Over-moderation

[Just_1]

As my guest membership is due to expire shortly, I thought I’d post here one of the reasons why I am deciding to NOT take out a membership.

The reason is in the title: over-moderation. While I have been visiting these boards frequently over the past three weeks or so, and while there are undoubtedly some very intelligent, interesting and helpful people who post here, the moderators have made things unbearable. It seems like this site is run by a bunch of kids who are trying to get off on a power trip!

It seems in almost every thread, a moderator has to do something. Often it’s moving the thread to a different board, even if the original board was reasonably suitable. In fact, a surprising proportion of threads begin with the OP stating “I’m not sure if this is where this thread belongs”, for fear of being “scolded” by a moderator. Then there are the constant warnings for posting even the most harmless things. And let’s not forget all of the threads that for some reason have to be closed just when they’re getting interesting, usually for reasons as stupid as some posts being marginally off-topic.

But one of the worst examples I’ve seen was a user (who’s name I cannot remember) that reported he had previously been banned for answering someone’s question on how to extract music from a CD or DVD. Never mind that the person asking the question may be well within his rights to extract the music of a CD he actually owns! If I had read this reason for a ban on any other Internet forum, I would not have believed it, but here on the SDMB I have no problem believing it’s true.

And once a user is actually banned, for some bizarre reason a new thread on the “About This Message Board” forum is made stating that the user was banned, for everyone to discuss! What, is this supposed to be a deterrent to stop others from misbehaving?

There forums feel more like a dictatorship than any other Internet forum I have ever come across. What on earth for? The level of intelligence here is clearly above what one can expect from a typical Internet forum - largely due to the need to subscribe - so why are there a bunch of dictators running around banning users for nothing, closing threads for the sake of it, and moving threads continuously?

I’m going to stop visiting these forums for the next few months. Hopefully when I return, things will have changed, in which case I may reconsider subscribing. But for now, so long, and enjoy your dictatorship.

[tomndebb]

This thread will not be moved because it is, as it happens, in the correct Forum.

And once a user is actually banned, for some bizarre reason a new thread on the “About This Message Board” forum is made stating that the user was banned, for everyone to discuss! What, is this supposed to be a deterrent to stop others from misbehaving?

No. This was a response by the staff to the express wishes of the participants of this board to be given reasons when long-time posters are banned, with some sort of evidence that the banned member had both misbehaved and been sufficiently warned regarding that misbehavior.

Damned if we do; damned if we don’t.

[tomndebb]

I’m going to stop visiting these forums for the next few months. Hopefully when I return, things will have changed, in which case I may reconsider subscribing.

In the interests of avoiding any future problems, if we have improved to the point where you would consider signing up when you return, please use the same username when you sign up. (We can change it for you later, if you need.) One of our terrible rules is that we will immediately ban any guest whom we find posting under multiple usernames.

[Mangetout]

Meh. When come back, bring spine.

[Metacom]

@tomndebb

Damned if we do; damned if we don’t.

No, I’d say that the ATMB announcements have been received positively. Not damned there at all. And, even though it’s led to a couple pit threads, I’m glad someone has finally stepped up and started seriously moderating GD–it desperately needs it, and I’d much rather see a forum where a moderator errs on the side of keeping things civil then a USENET-style jizzfest.

Maybe the ravings of shrill idiots who won’t put “The Incident[sup]TM[/sup]” behind them are making the boards seem more mod-hostile for some reason…

[lel]

If you really want to see over-moderation, I have some good places to point you. This isn’t one of them. You have the freedom to post this thread here, and unless it degenerates into something horrible, they aren’t going to close it just for being a criticism of the moderation here. That’s one trait I don’t see at all boards.

[manhattan]

@Metacom

No, I’d say that the ATMB announcements have been received positively. Not damned there at all.

Although if the new policy happened to be criticized by a sock then it would be darned.

[DeadlyAccurate]

@Just_

As my guest membership is due to expire shortly, I thought I’d post here one of the reasons why I am deciding to NOT take out a membership.

The reason is in the title: over-moderation. While I have been visiting these boards frequently over the past three weeks or so, and while there are undoubtedly some very intelligent, interesting and helpful people who post here, the moderators have made things unbearable. It seems like this site is run by a bunch of kids who are trying to get off on a power trip!

On the other hand, most of the moderated boards I’ve been on do not allow you to disagree with the moderators even a little, let alone calling them goat-felching swamp nuggets when you feel they get out of line. That, to me, says more about the administrations ability to avoid a power trip than anything.

It seems in almost every thread, a moderator has to do something. Often it’s moving the thread to a different board, even if the original board was reasonably suitable. In fact, a surprising proportion of threads begin with the OP stating “I’m not sure if this is where this thread belongs”, for fear of being “scolded” by a moderator.

I’ve never seen someone scolded for having a thread moved, unless they are consistent offenders.

Then there are the constant warnings for posting even the most harmless things. And let’s not forget all of the threads that for some reason have to be closed just when they’re getting interesting, usually for reasons as stupid as some posts being marginally off-topic.

I’d have to see some examples to know what you’re talking about. I’ve seen a few threads unjustly closed; some have been re-opened after people complained.

But one of the worst examples I’ve seen was a user (who’s name I cannot remember) that reported he had previously been banned for answering someone’s question on how to extract music from a CD or DVD. Never mind that the person asking the question may be well within his rights to extract the music of a CD he actually owns! If I had read this reason for a ban on any other Internet forum, I would not have believed it, but here on the SDMB I have no problem believing it’s true.

I would need to see more to know what to say about this. But if the user was back here posting, he/she was either unbanned eventually, or they’re about to be banned again for making a sockpuppet.

And once a user is actually banned, for some bizarre reason a new thread on the “About This Message Board” forum is made stating that the user was banned, for everyone to discuss! What, is this supposed to be a deterrent to stop others from misbehaving?

It’s not to stop others from misbehaving. It’s to let everyone know that the banning was deserved. In other words, the moderators feel an obligation to us. Doesn’t seem much like a dictatorship when they have to explain and justify their actions, now does it? An administrator was recently suspended because of her actions after complaints from the subscribers. How in the world you can call this a dictatorship, I haven’t a clue.

[Ethilrist]

@Just_

… in almost every thread, a moderator has to do something.

… a surprising proportion of threads begin with the OP stating “I’m not sure if this is where this thread belongs”, for fear of being “scolded” by a moderator.

… constant warnings for posting even the most harmless things.

… a user … that reported he had previously been banned for answering someone’s question on how to extract music from a CD or DVD.

… once a user is actually banned, for some bizarre reason a new thread on the “About This Message Board” forum is made stating that the user was banned…

… The level of intelligence here is clearly above what one can expect from a typical Internet forum - largely due to the need to subscribe - so why are there a bunch of dictators running around banning users for nothing, closing threads for the sake of it, and moving threads continuously?

Works for me.

Oh, wait. Those were supposed to be negatives???

[don_t_ask]

@manhattan

Although if the new policy happened to be criticized by a sock then it would be darned.

In some more enlightened countries this post would be a capital offense.

[tomndebb]

don’t ask, I’m waiting to see whether manhattan replies and if you’ll then think he bested you–or would that be worsted?

[Jonathan_Chance]

@Just_

There forums feel more like a dictatorship than any other Internet forum I have ever come across. What on earth for? The level of intelligence here is clearly above what one can expect from a typical Internet forum - largely due to the need to subscribe - so why are there a bunch of dictators running around banning users for nothing, closing threads for the sake of it, and moving threads continuously?

Well, I won’t comment on the ‘banning users for nothing etc’ stuff.

But have you considered that we tolerate it precisely because we’re the smart adults on the block?

The vast majority of the 'net is run and contains behavior as if it was run by dumbass high school boys. And who the hell can value that?

I like to think of us as being in the ‘adults only’ time of skating.

[Polycarp]

@lel

If you really want to see over-moderation, I have some good places to point you. This isn’t one of them. You have the freedom to post this thread here, and unless it degenerates into something horrible, they aren’t going to close it just for being a criticism of the moderation here. That’s one trait I don’t see at all boards.

::: smiles wanly; applauds lel :::

[Polycarp]

@don't ask

In some more enlightened countries this post would be a capital offense.

But here it only attracts interest!

[fishbicycle]

@tomndebb

don’t ask, I’m waiting to see whether manhattan replies and if you’ll then think he bested you–or would that be worsted?

We’re not worthy of such purls of wisdom.

[Turek]

I, for one, welcome our new moderating overlords.

What? Someone had to say it!

But on a serious note, I think we have a pretty good level of moderation. Things are kept organized and moving, and yet people are free to talk about what they want to talk about, how they want to talk about it. Sure, there are some subjects that are verboten, but hey, that’s what happens when you live and work in an adult, non-archistic society. If it’s not your cuppatea, feel free to mosey on elsewhere.

[Darkhold]

Only message board I go to (well apart from some specific game boards I’ll lurk in or post to while I’m playing that game.) and I come to this board because of the modding. Jerks are banned (sooner or later) the rules are clear and upfront and if you have a problem with the mods you can take it to the pit.

And amazingly they will occasionally change or reverse a policy because of this. Like the threads on banned members (thank you so much that helps clarify matters so much more then the membership thrashing it out in 3+ pages).

A message board with rules, moderation, a responsive administration and a bunch of highly intelligent people commenting on every topic under the sun? Sign me up…oh wait I already did.

[neutron_star]

@Just_

The level of intelligence here is clearly above what one can expect from a typical Internet forum - largely due to the need to subscribe

Nope. Most of the active posters here (including everyone who has responded to this thread so far) signed up long before the whole paid membership thing started last March.

Perhaps the heavy moderation is one of the reasons smart people like to hang out here. Have you ever been in a debate on another board and watched your well-reasoned arguments fall on deaf ears while idiots hurled lame insults at each other rather than actually discuss the issue? Or opened up what you thought would be an interesting thread, only to see a bunch of one-line chatroom-style posts with bad spelling, bad grammar, no punctuation, no capitalization, and huge pictures for sigs? That shit gets old very fast.

I’m going to stop visiting these forums for the next few months. Hopefully when I return, things will have changed

They won’t. It’s been like this for years.

[glee]

@Just_

While I have been visiting these boards frequently over the past three weeks or so, and while there are undoubtedly some very intelligent, interesting and helpful people who post here, the moderators have made things unbearable. It seems like this site is run by a bunch of kids who are trying to get off on a power trip!

Do you have evidence of that?

@Just_

It seems in almost every thread, a moderator has to do something.

I’ve been posting here for years. No moderator has ever ‘done anything’ to my threads. (Apart from make interesting contributions!)

@Just_

In fact, a surprising proportion of threads begin with the OP stating “I’m not sure if this is where this thread belongs”, for fear of being “scolded” by a moderator.

What is the proportion?

@Just_

Then there are the constant warnings for posting even the most harmless things.

Do you have evidence of that?

@Just_

And let’s not forget all of the threads that for some reason have to be closed just when they’re getting interesting, usually for reasons as stupid as some posts being marginally off-topic.

Do you have evidence of that?

@Just_

And once a user is actually banned, for some bizarre reason a new thread on the “About This Message Board” forum is made stating that the user was banned, for everyone to discuss! What, is this supposed to be a deterrent to stop others from misbehaving?

It’s a response to requests from the posters, who wanted to know why this ban had happened.

@Just_

There forums feel more like a dictatorship than any other Internet forum I have ever come across.

Do you have evidence of that?

[manhattan]

@tomndebb

don’t ask, I’m waiting to see whether manhattan replies and if you’ll then think he bested you–or would that be worsted?

In Germany, where You capitalize all Nouns, he would be Wurst.