Moderation

[The JoJo]

The main role of the moderators around here in practice has been to moderate the moderators when they attempt to moderate the membership.

Unfortunately, I think that pithy comment sums things up all too well, although it might be more relevant to the admins ...

'm not sure how you are defining "effective moderation" within the context of a discussion. Do you mean staying focused on a topic?

Howell, I find your question troubling on two levels. Firstly, because I reiterated what moderation meant in an earlier post, and secondly, that as a moderator you had to ask. :-?

Is it possible that SF moderators have been given insufficient guidance, or perhaps feel intimidated about actual moderating? By and large, these forums need remarkably little moderation, but that doesn't mean none.

It's also true that this thread has been badly hijacked without anyone (not just moderators) saying anything, which I also find disappointing. One could simply blame its.fubar, who effectively started the hijack, but Pradeep launched himself into a frenzy of troll feeding that even extended to Howell (and Mercutio for half a post).

Consider yourselves smacked.

This is getting very interesting. Yes, we moderators have been very liberal in our moderation, trying not to interfere too much.

Apparently any thread that get's a bit off topic should be moderated, right? Right, so us moderators would have needed to post warnings in a minimum of half the threads due to someone asking something that didn't strictly follow the thread topic. Or someone posting something that seemed to deviate from the orginal posters post.

And after a warning?

Delete the thread?

Being in a bad mood, being annoying, will then result in banning? I could see a handful of people in the riskzone right now.

Or is this only for political/religious threads?

I must admit to thinking this was a place with adults having conversations, sometimes even very heated conversations. I was clearly wrong as a lot more moderation seems to be required by many here. That's a bit disappointing to me. The same political and religious (to name a few) aspects seem to surface from time to time, and always get's under peoples skin and they take it very personally.

Yes, I think I atleast need some more rules about how to moderate and how. I must be a bad moderator.

Reading many of the posts here, it is clear to me that many posts and threads need to be removed by us moderators if so strict rules are sought after.

We would then also need to moderate those posts that could offend someone also, wouldn't we.

Clearly more guidelines are needed for us moderators.

:eekers:

Let's the flaming of me begin...

 

[Mercutio]

Moderation is what one makes of it. If you want to be an activist, and tell everyone (me included) that they're pushing their luck, do it. That's the power at your discretion. If you want to edit a post that contains a naughty word or a link to a software pirate web site, that's your power, too. On the other hand, if no moderator wants to remove an inline of the goatse.cx man, then we as a community are will just have to live with a picture of a gaping... well, nevermind.

There is a document you guys can look at that describes what moderation should be like, but it's described as "guidelines", not rules. The reason that You, and JtD and Howell get an "Edit" button and an "IP" button is that the rest of the community trusts YOUR judgement.

If someone else wants to bring something to your attention as a moderator, great. But the final decision is really up to you.

Use the force, JoJo.

 

[Tea]

Moderation is like drains or rats: you only ever notice it when there is a problem. Until Flagreen's thread, I hadn't given the moderation here a thought in many months.

 

[time]

You weren't here for many months, Tea.

Yes, we moderators have been very liberal in our moderation, trying not to interfere too much.

Sorry, I must have missed your moderation in action?

Apparently any thread that get's a bit off topic should be moderated, right?

No, please don't take me out of context. I have no objection to the majority of hijacks - I think it's the first time I've ever grumbled about one. It's just that the creator and others obviously thought that particular topic to be important, and a troll post in the middle was a bit much once people took the bait.

Calling it "A bit off topic" and using it to imply that all off-topic threads would end up moderated is a bit rich. In any case, I didn't even call for it to be moderated.

Right, so us moderators would have needed to post warnings in a minimum of half the threads due to someone asking something that didn't strictly follow the thread topic. Or someone posting something that seemed to deviate from the orginal posters post.

That's drivel.

Being in a bad mood, being annoying, will then result in banning? I could see a handful of people in the riskzone right now.

Where did you get this stuff from? I know the moderator guidelines could be clearer, but they definitely don't say anything about banning people for specific transgressions. In any case, I believe they state that banishment is a decision for the admins.

Or is this only for political/religious threads?
I must admit to thinking this was a place with adults having conversations, sometimes even very heated conversations. I was clearly wrong as a lot more moderation seems to be required by many here. That's a bit disappointing to me. The same political and religious (to name a few) aspects seem to surface from time to time, and always get's under peoples skin and they take it very personally.

The forum motto spells it out pretty clearly: "Show respect at all times". That's often going to be pushed to breaking point in the Pub, but once people start throwing punches, it's time for the rest of the community to calm them down. People expect moderators to be more active than other members in this role. It doesn't mean you have to suspend someone for losing their cool - in fact the guidelines don't allow for it.

Reading many of the posts here, it is clear to me that many posts and threads need to be removed by us moderators if so strict rules are sought after. We would then also need to moderate those posts that could offend someone also, wouldn't we.

We already have rules. They're remarkable for being not very strict. Please reread them and stop making stuff up.

You did say you were ready for flames ...