Poll: Do you fear the ban hammer?

[Brian Tams]

I used to post on a Magic: The Gathering forum called MTGSalvation quite frequently. There, I sure as hell feared the ban hammer, mostly because the mods are super biased.

Let me give you an example. Poster A and Poster B are arguing about whether a card is good or not. This argument eventually descends into a flame war, where Poster A and Poster B are equally at fault. A mod steps in. However, the mod agrees with Poster A on the subject matter, and warns only Poster B that if he continues flaming, he'll be suspended. This happens all the time on that forum, as well as other forums across the interwebz. Its usually why I spend some time merely reading posts before adding my own voice to forum conversation to I can get a feel for how the mods run things.

I don't fear the big H here, though.

 

[IceForce]

I have been told quite frankly, one does not even have to violate the rules to incur mod wrath.

Wait, what? Who said this?

Remember how I watched your back. Remember how I talked you down. I PM'd you because I didn't want you to get yourself into trouble.

Remember how you lost your temper with other posters after I'd sunk the thread and wasn't paying any attention to it anymore?

I know that you do. I had your back. I was a true Moderator--I didn't pick sides

You contradict yourself here btw.

By "having his back" you were taking his side.

 

[IceForce]

1-That they are inconsistent across the board while this is understandable in most cases as there are different mods with different thought patterns this can lead to unfair judgment.

2-Contributors have privilege and can get away with things we can't such as what they post/say would get a normal member banned/suspended but for them it's ok. This is unfair-sends the wrong message-Is a double standard and is hypocritical. When questioned the mods say it only for video's and that on the forums they are just like us this is a blatant lie as I saw Grey Carter on an article post Pornographic material while the image was removed he received no warning or punishment.

3-They can at times punish you if you have an unfavourable opinion-I'm not talking about if you say your opinion rudely-but just having a different opinion can end badly for you if you're not carefull although they aren't that bad with this and really the problem comes down to inconsistency/double standards.

Yeah, I agree with most of this. It can seem pretty inconsistent at times.

I feel pretty safe, until I break some weird rule I didn't know about, like POSTING IN CAPS for emphasis.

This is a bit of a problem too. There seems to be so many unwritten rules here it's ridiculous.

...

Speaking of inconsistencies and double-standards...

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.821269.19839992

Why didn't Mr Sterling get a warning for that post? It's in all-caps, so...

 

[knight steel]

snip

Bleh I'm feeling tired-While I'm still uneasy about certain point's you do bring up stuff that had not occurred to me-I guess Continually judging the higher up achieves nothing,still if they were a bit more open trust would be easier but you get what you get and they have been shown to be able to make changes so I'll trust them.......for now >_<

As for Grey. I guess I didn't look at it from his point of view-I thought it just because he made the site money I didn't think about how it affected his job......still a visible sign towards us that things were being dealt with would have been nice-but I guess thats whats happening now.

Thanks for the advice-If I do have problems I will PM the mods ^_^

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Speaking of inconsistencies and double-standards...

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.821269.19839992

Why didn't Mr Sterling get a warning for that post? It's in all-caps, so...

Well what do you know. This is a little disappointing.

 

[Scarecrow]

I don't care, because it really doesn't matter. While going out of my way to be rude is utterly pointless, I don't loose anything by being banned here if something happens, like if I snap one day.

 

[Haakmed]

Living your life in fear of something is not really living!!!

Annnnnd....B

 

[Basement Cat]

You contradict yourself here btw.

By "having his back" you were taking his side.

Incorrect.

I grok your perspective. But the truth is that I was trying to keep the peace without taking sides on the subject that was being debated. It was a comment-to-comment thing.

I wasn't taking his side on the TOPIC in that thread. Nope. I agreed with part of his argument and disagreed with other parts.

My focus was on keeping him from going over the line.

He wasn't the only one I PM'd in that thread. Like some of the other Mods I occasionally PM'd posters whom I felt were veering towards "Warning" territory.

As the saying goes: "The Truth is in the details."

But, yes, I recognize how you might have misinterpret what I said.

No harm, no foul.

 

[sky14kemea]

I've had three terrifying dreams where I received a probation, a suspension and another suspension respectively. Needless to say, it's an irrational fear. 4 years now, and I've only received one warning for making a stupid "this" post.

That's weird... I used to have dreams where I started banning this one user over and over again.

O_O

OT: I don't fear the banhammer, I fear the Nerf-gun that the staff at the office have....

That thing hurts.

Though I do find it funny that most people are only posting about their experience on the Escapist. It's like they haven't fully read the OP.

(I don't go on any other forums myself, so that counts me out).

 

[Nouw]

I've had three terrifying dreams where I received a probation, a suspension and another suspension respectively. Needless to say, it's an irrational fear. 4 years now, and I've only received one warning for making a stupid "this" post.

That's weird... I used to have dreams where I started banning this one user over and over again.

O_O

Holy shet &#12615;^&#12615;!

*adds spider-mod to list of people not to fuck with.*

 

[Basement Cat]

Speaking of inconsistencies and double-standards...

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/6.821269.19839992

Why didn't Mr Sterling get a warning for that post? It's in all-caps, so...

One word: Context.

The key point involving the rule about CAPS RESPONSES is to prevent folks from ranting, etc...

Jim was responding in a clearly non-confrontational manner with the other poster. Look at that thread again: He and the other poster were bantering back and forth with each other.

Context.

Yes, the Moderators MOST CERTAINLY TAKE "CONTEXT" INTO CONSIDERATION!

Point in regard: When a thread discussing old Rock and Roll songs brought up the Dire Straits' song/video "Money For Nothing" a few months ago a poster utilized the word "******" without being whacked for it. The reason he wasn't whacked for it was because it was pertinent to the subject at hand because the song/video very pointedly uses the term.

To whack the poster for specifically noting the term in that specific case would have been as inappropriate as whacking a poster for stating that Germans in the 1930's to 1940's were anti-semantic.

Context. Yep, it matters.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

The only thing I've been pinged for is "low content" - which is a rule that I feel needs reform and so have written to the Escapist about it in their "contact" form - and I do think that particular issue is over-moderated, especially on Content Threads (the ones that come with every featured content piece automatically) where people just want to say "I liked it" or "Sweet comic this week" or whatever, and can't, because that's not full enough of content... now, in discussion threads, yeah, there's a real argument for keeping the cat picture only or +1 posting down.

As for controversy... I don't try to use the Internet forums for airing my major grievances - if I can help myself. Sometimes I have a weak moment, but I try to word whatever I'm saying not to be directly offensive to someone else, because that's not ever the intention of something I have to say - if I want to straight out tell someone I think something intensely negative about them I either a) need to just let it go and ignore that person or b) avail myself of the private messaging.

 

[Ratties]

Why would I fear it. They are not paying me to be here. They don't do my chores. They don't pay my bills. Who the hell cares.

 

[FireAza]

Though I do find it funny that most people are only posting about their experience on the Escapist. It's like they haven't fully read the OP.

Hell, it's like they didn't even read the first sentence! Hence option C, which was intended as a bit of a joke, but it seems like it's become a legitimate option :\

Going back a page, I see two users have received suspensions/warnings. And in my non-moderator view, it appears that they received this for criticizing the moderators. Maybe it was for something else (the first user might have been a little harsh), but that's how it looks to me. And since I don't see anything in the Forum Code of Conduct about questioning the moderators, this kinda brings me back to my OP.

On any other forum I've been on, a post like that would have simply caused one of the mods come in and post a reply discussing forum policies and why they are the way they are.

 

[IceForce]

One word: Context.

The key point involving the rule about CAPS RESPONSES is to prevent folks from ranting, etc...

Jim was responding in a clearly non-confrontational manner with the other poster. Look at that thread again: He and the other poster were bantering back and forth with each other.

Context.

Yes, the Moderators MOST CERTAINLY TAKE "CONTEXT" INTO CONSIDERATION!

Nah, sorry I don't accept that.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/18.820724.19814599

I could probably dig around for some more better examples, but it seems like context doesn't have much to do with it.

Going back a page, I see two users have received suspensions/warnings. And in my non-moderator view, it appears that they received this for criticizing the moderators. Maybe it was for something else (the first user might have been a little harsh), but that's how it looks to me. And since I don't see anything in the Forum Code of Conduct about questioning the moderators, this kinda brings me back to my OP.

From the things I've seen during my time lurking, I can say that complaining and kicking up a fuss about the moderation here often only digs you into a deeper hole.

It's probably best to just not complain about it at all.

 

[Basement Cat]

One word: Context.

The key point involving the rule about CAPS RESPONSES is to prevent folks from ranting, etc...

Jim was responding in a clearly non-confrontational manner with the other poster. Look at that thread again: He and the other poster were bantering back and forth with each other.

Context.

Yes, the Moderators MOST CERTAINLY TAKE "CONTEXT" INTO CONSIDERATION!

Nah, sorry I don't accept that.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/jump/18.820724.19814599

I could probably dig around for some more better examples, but it seems like context doesn't have much to do with it.
It's probably best to just not complain about it at all.

I used to be a Moderator.

I would not have whacked Jim for his post--though I whacked others in R&P for lesser trespasses when I was R&P's designated Mod.

I was the most benign--and yet the most dreaded--designated Mod in the entire history of the Escapist.[footnote]In R&P, I'm talking about. And since I was R&P's only designated Mod the bar was set somewhere close to the ground. ^_^[/footnote]

Look back to my previous posts. I'm playing nice, here. I'm striving not to explain things mote by mote as if folks here needed me to walk them through to explain fundamentals like: "One Plus One Equals....TWO!"

 

[FireAza]

Going back a page, I see two users have received suspensions/warnings. And in my non-moderator view, it appears that they received this for criticizing the moderators. Maybe it was for something else (the first user might have been a little harsh), but that's how it looks to me. And since I don't see anything in the Forum Code of Conduct about questioning the moderators, this kinda brings me back to my OP.

From the things I've seen during my time lurking, I can say that complaining and kicking up a fuss about the moderation here often only digs you into a deeper hole.

It's probably best to just not complain about it at all.

If you're whining and kicking up a stink, sure that's grounds for a warning. But users shouldn't be afraid to question the actions of the moderators if they feel they made the wrong choice. Especially if there's nothing in the rules that says you can't do that. That sort of fear is not conducive to a healthy online community.

 

[sky14kemea]

Going back a page, I see two users have received suspensions/warnings. And in my non-moderator view, it appears that they received this for criticizing the moderators. Maybe it was for something else (the first user might have been a little harsh), but that's how it looks to me. And since I don't see anything in the Forum Code of Conduct about questioning the moderators, this kinda brings me back to my OP.

On any other forum I've been on, a post like that would have simply caused one of the mods come in and post a reply discussing forum policies and why they are the way they are.

There's a difference between giving critique of the Mods, and just downright insulting them. The Moderators are also users on this site, so the "Do not insult other users" also applies for them as well.

I used to be a Moderator.

I would not have whacked Jim for his post--though I whacked others in R&P for lesser trespasses when I was R&P's designated Mod.

I was the most benign--and yet the most dreaded--designated Mod in the entire history of the Escapist.

Look back to my previous posts. I'm playing nice, here. I'm striving not to explain things mote by mote as if folks here needed me to walk them through to explain fundamentals like: "One Plus One Equals....TWO!"

Copper, I appreciate your efforts, but how can you be the most benign and yet the most dreaded Mod here? That contradicts itself. xD

We all know the most feared Mod was Ultrajoe anyway.

It's probably best to just not complain about it at all.

That's not always true, you just need to be polite about it.

PMing the staff directly about moderator issues is the best way to go. That way they can actually deal with the issue. Making threads about the moderation doesn't help because most of the time, the Staff are too busy to go through all the forums to read about the problems.

 

[IceForce]

I used to be a Moderator.

Oh, oops. Sorry, my mistake.

Look back to my previous posts. I'm playing nice, here. I'm striving not to explain things mote by mote as if folks here needed me to walk them through to explain fundamentals like: "One Plus One Equals....TWO!"

PMing the staff directly about moderator issues is the best way to go. That way they can actually deal with the issue. Making threads about the moderation doesn't help because most of the time, the Staff are too busy to go through all the forums to read about the problems.

Ah okay, I'm not trying to complain or "sass" or anything. Just pointing out a couple of examples of things I found in my lurking. (There's a reason I show the 'Observer' badge.)

 

[lunavixen]

B sounds about right for me, I post in multiple forums, some as strict as the escapist, others much less so. I've only recieved 1 warning for low content post when I first joined here, as I was unaware of how little content contrived low content for a post. But overall, I read through the first page of a thread before I post to see what sort of things are being said, and if the thread is rapidly derailing I just won't post, my posts are largely ignored anyway so it doesn't bother me.