[Closed] Overzealous modding again.

On that the dumped thread there are several posts that appear to me to be more offensive than GWs. His might have been worth modding - in dubious taste but others were worse imo

I struggle with long sentences but I would just like to leap to the defence of the mods. *leaps*

I help moderate a couple of high-traffic, moderately well-known messageboards and sites elsewhere on the interwebs, and it's a pretty thankless task sometimes. You can't follow every last conversation, or chase up every last infraction of the rules, or interpret them all perfectly every time. When there's more than one mod, the difference in attitude or sensitivities between each mod will make inconsistency inevitable. One mod will let something slide where another would stomp on it hard. Sometimes mistakes or misjudgements are made. Mods aren't perfect, they're humans just like you, and they're usually trying to moderate vast quantities of inane chatter at the same time as doing their actual proper day-jobs.

If they weren't doing their thing the place you like chattering on would be full of spambots and trolls and godknowswhat. Cut them some slack. You could maybe even make their lives less difficult by accepting that they're not perfect and, well, try not to annoy them?

Right, flame away... 🙂

No worries dd. 😀

buzz-lightyear - Member

I think the blocking plug-in is ace. Wont tell you who I have blocked but it's helping my blood pressure. Can it be made integral to the forum?

On that the dumped thread there are several posts that appear to me to be more offensive than GWs. His might have been worth modding - in dubious taste but others were worse imo

On that the dumped thread there are several posts that appear to me to be more offensive than GWs.

Personally I'm not that childish.

Thanks for the advice, but nor am I.

that blocking thing'd be great, you could block out all the boring gits like myself that don't serve any purpose on here. can you block yourself? I've even e-mithered STW to delete my account cos I was narked about someone modding my drunken ramblings (paulosoxo?) and they didn't even bother replying! what a no-mark! (see what I did there)

Is having a ban a bit of a right of passage? All so tiresome really which is a shame as when the usual suspects are not acting like kids they contribute a great deal, just let themselves down in situations like this.

Really don't see the point of the blocking add-on. In order to avoid getting dragged into pointless debate I'd have to block TJ, edu and ernie - which would just mean I'd also miss most of the useful stuff on here. Everybody else I can quite happily just scroll over their posts (apologies to anybody I'm ignoring without even using software).

Isn't it weird reading threads if that persons contribution is blocked? Must make some threads really hard to follow.

<takes deep breath>

Would it not be better to train yourself to ignore the individual rather than block them out? Good practice for the real world and all that. Probably better for your blood pressure too.

Maybe it's me, I think I've clearly underestimated the importance that people put on their internet stability and contentment. I dont mind being wrong, it's just a bit surprising.

Mint - fair comment and good on them for letting this run.

I can deal with things getting missed - I know its reactively moderated so only if reported does it come to the attention of the mods.

What I find hard to take it the way that some nasty prejudiced posts are allowed to stand despite reporting from posters with plenty of previous and other posters get banned with no warning for something much less offensive

OMgosh. people letting themselves down on a cycling forum! 🙄 I bet they even fall off their bikes and all! what failures.

GW getting a ban for that comment is nuts frankly. Pretty inoffensive and worse goes by all the time with no note. Presumably gets a little less slack since he's such a fiery ball of trollish rage some of the time, but that doesn't justify it. If it was for the language, there's worse in this thread! If it was for the tone/anecdote, there's worse everywhere.

Being a mod's a thankless task- thanks mods- but whenever I've screwed it up, people have let me know and I've tried to learn from it. It happens. A forum's not a democracy and it's entirely right that the mods get to be dictators, but at the same time the forum's here for a reason and if the mods lose track of that, that's a problem for the health of the site.

All IMO of course 😉

What I find hard to take it the way that some nasty prejudiced posts are allowed to stand despite reporting from posters with plenty of previous and other posters get banned with no warning for something much less offensive

I agree GW didn't deserve a ban for his post (was pretty funny, and a shame the forum rules don't allow that), but that's just my opinion, and taking no account of anything else he might have posted and how many warnings he's had.

Junkyard, you've reported me a number of times haven't you?

If the reason most threads get deleted and users banned is that complaints get made, then it stands to reason that users who piss others off generally will get complaints against them more when naughty than those who don't. Fred has his share of dislikers and so I guess almost all of his trips out-of-bounds get drawn to mods' attention, hence he's banned more readily.

GW has a fairly, err, direct/abrasive style too and so maybe that counts against him in terms of getting reported. His post on the dumped thread was easy to complain about I reckon, though not actually full of really offensive words IIRC ([i]fairly[/i] funny though - & likely untrue)

I struggle to understand why LOADS of posts get reported. I never have and probably never will report one - guess I don't take the place seriously enough

@ JY, No, I know you have. It's ok, I've reported you loads too.

buzz-lightyear said something stupid.

That worked well 😉

buzz-lightyear said something stupid.

Nothing new there then 😀

😛

Does all this reporting really go on? Are people really so sensitive? Isn't it a bit like running to 'teacher'?

I can only ever recall reporting one post, or rather a series of them from the same poster, as they were so crass and insensitive to the OP that it defied belief.

Does all this reporting really go on? Are people really so sensitive? Isn't it a bit like running to 'teacher'?

I can only ever recall reporting one post, or rather a series of them from the same poster, as they were so crass and insensitive to the OP that it defied belief.

I presume there is little reporting or we'd see more deleted posts (if you know what I mean) and there would be more bans.

*thinks of a reason to report Woody's post*

What I find hard to take it the way that some nasty prejudiced posts are allowed to stand despite reporting from posters with plenty of previous and other posters get banned with no warning for something much less offensive

i honestly think that this roughly translates as 'i want people banned for not having my world view' rather than people getting banned for breaking the rules.

DS

One in 10 years? 😆

trailmonkey - there may be an element of this. However I do try to reserve it for the more blatantly racist sexist and homophobic stuff and use a fairly high threshold. Racist sexist and homophobic posts are against the rules. I try to keep some sense of perspective and only report the blatent stuff - not just the unthnking

mark's posts on these threads almost always state that mods are inundated with complaints

DS

One in 10 years?

I reckon everyone on this thread will get banned, then it will collapse in on itself, resulting in a forum black hole, where other, even new posters will get sucked in and destroyed. This is why they close the threads before it hits the event horizon.

The Thread Event Horizon??

I always wondered what "teh" referred to.

I can see it... it's looming!

I've only ever complained about one post, where the hypocritical bullying had reached critical level and I'm glad I did.
I've never posted a tag as I consider them cowardly.

The worst threads on here, IMO, have been mysogynistic insults aimed at those with no opportunity to answer back.
They were pulled, but not until the OP had received a dose of his own, and he seems to have calmed down a bit recently.

[img] [/img]

You've lost me DS 😕

Racist sexist and homophobic posts are against the rules. I try to keep some sense of perspective and only report the blatent stuff

Yes let's keep some sense of perspective - racist, sexist, and homophobic posts, are extremely rare on here.

And if I feel bothered enough to do anything about them, then I challenge them - I don't report them.

That's what I do in 'real life' ...... where banning isn't an option. Mark keeps banging on how this is just like real life, well in real life I don't rely on bans when having to deal with racism, sexism, and homophobia.

ernie - I assume the mods have some responsibility for the content of the site (ensuring it meets certain standards) and that without posts being reported they'd have difficulty policing it. That being the case, reporting offensive posts should be seen as helping them out?

Just like "real life" repeat offenders might expect some sort of punishment/censorship?

You've lost me DS

the mods have some responsibility for the content of the site

My comments were aimed at TJ not the mods. I was suggesting that he deals with any cases of racism, sexism, and homophobia, by challenging them - not by reporting them. I have never reported any post. I can cope with racism, sexism, and homophobia in the real world - why would it be different on here ? Although as I say such incidences are extremely rare here.

Its a not unreasonable point and I do on occasion. sometimes tho I feel the right thing to do is report it as challenging them makes no difference or ends up with a row and that without reports the mods will not know of the behaviour.

As my good lady would say, doesn't everyone just need to 'unclench' a bit...and take the forum for what it is. I really fail to see how anyone gets so upset...

challenging them makes no difference

I can't ever recall anyone making an openly racist or homophobic comment not being successfully challenged, or the poster in anyway being in a position to derive satisfaction from the outcome.

Look at my horse, my horse is amazing.

fatmax, there has been some genuine nastiness, personal abuse and bullying on here.

No one likes a turd in their favourite swimming pool.

Do we pick it out ourselves or get the cleaners in? 😀