Moderation Questions
The last iteration of the moderation discussion thread was a complete disaster. Numerous attempts to keep it on topic failed, and it became a general discussion thread with almost no moderation related posts at all. And those that were posted were so buried in non-mod posts that it became a huge time drain on the mods to sort through them. Then, when off topic posts were deleted posters complained about that.
This led to the closing of the mod discussion thread, replaced by the post report/pm approach. This has filtered out lots of noise, but has resulted at times in the General Discussion Thread turning into a quasi-mod thread. This is not desirable, but going back to the old mod thread is also not a workable option.
Therefore, I have created this new moderation thread, but with a different purpose and ground rules than previous mod threads. The purpose of this thread is to provide a place for posters to pose questions to the mods about how policies are applied; to bring to the mods attention posts they think are inappropriate and reach the level of requiring mod action; and for mods to communicate to posters things like changes or clarifications to policies, bannings, etc.
Now let me tell you what this thread is NOT a place for. It is not for nonmoderation related posts, even if the discussion originates from a comment in in a mod related post. It is not for posters to post their opinions about other posters or whether a poster should be banned. It is not to rehash past grievances about mod decisions from months or years ago. The focus of this thread will be recent posts that require action now. Or questions about current policies and enforcement.
So basically, this is a thread to ask mods questions. Which means, pretty much that only mods should be answering those questions. If a poster asks why a particular post was deleted or allowed, only a mod can answer that. Everyone else who wants to jump in with their opinion or their mod war story needs to stay out of it. It just increases the noise to signal ratio and does nothing to answer the question.
Everyone needs to understand that this thread has very different rules than the old mod thread and any other thread. Any non-moderation post will be deleted on sight. Not moved to the appropriate thread, just deleted. So don't waste your time crafting a masterpiece post about wars or transgender issues or the presidential election and then post it in this thread. It will be gone. Also, this isnt a thread for general commentary about our mods performance. Posting "browser sucks as a mod" or any such posts that don't actually ask about a policy or request a mod action will be deleted. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about the moderation of this forum. But this thread isnt for complaining about mods. You are free to go to the ATF forum and make your concerns about modding in this forum there.
So with that intro, this thread is open for those who need to bring questions about mod policies or bring inappropriate posts to the mods attention. Again, it is NOT a thread for group discussions about other posters or for other posters to answer questions directed to mods.
We'll see how this goes. If you have what you feel is an open issue raised in the General Discussion Thread, please copy that post or otherwise reintroduce the issue here.
Thanks.
7734 Replies
again, I never said that you deleted posts and that came from a separate but parallel conversation in this thread that I was not really part of.
I said that you dont want certain posts in this thread and it was in reference to your refusal to address them as you have reiterated.
didnt you shorten his ban? and then he came back and made a post saying he hated Gazans and didnt care if they all died and followed it up by doubling down on how bad they are as parents.
again, if someone, I wont say myself bc I would never do it and dont feel this way, but if someone said the same thing about Jews or Israelis then how long would there ban be?
what about if another poster said "kill em all Bibi"? how long would that ban get? 0 days ofc. but I dont even need to ask how long a similar post swapping in Hamas would get.
my posting pushes back against the status quo that essentially Gazan and Palestinian life is worthless and that they somehow deserve to be brutalized. naturally and necessarily it upsets the people support this stuff.
I didnt shorten his ban. But you keep seeking to compare one mod action against another despite being told that every mod action is based on multiple factors and not simply which exact words are used. Context matters. Whether a poster has been warned or banned previously, and for how many times matters. A first offender may get a warning where a poster with escalating bans may get a significant ban for the same violation. So we are not going to engage in that discussion. There is no point in it.
exactly. there are double standards. and the fact is that you look for insane reasons to ban me and then lie about it later.
however, when one of the most heinous posts this forum has seen comes along you let it go bc its ok to hate Palestinians and express it.
I literally have no memory of this. For what it’s worth, I don’t hate you and I didn’t carry any grudges from past years. Motherhood has changed many of my past perspectives or at least softened them. I’m less reactive. If we did have disagreements, I’m positive without even checking that my behavior was far from unimpeachable, so… Let’s start over 😀
I was surprised that Rob didn't take a ban for that post. Maybe no one reported it....idk....but it was definitely commented on a bunch when it happened and Browser had posted in the thread around then as well. But he did at least walk it back some and say that he was in a bad mood when he posted it. Regardless, it's over now and I don't think banning him over it at this point would serve any purpose.
I also specifically said people of Gaza, not Palestinians. And I gave a specific reason which had nothing to do with race or ethnicity.
This is a pattern, where I say I dislike or want to impose restrictions on people based on choices they make, and then I am accused of hating them based on their race. It's totally dishonest and an attack made in bad faith.
Good enough for me. I def didn't hold any grudge.
So youre saying that it's bad faith to interpret and describe this sentiment as hatred?
But I dislike the people of Gaza more than the people of any other place in the world and I wouldn't shed a tear if every single one of them is killed.
I mean ok, it's fine you don't hate them. You just dislike them more than anyone and wouldn't shed a tear if every single one is killed. Not hatred though.
Since chillrob believes the world would be a better place if there were no people, I can't get too worked up over that.
You must be kidding. I banned you for the "genocide lovers" post. I dont have to look for insane reasons. I could have easily made a case to ban you much sooner for many other posts (as many here kept pushing for) but didnt. In fact, your lack of banning earlier was used as the primary example of me having a double standard. So now the poster boy for double standards is crying about double standards.
As for lying about why I banned you here is my post in the I/P thread:
Victor has been temp banned for two weeks for posts culminating with the genocide lover comment. Please do not respond to or quote that post any further.
Thanks
If you think I banned you for some other, secret reason you are just wrong.
Chillrob's post is far from the most heinous post in this forum. I will address it in a separate post.
I would be curious to know what posts are more heinous than what Chill posted.
Here's chillrob's post.
Originally Posted by chillrob View Post
The US has definitely done some bad things. Nearly all of the terrible things it did in the last hundred years, including the things you mentioned, were not known to be happening by 99.999% of the American people. And of that tiny portion who knew about it, 99% of those had no power to stop it.
This is in no way similar to a country that elected as their leadership a party which was a branch of a terrorist organization, whose 'party platform' was the genocide of an entire people. That is why I have no sympathy at all for those living in Gaza.
I don't care for Israel at all - I consider them probably the worst country currently allied with the US. But I dislike the people of Gaza more than the people of any other place in the world and I wouldn't shed a tear if every single one of them is killed.
Rob lays out his feelings from the perspective of why he feels that Gazan residents are much more responsible for bringing Hamas to power and keeping them there. He draws a distinction between that situation and other countries, such as the US, where he states that it also did terrible things, but mostly initially kept secret from the US population and it is much different for a population in such a large country to effect any change in govt policy. He also states that the main reason for his lack of sympathy for Gazan residents is that Hamas's agenda was hardly unknown at the time they were voted in.
Also, saying he wont shed a tear is very different then when someone says they advocate thatthey believe a certain group should be killed. And as he explains, his basis for his indifference is not because they are Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, etc. it's because they deliberately chose a terrorist group to govern them.
So that's why I didnt delete or take action on this post. When taken in the context of his entire post, it has a distinction that is lost when you only consider the single sentence in isolation.
This mod ruling doesnt mean I agree with his opinion, or that others may not find it offensive. But having an opinion that others find offensive is not, in and of itself, a reason to ban someone.
Also, saying he wont shed a tear is very different then when someone says they advocate thatthey believe a certain group should be killed. And as he explains, his basis for his indifference is not because they are Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, etc. it's because they deliberately chose a terrorist group to govern them.
its not indifference. read the previous context to understand why.
But I dislike the people of Gaza more than the people of any other place in the world
you are leaving out this critical part.
and you know damn well if someone said the same thing and replaced Gazans with Israelis or Jews then it would be permatown.
Only one way to find out
right well when I find another group or person that I feel that way about then I will test it out. somehow, I have managed to go my whole life without that thought.
It's bad faith to say I dislike (or hate) people because of their race or ethnic heritage when I make it very clear that is not the reason.
I dislike people who espouse hateful views like those held by Hamas and those who elected them. I don't know how I could make that more clear.
Ok. Everyone has had a chance to state their opinion, and I've taken note of them. Any further back and forth needs to move to the general thread.
Thanks
I didnt take anything out of context. in fact, your statement standing alone looks even better than with the rest of the illogical stuff thrown where you make it clear that Americans and Israelis are not responsible for the brutal acts of their elected officials but for some reason, Gazans are. never mind that factually, most of the people being slaughtered were not even able to vote in 2005.
now as for the rest of your post. I would like to ask browser if I am allowed to outright state that other posters do not have "a modicum of intelligence". are we now allowed to call people unintelligent?
I know that calling people delusional or ignorant is not allowed. so I would assume that clearly implying that someone lacks any "modicum of intelligence" would fall under that umbrella. or is this another one of those things that chillrob is allowed to spew and any sort of similar response will warrant a lengthy ban?
I moved the previous two posts to the general thread. Pls continue the discussion there.
Victor, you're not going to get pre approval of any particular condescending or potentially insulting phrase so stop asking. As I said it's a gray area. Stay out of it and you will have no mod issues. Continue to probe and you will know when you hit a mine by a ban blowing up in your face. Concern yourself with your posts. Report posts by others that you think attack you or otherwise violate the rules. A mod will make a judgement call that you may or may not agree with. Then move on.
I have not probed at all. none of my posts have come close. I would not dream of saying anything like that where I accuse a fellow poster of not having a "modicum of intelligence". I know damn well what would happen if I did that. I also know damn well that chillrob and the rest can say such stuff at will in an attempt to incite a reaction and I know who will get punished.
I know your hypocrisy knows no bounds.
Ok. I moved chillrobs last response to Victor to the general thread. There's been enough time since I posted the post about ending the back and forth here that any more responses will be deleted rather than moved. So pls respond to each other over there.
Thanks
You've let the cat out of the bag there. Posting anti-Israel takes here is analogous to walking through a field not knowing where the mines are.
Next door the anti-Palestine field is mine-free.
Actually it's like having a map with an area marked off as a minefield. You can't see the exact location of each mine but you know they are in that minefield. You can choose the route that goes around the minefield entirely, avoiding the mines and still get to your destination. Or you can choose to walk into the minefield, hoping you don't set off any mines and end up at the same destination, but knowing you may also get blown up by stepping in the wrong place.
Every destination has a minefield in front of it. It's just a matter of the route one chooses to get there.
understood in the context of that discussion is that I clearly meant since my most recent ban that laid bare the fact that I face a different set of rules than the rest of the forum.