I wondered how long it would take… 
Happy to help.
I had been wondering how long it would take you to arrive.
As a matter of fact, samclem has given himself a mod note for an inappropriate remark in GQ. But he’s a board legend even without that.
Because its very hard not to see much of it as pitchfork waving. Just as an example, and with no real intention to single anybody out, here are a selection of quotes about Twickster from one poster in particular, all from their last twenty posts in ATMB.
Those quotes would be right at home in a pit thread, not in any serious discussion of the running of the board, yet that is the tone that seems to be prevalent every time somebody decides they don’t like Twickster this week. It all seems so very personal to some people, and so is it so surprising that the admins will just roll their eyes and say nothing.
Hell, what do you want them to say? For many people no less than the removal of Twickster as a mod will do, for the rest, any sort of reprimand will be seen as validation. Why on earth would the admins fall into that trap.
As I indicated before, the best thing the admins can do is tell Ed to back the fuck off, and let people pit moderators again. I bet we wouldn’t be seeing these types of ongoing witchhunts.
Didn’t we do this already?
Besides, I am curious. You can’t really believe that I care a great deal about kissing up to the mods, can you? Seriously? Do I seem like the type that is waiting around for a pat on the back from the bosses? Really?
Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps this is my opinion? And that I simply have different views on what shite people should have to put up with as mods?
I believe it at exactly the same level that you believe that people come to these threads only because they have unreasonable and unfounded criticisms of the moderators.
I agree, FWIW.
That would certainly be a good first step towards improving moderation around here. She has shown, time and again, she is unwilling or unable to muster the level of detachment necessary to moderate threads fairly and to the rules.
Me Too.™ If nothing else, allowing the moderators to be pitted will reduce the amount of unfounded moderator complaining in ATMB, so that the ATMB discussions of actually terrible moderation will be less crowded out.
I wouldn’t be opposed to that but I don’t know that it’s needed. Why not just let posters say they don’t like her moderation in this forum? That way people can express their feelings without all the name calling.
It is personal. We love this place. We are part of a community here. It’s not wrong to want it to be run as best it can be.
Serious question: Why do you think it is you had to post these two phrases?
The difference being, that when Manhattan or DavidB went all nuclear on your ass, you could take them to the Pit and hash it out mano-a-mano. You didn’t have your hands tied behind your back so they could insult you but you couldn’t respond.
Nowdays, a mod insults someone and they can’t be taken to the Pit and responded to in kind. And it can’t really be discussed here either because the thread will often be closed based on some idiotic arbitrary standard “I think this has gone on long enough” or “I’ve decreed that this has been resolved so I’m shutting the thread.” or “Hey, the mod defenders are fighting the people with the problem with the mod in question. Fights go in the Pit. Closing thread” or, hey, "Before there are requests for tumbrils and pounds of flesh, let’s close this thread. " (aka, the “Beaten like a mule” gambit.
If we must keep mod threads in ATMB, randomly closing them, rather than punishing people who are out of bounds for ATMB is a cowardly, pathetic move.
Seriously–why not just simply say “No complaints against mods, they’re far too delicate to take in-kind responses.” and be done with it? Why maintain the fiction that there’s any interest whatsoever in poster complaints/concerns?
*And I don’t think Twickster’s offense was all that big of a deal. Tubadiva’s closing the other thread, though, was typically idiotic mod-action.
I think l_i_h is calling twickster a twat by the changed names, and is doing so because twickster apparently got away with it, so why can’t she?
I also suspect she’s mad enough that she doesn’t really care whether she gets in trouble for doing so. My only advice there is “Come back when you aren’t so mad, and see if you still don’t care.” I have found in the past that I do. Then again, she seems less happy here than even I was at first.
I agree with everything you’ve posted here.
Maybe they should just relabel ATMB as Jerk Circle/Vent here.
At least then, posters expectations will be in line with likely outcome.
Just own it, and be honest. People will suddenly understand. Happiness will rule the valley once again.
I could almost get behind this. Imagine a visitor trying to find out what’s what here, checking out the forum titled About This Message Board to find out what we’re about…and reading venom-filled diatribes and demands directed towards the moderators.
What a great first impression.
edited to add: Other appropriate names would be The Shark Tank or The Piranha Pool.
You’re right. “How to give us money” and “How to surf this board without giving yourself a virus” are far better introductions to the recent atmosphere.
On my (admittedly much smaller) board, we don’t even have a forum like this. We just expect our mods not to be jerks and smack them down ourselves when they get out of hand (which incidentally, they never do).
Also really stupid, over-the-top hyperbole about the horrible abuse of the mods, insults thinly disguised as annoying rhetorical questions about the motives of people who dare question the mods, and the ever ‘popular’ chorus of “Mods who insult people and aren’t allowed to be insulted back, are beaten like mules around here” by people who are terrified of any possible discussion of mod action.
That’s bad too.
Yeah, that would be bad if it ever happened.
And do you reveal all that happens behind the scenes to your posters?