Moderators who can't recognize spam

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 10-09-2012, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

But a person can get around that. Like instead of you saying "you are an idiot" you can say "...like an idiot" It's the same difference, the basic idea is still being communicated but one is direct, & the other is indirect, and implied. It just the hot head will go out and speak his mind and say "you are an idiot." The one's who use indirect insults just know how to side step something that would could them in trouble.

Either way I find a person who has to uses cussing while arguing just boring. If I post something 'I like The Beatles, their songs contained a lot of chords!' and someone comes along and replies to me "The Beatles don't know fuck all about chords!" Well to me that kind of diatribe is the death knell of any intellectual dialogue. It's not worth it. And tbh I would rather someone say "F U 'cawz da beetles sux!" than having to suffer by someone using idiotic phrases like "fuck all" and see someone using obscenity to act like they are cooler and tougher than you on the internet.

I have thought about this, I think that there are a lot of indirect and subtle insults being put out there and often it can be quite subjective to whether they are considered insults or not. I personally would like more of those posts brought to my attention through the report button and the team can make their own judgement on whether it is infraction worthy. There are some intelligent people out there who have a way of words to sound less insulting than perhaps they are intending. However there are also sensitive souls on Music Banter who might take a post as insulting or a personal attack when it might not have been the intention of the poster. If we thought this was the case we would perhaps then PM the accused poster and get their response to what they intended.

So you see, that is why reporting for us is really important. As Burning Down said, we don't check every single thread. I speak for most of us here when I say we just don't have the time too. And honestly, if I had to check every thread, every post, I would lose my enjoyment of this place very quickly.

Moral of the story: report it if you feel like another member has broken the rules, whether it be links in sig, an insult, or spam.

Rjinn · 10-09-2012, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

Something I think could potentially have a positive impact on forum culture is if moderation is more visible. On a couple of the more moderated forums I've been where atmosphere in general was respectful and friendly, moderators would often edit posts rather than delete them and then leave a message in that post saying it had been moderated and that participants in the discussion should change their tone. That gives a very clear message that someone is in fact paying attention to what goes on, not just to the offender, but to everyone who reads that post.

Yea that's how we did it in Tales forums. We left a message in red explaining why it had been moderated to help members understand the way it work. We also PMed them informing why they had broken the rules. I thought it was a really good system.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 10-09-2012, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rjinn

How is "like an idiot" indirect? It seems to still imply a label directly to the user comparing them to an idiot. I don't really see the difference between are one and like one.

I think they're very different.

If someone says to me 'stop acting like a prick' it has very different connotations to them saying to me 'you are a prick'.

Rjinn · 10-09-2012, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger ?

I think they're very different.

If someone says to me 'stop acting like a prick' it has very different connotations to them saying to me 'you are a prick'.

I think there is a difference between commenting on their actions than referring it to the actual person. You're not really implying that they're idiots but what they're doing is idiotic, or some kind of behaviour they "have" not "are" are deranged one way or another. That's why I think saying like and are aren't much different.

A little bit nit picky so it's not really a big deal I guess.

Trollheart · 10-09-2012, 05:15 AM

I think reputation also has to come into it. Everyone loses the head from time to time, but it should be accepted that we're all human (woops! Dropped my circuit board! BZZZT! Reboot.... Ah, where was I? Oh yes: KILL! DESTROY!) and will have the odd spat. Vanilla's expletive, my snipe at wisdom, others. They're not indicative of our usual behaviour, and while anyone should be rightly taken to task over any infraction, it shouldn't be made too big a deal of if it's a one-off and the person is known to be otherwise reasonable and polite.

Also, the relationship between the posters should be taken into account, if possible. Were I to say to Unknown Soldier "You're a total ****ing idiot, you know that?" I think he'd know I was messing, and the same to me: someone I know and respect tells me I'm am old fart who wouldn't know good music if it kicked me up the arse, I laugh, I don't report.

I would definitely counsel against a knee-jerk reaction, the "Mary Whitehouse" syndrome, where everything and anything gets reported, but if someone thinks someone is being genuinely nasty, then yes, report it.

Best idea of all though, treat each other with respect, or to quote Bill and Ted, "Be excellent to each other."

Paedantic Basterd · 10-09-2012, 08:04 AM

In regards to insults, I think we're going to have more work to do if we're going to deal with insulting behaviour beyond the point of name-calling. Being offended is such a subjective thing. We have users who are overtly sensitive and will report someone they don't like for a slip of the tongue, and call it prejudice. We have users with such thick skins they can take the greatest of vile utterances. How do we, each with a subjective idea of a tolerance threshold, moderate the stimuli for feelings? Personally, I bet I'd read half the reports sent in and say "These people need to harden the **** up, it's just the internet", because that's my personal take on a reasonably mild insult that may have deeply upset someone else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

Something I think could potentially have a positive impact on forum culture is if moderation is more visible. On a couple of the more moderated forums I've been where atmosphere in general was respectful and friendly, moderators would often edit posts rather than delete them and then leave a message in that post saying it had been moderated and that participants in the discussion should change their tone. That gives a very clear message that someone is in fact paying attention to what goes on, not just to the offender, but to everyone who reads that post.

That seems like singling users out. If I'm going to discuss a user's behaviour with them, it's going to be private, inside PMs. It's nobody else's business if someone gets chastised. I'm not in to public shaming.

Guybrush · 10-09-2012, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

That seems like singling users out. If I'm going to discuss a user's behaviour with them, it's going to be private, inside PMs. It's nobody else's business if someone gets chastised. I'm not in to public shaming.

I don't see something like :

[Post moderated. Please try to discuss without insulting others.]

.. as shaming. I'm not suggesting you should be nasty to people.

Instead of worrying about how they feel, you can let those who write posts that warrant moderation take responsibility for and own up to the consequences for doing so.

Paedantic Basterd · 10-09-2012, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

I don't see something like :

[Post moderated. Please try to discuss without insulting others.]

.. as shaming.

Instead of worrying about how they feel, you can let those who write posts that warrant moderation take responsibility for and own up to the consequences for doing so.

It's drawing public attention to someone in a negative way. That doesn't sit well with me. I would be humiliated if ever it were done to me. If the consensus from our users is that nobody minds, then I will of course participate, however, I find it more courteous to PM a person about their actions, which yields the same results in a more private and friendly manner.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 10-09-2012, 08:17 AM

I'd rather just give a quick & friendly 'knock it off' without taking any action. Once they've been told there's no excuse for them to continue it.

Paedantic Basterd · 10-09-2012, 08:19 AM

I will admit I have been known to issue a "cut it out" in regards to multiple combatants.

10-09-2012, 05:15 AM	#95 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	I think reputation also has to come into it. Everyone loses the head from time to time, but it should be accepted that we're all human (woops! Dropped my circuit board! BZZZT! Reboot.... Ah, where was I? Oh yes: KILL! DESTROY!) and will have the odd spat. Vanilla's expletive, my snipe at wisdom, others. They're not indicative of our usual behaviour, and while anyone should be rightly taken to task over any infraction, it shouldn't be made too big a deal of if it's a one-off and the person is known to be otherwise reasonable and polite. Also, the relationship between the posters should be taken into account, if possible. Were I to say to Unknown Soldier "You're a total ***ing idiot, you know that?" I think he'd know I was messing, and the same to me: someone I know and respect tells me I'm am old fart who wouldn't know good music if it kicked me up the arse, I laugh, I don't report. I would definitely counsel against a knee-jerk reaction, the "Mary Whitehouse" syndrome, where everything and anything gets reported, but if someone thinks someone is being genuinely nasty, then yes, report it. Best idea of all though, treat each other with respect, or to quote Bill and Ted, "Be excellent to each other." __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018*

10-09-2012, 08:17 AM	#99 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	I'd rather just give a quick & friendly 'knock it off' without taking any action. Once they've been told there's no excuse for them to continue it. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

10-09-2012, 08:19 AM	#100 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	I will admit I have been known to issue a "cut it out" in regards to multiple combatants.