Inconsistant moderators: Discuss

I haven’t been here long and i have already had plenty enough interactions with the mods here. In my experience they are woefully inconsistant. I have heard excuses such as “we have a small team” and “we can’t see everything” but as it stands i have only had the pleasure to talk to two mods here and a few who wished they were mods who mailed me to tell me to leave their friend alone. So i think it would be healthy for the group to discuss their opinions and experiences with the mods. It would be helpful for both good and bad interactions to be discussed here as it would help me to have a broader understanding of the long term climate here.
Now in my experience, i gather that i am disliked by one mod in particular. I dont know why but this feeling comes from being called a jerk by this individual and having my thread closed yesterday. Now today i am told to stay on topic in a thread that is clearly already a travesty. I would extend a request to the mod staff here. If you dont like me then openly say so. If i am unwelcome here tell me publicly to piss off. I don’t even care what your reasons are but this passive-aggressive “hazing” is unhealthy for all involved.

If you tried to put a penny on train tracks, even if it gets derailed by a cow, you still tried to do it yourself. Basically, don’t be a dick or more politely, a jerk, especially unprovoked.

Truth is, the dev group is small. Have you seen any global chat? This is the triple baptized, sugary candyland compared to that. They try, but they can’t catch it all. It’s kinda like running a red light, it’s convenient until you hit another car, get caught by a cop, or really screw up and hit another cop car or pedestrian. Basically stick your neck out enough, and you’ll lose your head.

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Interesting response. So you are saying that the mods are the best we have so i should cut them a break? And why is it that you can say…

But the person in the other thread can’t say “crap”? These are the inconsistancies i am talking about. And your red light anology only works if the person is actually doing something they should be in trouble for. Plus we all know that running a red light is against the rules. Its black and white. No gray area. It seems that the rules here are 100% gray area. So sorry, the red light thing doesn’t fit.

Perhaps the language used was something worse as mods can both remove and edit posts. Even if it was only “crap”, I think going with “I do not feel this word is that bad. There are certainly far worse and crude remarks that have nastier meanings than this word. It has been on multiple Y7 shows in my country so I feel it is appropriate for a pg13 forum.” than, “I CAN SAY IT, YOU CAN’T STOP MEEEEEE! etc.etc.etc.”

I think it’s more how things are said than what is said. Maybe it’s fair, maybe not. But this isn’t a public street in the US or new zealand. This is their forum. It’s like barging in someone’s house, telling them they are all f@$%#, then when they call the police, you say it’s your right.

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Forgive me if i misunderstand. You are implying that there is no freedom of speech on this forum and the mods can choose when to enforce rules and when not to? And who gets in trouble and who doesn’t for the same infraction? Please tell me that i am misunderstanding you.

Basically, yes. They don’t necessarily have to punish everyone equally, but they try to. They do miss stuff and sometimes they judge something differently depending on the context. The problem is they don’t like to ban people, but when they have too, it more often than naught is someone pushed their buttons for too long, and most likely had a single day or week ban and third was the last straw.

They are humans who clearly will do whatever they must to try and keep it civil here. That means most swears aren’t allowed, some jokes are too much, and even provoking can be crossing a line no matter the taunt. Heck, when the pet toy soldier came out, I had a mental list of naughty puns, jokes and so forth, but resisted as much as possible. There are thoughts or comments I would like to share but because someone might faint as there are many who would rather have an echo chamber.

Stick around long enough and you get better to know where the line is, who to trust, who not too and so on. It’s better to walk away from a fight, or not even raise a fist. The devs are your friend there. You can always pm them and raise a complaint if you feel a line is crossed. They will do it, maybe not in a minute, but when they can.

Not for nothing, in public alone they take a LOT of crap, and let it go as while they have limits, they want you to speak your mind, even if your arsenal is only rocks and daggers at them. Just consider that.

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Yes, this is how it works.

See, the “freedom of speech” you’re going to turn around and say is your right as a US Citizen has some terms and conditions on it. Most functioning adults can handle it, but those are in short supply these days so maybe they should’ve been taught in school. Here’s how it breaks down:

  1. It only really states the government may not limit the speech of a citizen, including punishing a person for making a statement.
  2. There are a handful of cases where the dangers to society of certain speech are considered worse than infringing upon an individual’s freedom, so the government is allowed to act. These include inciteful speech, obscenity, libel, slander, and probably some other cases. It’s controversial but there are examples.

So OK, you’re on a forum operated by a company. They are not the government. It’s possible this doesn’t even count as “the United States” depending on hosting and some other details. That means they actually have legal authority to control what is said on the forum that they own and operate. If you want to say whatever you want, go stand on public land where your right to assemble protects you.

Further, that only the government is limited is important here. If you publish some hot take about a company, and they decide to terminate your account for what you said, they have pretty fair legal standing to do so. In some circumstances you might be protected, but “wanting to say crap on an internet forum” isn’t one of them.

So no, you’re not misunderstanding. In fact, you perfectly summarized it, and you have no basis for argument that you have the right to say whatever you want here! Most of us are functional adults and get along just fine, finding ways to jab at and make fun of each other without needing to directly call each other swear words. When it happens, the person who did it is usually punished then we all make fun of them.

Forums have been like this for the whole 20 years I’ve been participating! Even the forums I went to in my “offensive humor” phase had lines you couldn’t cross. Actually, “we arbitrarily ban people” was considered part of the fun.

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Do you not see the problem with this?

Basically this means that i could get in trouble for quoting you when you said “don’t be a dick” while you domt get in trouble for saying it. It is too easy to abuse a system like that.

That’s not im my nature.

I’m calling bullshit on this. I was called a jerk in a pm yesterday by a mod. When i tried to tell another mod i was ignored.

Wow! How incredibly condescending! You assume that i don’t understand how free speech works. Why is that? Is it acause i’m a widdo gurl?

He is literally one of the walking encyclopedias around here that on such topics will go into detail about laws & regulations, human nature, data, etc.

I’m trying to help you here, but I’m not saying don’t defend yourself, just don’t kick someone where the sun don’t shine if they offer you a helping hand. Basically, be in the middle instead of either extreme.

I dont mind help. But i won’t be condescended to.

Sigh. Ad hominem blah blah. Please let’s have a civil night, shall we?

Who are you talking to? I have been civil.

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I questioned your motivation for starting this thread. Perhaps to grab the attention of a mod. Which you have now done.
That being said i have always found the mods to do be reponsive and fair in what must be a difficult and mostly unrewarding position.

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Nah, I don’t know what a widdo gurl is but hi, I’m a unicorn wizard.

I dunked on you for reasons that will be explained far after you stop reading. You’re real cheesed off. Trust me, your life will be better if you step back 1) for tonight or 2) forever. I don’t understand what has motivated you to die on the hill, “Some guy said crap in a thread and got fussed at” but it’s not a really good hill to defend.

You aren’t going to accomplish anything but getting more mean things said to you. The best way I can explain this is there is a concept of social credit: people who have been here longer and been mostly civil get to get away with more than people whose only record is calling the game or the mods or both a garbage fire. People who have been a garbage fire for as long as anyone can remember get away with nothing.

It’s not fair. I get it. But I’ve never actually found a social group that operates fairly. The ones that insist they are the most fair tend to have redefined fair as “what benefits us the most”, rather than something more Utilitarian.

You can use this as a lever. If you stick around and be calm and get a reputation for being mostly harmless, every now and then you get to deliver a sick burn that’d get a normal person in trouble. But it’s called “social credit” for a reason. Cash it in too much and it’s worthless. It’s better to let those slip-ups be accidental.

It works in reverse. If someone cashes a check their reputation can’t back, they get in a real dangerous situation. People with low social credit can dunk on them and get away with it. It’s… ugly. A feeding frenzy. All the negative energy of the group converges. You’ve made yourself the target. It’s not going to end well.

So take this anger and find another outlet for it, is my advice. Pointing it into the forums is going to create a feedback loop. You’re not going to be satisfied with the aftermath. Get out of the habit of acting on these impulses now. If you, like me, allow it to follow you into your adult life, it’s going to cause you a lot of problems.

Oh, also right now I can’t condescend to you: your last post is above mine so I am beneath you. If you post again, you’re beneath me. A big lesson about internet arguments: sometimes the biggest jerk is the one who has the last word, and it can be profitable to yield. I’m curious to see which of us is truly beneath the other.

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This is absolutely priceless! You all think you know me and you can catagorize me while cramming me into a nice, neat, pre-labeled box.

Wrong. I have apparently had the attention of the mods from moment one. I created this thread because i find human behavior facinating. Especially abnormal human behavior.

You are adorable!

Nice assumption. Is it that you think i dont have the attention span to read the essay you wrote? Or perhaps that i am not smart enough?

I’m not actually. Lol. If i was “cheesed off” i wouldn’t be here to talk about it.

So you think i should leave? Why hide behind this purple prose? Just bluntly say what you mean. “Go away little girl. This is no place for you.”

You like to seem smart or as someone else said a “walking encyclopedia” but if you think that this is what its about, you aren’t as smart as you would like me to believe.

Thats fine. Lets hear it! Say all the mean things you want. I’m a big girl, i can take it.

I like how you assume i am a child. Is this another assumption based on the fact that you think i am stupid?

Now if you don’t mind @Slypenslyde i would like this thread to be about the mods and the community’s experience with them. Not about me. Thanks.

Giving how you missed his point you are stupid. I’m going to be honest, as that’s what you want. I don’t like you. I think I even hate you as in the short span of misery of mockery and trolling you have spewed has been more toxic than anything I’ve seen here in a while.

You don’t listen, you got a victim complex, and are either an utter troll, or simply refuse to.

I tried to help, tried to be on your side, but you refused and spat in my face and everyone else.

So gtfo.

I would love to have one single post. Just one. Where I would go so dang low, pull no punches and verbally rip you apart.

You don’t belong here as all you do is spit on everyone around here and unfortunately, our sadist quota is full.

I’m done trying to help people like you, a spoiled brat. No one called you a child until you yelled at us as talking to you as one. So go take a (bad word) time out.

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In my view the moderation on these forums could surely be more enforced, at “Gulag levels” and yet it wouldn’t mean a fairer or better experience to everyone.

We have less restrictions than any other company forums around the internet, that’s because our community is mostly formed by people who enjoy the game and have fairly good moral compasses, some just have small deviations here and there, but in a sense that’s what makes them unique either we like it or not.

Disagreeing with each other and discussing things is a social dynamic which can lead to a better understanding of the many situations and the human condition as long as no one is trying to conquer or subjugate the other.

We all have skeletons inside of us, this is what should unify us against the real enemies: The invertebrates!!!
Skeletor

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Finally some honesty! Thank you! I respect that.

Lol what a wonderful post! I appreciate your blunt honesty and your nice sense of humor in your post. Thank you @Razzagor. This is the kind of response i would like from everyone! :smile: