# In Praise of Good Moderating **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 31, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134 "2009-12-31T02:35:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/21 "2010-01-03T00:01:02Z")
I haven’t interacted with all the mods, but I do want to say that **Czarcasm** and **Gfactor** are 100 kinds of awesome. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/22 "2010-01-03T00:40:43Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Perhaps you mean we need to let this thread stay a complimentary thread and **lightingtool** can start a complementary thread. Color me confused or wooshed. I took the quoted post as a criticism of current moderation in comparison to the past mods. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/23 "2010-01-03T05:11:21Z")
> [@lightingtool](#): > > I would say that pay-to-post had a lot more to do with driving down trouble-maker traffic than any mod decisions. I for one miss the mods we had back in the day - there seemed to be a lot more human interaction between the mods and posters a few years ago. Everything seems too stuffy these days. > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Perhaps we can let this thread stay a complementary thread, as the OP intended. Other threads are available to critique mod actions. > [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > Perhaps you mean we need to let this thread stay a complimentary thread and **lightingtool** can start a complementary thread. > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Color me confused or wooshed. I took the quoted post as a criticism of current moderation in comparison to the past mods. I think you are a bit confused, **IvoryTowerDenizen.** **The Flying Dutchman** is correct. This thread is a **complimentary** thread, or a thread in praise of the mods. I’m sure you meant it should stay as such. However, you used the word **complementary,** which means to accompany or to go along with. If **lightingtool** were to start a second thread based off this one, that thread would be **complementary,** without necessarily being complimentary. Anyway, I want to say, Hear! Hear! I am a moderator with a different message board myself, and can attest there are issues and discussions which occur behind the scenes that the general membership can be unaware of. Warnings can be given to other members which are invisible to the general public of the board. Warnings are not meant to punish, but to remind posters of the rules and attempt to get them to follow the rules. It can be difficult at times as some rules aren’t clearly defined and can be open up to interpretation. Good mods will attempt to maintain lines of communications with members, but not all of those lines are public ones. And sometimes a member will refuse any attempt at communication. That’s where a suspension or ban comes in, but those are usually matters of a last resort which mods enact when there is no other choice in the matter. I think the moderators here do a very good job. I can see where some of their decisions may come under question, but I think they do an adequate job of explaining the actions they take, and as one who can see the issue from both sides, I think they could use a little public appreciation. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/24 "2010-01-03T13:17:06Z")
Oh. Got it! My error! :smack: 🙂 ETA: Excellent use of the multiquote. Well done. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/25 "2010-01-03T13:28:35Z")
Hmm. When I started this thread, I was trying to think of specific moderator actions, while you guys want to take it a more general direction. So I’ll do the same. I don’t know what tomndebb did, but GD seems to have become a much nicer place lately. I actually enjoy some of the threads. Kudos! ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/26 "2010-01-03T13:45:27Z")
I think it should be noted that despite the occasional contentious decision, sometimes followed by the equally occasionally misunderstood justification, all the mods here quite clearly have the board’s and posters’ best interests at heart. Their efforts very skillfully and successfully balance moderation with freedom of speech and expression. It can’t be easy. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/27 "2010-01-03T17:51:03Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > I haven’t interacted with all the mods, but I do want to say that **Czarcasm** and **Gfactor** are 100 kinds of awesome. Is that 100 kinds of awesome each, or are we splitting it 50/50? Not that it matters to _me_, of course. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/28 "2010-01-03T18:44:21Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Perhaps we can let this thread stay a complementary thread, as the OP intended. Other threads are available to critique mod actions. I hope my comment was not thought of as thread shitting - I was just responding to a specific post. However, most (if not all) threads dealing with critiquing moderators have posters standing up for the mods. Should they start another thread to do so? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/29 "2010-01-03T21:52:47Z")
**lightingtool** , most threads about moderators are about a specific action, so it is fine to discuss both sides of that action. This thread was started to compliment moderators, so it makes sense to take complaints and discussion of negative elements to other threads. I’ve never had a problem with the moderators here, and enjoy that they’re here keeping things civil. I may not agree with every action, but appreciate a forum for discussion that isn’t full of hate speech, insults, and genaral nastiness. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/30 "2010-01-04T00:11:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is that 100 kinds of awesome each, or are we splitting it 50/50? > > Not that it matters to _me_, of course. 100 kinds EACH. EACH. Do not doubt ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/31 "2010-01-04T04:08:47Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Oh. Got it! My error! > > :smack: 🙂 > > ETA: Excellent use of the multiquote. Well done. 😃 It’s a gift. And a curse. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/32 "2010-01-04T22:42:55Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is that 100 kinds of awesome each, or are we splitting it 50/50? > > Not that it matters to _me_, of course. It’s 100 total, which works out to 75 kinds each, because there’s some overlap. It’s a math thing. You wouldn’t understand. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![G.Pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@G.Pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Pie)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/33 "2010-01-05T05:01:40Z")
I’m not a regular but I assume the moderating is good here. I was a bit confused about my thread that got closed but it was a very confusing time. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/34 "2010-01-07T10:07:47Z")
Let’s get some life back into this thread. I want to thank tomndebb for the following: > [@No, you ignoramuses, this \*isn't\* racist (or, "Here we go again..")](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-you-ignoramuses-this-isnt-racist-or-here-we-go-again/523886/302): > > **TWEEEEEEEEET!!** > > All right. Enough with the derogatory comments about persons (particularly specific posters) from country X being too [negative adjective] to either recognize aspects of or to admit ignorance of country Q. > > If this is going to be nothing but a slam fest, I’m going to shut it down and tell you all to open a new thread in the Pit. > > **[/Moderating]** I only wish it’d had come sooner. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/35 "2010-01-13T18:23:47Z")
I have to give it up for **Marley23** in [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=547610) I fully admit my place in almost derailing the thing into a pit thread (I had a point though, dammit :)), but **Marley** told me to cool it and then told my opponents to cool it, and he got the thing back on track without issuing a single warning. Kudos, **Marley23**. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/36 "2010-01-13T18:25:58Z")
You were a total asshole, and Marley didn’t even call you one. He politely told you to knock it off. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/37 "2010-01-13T18:44:38Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > You were a total asshole, and Marley didn’t even call you one. He politely told you to knock it off. Well done. [Moderator Note] Insulting other posters is not permitted in ATMB. I’m making this a note rather than a warning since you appear to be commenting on **Monkey’s** behavior, rather than making a direct insult. However, let’s refrain from this kind of comment in the future. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/38 "2010-01-13T20:21:14Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > You were a total asshole, and Marley didn’t even call you one. He politely told you to knock it off. Well done. That was exactly why I resurrected this thread to give **Marley** a compliment. I thought I made that clear. Anywho, I like you **MeanOldLady** , so please feel free to tell me to fuck off in the current pit thread about me. I enjoy locking horns with people I respect. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/39 "2010-01-14T01:58:07Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Let’s get some life back into this thread. I want to thank tomndebb for the following… Yeah, when we all know the real problem is those fuckin’ Country Y’ers, comin’ over here takin’ our jobs an’ oglin’ our wummens. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134/40 "2010-01-15T20:20:50Z")
Have the current and former moderators of the SDMB ever considered writing about their interesting experiences and successful techniques in moderating a message board? I could see this as either a book or a magazine article. And it would be great if they could raise the general level of moderation throughout the Internet. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-praise-of-good-moderating/523134.md?page=1)