Is this forum too moderated?

[J N Winkler]

What is "Rule #18"?  The forum posting guidelines are unnumbered.

I echo US 71's surprise about this action--given the controversy it was likely to cause, I would have expected the moderator to sign his name and to make it clear the action had buy-in from the "committee" (whatever it is actually called).

[Roadsguy]

What is "Rule #18"?  The forum posting guidelines are unnumbered.

I echo US 71's surprise about this action--given the controversy it was likely to cause, I would have expected the moderator to sign his name and to make it clear the action had buy-in from the "committee" (whatever it is actually called).

• Pointless cursing.

^^^^

[InterstateNG]

The answer, HB, is the moderation that occurs is totally haphazard and lazy which is why you get users like ShawnP spouting their jibberish-laden remarks ad infinitium with zero repercussions.  The quality of information received here has degraded (General Highway Discussion devolving into the Post Your Favorite [X] folder being a prime example) since I joined to the point that my account is only good for keeping track of unread posts.

I got one of their scary warnings for pointing out this fact, supposedly "insulting" them, in a private manner and totally within the system.  Too bad I'm done working within the system.

What was so wrong with your sig for the multiple weeks it was up?

Whatever, eventually I'll push the right buttons and get banned, and the sun will still rise that morning.  Senior members of the forum deserve a better moderation staff.  Unlike bugo's whining, the forum isn't too moderated.  What little moderation there is is applied poorly.

[vdeane]

If we're going to go that far back, we might as well talk about such gems (read: "guessing" fests that did nothing but inflate post counts) as "guess the highway" and "guess the aerial image".

[agentsteel53]

If we're going to go that far back, we might as well talk about such gems (read: "guessing" fests that did nothing but inflate post counts) as "guess the highway" and "guess the aerial image".

don't forget "Voyager's Cosmic b'Bar", which I believe lowered the collective IQ of the species by a point or two.

[Scott5114]

If we're going to go that far back, we might as well talk about such gems (read: "guessing" fests that did nothing but inflate post counts) as "guess the highway" and "guess the aerial image".

don't forget "Voyager's Cosmic b'Bar", which I believe lowered the collective IQ of the species by a point or two.

I remember the name but not what it was...care to help me out here?

[agentsteel53]

I remember the name but not what it was...care to help me out here?

it was just V'ger freaking out and posting incoherent, occasionally ranty shit while drunk - and encouraging others to do the same.  had nothing to do with roads; I think it was his own form of primal scream therapy.

[english si]

The answer, HB, is the moderation that occurs is totally haphazard and lazy

Over-moderation is annoying, but capricious moderation - where occasionally the normally relaxed moderation goes heavy-handed is far worse.

The problem here seems to be very occasional lack of consultation with others and slightly more frequent failure to own decisions. There are perhaps too many cooks also. Generally the moderation is a perfectly fine lassie-faire translucent kind of approach, but from time to time there's a "what's all that about?" Anything contentious appears from my outsider POV to occur most of the time without consultation between mods and almost every time some poor moderation occurs, the moderator has been anonymous.

[Brandon]

Funny that I never noticed your signature until now, when it's gone.

I thought that signature no less of a harassment than HB's target was using.  His target, quite frankly, has been using harassing/mocking signatures for quite some time.  HB's was pretty straight forward by comparison, IMHO.

[hbelkins]

I'm surprised a Moderator called you on this. We have regularly discussed people's sig lines and the consensus has been to take a hands-off policy on such things.  Either the policy changed when I wasn't looking or someone has gone rogue.  Was there an ID attached to the message?

I appreciate you, of all people, making this statement. There was no name attached, only "AA Roads Forum" and a reply to the PM would not go through because no recipient was specified.

What is "Rule #18"?  The forum posting guidelines are unnumbered.

I echo US 71's surprise about this action--given the controversy it was likely to cause, I would have expected the moderator to sign his name and to make it clear the action had buy-in from the "committee" (whatever it is actually called).

As someone else pointed out, it's cursing. The rules aren't numbered, but I counted just so people would go look. 

I could have remained quiet about it and no one would have ever known, but since this thread's ongoing for a discussion of moderation practices here, I felt it was legitimate to point out.

[J N Winkler]

The problem here seems to be very occasional lack of consultation with others and slightly more frequent failure to own decisions. There are perhaps too many cooks also. Generally the moderation is a perfectly fine laissez-faire translucent kind of approach, but from time to time there's a "what's all that about?" Anything contentious appears from my outsider POV to occur most of the time without consultation between mods and almost every time some poor moderation occurs, the moderator has been anonymous.

I'd echo these observations as well.  I don't really object to HB being required to change or delete his signature on the basis that allowing sigs to be used to snipe at other users breeds unnecessary discord and bad feeling, but it is much better if the person demanding this action is identified by name, doing so with the agreement (secured through prior discussion) of the other moderators, and in accordance with a policy that is given a reasonable amount of advance publicity.  In fact, if you publish the policy in advance you reduce the need to tell people to change sniping sigs:  this is part of how you get to masterly inaction.

You also don't use selective enforcement of an agreed policy to get at people who annoy you.  Either you don't enforce the policy at all, both against your friends and against your enemies, or you enforce it both against your friends and your enemies.  This means that if HB is asked to dump his sig on the basis that it is a snipe aimed at a specific person, NE2 gets asked to dump his sig in the same way and for the same reason.

You also do what is necessary to address confirmation bias, which in this case tends to take the form of seeing the misbehavior of your enemies (perhaps because you have made it your personal project to "keep tabs" on them?) and not seeing the misbehavior of your friends (perhaps because you trust them to behave without surveillance?).

[rickmastfan67]

I'm surprised a Moderator called you on this. We have regularly discussed people's sig lines and the consensus has been to take a hands-off policy on such things.  Either the policy changed when I wasn't looking or someone has gone rogue.  Was there an ID attached to the message?

I appreciate you, of all people, making this statement. There was no name attached, only "AA Roads Forum" and a reply to the PM would not go through because no recipient was specified.

I just want to say that the action was done before being discussed with the rest of the crew.  We do know who did it, but will not mention who did it publicly yet until we give him a chance to respond to the rest of the crew on why he did it.

[hbelkins]

I just want to say that the action was done before being discussed with the rest of the crew.  We do know who did it, but will not mention who did it publicly yet until we give him a chance to respond to the rest of the crew on why he did it.

No need to mention it publicly, as far as I'm concerned.

[jemacedo9]

I am a relative outsider...I've been here for about a year and I've made some contributions, but i have yet to attend a meet. I've thought about attenting one, but haven't found one convenient to me yet.  to me, the moderation seems to be pretty transparent, but I have yet to commit a foul.  I wasn't around in the M.T.R. days.

But I will say, from an outsiders standpoint, that some of the snipping and nitpicking between what I'm guessing are long-time members does make me think twice and be particularly careful of what I post, as I don't want to get in the middle of any of the conflicts that seem to crop up from time to time.  So, I tend to be more of a reader and less of a participant because of that.

...just an outsiders point-of-view, for what that may worth.  I suppose it all depends on how open to outsiders the general collective wants this forum to be.

[Alps]

I'm recusing myself from further moderating actions because I have found myself to be untrustworthy with it. I'm sticking with post editing, which I know I'm good at.

[NE2]

If consensus is that insulting sigs are OK, I'll change mine to:
"X blows goats and I have proof" = "I have a video of said goat-blowing in my porn folder, along with the nudes of my sister and cousin"

[hbelkins]

If consensus is that insulting sigs are OK, I'll change mine to:
"X blows goats and I have proof" = "I have a video of said goat-blowing in my porn folder, along with the nudes of my sister and cousin"

Reminds me - I need to watch "Wayne's World" again.

[US71]

If consensus is that insulting sigs are OK, I'll change mine to:
"X blows goats and I have proof" = "I have a video of said goat-blowing in my porn folder, along with the nudes of my sister and cousin"

TFTMS 

[bugo]

I miss the MTR days.  You could say whatever you wanted to without worry of repercussions.  The strange thing is that in the early days of MTR there was no fighting.  Everybody got along great.  Then some teenage noobs came along and ruined it for everybody, and it started spiraling down.  Then the trolls came in and took over, and now it's a joke.

[deathtopumpkins]

I miss the MTR days.  You could say whatever you wanted to without worry of repercussions.  The strange thing is that in the early days of MTR there was no fighting.  Everybody got along great.  Then some teenage noobs came along and ruined it for everybody, and it started spiraling down.  Then the trolls came in and took over, and now it's a joke.

Which is what we're trying to keep from happening again here.

[US71]

I miss the MTR days.  You could say whatever you wanted to without worry of repercussions.  The strange thing is that in the early days of MTR there was no fighting.  Everybody got along great.  Then some teenage noobs came along and ruined it for everybody, and it started spiraling down.  Then the trolls came in and took over, and now it's a joke.

Which is what we're trying to keep from happening again here.

Here we can at least block most of the SPAM for Chinese shoes, and adult video sites 

[bugo]

I miss the MTR days.  You could say whatever you wanted to without worry of repercussions.  The strange thing is that in the early days of MTR there was no fighting.  Everybody got along great.  Then some teenage noobs came along and ruined it for everybody, and it started spiraling down.  Then the trolls came in and took over, and now it's a joke.

Which is what we're trying to keep from happening again here.

You're trying way too damn hard. 

[deathtopumpkins]

Well, we're succeeding and that's what matters. 

[formulanone]

"I have a video of said goat-blowing in my porn folder, along with the nudes of my sister and cousin"

In that case, there's definitely no point of going through the motions again. Although, if it was Chinese shoe porn...

[bugo]

You'd still be succeeding if you didn't try as hard.  There's no way this forum is going to end up like MTR.  Hyperbole much?