172 replies to this topic

[jcompton]

Because I'm sure we'd all like to avoid confusion, I'd like to ask the esteemed, highly competent, and plentiful administrators of this forum to publish a complete list of the boards each user may be forbidden from posting in.

I've just learned that there is one, and rather than see posts disappear mysteriously into the night, it would be helpful if we all knew which mods we were forbidden from discussing. That way, perhaps we could form a support group or some sort of "Shadow Studios Cabinet" which will allow such discussion.

[SimDing0]

My understanding was that the days of BANED were over, and we had entered a new era. How wrong I was.

[Seifer]

Who's been banned then?

[seanas]

My understanding was that the days of BANED were over, and we had entered a new era. How wrong I was.

there's a substantive difference between being banned from the forum, and being subject to the whims (unreasonably subject to the whims, i would add) of a specific thread moderator. so yes, we are in a new era.

the question that jc might have been better advised asking is: are the actions of the Longer Road moderator an acceptable form of moderating, either on SHS or on any forum? i rather think they aren't, frankly, but i may well be in a minority on this matter, i don't know.

as a thought experiment, i'm trying to think what i would do if someone i regarded as a troll but other ppl didn't kept posting in the BP forums. i'd like to think i wouldn't be summarily deleting their posts...

[Ghreyfain]

You've impressed me, Seanas. Hopefully something actually happens to rectify this, yeah?

[Seifer]

You've impressed me, Seanas.  Hopefully something actually happens to rectify this, yeah?

Just because we've not plastered things over the board in various threads or polls of little point, that doesn't mean anything hasn't been done.

[SimDing0]

Colour me curious. What's happening?

[SimDing0]

Ohhh, you edited the "trail of slime" post. Cool.

[Plasmocat]

Although I'm only a new member of the staff, I can say that I'm not aware of any boards being on some "banned" list.

If threads have disappeared, how do you know that it was discussion of other boards was the problem? Is it possible that the thread was off-topic for the forum, or that the tone of the thread was too controntational? I'm asking because I honestly don't know what was going on and have no way to find what you're refering to without knowing the forum & mod you're asking about.

No offense intended, but this is a pet peeve for me personally. That is, when ppl post snarky or confrontational comments without clearly identifying the source of their aggravation. I have said for years that the problem with this kind of approach is that more often than not the ppl the poster is trying to flame very often don't read or pay attention to their complaints while in the meantime sensitive members of the board start feeling like they've done something wrong when they actually had nothing to do with the issue.

In the long run, when the topic is not discussed in full disclosure and full honesty nothing is solved. Usually the only result is extended or worsened hard feelings. And when those bad vibes are neither clearly defined nor adequately addressed those vibes end up affecting the atmosphere of the board in general.

Aside from not having any kind of frame of reference regarding your problem, JC, I have to be honest enough to say that I found your question disingenuous and a little condescending. Rather than asking what boards are "banned," why didn't you ask why the threads were removed and then wait for a response before deciding whether to become offended or not?

[Archmage Silver]

Quite frankly, because of all the history that these and other sites have been part of. Politics almost. Sort of.

[jcompton]

Although I'm only a new member of the staff, I can say that I'm not aware of any boards being on some "banned" list.

Well, I was an old member of the staff and I wasn't aware of one either, but apparently board moderators can grant themselves the privilege to threaten to delete all posts by selected individuals from their boards. And I figured it would be only fair, not to mention helpful for any Studios poster, if that list were made readily available. (And if it doesn't exist, if these selective bans are being managed in ad hoc fashion... why not start one? We can put it on the world-famous Studios Wiki!)

If threads have disappeared, how do you know that it was discussion of other boards was the problem?

Who said that was the problem?

Is it possible that the thread was off-topic for the forum, or that the tone of the thread was too controntational?  I'm asking because I honestly don't know what was going on and have no way to find what you're refering to without knowing the forum & mod you're asking about.

Well, I'd point you to it... but it's been deleted!

You can, however, follow a spinoff/reworking of the topic here. I fear I cannot speak for how long that thread will last, however, as the fate of my posts is very clearly not really in my hands.

I have said for years that the problem with this kind of approach is that more often than not the ppl the poster is trying to flame very often don't read or pay attention to their complaints while in the meantime sensitive members of the board start feeling like they've done something wrong when they actually had nothing to do with the issue. 

Presumably even the most sensitive of member wouldn't have any reason to feel they had done anything wrong if they hadn't been deleting anybody's posts.

Aside from not having any kind of frame of reference regarding your problem, JC, I have to be honest enough to say that I found your question disingenuous and a little condescending.  Rather than asking what boards are "banned," why didn't you ask why the threads were removed and then wait for a response before deciding whether to become offended or not?

Since you've been saying this for years, you'll be pleased to know that I am way ahead of you. I did ask why they were removed, and the answer I got back was offensive, and revealed the apparent existence of an intra-forum blacklist! Hence my question.

Edited by jcompton, 22 September 2005 - 12:37 PM.

[NiGHTMARE]

The sarcastic wiki comments are getting pretty old now.

[Archmage Silver]

Same thread over and over again with different name I suppose.

[Sir Kalthorine]

Same thread over and over again with different name I suppose.

Apologies to you and others for the apparent repetition of issues, but in any deletion or locking of threads - at least until Board Guidelines are breached - we would be setting a bad precedent in over-moderation in a public forum like this (as opposed to mod forums where moderators are freer to interpret what they see as inappropriate... provided in doing so they are not in flagrant breach of those Guidelines themselves).

[Archmage Silver]

That is understandable, and the reason why this thread is seen again later I assume. Not really anything you can do about it.

[Zyraen]

Maybe the basic question would be - is it acceptable for Moderators to edit/delete posts at their whim, especially those posts made by a particular person who has been blacklisted by only an individual Moderator? Or is it, as Sir Kalthorine implied, something that is more acceptable in individual Mod forums and less acceptable in public ones?

A simple Yes or No from a Board Representative that can speak for either himself / herself or for all the GMs and Mods here would suffice, though in the former case it would be nice if eventually a collective, rather than individual, stance could be reached.

None of us know of course, if JC and the various people above are just spouting lies, since all evidence is deleted. For the sake of cordiality, it wouldn't hurt to take this as a purely hypothetical question for the Moderators, and assume that Nothing of this Sort has ever happened before.

From this answer, of course, we will then be able to determine if the effort of drawing up a list of Forums from which an individual is banned from (since all his/her posts in that forum run an extremely high chance of being deleted) is even warranted. It could be a conspiracy by JC to keep us busy and away from Modding

Edited by Zyraen, 23 September 2005 - 08:29 AM.

[EvaineDian]

I read what Jason wrote before it was deleted (and part of it is still there in form of quotes). It was not negative, not offensive, not off-topic. My guess is that it was only deleted because it was him who posted it. I wonder if someone who deletes totally normal posts just out of personal dislike, should be allowed to be moderator.

[NiGHTMARE]

Dorotea isn't really a moderator (as f.ex Andyr, myself, Plasmocat Shadowhawke, Userunfriendly, etc are) she's a hosted modder - meaning she can only moderate the forums for her own hosted mods. Removing her moderation abilities would therefore also mean that SHS no longer hosts her mods - a pretty serious punishment for what is so far a single relatively minor offence.

Anyway, if you read previous posts in this thread, you'll see the senior staff have already dealt with the situation.

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 25 September 2005 - 11:09 AM.

[jcompton]

Dorotea isn't really a moderator, she's a hosted modder, meaning she can only moderate the forums for her own hosted mods.  Removing her moderation abilities would therefore also mean that SHS no longer hosts her mods - a pretty serious punishement for what is so far a single relatively minor offence.

Although it is a standing community tradition, there is no direct necessary correlation between providing download and designated discussion space and allowing moderation privileges. Particularly when they are used in a capricious and irrational manner.

Incidentally, a quick glance at the downloads page reveals that you're actually only providing discussion space, not download hosting as such.

Anyway, if you read previous posts in this thread, you'll see the senior staff have already dealt with the situation.

Reading the previous posts in this thread indicates that the senior staff supports the policy that "I hate you" is a valid reason to delete posts. I marvel at any other interpretation.

[NiGHTMARE]

I'm afraid I can't see how "just because we've not plastered things over the board in various threads or polls of little point, that doesn't mean anything hasn't been done" could be interpreted as "we haven't done anything because we don't think dorotea has done anything wrong."

EDIT: Incidentally, I can see how Sim's "my understanding was that the days of BANED were over, and we had entered a new era. How wrong I was" could be interpreted as "Jason's latest 'suggestion' for SHS staff policy that they should be more draconian in their enforcement of the rules is the complete opposite of pretty much every previous 'suggestion' he, I and Ghreyfain ever made, in that those all demanded the staff be less draconian in their enforcement of the rules."

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 25 September 2005 - 11:25 AM.