# Terrible modding in ATMB **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 5, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545 "2013-05-05T14:13:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/81 "2013-05-06T07:35:27Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > One has been in the making for about 3-4 days now and has been constantly talked about by the staff most of those days. > It should be ready tomorrow. > > Just an update. This has been such a fuss lately, that one must wonder if TPTB are involved all the way up to the very top. Throughout all those threads last week, with all the fuss and shouting, I noted that **Ed Zotti Himself** never put in an appearance! Has he been involved in this too? Take your time with this, mods. Get it right. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/82 "2013-05-06T08:14:37Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Take your time with this, mods. Get it right. You mean, unlike everything else they’ve been doing recently? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/83 "2013-05-06T08:38:47Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I feel the need to stick my ass into the fire again — to say that I think the mods are asymptotically approaching the right modding level in that thread. From my knowledge of asymptotes as a mathematical concept, I take it you mean that the rate of approach is forever slowing, and they will never actually get there this side of eternity. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/84 "2013-05-06T08:53:22Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > One has been in the making for about 3-4 days now and has been constantly talked about by the staff most of those days. > It should be ready tomorrow. > > Just an update. I would request that any change in policy be made as a proper announcement (at the top of each forum, not just as a thread in ATMB). This may be the normal policy, but I don’t think there’ve been any major rules changes since I’ve been here. > [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Speaking generally, I would say that _causing problems_ for the volunteer mods is problematic at best. As is whining about mod actions that you believe to be less than optimal or getting hysteric about the same. Just because someone volunteers for a job doesn’t mean they shouldn’t do it properly, or that they shouldn’t be held accountable for messing it up. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/85 "2013-05-06T09:20:09Z")
Could the mods perhaps discuss having fewer rules rather than more? Do we really need to codify _everything_ on this board? ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/86 "2013-05-06T09:41:28Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Could the mods perhaps discuss having fewer rules rather than more? Do we really need to codify _everything_ on this board? As long as those are the only enforced. ISTM all of the problems arise when they enforce rules that they make up as they go. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/87 "2013-05-06T11:29:19Z")
Could people quit bitching for like two seconds or at least wait until the announcement is actually made before bitching about it? Just a suggestion. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/88 "2013-05-06T11:31:50Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Could people quit bitching for like two seconds or at least wait until the announcement is actually made before bitching about it? Just a suggestion. And I’d request that people quit bitching about people bitching.:):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/89 "2013-05-06T11:34:19Z")
I’d request that everyone in ATMB get a free pony. Let’s see which happens first. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/90 "2013-05-06T11:45:33Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I’d request that everyone in ATMB get a free pony. Let’s see which happens first. Meh. There actually is a lot to bitch about, for a change. In most of these ATMB bitching sessions, I tend to be on the side of the mods. They (for certain values of they, at least) usually make good, sensible decisions. These last few weeks, this hasn’t been true at all. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2013, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/91 "2013-05-06T11:52:00Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I’d request that everyone in ATMB get a free pony. Let’s see which happens first. Care and upkeep on a pony is ridiculous. Careful what you wish for. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/92 "2013-05-06T12:17:48Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Could people quit bitching for like two seconds or at least wait until the announcement is actually made before bitching about it? Just a suggestion. I’ve been trying to follow along but …what’s even under discussion? A “hate” threshhold? Acceptable targets for real hate? An acceptable “joke” count per thread? How off-topic something has to be before it is a hijack? Who gets to decide what the real topic is in the first place? Don’t tell me they are actually trying to define “jerk” or “insult” … they’ve got it so good now. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/93 "2013-05-06T12:30:06Z")
If I were them, I’d be discussing the pros and cons of gouging my own eyes out with a teaspoon before having to read the 9,000th thread started by someone whining that they’re afraid there will be a policy change they don’t like. This is one of the many, many reasons it’s probably best I’m not a mod. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/94 "2013-05-06T13:20:17Z")
We should follow **Munch** ’s advice. Let’s all just calm down… ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/95 "2013-05-06T13:29:53Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Could the mods perhaps discuss having fewer rules rather than more? Do we really need to codify _everything_ on this board? \< **NOT** Modding \> Yes. Yes we do. Everything must be codified, sorted, and categorized. Then mods will roll 12 sided dice against random tables of mod actions to determine what to punish and when. In addition, your post asked two questions with no statements when the permitted quota of questions permitted is a 2 statements to 1 question ratio. This is misqueryony and is NOT PERMITTED. Do _ **NOT** _ do this again!\* \*Unless, of course, you want to. Me having no power or authority or anything. \< Still **NOT** Modding \> NOT-A-MOD Fenris ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/96 "2013-05-06T14:01:55Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Just change the name of the report post button to I’m Butt hurt and let’s move on. Sounds like a good idea for next April Fool’s on the SDMB. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/97 "2013-05-06T14:55:21Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > Could people quit bitching for like two seconds or at least wait until the announcement is actually made before bitching about it? Just a suggestion. Considering that’s exactly what I instructed everybody to do… Of course I was expecting we’d be able to have something posted Friday, but some of us were busy and then the servers kerploded. As I was saying, I apologize for the inconvenience of barring discussion of a particular issue, and on top of that it lasted quite a bit longer than I expected at the time. But just about all of the threads on the sexism topic had devolved into posters attacking each other for being sexists/PC fun haters and it was accomplishing nothing. The mods are going to start the discussion ourselves so it’ll be clearer what we are doing and why we are doing it. Part of the problem is that a lot of the discussion was being held in only the vaguest generalities, and the mods’ earlier posts to the effect of ‘we’re going to mod this issue more carefully and we’ll see how the details play out over time’ were not specific enough. We probably should’ve thought better of that idea at the time; but in any case people wanted more specifics and we’re just about ready to provide those. Thank you again for your patience. And with that in mind **RedFury** was being a jerk. Not only had I told people that this topic was off limits until the mods were ready to announce something, he was crapping up a thread about the board issues. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/98 "2013-05-06T15:51:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > And with that in mind **RedFury** was being a jerk. Not only had I told people that this topic was off limits until the mods were ready to announce something, he was crapping up a thread about the board issues. Did you somehow miss the point that **Red** was not a participant in the thread where you took the unprecedented and entirely unjustified action of forbidding all discussion of the topic? Everyone does not read every capriciously locked thread in ATMB, and it is not fair to make a rule in a locked thread that most people probably will never read until you or some other mod decides to play “gotcha” with it. If you’re going to make rules, you need to publicize them BEFORE enforcing them. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/99 "2013-05-06T15:56:08Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Did you somehow miss the point that **Red** was not a participant in the thread where you took the unprecedented and entirely unjustified action of forbidding all discussion of the topic? Even if I hadn’t posted that instruction, it’s clear-cut jerk behavior regardless. And I didn’t miss it- it makes no difference because ignorance of the rules is not an excuse. Perhaps you can see how this would be a problem if applied broadly: ‘He was hijacking a topic and being a jerk, but even though he’d posted a bunch about that topic, he wasn’t paying attention to the instructions the mods were giving. So cut him some slack!’ ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545/100 "2013-05-06T16:02:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Not only had I told people that this topic was off limits until the mods were ready to announce something, Where did you do this? Because all I saw was you saying not to start new threads about it and not that it was completely off-topic everywhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-modding-in-atmb/657545.md?page=6)