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"do The Mods Intimidate The Posters?"


sept1c_tank

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The question was raised (I believe tongue-in cheek) in another thread. The more I think about it, the better the question becomes.

 

Now let’s not start bashing the volunteers (or TPTB), but answer the question honestly. Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators? :huh: :huh:

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IBTL! :huh::huh:

 

I've had 3 try. :huh::huh: Yet, I've never ONCE gotten a spike on my warning meter.

 

One apologized and he's fine by me.

One just rubs me the wrong way from time to time, but I respect him.

 

The third? Wellllllll, if ya can't say something nice... Right? :D (Edit: In hindsight, this was an approval matter. Although, the approver is also a mod. It is still relevant, because he actually mentioned my forum posts as a reason NOT to approve my event, but eventually conceded that was not grounds enough to deny it. So WHY bother to send such tripe if not in attempt to intimidate? I show his email around at events lest anyone ever forget what he's capable of doing in official capacity. I go to allot of events too. :huh: Come to find out, he's reeeeeeeal popular already. There's a long line of people standing behind me with similar experiences. The funny part is, when I found out his regular user name. I wasn't surprised at all. My spider sense knew all along.)

 

In short, the answer is NO. We NEED them. They do a mostly thankless job.

 

IMO this thread is just gonna invite a personal attack. :huh: I got angry just thinking about that last one and it was nearly 6 months ago.

Edited by Snoogans
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...IMO this thread is just gonna invite a personal attack.

Nope. I won't allow it. I'll just push the "Report this Post" button.

 

Although I can honestly say I've been intimidated to the point of not posting, it has only happened occassionally.

 

Again, please...no mod bashing or name calling here. Just tell your story without names, dates or angst. Please. :huh::huh:

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The question was raised (I believe tongue-in cheek) in another thread.  The more I think about it, the better the question becomes.

 

Now let’s not start bashing the volunteers (or TPTB), but answer the question honestly.  Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators?  :huh: :huh:

Absolutely!! Your dead on ST!!!! Many times. But I will still respect the rules of this forum. :huh:

Edited by Spzzmoose
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No.

 

If you abide by the guidelines, stay on topic, and don't get too personal, the mods leave you alone. I have no problem with that.

 

I stepped out of line once with questionable language. The moderator sent me a personal email which, very politely, pointed out the error of my ways, ensured that I realised that there are a fair number of young people participating in, or at least reading, the forums, and to please be careful in future.

 

Certainly not intimidating!

 

My personal opinion?

 

The moderators do a darn fine job in making sure the forums follow guidelines, stay on topic and so on. Keep it up!

 

edited to correct spelling mistake. Didn't want a nasty comment from a moderator! :huh:

Edited by Azaruk
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The question was raised (I believe tongue-in cheek) in another thread.  The more I think about it, the better the question becomes.

 

Now let’s not start bashing the volunteers (or TPTB), but answer the question honestly.  Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators?  :huh: :huh:

Yes.

 

Then I think & mull it over.

 

Then I tell John (the other old fart) & he will post something because he can say things without becoming angry & get my idea across without being a 'bitchy old lady' (just a cranky old man). :huh:

 

At times the some of the mods can be unreasonable IMHO, & not willing to listen to the posters ideas. That is when I go to the Off Topic forum & lose myself in fun....maybe we should PM the mods & give them that suggestion?

 

Remember....I am an old lady...so be nice.

 

Shirley~

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The question was raised (I believe tongue-in cheek) in another thread. The more I think about it, the better the question becomes.

 

Now let’s not start bashing the volunteers (or TPTB), but answer the question honestly. Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators? :huh: :huh:

Nope. As long as the idea is on topic and the forum guidelines are followed, I don't really care. I have friends. I don't care if the mods like me or not.

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Yes, I think this is an overly-moderated group. And I'm not so much talking about obnoxious or aggressive moderation, though there is some of that. I confess to being completely mystified by the single-minded determination to keep threads on topic at all costs. I don't understand the point of this.

 

I can see that every topic shouldn't be allowed to meander and drift and turn into A.S., but I get this vision of moderators poised over keyboards waiting to pounce on any comment that does not adhere to the strict contractual obligation implied by the subject line. I'm talking about the quelling of useful, geocaching-related conversation that is slightly different from that started by the OP. It's so widespread and peculiar, I have to assume it's a communicated policy.

 

What up with that?

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Yes, I think this is an overly-moderated group. And I'm not so much talking about obnoxious or aggressive moderation, though there is some of that. I confess to being completely mystified by the single-minded determination to keep threads on topic at all costs. I don't understand the point of this.

 

I can see that every topic shouldn't be allowed to meander and drift and turn into A.S., but I get this vision of moderators poised over keyboards waiting to pounce on any comment that does not adhere to the strict contractual obligation implied by the subject line. I'm talking about the quelling of useful, geocaching-related conversation that is slightly different from that started by the OP. It's so widespread and peculiar, I have to assume it's a communicated policy.

 

What up with that?

AW is on the mark as always!

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Yes, I think this is an overly-moderated group. And I'm not so much talking about obnoxious or aggressive moderation, though there is some of that. I confess to being completely mystified by the single-minded determination to keep threads on topic at all costs. I don't understand the point of this.

 

I can see that every topic shouldn't be allowed to meander and drift and turn into A.S., but I get this vision of moderators poised over keyboards waiting to pounce on any comment that does not adhere to the strict contractual obligation implied by the subject line. I'm talking about the quelling of useful, geocaching-related conversation that is slightly different from that started by the OP. It's so widespread and peculiar, I have to assume it's a communicated policy.

 

What up with that?

Even in everyday conversation topics tend to drift from one to another, then back to the original topic. For it to happen here is natural.

 

:huh:

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No. I play by the rules. I have to remind myself to reserve my more smart-alec-non-constructive stuff for the OT forum, but that's me playing buy the rules, not an intimidation issue.

 

Heck, from what I've seen with some other forums I've been on, they do a GREAT job and this is a very nice board. (Honestly, I'm not BS'ing!)

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Yes, I think this is an overly-moderated group. And I'm not so much talking about obnoxious or aggressive moderation, though there is some of that. I confess to being completely mystified by the single-minded determination to keep threads on topic at all costs. I don't understand the point of this.

 

I can see that every topic shouldn't be allowed to meander and drift and turn into A.S., but I get this vision of moderators poised over keyboards waiting to pounce on any comment that does not adhere to the strict contractual obligation implied by the subject line. I'm talking about the quelling of useful, geocaching-related conversation that is slightly different from that started by the OP. It's so widespread and peculiar, I have to assume it's a communicated policy.

 

What up with that?

AW is on the mark as always!

Couldn't agree more.

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I think the Mods do a good job, and as someone else said, a pretty thankless job. They do not do a perfect job, but to expect that would be unreasonable. Observing over the past three years or so, I have seen where one or two sometimes get really "full of themselves" or get a bit heavy handed, but I also realize that they are only human and like all the rest of us, they are not infallible. I liken them to baseball umpires: every once in a while you are going to get a bad call, but for the most part they call 'em right. I don't see where they intimidate people at all, and in a few cases have seen where they have stopped what I would take to be "regulars" possibly intimidating some new/infrequent posters.

 

Hank

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How could a moderator possibly "intimidate" a poster?  It's not like they can (or do) threaten bodily harm.  :huh:

 

Sticks and stones may break my bones ...

Not physical harm, but they could threaten to moderate your posts or ban you.

 

No, I've never refrained from responding to a post because I thought the mods wouldn't like my opinion, but I don't really rock the boat.

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Never had a problem from a moderator, nor have I ever felt as though I couldn't post out of fear I would be moderated. None have ever chastised me--publicly or privately--and my only conversations with the mods has been in the context of the topic being discussed.

 

Staying on topic and being respectful really does make a difference.

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Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators?

No

I have never been intimidated , slighted , or treated badly by a mod.

 

I have on the other hand seen mods treated very very badly. They are doing a thankless job , but a job that nonetheless that should probably be done. As much as we agree or disagree about it . They keep us within the groundspeek guidelines, lest we all forget about them .

 

BTW I have however decided to not post to a topic because of some of the regulars.

 

Star of Team Tigger International

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Nah....not intimidated by the Mods......although when I post something borderline, that I know someone will be tapdancing on the report button for, I have a vision of the mod reaching through my monitor and grabbing me by the throat. That is thanks to a certain regular who posts that cartoon whenever suitable..... :huh::huh::huh:

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Yes, I think this is an overly-moderated group. And I'm not so much talking about obnoxious or aggressive moderation, though there is some of that. I confess to being completely mystified by the single-minded determination to keep threads on topic at all costs. I don't understand the point of this.

I understand the need to arrest the flame wars that were out of control. However the whips and chains that come out for some subject drift is ridiculous.

 

I've reported MOD over regulation. However I suspect I'm just spitting in the wind.

, but I get this vision of moderators poised over keyboards waiting to pounce on any comment that does not adhere to the strict contractual obligation implied by the subject line.
:huh:
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Again, no one intimidates what I have to say. The rules are the rules and as long as I stay within them, I can never envision ever having a problem with the mods. I appreciate the work they do and wouldn't want their job for anything.

 

Mike

Edited by Taxman003
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Occasionally Keystone Approver and COAdmin will get a little wierd in how they react to some post. This keeps me on the look out for them and I stay away from topics that in the past have pulled their strings.

 

These two mods have had the most trouble as I have been able to observe. I have not had trouble with any others.

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The other posters intimidate me more then the moderators.

cheers

I'm not very easily intimidated, but that doesn't mean that there are times that I decide it's not worth my while to step into a potentially hot topic, just becaues I'm not interested in a heated and unpleasant argument (instead of constructive debate) with other regulars.

 

I've had one of my threads closed by Mtn Man, and he did so with grace. The thread was potentially a pointless and heated topic anyway.

 

I have watched COAdmin come down pretty ruthlessly and without much grace on others in the past, but haven't seen so much of that lately. Thanks.

 

So, to answer the OP, no, the mods do not intimidate me. But, the mob mentality of some of the other posters does make some discussions seem rather pointless and well worth avoiding.

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Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators? B) B)

I rarely post in these forums any more for this very reason. I won't elaborate because it probably wouldn't be well received by the forum moderators. :D

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Put more precisely, have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators?

As a forum mod I can say that it is rarely about your opinion. It is about the way you choose to state it. If you can state your opinion and stay within the guidelines then you should be just fine and for the most part there are few issues.

 

The main things that will draw the attention of the moderators using foul language, Personal Attacks and Flames.

 

They are asked to follow the forum guidelines, and I think they do a darn good job at it.

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The reason I post is because I enjoy it. That’s a no brainier, but some people act like that’s a bad thing. The reasons I enjoy posting is that I like helping newbies, to toss out ideas and get feedback, to participate in controversial topics, to post the occasional bit of humor, and to participate in topics that I find interesting. What it comes down to is I like participating in the geocaching community represented in these forums. It pretty much begins and ends with the enjoyment. This is a discussion forum and that’s what I do here.

 

Suffice it to say that I do find that some mods try to intimidate. Also, some of TPTB try to intimidate or maybe they just call it establishing their authority. It doesn’t matter what it’s called, it looks the same to me and it leaves a bad aftertaste that makes it hard to respect them anymore. It’s a good way to dampen spirits and make a lot less of what you are really after happen.

 

The point of these forums isn’t the intimidation and guidelines. The purpose of the forums are to allow for discussion, to give people a place to ask question about geocaching, getting started, software, hardware and other things that help us enjoy geocaching more, as well as to iron out issues that are concerning us. The forums help build the community, even the discussions over dead horses. Some people say that the forums are not geocaching, that may be true, but they are a part of it, and the geocaching community would be the less for it if these forums were not here.

 

Having said there are mods that intimidate I’d like to say that Carleenp and Keystone Approver are two examples of how to do it right. I think their profession has taught them the value of showing a little courtesy and respect when you work with people and that they take time to understand a persons angle makes them more effective in getting their own point across. Only one is a mod, but the other would be as good as it gets. They could teach me a thing or two, and the a few other mods and TPTB could stand a lesson or two as well.

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No. I work well with the mods. I think they do a good job, and as Hydee said above...stay within the guidelines and you can get your point across.

 

During my time here I've been both moderated and warned. Not sure I agreed with either decision but I still post what I want to say.

 

I don't worry so much about what the moderaters think of my posts than what I'm going to think about them in a couple of hours or even the next day when I've had time to think about a post. Sometimes it can be quite embarassing to see a post you made without giving it due thought.

 

El Diablo

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I'm more intimidated by mob action than by mod action, but I'm trying to ignore that too.

 

An annoying experience was that at one time I (and some others) were getting nasty below the belt comments from someone who (with his moderator moniker) was admonishing moderation to others in that same thread. But that was exceptional, and I'll just assume he was having a bad day.

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No I am never intimidated to say what I think. I am also mature enough :D (mostly) to try my best to self moderate so that what I say comes across in a manner that not only complies with forum guidelines, but gets my point across without causing damage at the other end. I think there may have even been a post or two where I did try to find the bounds of moderation, and apparently did not stray too close to or even over the edge. B)

 

I find that I am using the preview post button more and more these days, before submitting my posts. Perhaps that in itself is a form of selm moderation. B)

Now if we could only get that dadgum auto spell check in here I'd be a real happy camper. B) I'd also like to see some other non-frog smileys to use. B)

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...have you ever thought you had something relevant to add to a topic, but you didn’t because you guessed your opinion would not be well received by the forum moderators?

A few times, mostly in threads that question policy or its interpretation.

 

I appreciate it when moderators keep discussions more-or-less on topic. I love it when they add insight. I hate it when they simply close a topic because some posters get out-of-control or the topic is considered irrelevant; better to guide than to shut down. I have even had posts rejected because the discussion was locked while I was writing a reply--that's a real turn-off.

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No. Stay within guidelines. This is a family fourm.

 

Most will whine and bitch if/when the MODs retire and you no longer get a nice "fuzzy puppy"! These people are not paid to help us. We have great MODs here. Are you sure we want to run this bunch off for different ones??

 

Perhaps we should thank them more often, play by the rules and help. Wow, what a concept. It could be worse!!

 

Jeff at Jelinidas

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Now if we could only get that dadgum auto spell check in here I'd be a real happy camper.  B)

I think you probably have seen this wimseyguy, but some may not have. I use a spell checker from iespell.com. It works great. All you have to do is right click and select it and it checks your posts before you add your reply. It even has a custom dictionary.

 

I am quite impressed that one week after we had one of the worst weeks in the forums I can remember that we are having a couple of good, rational discussions on such sensitive topics. Thanks for all of your input and well thought out replies. The constructive points are well taken and appreciated.

 

Thanks. :D

 

(Gratuitous cute and fuzzy pets pic courtesy of Bart and Tigger.)

barttiggercouch.jpg

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Occasionally Keystone Approver and COAdmin will get a little wierd in how they react to some post. This keeps me on the look out for them and I stay away from topics that in the past have pulled their strings.

 

These two mods have had the most trouble as I have been able to observe. I have not had trouble with any others.

my feelings exactly...intimidated: no; find forums less interesting and sign-in less frequently?: yes

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"I think you probably have seen this wimseyguy, but some may not have. I use a spell checker from iespell.com. It works great. All you have to do is right click and select it and it checks your posts before you add your reply. It even has a custom dictionary."

 

closing this thread because it's off-topic

;)

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No.

I have never been intimidated by a mod. :antenna: Not to say they don't make me scratch my head a bit from time to time. :lol: I have never had a warning (that I know of), but may have come close a time or two. :antenna: In those cases I subsequently made my position clear thru PM's and that cleared anything up, I hope. :ph34r: I think that I have done that with 4-5 different mods. ;) Every single time that it happened the PM's were most cordial. :antenna:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Except that Stunod, he can be a real pain in the a**. ;):lol::antenna::antenna:

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The moderators in my head told me not to post and it scared me a little. Does that count?  I guess it doesn't matter. I never listen to them anyway.

:D I've had issues with the voices in my head for years! :lol::huh::blink:

 

wimseyguy said:

...I find that I am using the preview post button more and more these days, before submitting my posts. Perhaps that in itself is a form of self moderation.

 

When I post seriously (I know I'm a bit flighty), I usually hit preview a couple of times; it's true, you see what you've written from a slightly different perspective, and it is a form of self moderation.

 

Another good thing about the preview button: In a fast moving topic, it allows you to see if someone has posted something right before you that cause you to want to rethink your post.

 

Sometimes if a key post slips in just before yours, your statement can be misunderstood (out of context) as sarcasm, hatefulness or just stupidity; this can only complicate a already delicate situation.

 

And thanks there, puppybreath, :lol::lol: for the spell check link.

I will download it right away. :P:D

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my feelings exactly...intimidated: no; find forums less interesting and sign-in less frequently?: yes

Agreed. When the mods post (or PM) comments that are demeaning and condescending, it makes me less likely to waste my time here and I waste it elsewhere.

 

I might even add that the comments of some (not just mods but also posters, and cache owners) have even dulled me to caching somewhat.

 

Caching and foruming are supposed to be fun. Many take it too seriously. It take the fun out of it.

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Yes as well. The unfortunate part is some of them were my friends before they were moderators, and they used to mix it up in the forums worse than I ever did. They've changed, I haven't. Too bad for them. :D

 

Now when I have an agenda, I have to work twice as hard to word my posts carefully, just to get the same message out while walking the edge of that line. :blink:

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Observing over the past three years or so, I have seen where one or two sometimes get really "full of themselves" or get a bit heavy handed

Which is when another Mod should step in an moderate another Mod!!

 

I am a moderator for another forum that is totally unrelated to GCing.

 

We have numerous sections like this one and for each section we have a couple of seperate moderators for each of them, so it doesn't fall on one or two major players. It's a trade(job) related site, and the sections we each moderate is usually one that we have a fairly good knowledge of.

 

We are resposible for keeping checks & balances on the stabilty of that section of the forums. ALL FLAMES are put out ASAP and deleted if need be, to keep the stabilty of the site at as close to 100% as we can.

Our Mods do have the power to edit a post of another "if need be". Then that way if there is info related to the topic it can stay.

 

I'm not sure how the forums work here, but we never automatically delete something because we find offence to it. What we do is set the thread as "invisible" to all, except the moderators & admins(TPTB).

Report it and then at least one other person has to second the decision before the final red button is pushed or an edit is enacted.

The poster is then notified of the reason the post was deleted or edited. Not just left hanging wondering what they did wrong.

 

Then that way, no one or two people have the power to run the place according to the way they see to run it.

 

The quality of the site comes first before any personal feelings enter the picture(in most cases)

 

One of the things that is utmost important to us is that we must remember that we were all newbies at one time. Proper time spent teaching and nurturing the new people in our trade is the only way to make sure the quality and growth of it continues.

 

The same could be said of GCing!! :blink:

 

D-man :D

 

edited: "for clarifiaction"

Edited by gridlox
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