If you mean me as a general poster (perhaps my political or religious opinions?), you can certainly discuss it in the Pit. If you mean a specific moderator action I have taken (or not taken), you can bring it up in ATMB. If you mean that 5 years ago, I said or did something that you didn’t like, then I agree: don’t bring it up at all. IMHO, there’s no point in discussing long-dead issues.
Giraffe’s link goes to page 1 of the pit. So I scrolled down, listed all threads from the beginning and jumped to the easy-to-reach page numbered 51. It covered the 4/24/2008-5/20/2008 era of paint-peeling attacks, blistering criticism and pointed rebuttals. Among those mentioned in the pit titles were the members/guests Boyo Jim (?!), 2.5 inches, lekatt, Shagnasty, Shodan, and of course Der Trihs. It wouldn’t be the pit without Der. Also, the politicians/celebrities John McCain, Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, James Carville, Paul Krugman and one President Dumbass were listed. The word “Fuck” came up 17 times in the titles.
I counted 10 threads out of a total of 150 directed at TPTB, such as they are. Here they are:
Then I went to bed.
And on Sunday he rested, no wait…
Ok, so what’s the baseline? I’ve alleged a shift in Pit behavior but I should note that Giraffe hasn’t disagreed with that nor have TPTB complained about those changes. Rather Marley et al maintained that the level of obnoxiousness directed at the mods was unacceptable, which is an absolute standard. Nonetheless, I’m interested in whether my recollections are supportable so I’ll include a control group.
Control group
Page 233 covers the 4/21/2001-5/8/2001 golden era of astute observation and calm expression in the BBQ Pit. There were 18 fucks, or actually 20 fucks but one title had 3 of them. Interesting thread titles include, What have you been called on this board?, When Czarcasm Becomes Invective, Where has all the decorum gone? (about retail interaction). I could only find 3 threads that referenced moderators (judging from titles and mouse-overs). Here they are:
The first deployed sarcasm against the moderator Alphagene who had written to the OP the following:
Yup, that was written by a moderator. Nobody but the OP seemed to mind. The thread contained 20 posts, all taking the side of the mods except for the OP himself.
The second was a Valentine to Lynn Bodini for changing, “…the status on all of Mark’s sock puppets to “Just another Serlin””.
The third involved Czarcasm, written by a former but highly prolific poster. Hey, I just report 'em. The first 3 posts not by the OP took the mod’s side. The OP then decided to let things slide in post 6. Czarcasm comes in to note that it’s his first pit thread (and it won’t be his last, bwahahaha). Czarcasm and the OP then discuss the existence or non-existence of magic(k). Post 32 was interesting:
That was directed at another poster, not the OP. Pretty civil stuff. In the pit! Admittedly that contribution was by an usually thoughtful poster.
Anyway, yeah, there was a shift in tone. I may have miscounted but by my estimate the score is 10-0. Those wishing to chum through the 10 mod-related threads from 2008 are welcome. The above analysis most probably contains unintentional inaccuracies. Note for example that I didn’t dig into the 2008 mod related threads. I welcome further systematic investigation.
What caused this shift? Hard to say, but I see it as a natural evolution: poster obnoxiousness and inaccuracy is inversely proportional to accountability. Also Gresham’s law: voluminous bad posting drives out the good. Those who argue for tolerance generally don’t like to repeat their point or their case a thousand times, unlike the meisters of snark.
Yet you’re the one who brought it up in public. We were discussing czarcasm, not Giraffe. You’re the one who brought up a long-buried grudge from five years ago. IMO, you should either elaborate or apologize. To do neither, and to disown your remark again strikes me as hypocritical. You did have my respect, but it’s slowly slipping away.
It takes a big man to kiss a giraffe’s ass. Well, a tall one, anyway.
(injecting necessary levity, no invective toward any of those involved. Dona Nobis Pacem)
So saying that Giraffe bears partial responsibility for the end of one Pit era is an unforgivable attack on his honor? I don’t see things that way. Do I misunderstand you?
Which is why accusations of ass-kissing are idiotic, when discussing a dispute between one guy who heads another popular message board and a moderator of this one. Not that cochrane made such assertions.
Oh, chill.
Ok, fair enough. I’m just saying that this is a dispute between Godzilla and King Kong so issues of toadying don’t really apply that well. Both can crush Bambi.
I can see a potential issue here; if someone were to Pit you for the post addressing Giraffe up above, it’s difficult to see a way to do so that would not involve pointing out your, uhm, moderatorship, to whatever extent that could be seen to be in play.
So, fingers crossed that this is taken in the completely non-insulting or offensive way it is intended; I think your post to Giraffe, a former moderator, if it had been written by any other poster, would have gained at least a mod note, and given the general tone of the thread perhaps even a straight warning. Given that the subject of the thread is how (and where) we’re allowed to treat former moderators and other average posters, what seems to me to be intended as an offensive, insulting post in ATMB would appear to be in direct contradiction with the interpretation of the rules that has been offered by yourself and other moderators (or Marley, anyway). I don’t mean any offense at all towards you by saying this, I’m just attempting to question the basis for which what you said was either acceptable or otherwise.
Yes. Badly.
No. I did not.
Rather than reply in depth, I’ll let you read Revenant Threshold’s post just above mine. He expresses what I was trying to say better than I did. My opinion runs in sync with his.
You accused Giraffe of God knows what related to his moderation of the pit. With considerable snark I might add. Asked to clarify, you refused, saying that you wouldn’t discuss it here on this message board, in spite of having brought it up here on this message board.
Truly, you’ve been acting like a spoiled child as a moderator these past few weeks. And I’m not even all that interested in this board’s moderation.
That you didn’t understand my reference truly suggests that you aren’t reading the words on the screen. Take a few days break, for heaven’s sake.
Fair enough.
Really? Saying that Giraffe had something to do with the brouhaha a few years ago would get you a warning? Again, Dex wasn’t alleging full responsibility, only partial. Frankly I find the opposite contention more insulting to Giraffe’s character. I mean you can’t be saying that he takes absolutely no managerial responsibility for what happened when he was moderator. As I said upthread, that would be weaseling and Giraffe isn’t a weasel.
I’ve provided pretty good proof that the feel of the Pit changed markedly from 2001 to 2008. I’m not assigning blame for that. I’m just saying that the moderators of the pit were involved in the moderation of the pit.
I don’t have a problem with Giraffe asking for clarification. I think the idea that the original accusation was extreme to be absurd. It’s no secret that Giraffe prefers looser moderation standards after all: that’s why he started his own website.
What a great thread! People recounting the horrible things they’ve been called on the boards, reacting to them with jest and the jocularity that should accompany an internet insult. When did everything become such serious bidnis? I guess I just cannot identify with Dex’s inability to even bring oneself to read a few naughty words that are in close proximity to one’s name. I certainly appreciate his taking his role here seriously, for so long - but his recent lashing out at Giraffe makes me think that maybe the “serenity now!” approach just isn’t working for him.
But that’s from the 2001 era. Dex never expressed any problems with that time period.
What happened incidentally is that years of proximity increased inter-poster testiness. There was more mutual respect in the early days and it’s unsurprising that over time positions hardened. The few main conciliators among the membership drifted away.
Also, I need to correct something in my previous post. I provided evidence of a shift in tone in the pit, not proof. I mean I didn’t even read the, “What have you been called on this board?” thread, though I can guess about its general feel.
I agree with this and that’s the point I was largely trying to make. I think it was poor form of Dex to lob a bomb at Giraffe then refuse to clarify it saying, “I refuse to discuss it in public.” I know the moderators don’t always agree on how to handle every situation, but that’s what their mod loop is for. I think any criticism of one mod (or ex-mod) by another should stay in the mod loop and not be brought out in public. (Of course, members are free to make all the public criticism of the mods they want.) Or in Giraffe’s case, I wouldn’t have a problem with Dex sending Giraffe a PM saying, “You’re the reason the Pit went downhill.” Then they could have had a little back-and-forth in private to their hearts’ content. I don’t blame Giraffe for wanting to know “WTF’s that all about?” If you’re going to throw accusations out, whether founded or not, then you should provide elaboration or explanation and give the other person a chance to respond rather than leaving it hanging in the air like a bad smell.
Well, I’ve been interested in the latest moderation kerfuffle, that’s certainly true.
You objected to my asking John Clay about his long-winded poo? Why, might I ask?
Ok. I’m saying the accusation is too mild to worry about. If Dex claimed majority responsibility that would be another matter, but he didn’t.
Heck, I’ll take some responsibility for the decline in tone on this message board and I’m only a poster!
No, no, I don’t object. I’m saying that the particular [del]one[/del] two sentence post in question did not present particularly adult optics. Not that I have a problem with that, but I wasn’t hurtling accusations at our unpaid volunteer moderators.
Pot/kettle.
Of those ten threads, which would you say was the most abusive toward the moderators? How many would be out of place in ATMB right now? Just counting threads with moderation related topics is pointless, given that the contention is that the moderators were routinely subject to serious verbal abuse.
Actually, Dex stated that the reason I preferred the old way of doing things in the Pit was because I didn’t like doing any work and that I was one of the reasons the rules had to be abruptly changed. That is not the same as saying I had some influence over the Pit at the time, with which I would obviously not disagree. The first part is fairly insulting, but I’m honestly interested enough in hearing the reasoning behind the second part that it’s worth ignoring, IMO.
Because I don’t see it. I enforced the rules that had existed in the Pit since 2000, with a few minor modifications made after consultation with the full mod staff. I also helped to explain rules and rulings to other posters, tried to smooth over brewing confrontations when my fellow mods stuck their feet in their mouths, defended my fellow mods from attack when they were in the right, and kept my mouth politely shut when they decided to keep arguing when they were wrong.
And please don’t forget that the original catalyst was someone telling a mod to fuck off. Is anyone seriously contending that no one said fuck you or fuck off to a mod before I started modding the Pit and turned it into a toxic swamp of vulgarity and cruelty? How did I magically make that happen? Or force the admins to lose their shit in response and start throwing around suspensions and making up rules? Because again, I’m not seeing it.
I’d be pretty offended if I thought the allegation had any basis in fact, but since it doesn’t appear to, I’m mostly just confused.
(V),;,;,(V) You’re BAD and you should feel BAD. [/ZB]