FAO for Moderator 3

[Lord Braykewynde]

May I ask what the attacks/insults were under colin (bridgend)s post, Controversial Topic. I didn't see any personal name calling unless I'm missing the point.If there was fair enough but I'm just hoping that we aren't being treated like children if we say anything that goes against political correctness that seems to permeate through our lives in the last few years.

As a moderator isn't it a good idea to say why the thread has been deleted, by saying "all the attacks and insults (30 mins so far)". doesn't elaborate and how can people be educated to what is allowed to be posted and what is not without the full facts, afterall, a lot of people will not have read some posts so like me will be left confused as to what is acceptable or not.

At WGC there are around 100 Moderators and like here, although theres only three, some are more stricter than others (thankfully I'm classed as a moderate/friendly one by the players/chatters). We don't have the choice of deleting the posts because the chat is in real time but for attacks/profanity/incitement etc we have the tools to gag/stop chat or boot people. When this is done we do it democratically by informing the culprit the reason why and by doing that we are educating them. If they promise to behave we can ungag them but at all times chat logs are taken of any tool use.

The point of all that drivel is that other members see what is happening and learn what is acceptable but I must admit the players/chatters aren't as mollycoddled as we are sometimes on here.

I posted in that thread and now I'm left wandering if I upset your views regarding my comments on politically correct people, gypsies or maybe my comment about illegal immigrants.

If there was personal attacks against other posters I agree, they should be deleted, but to delete a whole thread just doesn't make sense.

 

[emmerson2]

Morning Lord B. The only name-calling I noticed was when giovanni called me a fool, but I did threaten to get him at playtime!Perhaps that was the problem

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Morning Lord B. The only name-calling I noticed was when giovanni called me a fool, but I did threaten to get him at playtime!Perhaps that was the problem

Lmaaaooooo - I bet you were upset when gio played truant and you couldn't get him back ;O)

 

[sparkes]

LB

I deleted it because it was inappropriate and I had requested that posts stopped.

Yes I know I am posting under my own name, but I am no longer hiding behind a moderator tag.

Sorry if you are not happy with the editing. I tried to correct the posts but I had limited time to do it and could not keep up.

 

[Cerbera]

So the answer would have been to delete the topic, then post a new topic explaining your reasons and then locking it so the 'abuse' could go no further. Thus you have explained yourself and not acted in what seemed to be a fit of power crazed deletion

 

[LizCornwall]

To Lord B, It was posting thats caused Moderator 3 to delete all postings. Liz

 

[LizCornwall]

Sorry I left the my out my posting. Liz

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Don't get me wrong Steve, I'm not upset about the post being deleted, it's the not knowing why that bothers me.

Was it because I made a reference to "those who advocate political correctness should be put up against a wall and shot" that caused it so instigating violence? Was my post about laptops being given to gypsies considered racist or helping the indigenous population in preference to illegal immigrants? Maybe it was gio calling emmerson a fool. Nobody knows why the thread was deleted unless they saw something I or others never. In consequence people are left guessing and are unable to correct/modify their behaviour in future postings to save upsetting the Moderator. ;O)

Regarding not hiding behind a Moderator tag, I believe that is a good thing. The players/chatters all know who I am whether I'm chatting or moderating and I believe I get more respect for it. I've made many online friends out of the people I have gagged or booted by either talking to them privately and getting them to understand that theres an invisible line that must not be crossed and by them promising to change their behaviour or attitude to others. Most agree with my actions but as I said before I'm not as strict as some Sysops, I tend to treat people as adults and not nanny sit them and again I get more respect for that. The difference in being bad between this site and WGC is enormous regarding attacking, bad language, stalking others etc. and all the time we have to try and help them with any problems they have, directing them to Tech Help or the 911 room. This site is like a kindergarden compared to realtime chat/games rooms.

I spent 9 years in the MSN Gamezone where literally tens of thousands went and then Microsoft closed it leaving everyone stranded with nowhere to go. WGC took up the challenge and although theres a long way to go we are getting there.

Under the Gamezone there were a few corrupt Moderators and the management weren't prepared to do anything about them despite complaints, including their own colleagues, so when WGC started I decided to apply to become a Moderator to fight any corruption from within and I was accepted as one of the first intake. So far so good and thankfully most of my online friends from the Zone are now with us at WGC. It's all good fun though :O) Holy dogdumps don't I ramble :O(

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

To Lord B, It was posting thats caused Moderator 3 to delete all postings. Liz

Which posting Liz?

 

[colin(bridgend)]

And here I am couldn't sleep all night between thinking I had upset the apple cart with my original posting and also the threat of Lord B. not granting me free and safe passage through his fine county of Hereford. If all these problems continue I will have no option than to pack my bags and seek comfort in a monestary. Caldy Island here I come (don't warn them I am on my way as they may not grant me sanction)

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Sorry I left the my out my posting. Liz

oops.. just read this one. Did you say something naughty, if so why not just delete yours? It must have been more than just yours Liz otherwise it doesn't make sense. :O(

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Don't get me wrong Steve, I'm not upset about the post being deleted, it's the not knowing why that bothers me.

Was it because I made a reference to "those who advocate political correctness should be put up against a wall and shot" that caused it so instigating violence? Was my post about laptops being given to gypsies considered racist or helping the indigenous population in preference to illegal immigrants? Maybe it was gio calling emmerson a fool. Nobody knows why the thread was deleted unless they saw something I or others never. In consequence people are left guessing and are unable to correct/modify their behaviour in future postings to save upsetting the Moderator. ;O)

Regarding not hiding behind a Moderator tag, I believe that is a good thing. The players/chatters all know who I am whether I'm chatting or moderating and I believe I get more respect for it. I've made many online friends out of the people I have gagged or booted by either talking to them privately and getting them to understand that theres an invisible line that must not be crossed and by them promising to change their behaviour or attitude to others. Most agree with my actions but as I said before I'm not as strict as some Sysops, I tend to treat people as adults and not nanny sit them and again I get more respect for that. The difference in being bad between this site and WGC is enormous regarding attacking, bad language, stalking others etc. and all the time we have to try and help them with any problems they have, directing them to Tech Help or the 911 room. This site is like a kindergarden compared to realtime chat/games rooms.

I spent 9 years in the MSN Gamezone where literally tens of thousands went and then Microsoft closed it leaving everyone stranded with nowhere to go. WGC took up the challenge and although theres a long way to go we are getting there.

Under the Gamezone there were a few corrupt Moderators and the management weren't prepared to do anything about them despite complaints, including their own colleagues, so when WGC started I decided to apply to become a Moderator to fight any corruption from within and I was accepted as one of the first intake. So far so good and thankfully most of my online friends from the Zone are now with us at WGC. It's all good fun though :O) Holy dogdumps don't I ramble :O(

Lord B. - How many enemies have you made and what percentage of those are Welsh?

 

[LizCornwall]

Sorry I was the bad apple this time, sorry you lost a nights sleep. I am off to join a nuns. Liz

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Have no fear Colin, I will take you there and will condemn the monks souls to damnation if they hurt you. I will personally row the boat to Caldy then on my return sink every boat within 200 miles :O)

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Lord B. without fear of having my posting deleated I will say what a pleasure it is to have such wonderful friends on this forum - incidently you have not answered my postscript regarding enemies.

 

[LizCornwall]

oops.. just read this one. Did you say something naughty, if so why not just delete yours? It must have been more than just yours Liz otherwise it doesn't make sense. :O(

Just take my word for it it was naughty, Liz

 

[sparkes]

LB

I tried to correct posts last night that had personal attacks in them and inappropriate comments but was unable to keep the thread so that it still read correctly. The whole topic was getting very heated and at one point I was on the admin site hitting refresh (a search every time) to catch replies and delete them. Many of the bad post where there for a few seconds only and I was running out of time. We do not have the option to close a thread or I could have just done that.

Sometimes, the only way to stop the kind of posts that where appearing is to stop the thread. The Admin tool only allows one way to do that and its a delete.

Can I also note that non of your post where past the mark and the original post of the thread was OK. But some of the fast acting last posts where very personal and NOT acceptable.

Maybe when we get a new forum tool, we will have the option to lock a thread. Until then, I am afraid its editing or deleting

Steve

 

[VIP2006]

It is quite illuminating to hear that moderators can enter into debates etc. using other names. and If moderators post entries into topics using any other name than moderator then they must have a hidden agenda in doing so. The moderators IMO should be totally impartial and transparent in their duties regarding the forum, and if they want to enter into the discussions be transparent in their intent and if the cannot be transparent then they should resign as a moderator.

 

[sparkes]

VIP I have to disagree

I volunteer my time to moderate these forums and it has always been a known fact that all the mods are both users and moderators. No moderator of the forum is an employee.

Because I am a user I still have the right to post in the threads. We do not moderate threads we are involved in and it has been know for a moderator to delete or edit another mods postings.

There are no underhand dealings or any personal agenda's. We are moderators to keep the posts in order that is all. A Moderator has the option of keeping their identity hidden. That is their choice but it is a common fact that the mods are users and this has never been hidden in any way. In fact, when mod 2 was selected, a request for users to take the post was posted here.

 

[VIP2006]

Steve - Mod3 I knew you would disagree, although that does not answer what I was getting at, that being, what is wrong with entering into a debate under your moderator name? I appreciate that moderators are not employees of the site owners, and I would wager that not many of the other members would know that moderators can enter topics under different user names.

I am not trying to be clever here, but the air needs clearing on this situation, with rules etc. being posted as a "Sticky" for all to see IMHO

 

[sparkes]

Hi

I am happy to take that wager as it has always been a known fact that the mods are users. In fact it is required that mods are selected from the users. I am sure LB, LOL, Lisa and Brian etc will back me up on this.

I am the first and only mod to allow users to know what my normal posting name is. This was my choice and may cause me issues as well as help me out.

There are currently only 3 moderators on the site. When there was only one it was very hard for that person to keep up with the abusive posts and the trolls. Mod2 was selected from a list of users who put their name forward for the role and I became a moderator later in order to help sort a specific problem.

I cannot think of a single time that other mods have posted in a debate with their mod tag. The choice to keep their posting names different from their mod name is theirs. I cannot and would not remove this.

Another problem with the forum design is that it does not allow sticky threads. if it did, the rules would be on each thread

Steve

 

[VIP2006]

I will unreservedly apologise for my statement after you have conducted a poll on how many members know that moderators can and do use other user names on this forum.

 

[sparkes]

Please feel free to open a thread to ask the question. That way you will find out the answer for yourself rather than from just a few users

 

[LizCornwall]

I for one did not know that moderators can and do use other user names on this forum. Liz

 

[KenWashington]

I must join in to endorse everything that Steve has said.

When I first started moderating the PCV forum it was the old version (even cranker than this one if that's possible) whereby posts did not go live until they had been read and approved by the moderator. A pain for the users, and bliss for the moderator!!!

When the 'new' forum was introduced I did post several times under my real name, but soon stopped for fear of getting mixed up as to who I was logged in as. I haven't posted as 'me' for a couple of years now.

Mod2 is a regular poster under his real name, and as with Steve, I am absolutely confident that he has never abused that privilege and is a regular contributor to all areas of the forum.

We do our best, often feeling like teachers in front of an unruly class with its wide range of personalities and temperaments. We do get it wrong sometimes, but then no-one is perfect.