Politics and Society Moderation Discussion Only Fans Thread
Hello everyone. I've closed the previous mod thread, and opened this to capture all issues related to moderation policies and actions going forward. I'll kick it off by reposting my intro post from the other thread. Again, I'm happy to be here and look forward to hearing from you.
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Hello everyone.
I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to serve as a moderator in Politics and Society. I asked for this position because I believe we are experiencing a polarization in our politics and society unseen since the 1960s. We may well be at a juncture from which we will either make great progress or suffer great setbacks in regards to our democratic foundations and civil rights over the next few years. So I believe it is important to maintain a forum for discussing these important topics. When the other mods had to step back a bit due to their real life time obligations, I asked to join the mod team to help keep the forum going.
I have not followed this forum in the past, though I have been reading through threads the last few days and made a few posts. This has allowed me to get a sense of the initial impression the forum likely makes on new readers who are deciding if our forum is a place they would like to visit regularly and participate in. While I see some familiar names from the live poker forum, many of you I have not had any interaction with to date. I have no preconceived notions of anyone's posting behavior and will essentially start from a clean slate.
I will shortly post more about my modding approach and give my initial impressions of the forum based on my observations over the last several days. I will be soliciting your input on things you like about the forum that you want to remain, and things you don't like that you would like me to change. Your candid input and feedback is very important to me. Especially, please don't hesitate to let me know if you think a policy or a proposal is a bad idea. I'd rather hear it before it goes into effect than after.
My overall modding principle is simple: Be Nice. Disagreement need not be disrespectful, and everyone must be treated with respect. Calling a poster derogatory names or hurling snarky insults never usefully advances a discussion. It just bogs things down and turns off many would be participants. And it's not nice. Don't do it.
My goal is to have a forum where people with a wide variety of opinions along the political spectrum enjoy expressing and debating their views in a spirited manner, free from insults, bigotry and denigrating comments. If you enjoy discussing these important and often polarizing issues in a passionate, yet respectful manner, I look forward to getting to know you and working with you to create a forum people will enjoy visiting and contributing to. You can be as committed, determined and relentless as you like in advocating for your position. Be persuasive, thought provoking and challenging. But be nice.
I want to thank tame_deuces and King Spew for their support in bringing me onboard and for all the time and effort they have put into making the forum better. While I am taking over most of the day to day modding responsibilities, both are retaining their mod status and superpowers, and will be supporting the forum as their availability permits. And I personally welcome their continued advice and feedback.
Again, I am happy to be here and look forward to getting to know you.
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Originally Posted by ganstaman
The problem isn't in saying that trans people have mental illnesses, it's in saying that their being transgender is the mental illness. The implication (often explicitly stated) is that they aren't really trans, but instead that's a delusion they have. This invalidates the very existence of transgender. This just isn't comparable to someone with depression or anxiety.
I have no idea whether this is right or not,
Are you meaning to argue that a trans person isn't trans, or you didn't read gansta's words properly?
You've responded to all of mine, and others' criticism of this particular decision, but you left off replying to the post where I clarified what I meant by the Overton Window, and you have neglected to address any other points I have made to this effect.
I will be very clear and specific, without using any terms that may be subject to misunderstanding now.
I think that your decision in this particular matter, while well-intentioned, is misgu
This is a reasonable position on the issue IMO, and I understand your concerns. They're part of the reason I wouldn't ever want to be a Politics mod, and think I would be bad at it.
But the thing is, we've always policed content. And this particular content has been policed before, including in this forum. Has the Overton Window shifted to the point where this policing is going too far? I hope not, but it's possible. Or maybe it'll be just fine. The policy we're discussing is not allowing people to say that all transgender people are mentally ill. Saying anthropogenic climate change is not real, or that the election was stolen, or that Biden is senile and Trump is awesome, isn't directly harming anyone. Constantly shitting on transgender people is. While I understand your concerns, if there's one issue that was potentially going to be "over policed" on this forum, it seems like one of the better ones on which to do so.
Obviously the illness is Gender Dysphoria. I don't claim that all trans people have GD, but I think for someone to go to the trouble and side effects of taking hormones and/or getting surgery, they must be pretty unhappy with their lives, in a way that likely is similar to depression.
This is an example of a statement that is valid under the new rules.
I find it hard to believe that there are so many people in this forum that so badly feel they must make the case that all transgender people are mentally ill that the forum will dry up as a result of this policy. I fail to see how this issue can be of such burning importance to them, except for having the ability to attack and denigrate a group of people. So if they feel like they must leave this forum simply because they cant falsely claim
Thank you for saying this.
The poker world has experienced solid growth over the last couple years, but this site has not. The biggest reason in my opinion is poor treatment of women and lgbtq people overall. That is why there is no youth demographic here. That is why no one talks about for example, ice spice or world star vid on here. It’s a generational change.
I don't often post about bans, but given the hot topic in this thread recently, I thought I might as well head off the questions about why I just permabanned Meisner.
A few hours ago, Meisner posted this:
15 minutes later, this reply came from the same IP just two posts later in the same thread:
Like gender, race is also not real....which likely explains why we have no one arguing for that. Posters here are pretty smart.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-b...
But whites are smarter than blacks. It’s been proven over and over and over and over.
White power!!!!!
Let’s go Brandon!!!!!!
Trump power!!!!!![/quote]
And three minutes prior, there was this post in a different thread:
[QUOTE=transformer]Phuck trannies. Phuck liberal mods who probably dream about plucking trannies.
[/QUOTE]
And that account was also an IP match to the one-hit wonder "transphobe" who posted this on NYE:
[QUOTE=transphobe]I have a child. A daughter. She just turned one. Anyhow, her mother was a random hookup. I met her at a bar, we made out and fooled around in a McDonald’s bathroom. Went back to my place. Rather than do what I usually do, which is pull out and empty my balls onto her face so that she looks like a melted candle, I decided to cream pie her. Anyhow, as luck would have it, my super sperm inseminated her. I couldn’t hide from her since we smashed at my place.
The point of the story is, I was there for the birth of my child. Her mother was falling down drunk like she was most of her pregnancy so they handed me the slimy kid. I felt such joy and elation looking into her eyes knowing, “this is my child. This is part of me.” No FTM will ever know this joy. Never.[/QUOTE]
Mods, feel free to edit if needed. Obv some offensive and lewd stuff there.
I have not said that I think all trans people are mentally ill, and very few people have said that.
I have said that someone who is trans (but has not yet pursued anything medical) has a mismatch between their brain and their body. This seems to be true by definition.
I then have suggested that it would be less traumatic, more reversible, and have fewer undesirable side effects for those people to pursue a change in their brain before pursuing a change in their body.
Do you find this suggestion to be bigoted? Would it be against the current rules?
Obviously the illness is Gender Dysphoria. I don't claim that all trans people have GD, but I think for someone to go to the trouble and side effects of taking hormones and/or getting surgery, they must be pretty unhappy with their lives, in a way that likely is similar to depression.
Do you do everything that is a bother because you have a mental illness?
First, I didn't mention mental illness, I said pretty unhappy with their lives.
I don't do much that is a bother at all.
But I definitely don't have surgery or seek any other serious medical treatment unless I am very unhappy about something in my life.
@bobo,
least surprising thing ever.
First, I didn't mention mental illness, I said pretty unhappy with their lives.
I don't do much that is a bother at all.
But I definitely don't have surgery or seek any other serious medical treatment unless I am very unhappy about something in my life.
It seems like it will be a bother for you to continue on saying some sort of stuff on 2+2.
Since you don't like doing stuff that would be a bother, the problem is easily solved.
Just don't type some sort of stuff. Pretty easy.
(Fwiw I don't think you are a bad person)
@Bobo - While I probably still convict if I'm on the jury, what exactly does "IP match" mean in this scneario? Exact address or rough geolocation
based on address?
That stuff he posted under "transhobe" was probably the most honest he's ever been with anyone in his life, and it was a bunch of people he's never met and will never meet, on a poker forum. Those sort of graphic descriptions tend to come from people who have seen it in movies on youporn or xhamster or whatever the new thing is, rather than done it themselves. Kinda sad, really.
I have not said that I think all trans people are mentally ill, and very few people have said that.
I have said that someone who is trans (but has not yet pursued anything medical) has a mismatch between their brain and their body. This seems to be true by definition.
I then have suggested that it would be less traumatic, more reversible, and have fewer undesirable side effects for those people to pursue a change in their brain before pursuin
The rule(s) is quite interpretable imo as it should be.
Yes it's bigoted. Because not all trans want to change their bodies. Your observations don't apply to all trans in general but seem to imply they do. And you are basically implying all trans are gender dysphoric which isn't true either. I don't think you will be banned, probably not infracted, but its against the spirit of the rule (and science).
Maybe you mean to be more accurate in your distinctions?
First, I didn't mention mental illness, I said pretty unhappy with their lives.
I don't do much that is a bother at all.
But I definitely don't have surgery or seek any other serious medical treatment unless I am very unhappy about something in my life.
You and I disagree on a lot, and I'm sure I've been less kind than I could have been about it at times. But that doesn't change the fact that having seen different posts from you about your own upbringing, history, mental health, etc., that I do worry about you sometimes. I don't mean I stay up at night wondering how chillrob is doing, or that I'm some kind of expert on chillrob just from reading some forum posts. I just hope all is well with you, or as well as it can be, and that I don't contribute to any negative **** when I mock an opinion of yours.
Yeah, not a real shock, sadly.
The rule wasn't of my creation, and I'm not a mod of this forum. Sure, I'm an admin and I know some believe that mods and admins need to carry themselves a certain way on the forums, but that's not realistic IMO, unless we're not going to be posters as well. That said, I try not to go around ripping people apart on a regular basis, especially in reply to a question about modding policy. But do you really think this question you think is nee
Mat would have just transitioned to make the point in fewer words
I have not said that I think all trans people are mentally ill, and very few people have said that.
I have said that someone who is trans (but has not yet pursued anything medical) has a mismatch between their brain and their body. This seems to be true by definition.
I then have suggested that it would be less traumatic, more reversible, and have fewer undesirable side effects for those people to pursue a change in their brain before pursuin
I dont know what you mean by change their brain.
I don't often post about bans, but given the hot topic in this thread recently, I thought I might as well head off the questions about why I just permabanned Meisner.
A few hours ago, Meisner posted this:
15 minutes later, this reply came from the same IP just two posts later in the same thread:
And three minutes prior, there was this post in a different thread:
And that account was also an IP match to the one-hit wonder "transphobe" who poste
good job bobo. that link brookings.... doesnt work.
wtf was he posting there? i know it must be rubbish, but wtf is with that link? is it working for you?
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/t...t...
@Bobo - While I probably still convict if I'm on the jury, what exactly does "IP match" mean in this scneario? Exact address or rough geolocation based on address?
I'm not an expert on this stuff, but it can be either AFAIK. For example, in a residential area I think it's going to be the same address. Hotels, campuses, cell phones - different story. For that reason I'd have parked this to see if there were any future matches, if not for posts from the same IP on different accounts in the same thread from accounts holding...adjacent viewpoints?...just minutes apart.
Edit to add: While I don't think it's especially important to the content of his post, I fixed the link, washoe.
Brain surgery is less of a big deal than having gender affirming treatment is how I understand his view.
I'm not sure whether he believes that buying a nice frilly dress and asking people to call you Sheila is more or less of a big deal than having brain surgery.
I'm not an expert on this stuff, but it can be either AFAIK. For example, in a residential area I think it's going to be the same address. Hotels, campuses, cell phones - different story. For that reason I'd have parked this to see if there were any future matches, if not for posts from the same IP on different accounts in the same thread from accounts holding...adjacent viewpoints?...just minutes apart.
Edit to add: While I don't think it's
If you have the subnet mask, you can pretty much get anyone from the same business by an IP. . At least, that's how it worked 20 years ago! Jesus, I am officially now the worst cyber criminal ever, I have no idea how any of this **** works.
@Bobo - While I probably still convict if I'm on the jury, what exactly does "IP match" mean in this scneario? Exact address or rough geolocation
based on address?
That stuff he posted under "transhobe" was probably the most honest he's ever been with anyone in his life, and it was a bunch of people he's never met and will never meet, on a poker forum. Those sort of graphic descriptions tend to come from people who have seen it in movies on
where is all that stuff he wrote? its all deleted, isnt it?
Edit to add: While I don't think it's especially important to the content of his post, I fixed the link, washoe.
thanks. I read it. one of the dumbest things I ever read.
meisner the conclusions you make from these "tests" are wrong. it doesnt prove what you think it does. it can be very easily explained by social economic factors and history. there are blacks that are much smarter than you ever will be. you are a racist, which is sad, shame on you...
The company provides the space. My job is to ensure that site and forum guidelines are followed. But this is a private site, and not all opinions are open for discussion here. For an extreme example, do you think this site should allow someone to make a series of posts expressing that all gay people should be rounded up and killed because god said the punishment for homosexuality is death? Should he be allowed to post in detail how the rou
Several diff posters itt: hey Browser telling ppl they can’t refer to others by whatever pronoun or name they want is going a little overboard with the modding(in fact it is forced speech)
Browser: omg should we just allow threads that call for mass murder!!
Lol wut????
Lol at saying chillrob is suggesting brain surgery.
Several diff posters itt: hey Browser telling ppl they can’t refer to others by whatever pronoun or name they want is going a little overboard with the modding(in fact it is forced speech)
Browser: omg should we just allow threads that call for mass murder!!
Lol wut????
Either you missed or misread the posts I was responding to or you thought you were being clever but failed.
My response were to posts suggesting that mods should play no role in content policing at all. Some posters seem to believe they should be allowed to post any opinion whatsoever unfettered because of some right of free speech. I responded with an extreme example to illustrate the point that obviously there will be content restriction, so the real issue is just what side of the line calling all transgender people mentally ill falls.
