rules. If they want to get vitriolic, they can start a pit thread. The pit should not be used as a dumping ground for threads that you think might require more attention.
ETA: Can we get reverse pre-emptive moves, btw? Like “I pit my boyfriend for being a jerk” and the first few posts are hugs-type posts?
---
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/2 "2009-12-23T20:41:55Z")
You really miss **Carol** , huh?
And yes, threads have been moved out of the Pit for not being mean enough. There was one that was moved out just yesterday or the day before, in fact. I’m surprised you haven’t caught it, what with your vigilant watch over the Pit.
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/3 "2009-12-23T20:45:13Z")
Can someone just give this guy a moderator’s mug and get this over with?
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### Author:  [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/4 "2009-12-23T20:59:05Z")
**ivn** would make a good Pit mod. I’m on board with his vision. At the very least there wouldn’t be any weak rant threads about personal relationship drama that nobody but the threadstarter could possibly give a crap about.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/5 "2009-12-23T21:07:36Z")
In fairness to **Twickster** , the Op did appear to either be so tone-deaf that he did not realize he was calling down a firestorm on himself or wanted the attention. She was just saving people the time of finding the pit thread against the Op.
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### Author:  [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/6 "2009-12-23T21:16:08Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#):
>
> In fairness to **Twickster** , the Op did appear to either be so tone-deaf that he did not realize he was calling down a firestorm on himself or wanted the attention. She was just saving people the time of finding the pit thread against the Op.
That, and she closed the thread just before I could agree with the OP 100%.
I was on the cusp of relenting and letting my gf get us a cat before this thread. Thank goodness I was brought to my senses. I don’t have much, but I’m highly averse to having what material posessions I do have shreaded by a “cute” animal that I’m paying to feed.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/7 "2009-12-23T21:22:34Z")
By the time **twickster** moved the thread, three posters had said they wanted to respond in the Pit. I think that’s a good indicator that a thread should be moved.
When a thread is moved to the Pit, it’s isn’t babysat. If anything, it’s the opposite. It’s going to get the least moderator attention in the Pit because personal insults are allowed there, unlike the rest of the site. I also don’t think a move to the Pit (or any thread move) is a comment on the intelligence of posters or their ability to contain themselves. Sometimes we think a thread is just not in the right forum given its subject matter or tone, and that can include the kind of responses it is getting or is likely to get. A thread started in MPSIMS about tossing a cat out of the house (and other un-regretted actions) is probably going to get moved to the Pit. A thread started in the Pit about the wonderfulness of kitties is probably going to get moved to MPSIMS.
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> And yes, threads have been moved out of the Pit for not being mean enough.
This does happen all the time. **Gfactor** is pretty vigilant about it.
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### Author:  [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/8 "2009-12-23T21:30:12Z")
I think a reasonable person could conclude that the OP was not only likely to provoke hostile reactions, but designed to do so. **twickster** was right to move it.
> [@stuthehistoryguy](#):
>
> I was on the cusp of relenting and letting my gf get us a cat before this thread. Thank goodness I was brought to my senses. I don’t have much, but I’m highly averse to having what material posessions I do have shreaded by a “cute” animal that I’m paying to feed.
I typed out a longer response, but decided it was a hijack. Anyway, the subject of that thread was not rather lissener should have had a cat, or even what he did to the cat he had, but the attitude he presented about what he did.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/9 "2009-12-23T21:30:20Z")
My most beloved childhood cat used to snack on my mother’s houseplants, to her vast annoyance. I was watching this one time when Sarah walked right up to a spider plant, crinkled up her little white nose and went “cunch!-cunch!-cunch!-cunch!-cunch!-cunch!-cunch!..” along the entire leaf, stripping it to the stem.
Mom was still annoyed. I thought it was hysterical.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/10 "2009-12-23T21:55:53Z")
**lissener** posted an OP that immediately evoked a series of responses indicating that people would prefer to be in the Pit. In the series of emails he and I exchanged about the thread, he claims that he wasn’t being intentionally inflammatory, but doesn’t explain what he _did_ think he was doing.
I saw no reason to expend huge amounts of energy trying to prevent the inevitable brawl, so moved the thread to the Pit.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/11 "2009-12-23T22:12:23Z")
> [@ivn1188](#):
>
> ETA: Can we get reverse pre-emptive moves, btw? Like “I pit my boyfriend for being a jerk” and the first few posts are hugs-type posts?
Of my last 25 posts, four are moves out of the Pit. IIRC, at least two of those were threads that nobody reported. I guess that means we’ve got them.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/12 "2009-12-23T22:17:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> By the time **twickster** moved the thread, three posters had said they wanted to respond in the Pit. I think that’s a good indicator that a thread should be moved.
Bullshit. It’s a good indication that those three posters should quit whining in MPSIMS and open a pit thread. Twickster effectively turned the thread into a self pitting, which was A) not the way I wanted to spend my day, and is B) not allowed, AFAIK. If twickster thought I should be pitted, she should’ve pitted me, or told the posters to take it to the pit. At the most she should have closed the thread, not moved it to the pit. If I’d wanted to pin a kick-me sign on myself, I would’ve opened it in the pit. Which, again, would not have been allowed.
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### Author:  [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/13 "2009-12-23T22:24:11Z")
> [@Gfactor](#):
>
> Of my last 25 posts, four are moves out of the Pit. IIRC, at least two of those were threads that nobody reported. I guess that means we’ve got them.
That’s true, you have been doing an effective job at removing offensive posts. (By offensive, I mean boring.)
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/14 "2009-12-23T22:28:29Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Twickster effectively turned the thread into a self pitting, which was A) not the way I wanted to spend my day, and is B) not allowed, AFAIK.
At the risk of pointing out the obvious, you don’t have to spend all day defending yourself. Anyway, yes, “I Pit myself” threads normally get moved out of the Pit, I think. But that’s not what this was. This was a situation where most of the people who responded to a thread were criticizing the OP. That’s very common and it’s not against any rule.
> [@](#):
>
> If twickster thought I should be pitted, she should’ve pitted me, or told the posters to take it to the pit.
Mods are not allowed to Pit posters here. She could have told other posters to start a Pit thread, but she (correctly) decided that a lot of other people were going to have a negative reaction to your post, so she moved it. I would have done the same.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/15 "2009-12-23T22:31:16Z")
Moving it to the Pit effectively gives people no choice but to personally attack the OP. If that was what I’d wanted I’d’ve opened it in the Pit. Twickster pitted me by proxy, effectively pulling a “let’s you and him fight,” signed by a moderator’s authority. Dickish.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/16 "2009-12-23T22:33:06Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> At the risk of pointing out the obvious, you don’t have to spend all day defending yourself.
No, by moving it to the Pit she essentially closed it, as far as my participation in it. Only she closed with a “kick me” sign appended.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/17 "2009-12-23T22:33:19Z")
**lissener** , I’m genuinely curious to know what sort of responses you expected to get to the thread.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/18 "2009-12-23T22:46:35Z")
> [@lissener](#):
>
> Moving it to the Pit effectively gives people no choice but to personally attack the OP.
That’s not true. Didn’t one or two people say your actions weren’t so bad? And there’s no rule against sticking to the original topic (cruel actions) in the Pit.
> [@](#):
>
> Twickster pitted me by proxy, effectively pulling a “let’s you and him fight,” signed by a moderator’s authority. Dickish.
Sorry you feel this way, but it’s not true at all. In and out of the Pit, the OP of a thread ends up getting bashed sometimes. There’s no ‘let’s you and him fight’ to it, and her move didn’t close the thread for you. People were going to “kick” you regardless of what forum the thread was in. The only difference was what kind of language they were going to use, and whether the mods were going to have to police the responses. So she moved it to the Pit. The other alternative was for **Twickster** to keep warning people to be polite in expressing their feelings about what you did. Would you have felt better if there were _two_ threads where people were calling you a bad person - one in MPSIMS and one in the Pit? I don’t see how that’s preferable.
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### Author:  [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/19 "2009-12-23T22:47:38Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> **lissener** , I’m genuinely curious to know what sort of responses you expected to get to the thread.
He was hoping to get flamed so he could whine about how persecuted he was. Had he started the thread in the Pit, he couldn’t do that.
So he is whining here.
Regards,
Shodan
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-pre-emptive-move-to-the-pit/522365/20 "2009-12-23T22:49:11Z")
> [@twickster](#):
>
> **lissener** , I’m genuinely curious to know what sort of responses you expected to get to the thread.
Obviously my naivete filters were clogged. Nonetheless, I don’t see that as relevant: if I’d expected nothing put Pit responses, I would have chosen between the two legitimate options: put it in the Pit, or not started it at all. If you think I put it in MPSIMS to intentionally troll for inappropriate responses, then please be the first moderator to officially accuse me of trolling, in ten years. I have exhibited some major sins in these boards, but I’ve never been a troll. Tone deaf, short tempered, whatever, but not a troll.
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