I worry about my other forum sometimes...

[saucisson]

I banned someone for grossly insulting someone:

Xxxxx won't be contributing further to the discussion today, 3 strikes and out and all that.

Dave

Replies from members supporting my action:

And verily did Dave step forth and present his shining ban hammer, and foresooth his enemies lay smitten and crumpled before him

And from someone else:

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Dave, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

I'm also known as the nice cuddly mod over there Life is so much easier over here

[Chuckwagon]

Mamma Mia Dave! You are some kind of spicy meat-ta-ball! Was that three strikes with the shining ban hammer? May we ask about the other site? Would it be possible for us to see for ourselves?
Best wishes, Chuckwagon

[wheels]

Dave

Sorry, but you're deluded if you think that you can win when you're site admin - someone will always take exception to whatever you post. But they don't complain when you spend 8 hours solid removing porn from their forum!

Sh!t goes with the job!

Phil

[saucisson]

I'm a Moderator over there, it's a big site:

Threads: 1,031,454, Posts: 10,620,104, Members: 350,063 with up to 10,00 users on line at a time.

And just 61 moderators...

So there is an infraction system. First one was a mild insult 2 points (you need ten points before anything happens) second was a major insult, 10 points 1 weeks suspension, third was another major insult 10 points 1 months suspension. At which point I bumped it upstairs and asked admin to ban him permanently Which they did

[saucisson]

this is my cuddly avatar on the other site where I am affectionately known as IronGiant or Dave

Dave

[wheels]

I'm a Moderator over there, it's a big site:

Threads: 1,031,454, Posts: 10,620,104, Members: 350,063 with up to 10,00 users on line at a time.

And just 61 moderators...

So there is an infraction system. First one was a mild insult 2 points (you need ten points before anything happens) second was a major insult, 10 points 1 weeks suspension, third was another major insult 10 points 1 months suspension. At which point I bumped it upstairs and asked admin to ban him permanently Which they did

In that case I wouldn't worry - I take solace in the fact that if I get out of my depth you or spudy will step in!

[saucisson]

Curiously enough there is some spill over, there is a member there who is here under the same name. It's allowed, sausagemakers can like AV equipment too What's more intriguing is that someone else over there calls me Dr Dave occasionally

[wheels]

It ain't me! I don't know what AV equipment is, unless AV means anti-virus?

...or for that matter it could be Aunty Vera?

[Mike D]

Hmmm...I'm a member on Dave's "other" forum - although my username is different from on here. I don't post much on there - just seem to read it a lot when 'stuff' plays up a bit.

Very comprehensive forum though!

[saucisson]

It's not you Mike, the person I'm thinking of lives in the Loire... I don't think it's Ianinfrance as he's called John

Dave

[PetersCreek]

We recently implemented an infraction system on the board I moderate with a handful of others. 12 points, and you're gone for good. No admin needed to swing the permaban hammer.

[Ianinfrance]

It's not you Mike, the person I'm thinking of lives in the Loire... I don't think it's Ianinfrance as he's called John

Dave

And I don't live in the Loire either. I'm near the Dordogne.

For what it's worth, I have no issues with moderation in general or the moderators here in particular. While I sympathise with their boring chore of cleaning out the crap that gets posted, it's something we rarely see, so I personally am only aware of it second hand.

However, I've seen usenet groups where a lack of and way of moderation has almost destroyed the group, certainly diminished its interest level to the point that I don't want to continue reading.

It's an interesting subject IMO. I personally (as you will have noticed perhaps) don't have a problem with people disagreeing vigorously about various subjects. I do have a problem when the subject is clearly not on topic. So I'm happy to discuss from differing points of view, the virtues or otherwise of adding nitrite/nitrate to various preparations. Ever since greek days, debate has consisted of "thesis", "antithesis" followed by "Synthesis".

So the process of disagreement, of questioning and of debate leads us all to a better understanding of the subject. This should in my view be possible ito carry out without descending to personal abuse/insult. And that's where - in my view - the moderators could and should step in. I'm perfectly entitled to say (purely for the sake of an example) that I don't agree with Chuckwagon's method of cookng xxxxx, preferring another method. He's perfectly entitled to point out some flaws in my logic, but at no time are either of us entitled to suggest that the other is mentally deficient, ignorant, or pig headed.

I've not been on this forum very long really, but I can say that without exception I've felt that their (very rarely carried out) moderation has been gentle and well justified.

And yes, I can well see that someone who is unused to a moderated discussion group can find ANY moderation to be excessive and unacceptable. In my view they're dead wrong.

Lastly - At the end of the day, Franco provided and pays for this forum, and "he who pays the piper calls the tune". Personally, I can live with the gentle guidance, and if others feel they can afford and want to do better... let them do so.

[Bangermuncher]

I feel your pain Dave,
I used to be a Global mod on a huge forum until the admin turned it into a cash cow so I quit,there's 222947 members there all putting money in his pocket
I still mod two forums,a small one where I rarely have to do anything,and a well known large one where it's not unknown to ban several members a day,mainly for spam or abusive language.
We have an infractrion system there in units of 25 and 50pts,100 means an automatic ban.
Many times I'll get a PM questioning my parentage and demanding I remove the infraction and daring me to ban them
I just hit them with a custom infraction so they never darken the doorstep again
I don't like banning members unless I have to but some just beg for it!

Thankfully most of the members are openly grateful when these people go but you get the odd one who thinks because he's got a couple of thousand posts he's immune.....not from me he ain't

It's a thankless job sometimes,I often wonder why we bother

[vagreys]

I was senior admin on a large board (2+M posts, 130k registered, anywhere from 250-1200+ on at any given moment, high water mark 1647, Alexa rating of 1800 or lower). I had 5 admins and 21 mods. We did ok until the owners ran it into the ground. A children's site ranging in age from 8-16. Problems are the same as with adults. Kind of like herding cats. I hated dealing with the attempted raids by the 4chan creeps.

[saucisson]

. Kind of like herding cats.