# Mod conflict of interest **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 12, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316 "2021-07-12T16:14:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/1 "2021-07-12T16:14:24Z")
Yesterday in the **Should moderator actions be in public or in private?** thread, @What_Exit replied to @DrDeth accusing him of misrepresenting something, gave his (W-E’s) side of the story, and then used his mod powers to prevent @DrDeth or anyone else replying. Surely it’s inappropriate to use mod powers to block people from criticising your actions or disagreeing with you in a discussion? > [@Should moderator actions be in public or in private?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-moderator-actions-be-in-public-or-in-private/945286/108): > > He probably means me and he is both incorrect and misrepresenting things. The other board is Giraffe Board that has one forum that is mostly devoted to Snark. I think he thinks I formed a negative impression of him based on the snark threads and not the dozens of reports about him here when I became a mod here. I was barely aware of him at all until I became a moderator at the Straight Dope. GB has a large Games forums for MAFIA players, not my thing. But it has this awesome Megapoll forum tha… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/2 "2021-07-12T16:23:06Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Surely it’s inappropriate to use mod powers to block people from criticising your actions or disagreeing with you in a discussion? It can be appropriate, and shutting down this tangent was appropriate. I think **What Exit?** could have gone without offering his opinion first - **ecg** did something similar recently, on the other side of the issue. I don’t think we are supposed to talk about other board drama at all. But mods are entirely within their rights to get in the last word. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/3 "2021-07-12T16:25:51Z")
Especially as he is not the Mod for ATMB. He could have made contact with the proper Mod and requested the action, that would not have looked so bad. He also indicates his activity as different than reality. Not to mention- “dozens of reports” is meaningless as some people have taken it upon themselves to report posters they do not like. > [@Max\_S](#): > > I don’t think we are supposed to talk about other board drama at all. That was not about “other board drama”. It was a simple fact that a “employee” was spending time in a forum dedicated to bashing the place where he 'worked". No drama over there was discussed. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/4 "2021-07-12T16:31:51Z")
Your allegation itself counts as inter board drama, at least in my opinion. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/5 "2021-07-12T16:52:18Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Yesterday in the **Should moderator actions be in public or in private?** thread, @What_Exit replied to @DrDeth accusing him of misrepresenting something, gave his (W-E’s) side of the story, and then used his mod powers to prevent @DrDeth or anyone else replying. > > Surely it’s inappropriate to use mod powers to block people from criticising your actions or disagreeing with you in a discussion? WE made the exact right call. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/6 "2021-07-12T17:32:57Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > That was not about “other board drama”. It was a simple fact that a “employee” was spending time in a forum dedicated to bashing the place where he 'worked". employee? > a person employed for wages or salary, especially at nonexecutive level. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/7 "2021-07-12T17:33:39Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > don’t think we are supposed to talk about other board drama at all. I’ve wondered about this official/unofficial rule that stifles discussion here about the presence of the Behind Your Back forum there which is virtually 100% snark about sdmb members. Could be retro snark ( a deep dive into old sdmb posts bringing up ancient drama for shits and giggles) or current snark ( also for shits and giggles and to mobilize raffers for bbq pit pile ons). What’s the problem with exposing its existence here? ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/8 "2021-07-12T17:35:36Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > It can be appropriate, and shutting down this tangent was appropriate. I think **What Exit?** could have gone without offering his opinion first - **ecg** did something similar recently, on the other side of the issue. If it was appropriate to shut down the tangent, then it wasn’t really appropriate for WE to first continue it by giving his own opinion. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/9 "2021-07-12T17:44:39Z")
Says the person who is an admin at Giraffe and posts in the Behind Your Back threads. Since the Giraffe board is so innocent, why don’t you tell everyone here what you did with the info you got from going thru my profile? And for once, Demon Tree is right. That was a shitty mod decision by **WhatExit?** , knowing ahead of time that posters are prohibited from talking about anything that goes on over there. **ECG** should have at least mod noted him for that and deleted his post. **WhatExit**? basically called **DrDeth** a liar, in ATMB where I don’t think you are allowed to call someone a liar, plus he attacked **DrDeth** and not his posts. If that hair is going to be split for posters, it sure as hell should be for moderators. I would also like to know if **WhatExit?** hid my post temporarily so it was out of sight until he could compose his response. I got a message that my post was flagged by “the community” and hidden until a mod could read it. Considering it was only up for about five minutes and nobody else posted in the thread I would be surprised if enough community members even read the post much less flagged it as inappropriate. Especially since it reappeared when WhatExit? posted his reply and I was not mod noted for it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/10 "2021-07-12T17:51:13Z")
I am an Admin at the GB. I honestly have no idea what you mean about info gained by going through your profile. Furthermore, I generally don’t know what someone could even do with information from a profile. We can discuss this further over PMs if you want. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/11 "2021-07-12T17:55:57Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > WE made the exact right call. By “we” you mean _you_ as a Admin at another board? How did you, as _a admin of another board,_ have any input whatsoever here at the SDMB about making “the call”? ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/12 "2021-07-12T17:58:08Z")
I assume by WE he meant “What Exit”. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/13 "2021-07-12T17:59:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > By “we” you mean _you_ as a Admin at another board? No. W.E. = What Exit. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/14 "2021-07-12T18:03:51Z")
Man, talk about a “_conflict of interest_”. Is it surprising that you, as a Admin at another board would be in favor of stopping any criticism of that board? Your posts here show that the problem is very real. And, just to nitpick, you posted “WE” not “W.E.”. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/15 "2021-07-12T18:05:42Z")
Yes you do. You just know that I’m not allowed to mention it here, so you can play innocent about it. If your memory is really that bad, go back to your board and search posts in the BYB thread where people talked about me for a couple hours and link to what you contributed. If it’s no big deal, you are not breaking SDMB rules about posting anything bad about Giraffe. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/16 "2021-07-12T18:26:43Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I would also like to know if **WhatExit?** hid my post temporarily so it was out of sight until he could compose his response. I got a message that my post was flagged by “the community” and hidden until a mod could read it. Considering it was only up for about five minutes and nobody else posted in the thread I would be surprised if enough community members even read the post much less flagged it as inappropriate. Especially since it reappeared when WhatExit? posted his reply and I was not mod noted for it. It is against the rules to note whether you reported a post or not outside the Pit, so your question is unlikely to be answered, but I’d note that your post could be read by other members as instigating a board war and therefore could be reportable. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/17 "2021-07-12T18:27:51Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Man, talk about a “ _conflict of interest_ ”. Is it surprising that you, as a Admin at another board would be in favor of stopping any criticism of that board? > > Your posts here show that the problem is very real. > > And, just to nitpick, you posted “WE” not “W.E.”. I’ve heard or Reptilians controlling our governments, but could Giraffes be controlling our message boards? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/18 "2021-07-12T18:36:47Z")
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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mod-conflict-of-interest/946316/19 "2021-07-12T18:41:11Z")
We don’t allow board wars. This is closed. We have no control over Giraffe or any other message board. If you have a problem with something that people are doing on Giraffe, take it to Giraffe. Don’t bring the issue back over here.