A Dynamic and Changing Internet

[Daktoria]

I just wanted to say something.

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There is currently a general swing in internet culture where moderation is becoming increasingly reclusive. Users are expected to just know what moderators want, moderation is becoming increasingly metagamed by users competing for attention while taking the excuse that they draw in more traffic so they should be prioritized, and website marketing is becoming increasingly provocative where boards are generally advertised yet specifically focused. This is they advertise themselves as pertaining towards general topics, but then those general topics are expected to be discussed in specific ways.

There has also been a general swing in internet culture of moderators engaging in power politics where there is a general refusal to explicitly analyze justifications for bannings or even lower level discipline. Instead, moderators simply dictate their opinions, use words out of context to appear professional, and call disciplined users unreasonable.

In a nutshell, the moderation of internet culture itself has become infected by trolls, and non-trolls are being labeled as trolls since trolls don't like them.

 

[dilloduck]

I just wanted to say something.



There is currently a general swing in internet culture where moderation is becoming increasingly reclusive. Users are expected to just know what moderators want, moderation is becoming increasingly metagamed by users competing for attention while taking the excuse that they draw in more traffic so they should be prioritized, and website marketing is becoming increasingly provocative where boards are generally advertised yet specifically focused. This is they advertise themselves as pertaining towards general topics, but then those general topics are expected to be discussed in specific ways.

There has also been a general swing in internet culture of moderators engaging in power politics where there is a general refusal to explicitly analyze justifications for bannings or even lower level discipline. Instead, moderators simply dictate their opinions, use words out of context to appear professional, and call disciplined users unreasonable.

In a nutshell, the moderation of internet culture itself has become infected by trolls, and non-trolls are being labeled as trolls since trolls don't like them. .

jk

 

[BDBoop]

Good point. I would have started it in current events or general, though. In announcements, you are addressing this board specifically - and I would REALLY love to discuss the points you've raised.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

I was told you are not allowed to mention anything about moderating on this board or you'll be banned. Are you saying you are permitted to discuss that subject on the board?

 

[BDBoop]

He would have been gold if he'd left off the first few sentences, and gone with a different folder.

 

[Trinnity]

Trolls are toxic to any forum. They cause meltdowns and drive members away. Forum mods who're wise keep trolls on a short leash or show them the door. Members in good standing shouldn't be harassed by trolls and mods are the one and only line in the sand against such harassment.

Now I'm not real familiar of the tone on this forum because I'm kinda new. And I don't know the mods, have any issues/complaints with them, nor have I been in any trouble here. I'm just saying -generally- that a good mod team recognizes trolls from both sides of the political spectrum as not being assets to the forum and treats them accordingly.

Just my 2 cents worth....

 

[Defiant1]

Is he suggesting that moderation should be done with moderation?

 

[dilloduck]

Oh no----forums aren't always fair balanced or even factual ?

 

[boedicca]

There are TROLLS on the interwebs?

Who knew?

 

[Howey]

Trolls are toxic to any forum. They cause meltdowns and drive members away. Forum mods who're wise keep trolls on a short leash or show them the door. Members in good standing shouldn't be harassed by trolls and mods are the one and only line in the sand against such harassment.

Now I'm not real familiar of the tone on this forum because I'm kinda new. And I don't know the mods, have any issues/complaints with them, nor have I been in any trouble here. I'm just saying -generally- that a good mod team recognizes trolls from both sides of the political spectrum as not being assets to the forum and treats them accordingly.

Just my 2 cents worth....

Lol. If anyone should know.

This should have been taken up with the mods, not on the open forum. At the very least, CK or Coyote will respond intelligently and fairly.

 

[Trinnity]

Lol. If anyone should know.

This should have been taken up with the mods, not on the open forum. At the very least, CK or Coyote will respond intelligently and fairly.

Know what? Is this topic forbidden here?

 

[AVG-JOE]

I was told you are not allowed to mention anything about moderating on this board or you'll be banned. Are you saying you are permitted to discuss that subject on the board?

Specifically what would draw a red flag is a post that brings in to discussion a specific moderator action employed on a specific member at a specific time.

Avoid specifics and this could be an interesting discussion.

Carry on.

 

[BDBoop]

I was told you are not allowed to mention anything about moderating on this board or you'll be banned. Are you saying you are permitted to discuss that subject on the board?

Specifically what would draw a red flag is a post that brings in to discussion a specific moderator action employed on a specific member at a specific time.

Avoid specifics and this could be an interesting discussion.

Carry on.

IOU +1 rep. Also, for $5, me luv u long time.



Will be back to chime in after a bit.

 

[Daktoria]

There are TROLLS on the interwebs?

Who knew?

It's weird.

There's an increasing trend in internet culture to deliberately encourage sarcasm and humor where nothing is reliable and the goal is to get things wrong on purpose. Moderators aren't disciplining people for being rude anymore, but for being boring.

That is the definition of what's "nasty" behavior can be interpreted in both subjective and objective lights. A nasty person can be someone who's disrespectful, or a nasty person can be someone who's not likable.

Those who believe it's about not being likable are saying those who are respectful aren't likable, so they actually accuse non-trolls of being trolls so trolling behavior can fester.

What's weirdly happened as well is the internet has become increasingly bland due to the repetitive nature of disrespectful likability. It's like the internet has become your elementary school clique where kids are just swearing out and making fun of each other in crude ways as simply as possible since any complications are easy to tear down.

Likewise, provocative behavior is encouraged to encourage people to build things up which trolls can tear down.

 

[BDBoop]

A few months back, one of our members was quite upset because HuffPo won't let anybody post anymore without logging in through Facebook.

I often wonder how much the tenor of this place would change if people knew that their friends, family, business acquaintances, church family ... You get the drift. If everybody that you didn't want to hurt or offend could see your posts, would you even still be here?

We'd probably end up with a bunch of well-mannered members, and a few mentally ill people who couldn't do "normal" if their lives depended on it.

 

[Howey]

A few months back, one of our members was quite upset because HuffPo won't let anybody post anymore without logging in through Facebook.

I often wonder how much the tenor of this place would change if people knew that their friends, family, business acquaintances, church family ... You get the drift. If everybody that you didn't want to hurt or offend could see your posts, would you even still be here?

We'd probably end up with a bunch of well-mannered members, and a few mentally ill people who couldn't do "normal" if their lives depended on it.

That is precisely why I post as ☆☆Me☆☆

I have nothing to hide from my friends, family, etc

 

[AVG-JOE]

A few months back, one of our members was quite upset because HuffPo won't let anybody post anymore without logging in through Facebook.

I often wonder how much the tenor of this place would change if people knew that their friends, family, business acquaintances, church family ... You get the drift. If everybody that you didn't want to hurt or offend could see your posts, would you even still be here?

We'd probably end up with a bunch of well-mannered members, and a few mentally ill people who couldn't do "normal" if their lives depended on it.

Have you seen FaceBook lately?

True, it's no USMB, but there's a LOT of hate and politics permeating even that watering hole on the information super-highway.

The internet is at an age where it's kind of like the wild-west with words and information instead of guns.

As if we needed more proof that attitude can NOT be legislated.

Political discussion would be a lot more productive if we could stick to dialogue on behavior instead of constantly bickering over beliefs.

Time will tell. Have you kids reached the stars yet?

 

[BDBoop]

A few months back, one of our members was quite upset because HuffPo won't let anybody post anymore without logging in through Facebook.

I often wonder how much the tenor of this place would change if people knew that their friends, family, business acquaintances, church family ... You get the drift. If everybody that you didn't want to hurt or offend could see your posts, would you even still be here?

We'd probably end up with a bunch of well-mannered members, and a few mentally ill people who couldn't do "normal" if their lives depended on it.

Have you seen FaceBook lately?

True, it's no USMB, but there's a LOT of hate and politics permeating even that watering hole on the information super-highway.

The internet is at an age where it's kind of like the wild-west with words and information instead of guns.

As if we needed more proof that attitude can NOT be legislated.

Political discussion would be a lot more productive if we could stick to dialogue on behavior instead of constantly bickering over beliefs.

Time will tell. Have you kids reached the stars yet?

I live there. But I only hang with my family and friends. Therefore and ergo.

 

[Daktoria]

A few months back, one of our members was quite upset because HuffPo won't let anybody post anymore without logging in through Facebook.

I often wonder how much the tenor of this place would change if people knew that their friends, family, business acquaintances, church family ... You get the drift. If everybody that you didn't want to hurt or offend could see your posts, would you even still be here?

We'd probably end up with a bunch of well-mannered members, and a few mentally ill people who couldn't do "normal" if their lives depended on it.

Have you seen FaceBook lately?

True, it's no USMB, but there's a LOT of hate and politics permeating even that watering hole on the information super-highway.

The internet is at an age where it's kind of like the wild-west with words and information instead of guns.

As if we needed more proof that attitude can NOT be legislated.

Political discussion would be a lot more productive if we could stick to dialogue on behavior instead of constantly bickering over beliefs.

Time will tell. Have you kids reached the stars yet?

Again, I don't see this being limited to political discussion. You can see it on sport boards, gaming boards, movie boards, philosophy boards, psychology boards, history boards, parenting boards, car boards...

It's really just a general trend. Moderators don't want people who are qualified, proficient, or competent on their boards. They want jokesters who rally traffic and put quantity before quality. Many moderators are also stubborn about their own personal beliefs, but that's secondary since moderators realize that beliefs can exist in many forms and they're trying to attract a diversity of beliefs to participate on their boards.

What's especially weird about this is sometimes, moderators claim they do this to be unprejudiced. They want the people to judge for themselves what's valuable, but it implicitly creates popularity contest values which are anti-intellectual since it's easier to appeal to simple stupidity than complex intelligence.

 

[westwall]

A few months back, one of our members was quite upset because HuffPo won't let anybody post anymore without logging in through Facebook.

I often wonder how much the tenor of this place would change if people knew that their friends, family, business acquaintances, church family ... You get the drift. If everybody that you didn't want to hurt or offend could see your posts, would you even still be here?

We'd probably end up with a bunch of well-mannered members, and a few mentally ill people who couldn't do "normal" if their lives depended on it.

Have you seen FaceBook lately?

True, it's no USMB, but there's a LOT of hate and politics permeating even that watering hole on the information super-highway.

The internet is at an age where it's kind of like the wild-west with words and information instead of guns.

As if we needed more proof that attitude can NOT be legislated.

Political discussion would be a lot more productive if we could stick to dialogue on behavior instead of constantly bickering over beliefs.

Time will tell. Have you kids reached the stars yet?

Again, I don't see this being limited to political discussion. You can see it on sport boards, gaming boards, movie boards, philosophy boards, psychology boards, history boards, parenting boards, car boards...

It's really just a general trend. Moderators don't want people who are qualified, proficient, or competent on their boards. They want jokesters who rally traffic and put quantity before quality. Many moderators are also stubborn about their own personal beliefs, but that's secondary since moderators realize that beliefs can exist in many forms and they're trying to attract a diversity of beliefs to participate on their boards.

What's especially weird about this is sometimes, moderators claim they do this to be unprejudiced. They want the people to judge for themselves what's valuable, but it implicitly creates popularity contest values which are anti-intellectual since it's easier to appeal to simple stupidity than complex intelligence.

Your first paragraph I find totally untrue. We LOVE it when smart, articulate people post here. we love good discussion with well thought out points being made. What we detest are intellectually dishonest people who, after having their argument shot down in flames, ignore that fact and continue to press their opinion or non fact as if that conversation never occurred.

That we dislike intensely. We also dislike trolls. We try and keep them under control but on a board where the EMPHASIS is free speech, we have to give them some slack. We may not like it, but we should, so we do.