What's with the mods lately?

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1

It seems like there have been a lot of threads closed for silly reasons. There has been a noticeable uptick in bannings and suspensions for pretty much ridiculous “infractions”. TubaDiva seems to be running around closing every thread that isn’t worshipful of the mods, if Czarcasm hasn’t beaten her to it.

My question is, “Why?”

I mean, there are obviously (looking at the photo gallery) a lot of adults here. What’s with the overzealous and frankly silly modding, and the “sensitive” rules?

Why do all of these threads need to be closed? Why do we get so little transparency and so many “because I said so” replies?

Maybe a lot of the mods have been doing it too long, or maybe it’s because people are scared of impending financial failure and want to promote some sort of salable message board. There are still a few who seem to be possessed of a bit of discretion and common sense – those are the ones that aren’t the subject of an ATMB (because there is no pitting) thread every couple of days or who aren’t closing every other thread here in ATMB because it’s easier than being consistent and logical. Apparently, even discussions of rules now must be closed because TubaDiva just “isn’t having it”.

Either way, there has been a decline in quality posters and an increase in content that I would best qualify as “something I would see on Yahoo Answers”.

This board is supposed to be a haven for intellectuals, a place where people aren’t hypersensitive, and where poster provides cites and reasoned discussion, or at least aspire to do so.

But it keeps getting more and more ridiculous, where good posters get banned because they “cross the line”, which gets closer to unthinking agreement and mindless sunshine every day.

Let’s have some actual bright line rules, and less butthurt sensitivity by certain moderators. Maybe it is a thankless job. Fine. Quit. If it’s so important to have some respect and authority, maybe you need to rethink what this board is supposed to be about. As it stands, a lot of these decisions are doing a lot of harm and zero good, because of mod ego, administrator fears, and poster frustration.

2

For years, the analogy used when describing the board and the mods interaction with posters was that the place was like a pub/bar/coffee shop or cafe and the mods were like the barstaff/waitstaff.

Now, it seems that the analogy often used for the interaction between mods and posters is that of traffic cop and motorist.

That shift in mindset is what’s with the mods (and, by extension, the board).

ETA:

Knife fight!

3

Someone will come soon and assure us that it’s always been this way.

4

Intellectuals?. That’s some funny stuff right there.

Well said.

5

Of course it hasn’t always been this way; once upon a time, the board had fewer members, less visibility, and less attention from its owners. All of these have changed, and the style of moderation has changed with it. There are more rules and less judgment, more loopholes and less slack.This is absolutely predictable – SDMB has become civilized.

That said, this fatuous comment:

makes me snicker. While he may have kept a fine liquor cabinet, I think Manhattan would have had your balls on toast if you called him “barkeep.”

First person to say “He was the fucking hall monitor” owes me $1.00 for the straight line.

6

This sums it up really well. The drift is a shame but, I think, perceived to be necessary because of the change in the financial expectations of the place.

7

I think that both of those analogies are fine AS ANALOGIES, and neither offers a complete picture. When we see someone mildly misbehaving, we’re usually more like a bouncer at a pub: gentle reminders, then stern Official Warnings, etc. and things can escalate if the person doesn’t co-operate. When we see certain misbehaviors (such as spammers, multiple sock accounts, etc), we come down fast and hard, at once.

And when there are things in the middle… well, it is now and always has been a judgement call. When is the person taking an unpopular stand, and when is it trolling? We tend to give a fairly wide benefit of doubt. When is it a personal insult and when is it just joking around? When us a thread a total train-wreck and when is it just going on a tangent? These are now, and always have been, judgement calls… different mods make different decisions. ::: shrug ::: That’s not new.

Have mod judgements and expectations changed over the years? Of course, as the membership has changed, as the boards have grown, as the internet has become more riddled with spam and Nigerian money-schemes, as the number of banned posters grows (and some of them start sock accounts, or harbor grudges, blaming the mods for their own inability to play nice.) We bump into new situations that we couldn’t have envisioned earlier. As time goes by, there are more people who feel that they were treated unfairly (regardless of the reality) and who bear long grudges. So, sure, things change. Static would be uninteresting and other than human.

8

True. The curve took a major hit about 10 months ago.

9

I think my annoyance with the moderation of this forum is quickly taking a second place seat to my annoyance with the constant complaining about the same.

10

That’s funny, 'cause I think my annoyance with people who pop into clearly-titled threads to say they’re annoyed with the constant complaining has already taken a second place seat to my annoyance with people who could avoid reading/posting to threads that annoy them.

11

Before, when there were only 31 threads complaining about the recent-ish moderation change, there was no hope of it doing anything. But now that there’s 32, I’m sure everything will be different. You tell 'em, ivn.

12

Do you see how long I’ve been here? I have come to this board damn near every day for ten years. I still come here every day. I see change. The recent change I see is nonsensical bannings, suspensions and closed threads with no reason other than a mod not liking it for personal reasons.

If you could look at my posting history, you’d find that not once in the near ten years I’ve been here have I ever complained about the running of this board but it’s starting to tick me off. And I’m not easily ticked off.

13

touche

14

It’s not even the changes that are most annoying; it’s the complete lack of explanations and discussion. It’s just “We discussed it in private and it’s done, thread closed, buh bye”. The mod comments are increasingly patronizing and condescending, and when they aren’t, they are just vague and irrelevant.

Even in ones where the judgment calls are in serious doubt, there’s no mea culpas or even an admission that the call was iffy. Instead, the responses in those cases tend towards a Rodney-style “I get no respect!” or a sort of hurt “It’s a hard job and why do you have to pick on me?”

There are always going to be disagreements and, yes, changes in style and judgment. But that doesn’t excuse bad changes, and certainly isn’t a an explanation of why the management has become so paternalistic.

15

It’s because we love you, son. You may not understand this now, but when you’re older you’ll appreciate what we’ve done. :p:p

16

Don’t forget to mention how it hurts you more than it hurts him.

17

That’s going to be hard to pull off, what with the maniacal cackling.

18

Well, I didn’t say it had to be convincing.

19

And make sure you drop a “Don’t worry your little head” for good measure.

20

Damn! Did I leave my speaker on?