Mod 'thanking' post which libels people for dole fraud.

dayshah

On the "Occupy Waterford" thread, there are repeated allegations that some protesters are dole cheats. This is of course a very serious, and libellous allegation. If people have any evidence of dole fraud it should be reported to the Dept of Social Protection.

However, one of the mods is actually thanking posts for these allegations (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=75273877&postcount=36) and defending it by saying its a joke (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=75286239&postcount=40).


I think a warning should be placed on the thread, that while its 100% ok to criticise the protesters, their views, methods, etc., it's not acceptable to descend into name calling and unfounded allegations of dole fraud.

Mr Magnolia

It is clearly a joke aiming to deride some of the previous contributions on the thread.

Have you voiced any of your concerns via PM to the local moderators as Sully suggested?

Sully

Happy to have a chat with you about this over PM OP, Mr Magnolia has expressed my own opinion on the matter really. I took into account that it was mike who posted that, and it would be the type of thing he would do (post a light hearted joke to ease a bit of tension). I don't think he was aiming to offend or libel anyone and it would be harsh, I think, to remove/ban/infract mike when he meant no harm or offense.

Feel free to PM me or the other mods about it and we can have a chat.

Cookie_Monster

Thanks for highlighting that. I've thanked it now too :P

Chris P. Bacon

Once you become part of the clique and are seen as one of the "regulars" in the Waterford forum you are more or less allowed say and do what you want.

Fairplay for bringing it up Daysha,but unfortunately nothing will come of it.

ziedth

I fully agree with Sully here, personally I think the forum is too serious allot of time and little tongue in cheek remarks like mike make the site what it is. Makes no different to me who said it.

Adyx

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

Once you become part of the clique and are seen as one of the "regulars" in the Waterford forum you are more or less allowed say and do what you want.

Fairplay for bringing it up Daysha,but unfortunately nothing will come of it.

There's no clique in the Waterford City forum.

Chris P. Bacon

Adyx wrote: »

There's no clique in the Waterford City forum.

You sure about that?

ziedth

Personally, I think that Dayshah is one of the regular (and better) posters on the forum so I for one take any issues he might have seriously. It's just on this occasion I don't agree that there is a problem. I respect that he might feel strongly about it but the day we start snipping every joke that might rub someone up the wrong way is the day I feel the forum will turn into a Q&A page and we loose any sense of community we have.

My only word on the second point of there being a "clique" is frankly that it's a load of shíte. you were long enough a regular to know Richie that of course those who post allot will prob have "friends" (for want of a better word) on the forum. Only past weekend I deleted a potentially dodgy post from the poster(who shall remain nameless) that I'm sure your referring too within a few minutes of him putting it up.

Chris P. Bacon

ziedth wrote: »

My only word on the second point of there being a "clique" is frankly that it's a load of shíte. you were long enough a regular to know Richie that of course those who post allot will prob have "friends" (for want of a better word) on the forum. Only past weekend I deleted a potentially dodgy post from the poster(who shall remain nameless) that I'm sure your referring too within a few minutes of him putting it up.

Im not saying there is anything wrong with the clique,every forum has them and yes people do meet each other outside of the forums and become friends,nothing wrong with that either.But it does seem that certain people who are regulars in the forum are allowed to say things that if a new poster said them they would be infracted.

And we probably are referring about the same person,who from what i can see is a troll,and is allowed to get away with a lot of things that would see him banned in most other forums.

Sully

Far from a clique imo. Its a local forum so people knowing each other is highly likely. Afaik, none of the mods know mike on a personal level.

Are you not banned from the forum permanently and previously site banned for your less than flattering behaviour?

Chris P. Bacon

Sully wrote: »

Are you not banned from the forum permanently and previously site banned for your less than flattering behaviour?

As you well know im banned from the forum for sending you an abusive PM,not because of my posting in there.

Sully

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

As you well know im banned from the forum for sending you an abusive PM,not because of my posting in there.

Why the PM? Because another moderator banned you for your posting style and behaviour in the forum. A local mod. As for the term 'abusive' it was more than that. Your posting in the County forum lately is very like what you were banned for in the past.

So you have a chip on your shoulder and a grudge. Id take little notice of your view as a result.

Adyx

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

You sure about that?

Yes I am. I haven't seen any evidence of one or anything to suggest there may be one nor have I seen established posters getting preferential treatment over newcomers.

Chris P. Bacon

Sully wrote: »

Why the PM? Because another moderator banned you for your posting style and behaviour in the forum. A local mod. As for the term 'abusive' it was more than that. Your posting in the County forum lately is very like what you were banned for in the past.

So you have a chip on your shoulder and a grudge. Id take little notice of your view as a result.

There is one or two people in the forum who's posting style and behavior is a lot worse than mine was,but because they are regulars its ok.And yes it was a local mod who banned me first and ironically the only mod who is from Waterford city,what posts are you talking about in the county forum?,ive made about 10 posts in there over a few months.

Sully

Contact mods with who you wish to flag and it will be looked at. Regulars are not exempt from the rules. Never were.

Cheers

Chris P. Bacon

Sully wrote: »

Your posting in the County forum lately is very like what you were banned for in the past.

Im asking again,what posts are you talking about?

Dudess

Clearly a joke.

dashboard_hula

I'm fairly certain that I used to sit next to a good few of the posters on the Waterford City forum at work, although I've no idea who's behind the usernames and I've never spotted any kind of clique-y behaviour while posting. The whole lot was a joke.

MungBean

Sully wrote: »

Contact mods with who you wish to flag and it will be looked at. Regulars are not exempt from the rules. Never were.

Cheers

I took into account that it was mike who posted that, and it would be the type of thing he would do

So if he wasn’t a regular and you didnt know it was a joke or think it was funny it would have been infracted as per the rules ?

I understand a mod has to take everything into account including the fact that no offence was meant. But are you saying that as long as you the mod think it was a joke then its fair game ?

I would have thought a mod would be impartial to a certain extent and certainly not laughing along with one side while they insulted the other. Thanking an insulting post that some people obviously have issue with validates that argument and type of post.

As a mod you have just said you can insult or accuse anyone of anything as long as you personally find it funny.

You also said Mr. Magnolia expressed your opinion of the situation in his post.

Mr Magnolia wrote: »

It is clearly a joke aiming to deride some of the previous contributions on the thread.

Have you voiced any of your concerns via PM to the local moderators as Sully suggested?

In which case you thanked a post because you found it funny that the poster made an insulting mocking joke about other posters point of view. I'm not saying you as a mod should have no view but joining in with childish ridicule is a bit much.

Poor Uncle Tom

Chris P. Bacon wrote: »

Once you become part of the clique and are seen as one of the "regulars" in the Waterford forum you are more or less allowed say and do what you want.

That's a bit unfair.

Sully

MungBean wrote: »

So if he wasn’t a regular and you didnt know it was a joke or think it was funny it would have been infracted as per the rules ?

I knew immediately what mike meant, as clearly many others have. It was obviously a joke. If one of the regulars posted and has a history of trolling or I had a strong suspicion it wasn't meant as a joke, id treat it differently. Hence when moderating, we do it on a case by case basis.

I understand a mod has to take everything into account including the fact that no offence was meant. But are you saying that as long as you the mod think it was a joke then its fair game ?

If it was clearly a joke, no offense meant, than its fine imo. Hence, why we have this thread. I felt (as do the other mods in the forum) that applying a ban or infraction to a post which was CLEARLY a joke would be completely over the top. Its nani moderation that we have Feedback threads complaining about from other posters (across Boards, not the Waterford forum)

I would have thought a mod would be impartial to a certain extent and certainly not laughing along with one side while they insulted the other. Thanking an insulting post that some people obviously have issue with validates that argument and type of post.

Firstly, I thanked it as a user. Not as a moderator. Secondly, I thanked it BEFORE anybody complained. I stand over the like, because I knew no offense was meant and it was clearly a "break the tension" post. I laughed, I thanked it, and iv dealt with the issue appropriately when the user complained. The other mods reviewed it, as did a CMod, so me finding it funny made little difference as it was reviewed by others.

As a mod you have just said you can insult or accuse anyone of anything as long as you personally find it funny.

Never said that. 99% of the time I post as a general user, unless the post clearly states otherwise. Thanking a post, is as a general user pretty much 100% of the time. I felt it was funny as a user, I dealt with the complaint appropriately, and me having a mod has nothing to do with what I find funny or not.

In the event my judgement was clouded because of my sense of humour, three other mods looked at it. If they had the same funny bone as me and were also clouded in judgement, a CMod reviewed it. It would appear that other users who are not mods, also have the same funny bone as me. The next step is to seek an Admin to review.

You also said Mr. Magnolia expressed your opinion of the situation in his post.

In which case you thanked a post because you found it funny that the poster made an insulting mocking joke about other posters point of view. I'm not saying you as a mod should have no view but joining in with childish ridicule is a bit much.

Absolutely no idea how either myself or Mr. Magnolia did any such thing.

Anyway, I have explained that I fail to see a problem with the post. It has been reviewed and other users have expressed their opinion. I found it funny as a general user, and not as a moderator (in which case, I find it neither funny nor not funny. I'm impartial). Its been reviewed by the other mods in the forum, and by a CMod, and the moderation review conclusion still stands.

Rather than drag this out any further, and seeing no reason to repeat again what I have already said, ill pass unless called back by an Admin. Sorry if people got offended by the post or by me liking it, we all have different views on humour I guess.

Black Swan

Please be advised that the post in question by mike65 was an attempt at humour that was consistent with many of the preceding posts that had already occurred on this thread. At worst it was bad taste humour, but it did not specifically violate the forum charter or the Boards.ie Terms of Use guidelines. This agrees with Sully’s post: “It was a joke.”

If Sully or any of the other forum mods had asked me to step in, I may not have liked mike65’s post, but at the same time would not have found this specific post by mike65 actionable.

It should be noted that if there is a clique on this forum, I am not a part of it. Further, I bet mike65 would caution you about posting on the politics forums when I am modding them.

And lastly, until “Mod Note” boldfaced in post #62, Sully was not acting in the capacity of a mod, but just another poster on the thread. He was allowed to have a personal opinion or thank a post, just like any other poster, provided that it does not violate the charter that governs all posters.

It is my conclusion as Regional Cmod that mike65 intended humour, although it may have been honestly misunderstood by this Feedback thread’s OP (dayshah), and that when Sully left the role of poster and assumed his moderator role, he acted in good faith with the forum charter and Boards.ie Terms of Use guidelines.

My recommendation is that we learn what we can from this Feedback, then move on.

If this conclusion does not resolve this issue, the OP (dayshah) of this Feedback thread may request that an Administrator review it.

Beruthiel

The Mod thanked a joke.
Thread closed.
B