Poll: A Proposal for Better Moderation

[Roxas1359]

So? I know it's not permitted, but I'm sure it's easy to create a new account without people knowing it's an old user.

I'm sure there are some on the site who do this, but you'd be surprised how many people instantly screw up when it comes to making an alternate account to avoid bannings. For example, and I've seen this many times, they'll use the same exact avatar as their recently banned account, have a small variation on their name, etc. Other things that usually happen are that people recognize the posting pattern of that user in question. The Tech Team can also do an IP check as well. If that user constantly comes back after being banned so many times, the Escapist can actually contact the ISP I believe and have it that they can't even access the site at all.

 

[JarinArenos]

So? I know it's not permitted, but I'm sure it's easy to create a new account without people knowing it's an old user.

I'm sure there are some on the site who do this, but you'd be surprised how many people instantly screw up when it comes to making an alternate account to avoid bannings. For example, and I've seen this many times, they'll use the same exact avatar as their recently banned account, have a small variation on their name, etc. Other things that usually happen are that people recognize the posting pattern of that user in question. The Tech Team can also do an IP check as well. If that user constantly comes back after being banned so many times, the Escapist can actually contact the ISP I believe and have it that they can't even access the site at all.

Speaking as an admin on another forum, I've never had someone do this who didn't almost immediately draw attention to themselves again. Don't even have to watch IP addresses that closely to spot them.

 

[Foolery]

8 chances is fair. If you fuck up that many times, I don't think you've properly read the COC, or learned enough self-control. It's not hard. You don't have freedom of speech here, either. Their site, their rules. Don't like it? Leave, or get warnings until you're banned.

 

[Drathnoxis]

So? I know it's not permitted, but I'm sure it's easy to create a new account without people knowing it's an old user.

I'm sure there are some on the site who do this, but you'd be surprised how many people instantly screw up when it comes to making an alternate account to avoid bannings. For example, and I've seen this many times, they'll use the same exact avatar as their recently banned account, have a small variation on their name, etc. Other things that usually happen are that people recognize the posting pattern of that user in question. The Tech Team can also do an IP check as well. If that user constantly comes back after being banned so many times, the Escapist can actually contact the ISP I believe and have it that they can't even access the site at all.

Pretty much spot on, though site access being completely blocked (i.e. "Server not found/responding" error in your browser) is probably when it's determined that us firewalling will get the job done better than dealing with the ISP abuse department (ugh, forms and reports and other paperwork). Except for office or school/university networks; they're perfectly fine immediately adding us to their own content filter programs, which can cause collateral damage to the other rules-abiding users at that location, so we only complain to them if absolutely necessary. Most general ISPs don't tend to do site-specific blocking on their end, for now.

For those that are wondering if ISPs ever care enough about complaints from us to take action, the answer is yes, and especially in the case where we need to complain multiple times about a repeat offender, though a single report can be enough, and has been before.

 

[Belaam]

No complaints, but if anything, I'd rather see the number of strikes go down. 8 is a lot of asshattery before being banned. I'd love to see data on how many people make it to six, suddenly get a grasp of their problems, and then calm down/ start posting things that add to the discussion. My suspicion is that it's rather low.

 

[someonehairy-ish]

Eh, I've been posting on and off here since 2009. If you avoid getting dragged into flame wars (the warning signs are easy to spot) then you'll be fine.

Also, holy shit, 2009. 6 years ago. I just looked at my bio, which I don't think I've ever updated, and wow was I a pretentious fuck when I was 15. 'Musician' - yeah right mate, you were in a shitty band.

Ahem.

 

[PainInTheAssInternet]

I must admit that I am getting tired of hearing the mods are crap, and I'm not even one of them. This site is not reddit, 4chan, 8chan or the like and that's precisely why I'm here. Even with all the rules and mods in place, you can easily see how close the site is from being a less popular reddit.

As for getting rid of the low-content rule, that strikes me as a bad idea due to the format alone. Many sites are made for brief comments because you don't have to travel across several screens to read a few of them. You can fit about 6-8 lines in the standard text boxes here before the borders shift to accommodate your comment and there's a limit of 35 to a page. Imagine scrolling through several pages just to see variations on "lol." It's irrelevant anyways because the mods were overwhelmed by Gamergate and were even ordered from on-high to abandon the moderation of low content.

If this site were to lose the proper moderation, it would likely lose any appeal it has since it would be just another site where anyone can post anything. The slightly above-standard comments on these forums are what is appealing to me.