Forum Moderation Techniques

[mikeymike]

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.

Means of moderation are limited by the software that runs the forums.  If we could make it more flexible while not losing out in other respects, we would do so.

[mikeymike]

Hooligan_DCS 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.

Why you think you can decide what is helpful for someone and what is not? If this is really your honest opinion, better quit being a moderator as you really ain't got what it takes.

Yeah, thanks...

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

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!

[mikeymike]

ryu:if posting the truth is getting involved , hell then i dont see why we have moderators, if i hadnt interveined then the guys who have no clue whould have belived that the pegasos was 3 times cheaper than the amigaone in retail.

Moderators get criticised (sometimes justifiably) for posting their opinion, then taxing an axe against posts/users who disagree with them.

Typically I try to stay out of threads which I feel will get silly and need moderation, even if I have an opinion that I'd like to state.  I try to stick to one or the other.  Occasionally I do get involved and state my opinion, then ask other moderators if they would mind keeping an eye on the thread (leaving the invitation open-ended as I don't want to sway their opinion as to what needs moderating).

@ everyone

(unrelated to answering lempkee's post)

If you deem it necessary to criticise a member of AO staff, please e/pmail either Kees or another moderator.  Telling someone they shouldn't/can't do their job to their face is likely to be taken offensively.

[mikeymike]

Hooligan_DCS wrote:

Yeah, thanks...
I think I can decide what is helpful for someone or not when mud is just being slung for three pages on end. 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.
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!

I am not talking about that thread so could you forget it aswell. Couldn't care less about its destiny and it was ok it got locked.
no, you really can't decide what is helpfull for me.. unless of course you are a psychic.

If you really don't think I am doing a decent job as a moderator, voice your concerns privately to another member of AO staff.  The other AO staff will discuss it, and if they feel I'm in the wrong, I'll leave.  Or you could just leave.

[mikeymike]

anyway all i where saying is that moderators should post facts / links in such cases and tell the poster who where fudding to check his sources.

Anyone can make mistakes though.  A moderator accusing a poster of lying would look like a biased moderator, not a moderator who's made an honest mistake.  Or the original poster might have made an honest mistake.  I have my personal opinions on what the angles were in that thread, but I can't and shouldn't say what they were.  Bear in mind also that I read that thread in hindsight, I'm not sure how I missed it TBH.

nah but what the hell i am just a troll..

To my knowledge you haven't trolled before, and I'm interested in your opinion.

While I disagree with it :-)

And really when I made my "@ everyone, unrelated to replying to lempkee" comment, that really wasn't aimed at you in the slightest!

[mikeymike]

Ryu, what's your IP again... 127.0.0.1?

[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.