picking on people

satinbutterfly said:
Can't win for losing... just saying.

How about we just have the members tell us mods what we can and can't post from now on? You know... since we're only allowed to contribute and say or do whatever it is you guys want us to do. Should we have a separate set of rules to make you happy? This is getting ridiculous.

The mod in question didn't break any rules folks. And quite frankly when you kick the hornets nest you can certainly expect to be stung, by members AND mods. Just the way it goes, on this board and in real life. You don't want to be 'picked on' then don't fucking post in the debate section. If you can't stand to have your opinions or things you share questioned than don't post them on the open forum. It's just that simple.
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This is why I suggested the "MOD SQUAD" idea.

You could go around as Satin and say and do what every poster can. However, if you saw something that required MOD attention you could duck into the nearest phone booth and come out as Moderator 3 to lay the law down, Ex Cathedra.

There would be a clear line between "This is what Jennifer thinks" and "This is the official statement of OTz" As it stands, when we see a MOD or a MOD jumping onto the pig pile it gives the tacit statement "This is acceptable behavior."

Those of us that knew you and the other MODs when you were still mere mortals walking the Earth with us can tell when it's Satin and when it's THE VOICE OF GOD speaking. However, if somebody is new, all they see is a MOD jumping their ass.
 
satinbutterfly said:
Can't win for losing... just saying.

How about we just have the members tell us mods what we can and can't post from now on? You know... since we're only allowed to contribute and say or do whatever it is you guys want us to do. Should we have a separate set of rules to make you happy? This is getting ridiculous.

The mod in question didn't break any rules folks. And quite frankly when you kick the hornets nest you can certainly expect to be stung, by members AND mods. Just the way it goes, on this board and in real life. You don't want to be 'picked on' then don't fucking post in the debate section. If you can't stand to have your opinions or things you share questioned than don't post them on the open forum. It's just that simple.
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I feel your pain. Being a moderator is a thankless job. Ever poster likes you if you are agreeing with them. Taking a stance or stating an opinion they don't agree with and you are drawn & quartered. Talk down to a poster & all heck breaks loose. I believe moderators deserve the same liberties as other posters. If you don't agree with a moderator suck it up like you would any other poster.
 
All Else Failed said:
To people that are mods, you agreed to a de facto code of conduct when assuming the role. You can't just post whatever you feel like. It is basically the same on every other forum.
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We follow the same rules everyone else does. We just ban spam and infract the people who name call when it's reported. That's it. We're posters with opinions like everyone else. And if someone posts something I disagree with I'm going to tell them I disagree and why, mod or not. Just the way it goes.
 
AUFred said:
I feel your pain. Being a moderator is a thankless job. Ever poster likes you if you are agreeing with them. Taking a stance or stating an opinion they don't agree with and you are drawn & quartered. Talk down to a poster & all heck breaks loose. I believe moderators deserve the same liberties as other posters. If you don't agree with a moderator suck it up like you would any other poster.
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What he said. :thumbup
 
I get the idea that this thread is in danger of running off the rails…

Let me see if I can summarize:


  • TPWSNBN has complained of being bullied.
  • Counter arguments state that it is a case of TPWSNBN being immature and kicking a sleeping dog and then running off crying when it bit her.
  • Discussion then went to whether or not this was “bullying” or “piling on” and if they are the same.
  • It was then brought up that several MOD’s have been a part of the “piling on”, if not outright “bullying”.
  • MOD’s questioned why they are subject to different rules than the rest of posters.
  • The opinion was expressed that MOD involvement in an activity gives a tacit approval of said activity.
  • AEF then took another photo smirking while wearing a plaid shirt to celebrate. :D

Is this an accurate summation of the past 125 posts?
 
satinbutterfly said:
We follow the same rules everyone else does. We just ban spam and infract the people who name call when it's reported. That's it. We're posters with opinions like everyone else. And if someone posts something I disagree with I'm going to tell them I disagree and why, mod or not. Just the way it goes.
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Oh, I'm not saying you can't debate or post your own opinion. Not at all.

What I am saying is that as a moderator, there is a code of conduct you should probably follow such as not getting involved with drama that is silly unless there are rules infractions that need to be solved. Not saying you do this (you probably don't).
 
AUFred said:
I feel your pain. Being a moderator is a thankless job. Ever poster likes you if you are agreeing with them. Taking a stance or stating an opinion they don't agree with and you are drawn & quartered. Talk down to a poster & all heck breaks loose. I believe moderators deserve the same liberties as other posters. If you don't agree with a moderator suck it up like you would any other poster.
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Ever walk down the street and see a cop getting into an argument with a regular shmoe over a parking space? Over whether their music is too loud? Over whether or not Bama sucks? No.

Why? Because the cop represents THE LAW. You aren't arguing with a man, you're arguing with a uniform (and a big freaking gun and nightstick, BTW).

That PURPLE or GREEN is the same thing around here. It's a uniform. It means "The law is here. Shut up and listen." Like it or not, that's how it is. :shrug:
 
I get why mods want to post like other posters, they're people too, it's not like you can all be expected to just curb your opinions. Where's the fun in that? Being a mod would mean no longer being an active part of some of the liveliest parts of the forum if you couldn't all express your views.

However - it's also inescapable that people will regard a mod team, no matter how big or small or active the forum, as the people who are meant to set a good example. If for no other reason than that it would seem hypocritical if any group of people behaved badly, but then punished others for the same behaviour. It's also difficult to feel like you're getting a fair and objective infraction if you know you're on the opposite 'side' of an argument or debate to a mod. I've seen it on other forums - anytime a mod is involved in a disagreement, accusations of preferential treatment get thrown around.

I'm not 100% on whether Sam's idea would work - I think long-term posters would probably know who was talking to them anyway, and sometimes with anonymity comes the temptation to do things you wouldn't do under your own name - but perhaps there does need to be a more definable way of saying 'this is me posting as a mod'. Like Sam said, if a mod joins in with any kind of behaviour, it's assumed that the staff is fine with it. You can't get away from that.
 
HK said:
...

I'm not 100% on whether Sam's idea would work - I think long-term posters would probably know who was talking to them anyway, and sometimes with anonymity comes the temptation to do things you wouldn't do under your own name - but perhaps there does need to be a more definable way of saying 'this is me posting as a mod'. Like Sam said, if a mod joins in with any kind of behaviour, it's assumed that the staff is fine with it. You can't get away from that.
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It doesn't matter if we know that MODERATOR 3 is really Satin or MODERATOR 1 is really Maulds.

The point is that when we see BLUE we would know that this is Jennifer or Eugene and when we see PURPLE we would know that this is THE WORD.

It gives the MODs the chance to take off their uniforms and come join us mortals for a while. :)
 
USF Sam said:
It doesn't matter if we know that MODERATOR 3 is really Satin or MODERATOR 1 is really Maulds.

The point is that when we see BLUE we would know that this is Jennifer or Eugene and when we see PURPLE we would know that this is THE WORD.

It gives the MODs the chance to take off their uniforms and come join us mortals for a while. :)
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It's a shame if it even has to come to this sort of thing because personally, I think it's nice to know who you're dealing with, and not all interactions with moderators are about complaints after all :) but I definitely agree that it'd be easier if there was a clearer distinction between 'this is a mod post' and 'this is my opinion'.

It'd also keep it looking like more of a unified front. I was surprised with Springsteen closed that thread, because admins had been posting in it not long before he did. You just assume that if one of them is happy with a thread being open, the whole team must be.
 
Here's the point... if the staff are going around saying whatever they want, in clear violation of the rules that have been set forth, then there's a problem. It's basically saying that this sort of behavior is acceptable. What happens when a staff member breaks the rules? Do they get a warning or infraction like the rest of us? If they want to be regular posters like everyone else, then the same consequences need to apply to them if there is a complaint. That's the point that people are making with mentioning that the staff piles onto situations like this, not all the time, and not all of them... but there are clear cases of it, and have been for a while now.

If the staff members aren't subject to the rules that the rest of us are, then there's no point in having any rules at all. No offense to Sam, but the whole mod squad idea is silly. People should be able to draw the distinction between what a mod's personal opinion is rather than the official opinion... especially seeing as how the official opinion is usually stated as an imperative, often with an ultimatum.

Regardless, the whole point of this thread is bullying people. If there was bullying going on, and the member complained about it, then anything that was in clear violation of the rules should be treated accordingly, regardless of the status of the member in question; whether their username is black, blue, green, mauve, or maroon.
 
I think the whole problem comes down to trying to run a perfect forum. You can't. You need to accept that there will be arguments, disagreements, cliches, condescension, etc. The well run forums don't try to eliminate those problems, they simply manage them.
It has always boggled my mind to think that simple name calling would be the end all of a forum. In real life if you say something completely idiotic, I'm going to call you an idiot. So why isn't that tolerated on most forums???
 
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Tim said:
I think the whole problem comes down to trying to run a perfect forum. You can't. You need to accept that there will be arguments, disagreements, cliches, condescension, etc. The well run forums don't try to eliminate those problems, they simply manage them.
It has always boggled my mind to think that simple name calling would be the end all of a forum. In real life if you say something completely idiotic, I'm going to call you an idiot. So why isn't that tolerated on most forums???
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so I can go back to calling you a liberal again :D
 
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