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Should threads discussing moderation be allowed

sugar-n-spice

Provided no names of moderators are mentioned?

Do. Not. Say. Anything. Against. The. Rules. :colondollar:

(edited 11 years ago)

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Reply 1

Ice Constricter

*This thread is gonna be deleted like mine*

Edit: it hasn't yet, wow. If its in the chat forum, why is it any mods business?

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 2

Kabloomybuzz

Yes... or if the mods want us to discuss it in AAM, allow a thread there where anyone can join, rather than an individual debating alone with the mods because its fairer

Reply 3

Ape Gone Insane

If you browse this forum, you will see countless threads discussing moderation, criticising it and providing constructive feedback. There was a very active one yesterday about the way the moderator team deals with holocaust denial threads. However, discussing specific warnings or specific moderator actions is what the AAM is for. It ensures privacy and provides a confidential environment for both the user and the moderator and, given they are the only parties really involved, the public forums are not an appropriate place. It's also the reason why your warning histories aren't available for everyone to see.

Reply 4

thunder_chunky

Original post by Ape Gone Insane

That's probably for the best. Speaking for myself. :moon:

Reply 5

Jack93o

I don't understand what the big deal is tbh, even names of moderators should be allowed. You signed up for the job in the first place, great power comes great responsibility as well as accountability :dontknow:

Reply 6

Iron Lady

Original post by sugar-n-spice

Provided no names of moderators are mentioned?

Do. Not. Say. Anything. Against. The. Rules. :colondollar:

Yes. Otherwise we descend into Soviet Russia.

Reply 7

rmhumphries

The problem with the other thread that was deleted earlier today was it was discussing individual warnings which have been given out, which isn't allowed.

Reply 8

TheGuy117

Yeah, the Mods have been abusing their power for far too long! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Reply 9

rmhumphries

Original post by TheGuy117

Yeah, the Mods have been abusing their power for far too long! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

I think you mistake TSR for a nation or place where you are more than a user using a provided service.

Reply 10

meenu89

Original post by TheGuy117

Yeah, the Mods have been abusing their power for far too long! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

You could always set up your own forum...

Reply 11

Kabloomybuzz

Original post by rmhumphries

The problem with the other thread that was deleted earlier today was it was discussing individual warnings which have been given out, which isn't allowed.

Why isn't it? Why shouldn't people discuss their own warnings if they choose to disclose them?

Reply 12

rmhumphries

Original post by Kabloomybuzz

Why isn't it? Why shouldn't people discuss their own warnings if they choose to disclose them?

I don't make the rules, I was just pointing out that is the rule. As far as I know, I believe that the intent behind it is keeping things private for the user and the (anonymous) moderator involved. And yes, I know that in itself leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but you will have to wait for a mod to come along and give a better answer I'm afraid :tongue:

Reply 13

MalevolntPhantom

No as its likely to cause flame wars

Reply 14

MalevolntPhantom

Its not just that though. As well as the mods respecting members' privacy it's also their job to prevent flame wars. Think about it. If a member is t liked a lot of people might just start saying nasty things. And is this attractive to a newbie reading a forum?? What sort of impression would that give them??

Reply 15

Mad Vlad

Original post by Jack93o

We're entirely accountable. To the site's owners who manage us from above, and through peer review throughout the moderation team. And besides... great power? Woo... I can ban someone on an internet forum... my balls are trembling, the power is so amazing... Please.

Original post by Kabloomybuzz

Why isn't it? Why shouldn't people discuss their own warnings if they choose to disclose them?

Because the moderation team act in a professional way. It is our policy that we don't discuss warnings with anyone but the member concerned. If the member's then able to go and spout false information about how they've been treated, the moderation team has no right of reply. Because there is this imbalance we do not allow members to discuss their warnings with anywhere but in Ask A Moderator. That's the fairest and most constructive way to do it.

And before someone starts suggesting an open court where users can oversee the moderation process... no - this isn't going to happen. Why? Because the reason people get warned in the first place is because they typically post content that shouldn't be on the site in the first place. It makes no sense to then open this up to scrutiny.

We have a tried and tested way of working and act in the interest of the community at large - not to some agenda or bias. There's a well publicised appeal process, unlike most other forums, and we'll gladly reverse decisions that were made in error. So before people start wheeling out the usual insults saying that we're like the Stasi or the Gestapo - no, we're not. We're a very passionate bunch of volunteers that want to make this place as great as it can be and we can only do this if people follow the rules.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 16

Tiger Rag

Why should every single closed thread have a post explaining why it's been closed? I've done it a few times - once was because there's a limit (10,000) on how many posts per thread and have done it a few times before because the thread was old and it was clear that posters wanted to discuss the original question.

Reply 17

Mad Vlad

No, there's a difference between whether the rules are fair and whether the rules are being applied fairly. The former is important for the community to have input on. The latter, less so. That sounds a bit contrary... but bear with me. We're open an honest about how we're governed as a team, how you can complain, how your complaint will be dealt with and how we peer review everything we do as a team. Now the detail of how we execute our role isn't under the purview of the wider community, but I think we're pretty frank and open about how we go about our roles. There are very few aspects of the moderation team's typical duties that we're not happy to discuss.

I can't comment about this case you're referring to. If you want to discuss it further - AAM is the place to go.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 18

Mad Vlad

False. The moderators are part of the community. We're all members first, moderators second. If I don't get it, one of the other 70 moderators will.

Reply 19

Mad Vlad

You're really suggesting that nobody in a pool of 70 diverse people will understand why you think someone is offensive? That's a statistical improbability, unless your argument isn't presented properly, of course.

Either way - the course of action is to raise it in AAM if you have no joy.