Heavy Handed and Biased Moderation in coronavirus-covid-19 forum.

foxsake · 14-01-2022 3:21pm #1

I want to raise an issue of biased and heavy handed moderation by mod BEASTY in the coronavirus-covid-19 forum in particular the Relaxation of restrictions thread.

I had been warned before over a choice of words regarding the covid10 vaccine - I said it changed your body but pointed out I didn't know if that was positive or negative. I received a message warning me on vaccine misinformation - i let it go . I didn't need a row and it wasn't worth the effort tbh.

However I posted a subsequent post (quoted) which BEASTY deleted and further warned me

In a few years - the current denial of "It's a coincidence and you can't link it to the vaccine " will be be swept away by late to the party evidence that for some the vaccines caused health issues and the official line will be a mix of "Shure it was a pandemic - bad things happened " and "Wasn't it voluntary , nobody made you take it"

I think both the deletion and warning are out of order - I don't know why he has an issue with the post bar he has a dislike of people with different opinions.

I think my prediction of the future is fair comment and also my other posts have been pro vaccine in terms of people who wish to take it should. That is should be a choice . Hardly anti vaccine - 5G rabble rousing ?

yet I'm met with a deleted post, a warning and a terse message "Conspiracy theory nonsense" .

What for open (or partially open at least) debate.

Thanks

Beasty · 14-01-2022 7:03pm

Just to be clear. The new platform allows us to attach specific posts to a PM. Although it's nominally described as a warning", when 0 points are applied it's called a "notice". All that happened here is you received a PM advising you of why the post was deleted. No wider implications unless you continue with your conspiracy theory rhetoric

foxsake · 19-01-2022 8:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118476362#Comment_118476362

you haven't grasped the point at all.

further to this , please indulge me how my speculation on what people may say in the future is "conspiracy theory".

Beasty · 19-01-2022 4:43pm

You admit it's speculation. That's more than enough evidence given the underlying comment and the way you presented it

foxsake · 20-01-2022 9:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501172#Comment_118501172

that's am extremely warped view . the entire website consists of a huge amount of speculation.

You could argue its one of the main tenets of boards

It's gotta be more personal for your crusade.

Anyway i posted this to discuss with a higher power , not you tbh - we have tried that via PM and got nowhere.

Beasty · 20-01-2022 9:36am

What "higher power" are you expecting here?

foxsake · 20-01-2022 10:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504438#Comment_118504438

not emmetspiceland anyway - what is with those "likes" btw ?

I guess I had this fantasy that some super mod called "supreme commander #01" would post and say "to hell with you Beasty, you are a [insert foul word]. leave this man in peace" then same super mod would send me a nice PM saying "sorry about that , we have send beasty to the gulag and it'll never happen again."

something like that.

ohnonotgmail · 20-01-2022 10:11am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504642#Comment_118504642

you must be new.

foxsake · 20-01-2022 10:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504653#Comment_118504653

newish i guess - but the point escapes me.

Richard Hillman · 20-01-2022 10:22am

I had a post deleted by Beasty and described as "Conspiracy Nonsense" or "speculation" after I said boosters mandated may be required every 3 months. France has now required boosters every 4 months. He can nit pick on the time period but I want that withdrawn.

Beasty · 20-01-2022 10:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504712#Comment_118504712

You had a post deleted and received a PM explaining why it was deleted. That explanation was "pure speculation", not "Conspiracy nonsense"

Now do you agree it was speculation?

Richard Hillman · 20-01-2022 10:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504777#Comment_118504777

A thread about the future removal of restrictions is a speculation thread. Literally everything is speculation. And my speculation was 30 odd days out from being bang on. Thanks for reinstating my post and removing the warning

Beasty · 20-01-2022 10:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504832#Comment_118504832

It's a "Notice" advising you of why your post was removed. Do you want me not to bother advising you next time?

vegandinner · 20-01-2022 10:50am

It seems that anyone who suggests that NPHET be open to scrutiny has their post deleted.

I commented on one graph, that showed a booster shot had no statistical significance in preventing hospitalisation for those under 40. That’s what the data said not me. I never suggested people shouldn’t get a booster. Post was deleted.

Beasty seems to be pushing his agenda hard. Posts which falsely claim antigen tests and useless are promoted despite an overwhelming body of international evidence that they do work. Posts that don’t parrot NPHET get deleted.

Beasty · 20-01-2022 11:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118504869#Comment_118504869

The post that I deleted was one where you were saying the data shows no benefits to under 50s getting boosters. I simply said to you when deleting it that public health advice shows otherwise. Do you think we should allow posts that actively discourage vaccinations?

And I acted because it was reported. If stuff gets reported it get's reviewed

droidman123 · 20-01-2022 11:59am

In that case why is this post still here after a few weeks of it being flagged?

Screenshot_2022-01-20-08-43-37-588_com.android.chrome.jpg

vegandinner · 20-01-2022 12:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505029#Comment_118505029

The post did not actively discourage boosters, it just showed the findings from some studies. They were facts not opinions. You a actively promoting the false narrative about antigen testing. I don’t think that should be allowed for starters.

another post you deleted was when I called BS on the 5% incidental hospital admission and I quoted NHS data as being wildly different, I questioned why NPHET data was drastically different than that of the Danish and UK equivalents. You branded me a conspiracy theorist. I think everyone now accepts that NPHET was not accurate with their 5% figure.

Beasty · 20-01-2022 2:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505217#Comment_118505217

Which thread was that in?

droidman123 · 20-01-2022 2:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118506114#Comment_118506114

The ryan turbidy thread,a couple of years ago he was likened to a pedophile,called a creep,also called a weirdo among other things.i emailed the screenshots to niamh,she asked me to email her a link to the thread,which i did.i also asked her what her opinion was on all the comments,she hadnt got the manners to reply though,even though she was quick to ask me what thread the comments where on when i told her they were libellous

Beasty · 20-01-2022 7:01pm

This thread is about moderation of the Coronavirus forum. I do not moderate the Radio forum

droidman123 · 20-01-2022 7:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118507715#Comment_118507715

Well you did ask me what thread it was so i was just being courteous replying with said thread

Beasty · 20-01-2022 9:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118507763#Comment_118507763

Your post was irrelevant to this thread. You were asking me a question about why no action was taken in a thread in a forum I do not moderate. If you have an issue with another forum contact the mods there. This thread is about the Coronavirus forum.

droidman123 · 20-01-2022 9:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508702#Comment_118508702

Well then dont ask me again what thread it was in.you are an administraitor of this site as well as a mod on the coronavirus forum,i assume you looked at the screenshot that i posted so you knew very well that it was the ryan turbidy thread (the post is still there by the way,so i can assume that boards.ie. condones it) i will leave the last word to you because i have better things to be doing.i,m done here.

Beasty · 20-01-2022 11:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118508903#Comment_118508903

I did look. It does not state the thread or forum

And you brought it up here. All I'm doing is telling you it's irrelevant to this thread

foxsake · 21-01-2022 9:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118507715#Comment_118507715

The truth is dawning on me (slowly) that - You (Beasty) are the higher power is seek. This is a disaster for me and my quest.

maestroamado · 21-01-2022 9:40am

This forum is not very democratic.... its full of "yes men" and their fans... take it for what it is... you will get some good info and alot of waffle...

Beasty · 21-01-2022 6:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118510506#Comment_118510506

There are other Site Administrators but they have not been very active since the platform change. I have put a call out to see if any wish to dip into various Help Desk threads

Your complaint is about my moderation rather than Admin functions (where I do have a final say), and anyone can post in these threads, so long as they post in a constructive manner. There are also Category Mods, but again they have been a little thin on the ground since the platform change. There has been a bit of an upturn on that front recently

Now this is an Admin instruction - do not comment on who thanks who. Stick to discussing the complaint you have made

GreeBo · 21-01-2022 6:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118507715#Comment_118507715

So are you replying here as a mod in which case there is a higher power, cmods and the other admins remaining on this site.

OR

are you posting as an admin, in which case it doesnt matter which threads you moderate?

/edit

Ah, based on your latest post I see its basically your site to do with as you wish now.

22-01-2022 3:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118505029#Comment_118505029

These things are being heavily reported by other users. Very understandable in this day and age. Also very understandable that you don’t have time for everything when short staffed.

From the perspective of the user on boards being moderated by admin when they are in the wrong is very worrying. It must be a nightmare dealing with these kinds of reports where you then must fact check and do lots of research etc…but bad moderation is worse often than no moderation.

Its not an envious position to be in. If you don’t act fast enough on reports the ones reporting then chastise you. Public health advice shouldn’t trump hard data. Two people in charge of the FDA in the US for decades left recently about this specific issue, that the boosters positive effect on young people, as minimal as it is, could be possibly offset by the minimal amount of damage that they cause. This is something I posted about at that time in the joe Biden thread in current affairs without any reprimand.

While boosting can further increase already very high levels of protection against even mild illness, the only people who really need an additional dose of vaccine are those who are at high risk of serious disease (including the elderly) or who might expose vulnerable household or workplace contacts if they got infected.

Dr. Marion Gruber and Dr. Phillip Krause findings based on all of the available studies. They left the FDA at the end of last year because the White House were trying to rush through approval of the booster for all ages. Something these highly respected doctors disagreed with.

foxsake · 24-01-2022 8:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118513819#Comment_118513819

as Greebo says , this site is effectively your fiefdom now.

On one hand I do admire your consolidation of power but on the other its frustrating to bare the brunt of your insistence that only your views is correct on the biggest talking point of the past few decades anyway.

Most of the interventions related to covid19 has been cackhanded at the hands of civil servants , weak mind politicians , craven media and greedy corporate interests cranking up the fear factor and them alone controlling the solution - the vaccine & lockdowns, the only solutions (apparently ?) - where we suffered a consolidation of elite views with either no regard for the majority or even worse still the elite that think they know best on how the proles should live. You can disagree with me, but why not debate me rather than the summary justice of deleting posts at your discretion. That smacks of a tantrum if I was frank.

Boards (or as I now know YOU) could have been a beacon for free expression, conversation and questioning the narrative during the past 2 years - which was a trying time - but it failed.

I can't understand this - it is supposedly a discussion forum , unless boards have been paid by the state in the same manner the legacy media has been. At least that would explain your stance against comment outside of the (it's an overused phrase I know - but it'll do for now ) overton window.

paddythere · 24-01-2022 9:08am

Beasty banned me from the Covid forum for saying the 5km restriction was dumb and that I would not be sticking to it when it was announced

Beasty · 24-01-2022 2:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524217#Comment_118524217

Was that a forum ban or the threadban that was issued about 18 months ago?

And either way did you challenge it at the time?

maestroamado · 24-01-2022 8:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118525796#Comment_118525796

No point in talking to mods when they are the bosses.... like black America 50 years ago... Now sheriff thats what i see...

EmmetSpiceland · 24-01-2022 9:21pm

Lads, Jesus, you’ve got 4 threads giving out about the mods, and admins. Can you give it a rest?

Yes, you got “told off” for your posting style. Take your scolding, hold for the shake, and move on.

The restrictions have been lifted, go out. Enjoy yourselves. Just because your misleading, incorrect, angry or bizarre “takes” on covid weren’t entertained you feel like you have to complain. Nonsense.

If your posts are being removed it’s because they aren’t acceptable or they contravene the site “rules” get over it and grow up.

maestroamado · 24-01-2022 9:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528048#Comment_118528048

freedom of speech.. its the forum needs to "grow up" rules... right to reply ... yes sir thanks boss...

EmmetSpiceland · 24-01-2022 9:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528099#Comment_118528099

How many times do we have to go through this? You don’t have any “freedom of speech” on this site. It’s a private enterprise.

I’m sure I’ve said it before but if you want freedom of speech head over to the nearest street corner, or park, get up on your little soap box and say whatever mad thing that comes into your head. But just don’t expect anyone to listen.

maestroamado · 24-01-2022 9:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528144#Comment_118528144

Thanks for your unexpected HONEST reply...

Who decides who can say what... it be interesting conversation...

“When you're used to privilege, equality feels like oppression”. what do you think that means...

24-01-2022 10:56pm

It's been pointed out that the site doesn't have that many active Mods. About a hundred times. So, I dunno, is tying up the time of the few active mods on **** like this a good idea?

ohnonotgmail · 24-01-2022 10:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528169#Comment_118528169

Who decides who can say what... it be interesting conversation..

the site owners decide and they delegate that authority to mods and admins

foxsake · 25-01-2022 8:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528453#Comment_118528453

cos I was annoyed at @Beasty and his behaviour.

Through this thread I've learned that @Beasty is boards and my complaints are like pissing in the wind.

I wasn't aware of this a few days ago - I thought he was just an enthusiastic member of the thought police. How i was wrong!

I am more knowledgeable on my relationship now with boards - so the thread has been of use. Maybe to others too.

GreeBo · 25-01-2022 10:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528144#Comment_118528144

You don't see any option between complete freedom of speech and having 1 person controlling the discussion on this site?

Hell, most forums have multiple mods to avoid having 1 person controlling the discussion.

Shield · 25-01-2022 6:11pm

Mod: Several off topic posts deleted. Please keep this on topic. Thanks.

EmmetSpiceland · 25-01-2022 6:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118529809#Comment_118529809

Yes, and right now the, active, mod numbers are down and a few mods are doing Trojan work keeping things going. Seems to be 1 in the Covid forum, going by your complaints.

Would you prefer if the forum went unmoderated? Become a place where any nut job can make whatever, unsubstantiated, dangerous “claims” they like? Overrun with conspiracy theorists, antivaxxers and the dipso still raging about pub closures? Someone has to keep things in check and, right now, that’s Beasty. Surely having one mod doing a good job is better than a knee jerk appointment of others who may not be up to the task.

You mightn’t like Beasty but you can’t say he’s not a fair mod. I’m saying this as someone who’s been on the receiving end of a couple of cards in my time.

The 4, count them, threads complaining about moderation are, quite frankly, insulting. Grudge holding users taking “shots” at someone, who’s going above and beyond, is just low and a waste of their, valuable, time on this site.

I do hope the mods, and admins, know that the, more, normal users on here appreciate everything they are doing to get the site going again and that they have our full support.

maestroamado · 25-01-2022 7:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118532287#Comment_118532287

Are the mods paid employees of the site owners....

25-01-2022 7:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118532461#Comment_118532461

No

foxsake · 25-01-2022 7:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118532287#Comment_118532287

Would you prefer if the forum went unmoderated? Become a place where any nut job can make whatever, unsubstantiated, dangerous “claims” they like? Overrun with conspiracy theorists, antivaxxers and the dipso still raging about pub closures?

Yes

maestroamado · 25-01-2022 8:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118532502#Comment_118532502

I always thought it was a peoples forum to share views... now i discover this very successful company have people working for free...

Distilled Media operates some of Ireland's most popular internet brands including Daft.ie, Ireland's largest property website, Boards.ie, Ireland's largest ..