Forum Moderation Techniques

[Acill]

Well there isnt much they can do other then lock the thread to stop the bashing. The problem is so many of us are so attached to our systems. Some of the people take it a bit to far I agree. Its a shame those that do cant keep the stupid feelings they have and not lash at out others.

[Damion]

My comments about this...

I understand why the thread was locked, and I really don't think it's a big deal...but on the other hand, there
was some useful discussion present, and considering the subject matter, I think it was actually pretty mild...


MarkTime wrote:

I don't have a particular issue with the moderation on this site, it seems usually to be fairly light, and not coming too
often. I don't think the moderators are power mad, they just use their power at times, in a response to the frustrations
members are having about posts. Unfortunately, I think there is a misunderstanding amongst the membership about what
moderation can and cannot do, and its the membership, constantly harassing the webmasters with complaints, that is the
real problem.

Everyone, if you ever wrote a webmaster complaining that a thread was out of control --> you are the problem.

I agree with this sentiment 100%. I can't count how many times in life that I've witnessed either
myself, or others, get shafted by the crybabies...and I'm not really complaining about it, but it IS
annoying. It reminds me of the old ladies who used to sit in the front row of church when I was a
kid...they made as much trouble for everyone else as they possibly could, probably becasue they
couldn't stand the thought of their own miserable existances long enough to actually DO something
about them.


mikeymike wrote:

I just read that thread. After the first couple/few pages, there was so little useful/accurate content that it is very
 unlikely that the original poster would have found it of any use. I didn't lock it, but I would have done.

IMO there's rarely an "accurate" path to ANYTHING...I expect to wade through some BS, or even
outright idiocy, in pretty much any forum - but it's up to the reader to (hopefully) posess the capacities
which discern what is and isn't useful, *for themselves*. Even if I don't agree, or find it redundant/troubling,
it's still part of the collective "stew"...and it may contain something helpful for others.

In fact, I think that's part of what makes amiga.org such a valuable discussion bed within the community.
People can basically present all their different viewpoints, and maybe something is gained in the process...or
maybe not...but personally, I like having the ability to sift through the "subjectionals". It keeps me a little
more balanced. Yes, some of them are annoying and stupid (some may find 'MY' comments annoying and
stupid), but do we really have to be that fragile about everything...??

I really do think all of the staff here is doing an excellent job. I'm not a moderator, and I'm not envious of
those who are...it's a tough, respectable task, especially considering the "volatility" of personality conflicts
within this community.

[ikir]

[bloodline]

Probably this is your opinion because you have trolled several time, with more account on this "another one that is similiar".

There are plenty of similar sites to A.org it uses Xoops which is very popular. you are not trying to suggest there is a particualar site that has a Moderator problem are you?

[Targhan]

I run one of those Xoops based sites.  I used to help out here as well.  Through my experiences, AO is a giant melting pot of the entire, extended, community, and moderation is a necissary evil.

Not OS4 specific, not MorphOS, AROS, Amithlon, UAE, or even "native Amiga" specific.  AO is all of the above, and there will be disagreements, flames, arguements, and those wanting to troll one group or another.

People have feelings, we aren't automatically generated by the server when logged in.  Each of us have the capacity to become angry when we feel slighted, abused, or other not-so-nice things occur. In my opinion the act of moderation is done simply to protect the integrity of the site for the greatest number of people who use it.  (Removal of pornographic pictures in threads, foul language, topics that go so far out that there is no "save" for the thread, etc.)

From all I've seen the site moderators have been improving over the last several months.  besides, the original thread under discussion here is a touchy topic, and I can certainly understand a moderator having their finger on the trigger - so to speak. Anyway, moderation is required to help kind of keep things under control when there are groups with clashing intrests, and not just Red&Blue either.

[Wain]

WOW!!!  If all of Amiga.org isn't just a huge pile of self-righteousness this week!

Okay look, here's the deal.  Nobody thinks anybody else is stupid, nobody is going out of their way to offend anyone else, and on the rare occasion that someone is we get to see "removed by ...... - personal attack"  as you will see earlier in this thread.

I think the moderation on this site is wonderful.  The moderators allow threads to go off-topic if they don't get out of hand, and they're very good at pulling the reins in when things do get too touchy.

So a thread got locked because people were bickering...WHO CARES???

If there's some VITAL piece of information that you just have to contribute, THEN START ANOTHER THREAD.  It's not hard, you see that little button at the top of the message section that says "Post New Topic"? Click it and post a new topic!

This new thread,  just like the one before it, will be allowed to continue peacefully by moderators unless it breaks down into another bitch session, which hopefully won't happen because it has now been made obvious that this is unacceptable behavior.  

If it does happen, and is started again by the same people, I trust that the moderators here will move on to issuing personal warnings to those particular people.

It's not like someone locked the thread immediately after someone gave the specs of a Pegasos or AmigaOne, and gave a reason of "the other machine is crap and this discussion doesn't need to continue"

Geez people, get off your high-horses already!  Not only are you dealing with a seriously fragmented community of computer users, all who have their own choices and opinions regarding software and hardware, but it's also an international community, comprised of completely different societies and rules of etiquette.

A moderator has EVERY right to close a thread whenever they see fit.  We have several moderators for a reason; in order to stop the others from intentionally, or unintentionally abusing their power.

If you feel that you are being unfairly persecuted by a moderator, perhaps you should have someone else you know take a look at your posts to give you an honest opinion, particularly if you're not posting in your native tongue, it's possible something was just written, implied, or inferred wrongly, it's also possible that your an arrogant prick who needs to learn to check your ego in at the door, get someone you trust to take a look and see what they think.

Most importantly PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T FORGET, that in a horribly fragmented, international community, there are BOUND to be mix-ups, and misunderstandings, don't jump up and down screaming at a moderator(or anyone else for that matter) "I'M RIGHT!! I'M RIGHT!!" without at least bothering to message someone for some clarification.  

The reason I like this site is because nobody's really out to get anybody else except for the possibility of several of us being out to get DommMaster!  :-D

[cecilia]

Wayne wrote:
Allow me to point out the following;

http://www.ann.lu/comments2.cgi?show=1075822379&category=rant&number=28#comment

this is the funnist thing "Billsey" (assuming it was the real Billsey) has ever posted:

"I was a regular on Amiga.org but was attacked by moderators because i was in their terms a "Religious scumbag" who should stop being christian or get banned. i asked why i am being treated badly but the only reply i got said "if you do not like the site just f--k off bible boy)."

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Coder]

Hi,

Let's face it, there are some people out there that are only out to
troll/destroy. And indeed sometimes you want to post your honest and
troll-free opinion in that thread but it is locked. Then you can open
a new thread and indeed those same people might turn up there also. Or
it gets viewed as, oh no they go on again. Or it is locked just to
stop there. Yes, the bad guys mess it up for the good guys.

Here's a tip for free, if you don't agree on something take it up with
a moderator or Wayne/Kees. Don't spill it in the open. That already
makes a "patch things up moment" impossible. We all make mistakes, the
users and the moderators. Right?

Coder

[mdwh2]

mikeymike wrote:
I just read that thread.  After the first couple/few pages, there was so little useful/accurate content that it is very unlikely that the original poster would have found it of any use.  I didn't lock it, but I would have done.

So because you guessed that one person might find it of little use, you'd decide you'd stop it for everyone? Whatever happened to not reading threads which don't interest you?

We have to look at *why* things such as arguments or going off-topic cause a problem. One problem that I can see is that it means the original topic may be lost in the noise, if people might still want to discuss it - but hang on, if the thread's locked, then no one can post on the original topic at all!

The only other reasoning I can see is that people don't want apparentely pointless threads clogging up the thread index - so my suggestion would be to move the thread to another forum perhaps? Maybe Talk About, or perhaps there should be a forum for any topic which might be deemed as pointless by the moderators, but people clearly still want to discuss.

Are there other problems that I have missed?

[mdwh2]

mikeymike wrote:
I think I can decide what is helpful for someone or not when mud is just being slung for three pages on end.

Except you evidently can't always do this successfully, otherwise this thread wouldn't exist.

If you think that would be useful to anyone, why don't you take up moderating elsewhere and see how well your ideas on the subject do for you.  I'll continue to trust my judgement and liase with the other AO staff.

The point isn't that moderators are expected to know magically which threads are useful, and which should be locked - the whole argument is that threads *shouldn't* be locked (or at least, only if there are issues of legality, say, but that's not in issue here).

And anyway, it would hardly be the end of the world, if I locked a thread, and the original poster requested that I unlock it because they were finding the discussion useful!

And if a thread participant requested also?

[mdwh2]

Argo wrote:
If a topic gets locked, nothing is stoping anyone from starting a new one. Just hope something is learned from the previous topic.

I'm glad to see this said - in the past, I've wanted to reply to some point in a locked thread I've been following, and unsure whether I'd get jumped on for starting it in a new thread.

However, surely this gives the problem that a locked thread could end up multiplying in several new threads (I saw this happen once), which surely clogs up things more so, and wouldn't it be better to keep it to a single thread? Oh well, I don't really mind as long as we can continue the discussion in a new thread, but was just a thought.

[SlimJim]

this is the funnist thing "Billsey" (assuming it was the real Billsey) has ever posted:

"I was a regular on Amiga.org but was attacked by moderators because i was in their terms a "Religious scumbag" who should stop being christian or get banned. i asked why i am being treated badly but the only reply i got said "if you do not like the site just f--k off bible boy)."

It was not Billsey, according to himself (and I don't think
he's the guy who sneak around with what he believes in ;-)).
 
Not that I agree with the man's (in my view) rather extreme
beliefs, but impresonating him like that on ANN was low.
Plenty of others, e.g. Wilse was impersonated in the same
thread.
.
SlimJim (sorry for being OT)

[cavador]

I think moderaters should be elected by a form of
voting system toensure they do not become entrusted with too much power.
When they wish to block a thread then they have to seek permission from an elected moderator who is head of all other moderators (sort of a Prime Minister) :-P

[Framiga]

Hi all,

i wish to remind, that the same moderator had locked, time ago  the "Cyberstorm sent to DCE . . ." thread and only thanks to Kees it was reopened. . . . .why?

Ciao

 

[mikeymike]

i wish to remind, that the same moderator had locked, time ago the "Cyberstorm sent to DCE . . ." thread and only thanks to Kees it was reopened. . . . .why?

Ok, now I'm really getting mad.  Will you boneheads ever read what I write?  The only reason why you might think it was me was because I wrote "I didn't lock it but I would have done" in this thread!

Locking the cyberstorm thread was a mistake on my part, I freely admit that.  What is less likely however, framiga, is that you'll admit you were well out of order when you accused me of trolling on the recent OS4 screenshot news thread!

And if you won't admit you're wrong, kindly stop sniping here.

[Kees]

@ framiga

You are really getting on my nerves here. You insult a moderator for such a small little thing ?

Its time to grow up !