# A bit aggressive with the Moderating **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [November 5, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650 "2005-11-05T14:40:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/41 "2005-11-09T06:33:09Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > Speaking of things we understand not, what on earth’s an iggy list. Must be of some importance, as it’s considered necessary to repeat it twice. Three and a half thousand posts and you can’t figure out what an iggy list is? It’s an ignore list. (One of those things that you’re not supposed to tell people they’re on. Unless you abbreviate it. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/42 "2005-11-09T10:37:32Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Anyone who has the brains to hit that triangle with the exclamation point in the upper right hand corner of the post in question has the ultimate power. Ultimate? Definitely not. I’ve reported posts and either been ignored or sent a dismissive e-mail. The ultimate power rests with the decision makers — the owners of the board and their authorized representatives. > [@](#): > > Are you suggesting that mods/Admins favor some posters over others? Those who are human certainly do. People favor some people over other people. That isn’t to say that you don’t make a conscious attempt to override your natural instinct — and you do that rather well (as does Czarcasm). But some do it better than others. > [@](#): > > But I don’t give a damn WHO pressed the button. I believe you. At least, I believe that you hold to that as an intellectual tenet. But as the tendency to favor one person over another manifests generally, there is a wide range of consideration given on the basis of who is who. If for example, Poster A, admired by Mod M, reports a problem or error, he is likely to be reward with, at the very least, a note of sincere appreciation for helping to make Mod M’s job easier; whereas Poster B, disliked by Mod M, and posting the identical words, will likely get a terse comment for making Mod M’s job harder. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/43 "2005-11-09T12:30:04Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > A touch! A touch! I do confess I bleed… > > Another for the iggy list… [MOderator Hat ON] **DSYoungEsq**. In a sticky at the top of this forum is a direction from **Arnold Winkelried** about _ignore lists_. > [@](#): > > Ignore list - after much deliberation we decided to keep the ignore list (and buddy list) available to members. Part of the reason we were hesitant is because we didn’t want to see flame wars caused by PosterX telling PosterY “you can say whatever you want to me, I don’t care because you’re on my ignore list.” Hinting that any particular person or group of people is on your ignore list is very strictly frowned upon. Revealing the usernames of people on your ignore list is forbidden at this board. Please do not suggest in any way **who** is on your ignore list and don’t suggest to others that they add someone to their ignore list. Your cooperation is appreciated. And this IS a warning. [Mod hat off] **samclem** the evenhanded GQ moderator 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/44 "2005-11-09T13:00:06Z")
Also, of course, I remind you that personal insults are not permitted in this forum, **DS**. > [@Liberal](#): > > I’ve reported posts and either been ignored or sent a dismissive e-mail. > … If for example, Poster A, admired by Mod M, reports a problem or error, he is likely to be reward with, at the very least, a note of sincere appreciation for helping to make Mod M’s job easier; whereas Poster B, disliked by Mod M, and posting the identical words, will likely get a terse comment for making Mod M’s job harder. There is some variation by forum, but I don’t think there’s variation by person. Cafe Society and CoSR, for instance (the two that I moderator) get very few reported posts, like between two and five a day. It’s no problem for me to respond to almost all of them with a personal note, thanking them and telling them what action I’ve taken or why I haven’t taken action. When I don’t respond, it’s usually because I’m on the run, and only have a few minutes; or, sometimes, the same post is reported by half a dozen people and they’ll all see my warning posted, so I don’t bother emailing them all. How do I choose? Not based on who they are, but I start emailing back to the first one, and then I see that there’s half a dozen all the same, and I stop. So responses are “first come, first served” rather than any favoritism. OTOH, MPSIMS and the Pit get many dozens of reported posts each day, and the Mods just do not have time to personally respond to them. So, **Lib** , it may be your perception that you’re being ignored because you get email responses sometimes but not others, but I can pretty much guarantee that it’s not because of **you** but just because of the Mod’s time availability. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/45 "2005-11-09T13:58:52Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > If for example, Poster A, admired by Mod M, reports a problem or error, he is likely to be reward with, at the very least, a note of sincere appreciation for helping to make Mod M’s job easier; whereas Poster B, disliked by Mod M, and posting the identical words, will likely get a terse comment for making Mod M’s job harder. I am only peripherally aware of who is reporting a post. My eye tends to go directly to the reason. Personally, anybody reporting a post for any reason is making my job easier. I _don’t_ have time to read every post in IMHO. I do read every OP so that I can try to latch on to threads that could be trouble early, and follow them, but even there I may miss something. Even though the reported post may not be actionable, I still appreciate it. Keeping the SDMB unique and valuable is not solely the duty of the mods/admins, it needs the contributions of the members as well. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/46 "2005-11-09T14:38:06Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Ultimate? Definitely not. I’ve reported posts and either been ignored or sent a dismissive e-mail. The ultimate power rests with the decision makers — the owners of the board and their authorized representatives. > > Those who are human certainly do. People favor some people over other people. That isn’t to say that you don’t make a conscious attempt to override your natural instinct — and you do that rather well (as does Czarcasm). But some do it better than others. > > I believe you. At least, I believe that you hold to that as an intellectual tenet. But as the tendency to favor one person over another manifests generally, there is a wide range of consideration given on the basis of who is who. If for example, Poster A, admired by Mod M, reports a problem or error, he is likely to be reward with, at the very least, a note of sincere appreciation for helping to make Mod M’s job easier; whereas Poster B, disliked by Mod M, and posting the identical words, will likely get a terse comment for making Mod M’s job harder. That’s not how we do business and for you to claim so is quite the slap in the face. You don’t have to appreciate us, you don’t have to like us, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let anyone throw mud on our staffers for what they do here and ascribe motive where none exists. While we are indeed all too human and prone to the error that humans do, we strive to treat all people here, members and guests alike with consideration and respect. We try to give people the benefit of the doubt in situations, even when experience has taught us differently. We do sometimes speak sharply. Sometimes it’s required. There are times situations need correcting, and that’s what it takes. We are not perfect. We are all too capable of error. We can misread, miss something, misinterpret, misunderstand. We are not angels, we ain’t icons carved out of soap. We get exasperated at stupidity, we can be frustrated with situations, we have feelings like everyone else. If you cut us, do we not bleed? Sometimes we even have to stand and take what borders on abuse – and in rare occasions, tips right over into nasty – and we do our best to bear up under it. The volunteers who work on this site are some of the finest people I have ever known. They give of themselves and their time to make this community a better place and to make your experience as good as it can be. You don’t have to like them (though personally I adore them, bless their pointed little heads), but you do owe them some respect at the least, at the very least. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/47 "2005-11-09T14:46:54Z")
**TD** , can’t speak for Lib, but for my part it’s because I like the place and find it well run that I do my bit to try and make it better. And if that appears personal at times, well, institutions are only as strong as the individuals who “man” them. I think you can take it as a rule of thumb that the majority of people who make comments here - and Lib’s tone is pretty measured - do so because they believe that such comments can make a difference. Look at it as free consultancy! ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/48 "2005-11-09T14:59:43Z")
We’re always happy to hear from the community; it’s your place and your input into what happens here is important and meaningful. We appreciate what you have to say, even if we’re not always able to acknowledge it in the press of everyday work. At the same time, I won’t stand still and let our staffers be slapped and their actions mischaracterized without having some comment. They work damn hard on your behalf and they deserve better. To claim that they’re not even-handed and that they treat people differently based on personal feelings is to malign them unfairly and it was an accusation I could not let go unchallenged. It might be how some other people would do things, were they to be a moderator, but it’s not how we do business. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650/49 "2005-11-09T15:11:59Z")
In light of the fact that my original post has long since achieved its desired result, and given that discussion has wandered well off-topic, I’d ask that my thread be closed at this time. No need to provide a forum for whingers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-bit-aggressive-with-the-moderating/329650.md?page=2)