Moderation policy on SF threads in the Café

130Kph

Can Mods in the politics café explain their thinking on what appears to be their new general policy on Sinn Fein threads.

Just to clarify - I accept that SF threads should be closed (& posters sanctioned) for all the usual reasons as a thread in any forum: personal abuse, the reason for the thread OP have passed, going around in circles after 9,000 posts, too many reported posts etc. and of course there was a shortage of mods there for a few years which was only fixed in the last 6 months. So that’s not what I’m enquiring about.

Firstly, when posters complain about the tedium of all the argy bargy on SF threads in the café:

1) they don’t have to read these threads
2) they can post in or start a SF thread in the serious political discussion forum.
3) So why should people who are disinterested in the “subject+charter rules” combination influence how SF is discussed in the café? Surely that doesn’t happen on any forum on the site?

The way SF topics are discussed in the café, in my opinion, is as good as it can reasonably be (with the above standard caveats) in a forum with relaxed rules; however the moderation (of SF threads) seems to recently have swung slightly too far against the spirit of the charter in trying to compensate for its wild west reputation circa 2011-2015.

As I see it,
• the forum charter is relaxed
• only a relatively small % of members/readers are interested in SF threads.
So I can’t see a reason to try to make these threads more like those in the main politics forum by cutting down the argy-bargy {which is ultimately unavoidable because of the provo legacy}.

The new moderation vibe comes across (as one mod wrote as he closed a recent SF thread) as:- “Ok guys, the Fun is Over”
– which jars somewhat, in a forum specifically designed for the casual and relaxed discussion of politics!!

I know it’s not straightforward to moderate this subject but is the new moderation policy objective:
to make SF threads in the Café appeal more to people who currently have little or no interest in discussing Sinn Fein in a relaxed format?

Or is it to have a different casual / relaxed recipe for discussing SF topics?

Beasty

Have you contacted the relevant mods by PM to discuss your concerns directly?

130Kph

No I haven’t because I don’t have a concern with any particular mod- it’s the wider mod policy I am addressing (in my analysis).

It was signalled a year or more ago that changes were planned for the café (for understandable reasons which I agreed with) and I simply think those changes have now swung too far (in a kill joy manner) and I expected this forum was the appropriate place to start.

I have no problem PMing all the mods in the café one by one and going through this issue individually with each one. Is that what you’re suggesting?

Beasty

PM one or all of them - asking them to explain their modding here is not the way to go about it

If you are not satisfied with the outcome following discussing something with the local mods, try the CMods. If you are still not satisfied specific complaints about modding should then be directed to the Help Desk.

130Kph

Ok. Will do.

Thanks.

LuckyLloyd

130Kph wrote: »

As I see it,
• the forum charter is relaxed
• only a relatively small % of members/readers are interested in SF threads.
So I can’t see a reason to try to make these threads more like those in the main politics forum by cutting down the argy-bargy {which is ultimately unavoidable because of the provo legacy}.

Well I disagree that dragging the 'provo legacy' into each thread is "unavoidable", but it definitely is the problem. There is a small cabal of posters in the café who like to try and drive all SF threads in the direction of events two decades or more in the past allied to a mocking dismissive tone about the party generally.

That's not going to lead to worthwhile conversation about the party, nor is it going to engender an increase in interest in such conversations. Clamping down on such behaviour may irk those who get their jollies from engaging in it, but I couldn't fault such a policy decision as it were.

Lovely Bloke

Those "decades old" legacy acts are absolutely and wholly relevant when it comes to discussions around that parties stance on things like the recruitment freeze on the Gardaí - especially when the leader of the party steadfastly refuses to condemn the murder of a Garda.

There are families of dead young people awaiting closure on the deaths of their loved ones (a topic I'm sure you can relate to, given the day that's in it today), and the leaders of that party steadfastly refuse to help to find that closure. The locations of the disappeared.

K-9

I don't think closing 1 SF related thread makes that much difference, it'll continue on other related ones anyway if my time modding tells me anything! As for dragging 2 or 3 decade stuff up, it depends on the topic, both sides will bring legacy events up if it suits their point. That's just N.I. related politics I'm afraid and I doubt it's going to change anytime soon unfortunately.

Cabaal

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Those "decades old" legacy acts are absolutely and wholly relevant when it comes to discussions around that parties stance on things like the recruitment freeze on the Gardaí - especially when the leader of the party steadfastly refuses to condemn the murder of a Garda.

There are families of dead young people awaiting closure on the deaths of their loved ones (a topic I'm sure you can relate to, given the day that's in it today), and the leaders of that party steadfastly refuse to help to find that closure. The locations of the disappeared.

I have to agree, you can't ignore a decades old legacy when its still relevant to the party and its current stance on a number of issues and problems. SF as a party also don't help themselves with their leader refer to certain very questionable people as "good republicans".

If Enda or for that matter any other party leader referred to a tax evader (amongst other things) as a good person SF members would want their blood.

If we forget the past then we are doomed to repeat it,

Iwasfrozen

Cabaal wrote: »

I have to agree, you can't ignore a decades old legacy when its still relevant to the party and its current stance on a number of issues and problems. SF as a party also don't help themselves with their leader refer to certain very questionable people as "good republicans".

If Enda or for that matter any other party leader referred to a tax evader (amongst other things) as a good person SF members would want their blood.

If we forget the past then we are doomed to repeat it,

Not to mention some posters expressing support, in thread, for illegal Republican organizations. Boards has a duty to stamp out that nonsense once it starts.

Godge

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

Those "decades old" legacy acts are absolutely and wholly relevant when it comes to discussions around that parties stance on things like the recruitment freeze on the Gardaí - especially when the leader of the party steadfastly refuses to condemn the murder of a Garda.

There are families of dead young people awaiting closure on the deaths of their loved ones (a topic I'm sure you can relate to, given the day that's in it today), and the leaders of that party steadfastly refuse to help to find that closure. The locations of the disappeared.

There is a significant section of the population that has a deep mistrust of all things Sinn Fein and all things Gerry Adams. It is a legitimately held viewpoint and while others might argue it is kneejerk it is extremely difficult to separate the legacy from the current.