Concerns about moderating policies

[Bubblesong]

Once, I posted a "don't feed the troll" meme... It does seem like scubaboard gets trolled a lot.

Send a link of the problematic posts with a detailed description to abuse@ScubaBoard.com. Only I get those.

This not one overt and horrendous example, so sending in my example is not convincing, but multiple threads with just enough sarcasm and misinterpretation and then determinedly rationalizing the insulting Behavior to the detriment of an endless thread, because SCUBABOARD is NOT made of students but of men and women who expect to be treated as equals and are not going to take a single spank, no matter how playful, from anyone.

That kinda depends on what you want.

I will say this to you, give people a chance to clarify before go all Yosemite Sam on them!
I was a new member to SCUBABOARD, a little lamb, in from the ignorant wilderness to the Nirvana of Knowledge, asking my first question, when you zapped my fleecy butt with the Cattle Prod of Sarcasm, because YOU misinterpreted my post as critical.
There, I said it and I'm not sorry even if Net Doc puts me in a curry.

 

[The Chairman]

so sending in my example is not convincing,

So wait, you asked to be treated as an adult, but don't think I can be trusted to make a sane determination? Respect works both ways.

There, I said it and I'm not sorry even if Net Doc puts me in a curry.

What's a curry and why would I put you there?

Of course it's also OK to slander companies like revo based upon hearsay,

What hearsay was that?

On this board, you can't utter an critical opinion when it goes against what the 'little clique' thinks and I doesn't hurt some mods ego.

Dude, you've gotten moderated more than most... but it's never been about any mod's ego. Work on your social skills a bit and you'll find you're moderated less. Case in point, you've uttered several negative opinions right in this thread where it's appropriate for you to spew your nonsense. What's happened to any of them? Nothing. Nada. Squat. In precisely that order. Key word: appropriate.

This year I've received four abuse emails. Four. Two were about me! If you want a change, give me a valid reason for it. Document, document, document.

 

[boulderjohn]

Yeah, bad and incompetent teachers will do that. I can't believe that you, as a teacher, think that's OK.
If you can't be fair because you're being too emotional (and vindictive I guess) you shouldn't be a teacher and you shouldn't be a mod either!
Teacher who behave like that need to be fired.

Believe me, once a student gets a reputation for causing trouble, all teachers pay more attention to that student's behavior and act quickly to deal with it. A teacher who does not do something to deal with a chronic troublemaker is an idiot and will not last long on the job.

When a moderator develops a history of conflict with a poster, that moderator almost always recuses himself or herself from moderating discussions related to that individual. That has actually become a problem we have to deal with, and it has allowed certain individuals to remain as troublemakers far longer than they should have. When a chronic troublemaker has been around long enough, he or she will develop enough longstanding conflicts that the majority of moderators will recuse themselves from the discussions, leaving the decisions to newer moderators who don't know the frequent offender's history. This allows the offender to get by when their long, checkered history should call for stronger action.

 

[boulderjohn]

Once, I posted a "don't feed the troll" meme in a thread which seemed obviously, clearly, and unequivocally a troll thread to me.

This is a common area of discussion among the moderators, and we do not have common ground. Most see any use of the word "troll" as a personal attack and will automatically delete it. Others are not so strongly inclined that way and will tend to let it go. Believe me, we have had some serious debates about this.

 

[redacted]

Until now we've been sooo good at telling people whom we're talking about while leaving out actual names.

And then you come in, messing everything up. Oh well.

OK, I thought about this actual name caveat and I think we are just fooling ourselves about who is naughty or nice.

The biggest difference between:

Johny is a moron,
Johny behaves like a moron,
Anyone who behaves like that is a moron,

Is the effort it takes to type it. There is little difference in what the statements convey.

 

[Diving Dubai]

I have been a Mod on other forums, and understand what a thankless task it can sometimes be. People forget that your are a volunteer acting as a moderator in addition to participating in the forums.

However once you get a blue band indication you're a Staff member (on this board) so then things change. You no longer have the full freedoms of response you otherwise might have had in threads. People's perception of you changes, you should adhere to a higher standard to set an example otherwise you may leave yourself open to criticism.

I have reported 1 Mod. The person in question in my mind wrote a post that while not wrong, left themselves open to criticism. I was contacted by the said person, who put forward their point but took on-board my comment and made an edit. The official Mod reply said something similar. I had not issue with any of it I was just trying prevent the Mod getting themselves into deep water on a already contentious thread.

People are more cautious on calling Mod's out than they perhaps may be for others. I know the Mod's don't moderate threads they participate in, but there is always the concern by some that it's a club with its own rules. I've had a "spat" with a Mod over the content in a thread where I believed their stance was wrong. Nothing was said (it didn't get personal) but of course I don't know if my card has been marked.

While Mod's don't Mod a thread they're participating in (although that's not well advertised), they should always remember that their blue tag means that they are different, and should on occasion take a moment to consider whether they should click the reply button

 

[Bubblesong]

So wait, you asked to be treated as an adult, but don't think I can be trusted to make a sane determination? Respect works both ways.

Everyone expects to be treated as an adult, and given a cordial chance to clarify if something sounds off in tone or technical details, before getting an unexpected sarcastic criticism. On the separate topic of trusting you to make a sane determination of whether a single, annoying post needed your attention; I decided it was too slight and petty in the single instance to bring to your attention, (long after I learned that it is even possible to do so), and in any case I stuck up for myself adequately.
But every time I see that Mod in another cycle of small slight to to thread fight, I think, why does this same guy keep dinging people, (just enough to annoy, but not enough to justify a formal complaint).
In fact, Net Doc, I don't want YOU to do anything, I just want the Mod to lighten up or give posters a chance to clarify because:
(It is a bit risky to quote poets on a dive boat but here goes
"People may not remember what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel." C.B.


(Lamb Curry: sorry, took that analogy a bit far.)

 

[The Chairman]

"People may not remember what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel." M.A.

Yet they can't improve and probably have no idea how they made you feel unless you tell them... or at least me. My kids never believed this, but I can't read minds!

 

[Bennno]

Dude, you've gotten moderated more than most... but it's never been about any mod's ego. Work on your social skills a bit and you'll find you're moderated less. Case in point, you've uttered several negative opinions right in this thread where it's appropriate for you to spew your nonsense. What's happened to any of them? Nothing. Nada. Squat. In precisely that order. Key word: appropriate.

Funny that I don't get banned or deleted on other forums... dude.

 

[kelemvor]

(It is a bit risky to quote poets on a dive boat but here goes
"People may not remember what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel." M.A.

Don't you mean Carl W. Buehner?