TOS Violations and Moderator Responses

[B_J 2,752]

Too much precision makes it very easy to game the system.

The problem with the rules against racism and hate speech is that the moderation team lacks diversity. There is very little minority perspective. I don't need a bunch of Caucasians telling me what is or isn't racist.

I'm not bothered by discussion. I'm really most bothered by specific words.

What do you suggest?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

The new problem I see developing is that some members have decided that there is some sort of polarization, and are making posts about the "other" crowd and deciding, with no evidence, that this group is ruining their "fun." They are calling these members "sensitive," or the "PC crowd" or some other names.

One person actually posted that the forum is too full of women who are "b*tches" and who ate urine for breakfast and they are the root of the problem, and that got a lot of plusses. No one sees a problem with that?

Someone else said that unbanning Penny was a grand conspiracy to get some "type" of poster to come back while "punishing" other types of posters, without understanding that one violates TOS, one does not.

These same people say "if you don't like someone, put them on ignore!" but they cannot take their own advice if someone they don't like posted. Instead they say that women ate urine.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

What things in that forum are you thinking should be more lenient? Is it just the way the mods interact? TOS elements?

Thanks, it wasn't clear to me what you meant.

What would that solve?

Also if someone reports it make that public record. Also have a way for us to see the offending post because most of the time we have no idea what was found offensive or why. Something may be fine for a year then one day out of the blue it's offensive and people get banned without warning because some one reported it

I can promise if reporters were made public in our forum most problems would go away

[mota bhai 2,675]

I'm not bothered by discussion. I'm really most bothered by specific words.

What do you suggest?

I suggest doing away with the idea that moderators decide what is or isn't racism. Go to a community moderation model instead. Any post that gets more than x down votes in y minutes becomes invisible and only members who have never been in trouble with moderation in the last 6 months and post at least X posts per day (average) over that same 6 months get to downvote.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

The TOS could be very simple =

No Racism, No Hate Speech, No Pornography, (maybe include..No Ad Hominem?). Other than that = Gloves off & have fun.

But the issue is that some think everything is Racism. Some think nothing is. Some think any article that cast any Muslim ever in a bad light is hate speech and lastly. No porn. Really.? Joking of course no porn

As example I posted a well circulated in the main stream press story about a Well known Muslim cleric who justified corporal punishment against ones wife. It was deleted and I received a warning for hate speech when all I did was post the story.

[GandD 5,966]

I suggest doing away with the idea that moderators decide what is or isn't racism. Go to a community moderation model instead. Any post that gets more than x down votes in y minutes becomes invisible and only members who have never been in trouble with moderation in the last 6 months and post at least X posts per day (average) over that same 6 months get to downvote.

I like this. Sure it would get abused but who cares? So your post was hidden, BFD.

ETA, AJ brings up a great point. There's thousands of message boards across the internet. What do they do?

Edited May 30, 2014 by GandD

[mota bhai 2,675]

Community moderation is a lot more common out there than the current model of anointed holy ones who arbitrarily rule (often with an appaling lack of intelligence and judgment) on things they know very little about.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I suggest doing away with the idea that moderators decide what is or isn't racism. Go to a community moderation model instead. Any post that gets more than x down votes in y minutes becomes invisible and only members who have never been in trouble with moderation in the last 6 months and post at least X posts per day (average) over that same 6 months get to downvote.

That would be an admin nightmare unless Ewok has some pretty handy programers on staff. IMHO.

[B_J 2,752]

I suggest doing away with the idea that moderators decide what is or isn't racism. Go to a community moderation model instead. Any post that gets more than x down votes in y minutes becomes invisible and only members who have never been in trouble with moderation in the last 6 months and post at least X posts per day (average) over that same 6 months get to downvote.

Invisible meaning "click to view"

or

Invisible meaning I'll never be able to see what others decided was inappropriate?

[mota bhai 2,675]

Invisible meaning "click to view"

or

Invisible meaning I'll never be able to see what others decided was inappropriate?

Whatever is easier to implement.

My preference would be for the users who are able to downvote to be able to see what was hidden (and no one else).

[GandD 5,966]

Whatever is easier to implement.

My preference would be for the users who are able to downvote to be able to see what was hidden (and no one else).

And who voted it down.

[mota bhai 2,675]

And who voted it down.

Ideally, but no biggie if that can't be part of v1.

[B_J 2,752]

Whatever is easier to implement.

My preference would be for the users who are able to downvote to be able to see what was hidden (and no one else).

I'm okay with that.

[Darnell 8,478]

I was considering how to restrict that forum without creating problems. One way would be to promote members after they make xx posts into a group that would have access to posting in the forum. Until they reach xx posts they could only read the forum (but not post).

Thoughts?

Bad approach.

Instead -

PASSWORD PROTECT IT -

give over the password to ONE MOD -

then announce that mod's username -

then keep track of who the mod gave the password to.

Once a week - you go trolling (fishing) for miscreants - those that are there that were NEVER issued the password - and give them a 10 day suspension for coercing their buddies into giving up the password.

a password protected forum is already a feature of this web portal software - what you've described requires additional programming.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Be like me. I hate everyone. Equally. Regardless of race, color or creed.