Mods not replying

Musicrules

Hello. I think this is the right place to put this. I've received a few warnings over the past number of months and some mods have just stopped replying or never replied at all. I think on some forums you can't appeal a warning for a good while? Is that why mods are just ignoring anyone asking about warnings they hand out? I'm very courteous in my messages by the way so that's not the issue. It's no big deal but I don't think it's too big an ask to receive some courtesy back? Thanks.

Big Bag of Chips

If you've picked up warnings in CA/IMHO forum then you can't appeal so moderators don't have to reply to you.

Some PMs don't require a reply.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123174946#Comment_123174946

Hello. Seems very unfair and rude. Who came up with this system? Mods can just hand out warnings to view points they don't agree with and then they don't even have to explain why.

lmk123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123175133#Comment_123175133

I had the very same experience with a moderator in January. 2 warnings in 5 minutes (precious to that I had only received 2 warnings ever). I messaged explaining exactly why I thought it was unfair. No answer, I left it a few weeks and messaged again, the reply I got was just pure arrogance and rudeness. I got warnings because he disagreed with what I said, nobody on the other side of the argument got a warning despite what they said. Some people love their little bit of power I suppose.

Big Bag of Chips

The content of the PM generally dictates whether it necessitates a reply. If you approach the moderator for discussion, you're likely to get discussion. If you approach the moderator accusing them of loving their little bit of power then a reply to that isn't really necessary.

There is a process for disputing warnings.

Warnings in CA up to 6 months ban cannot be appealed. I do know some warnings have been reversed following civil PM exchanges between poster and moderator.

Nobody "came up this this system". The tone and content of PMs dictate whether or not a reply is necessary, as with pretty much all avenues of communication.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123175400#Comment_123175400

Well I told you that I'm always very courteous so that's not the reason. So if you approach the moderator for discussion in a very polite way, how can you explain their rudeness?

lmk123

just to be clear I didn’t mention anyone loving their little bit of power at any stage in my previous posts or in the PM’s, or I didn’t make an implication of same. I’m not sure why you choose to make that assumption. It is the conclusion I came to after seeing his arrogant replies, the post above is the first time I have mentioned it.

geographica

I put forward a question in finance and it was closed and told to read the terms and conditions of the banks credit card I was asking about, despite it being nothing to do with the terms and conditions.

pure ignorance and pointless, it’s the likes of that person why boards is dying 🤷🏼‍♂️

lmk123

this is a good example of what happens when people appeal etc. circle the wagons and blindly defend the mods.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123175467#Comment_123175467

I never said you did.

I cannot speak for every moderator on the site. I can speak for myself. But I'm fairly confident the PMs I get, are similar to the PMs other mods get. So my reasons for not replying are probably similar to other moderators' reasons.

If someone comes to me to discuss something I will generally discuss it. If someone comes at me with an accusation of something or other or making a statement of what they believe I've done, or the type of person they think I am then those PMs often don't require a reply. Because let's face it, I'm unlikely to change their mind.

There's also the matter of the amount of PMs that moderators send and receive. It's easy to read something and mean to reply later but then the PM gets dropped down the list by other PMs.

If a poster is seen as a PITA (pain in the ass) a moderator might not reply because they know there's no point and it's likely to end up in an endless volley of time-wasting PMs.

If I get an essay of a PM I don't even read it. So I'm definitely not going to reply to it.

I'm not "circling the wagons" (that's such a lazy phrase on this site) I am answering the question that was asked, giving the usual reasons for why a PM might not get a reply.

lmk123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176086#Comment_123176086

and I never said you did either.

Working class heroes

Ignore and hope they go away seems to be the modus operandi.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176220#Comment_123176220

Sometimes it works. Because sometimes much like they don't post in good faith, they don't PM in good faith either

Musicrules

It just seems like a very arrogant, dismissive attitude. Is this boards.ie policy here? It doesn't matter how polite or however you interact with mods, they're in charge so they can ban or chose to not interact with you and you can't do anything about it.

Big Bag of Chips

No it's not policy. Everyone has the option of replying or not to anyone who PMs them. Moderators are no different.

If anyone has an issue they can provide feedback on it. They can contact the category moderator highlight their issue. They can ask Admins to look into it.

You are speaking in general terms in this thread. So am I. If you have a specific complaint against a specific moderator I suggest you start by raising it with the category moderator. List of current moderators can be found here. This list is regularly updated. Please allow a reasonable time frame for reply. Moderators are volunteers and not always available online. If you have not gotten a satisfactory response you can then bring it to an admin.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176527#Comment_123176527

Oh yes, everyone has an option of replying or not to private messages. We're pointing out that mods are choosing not to on a regular basis. This is the feedback on it. You're being told that no matter how nice you are in your interactions with some mods, they just ghost you and that's that. What you do with this feedback is up to you and the people in charge. None of the rest of us can do anything about it. Again, you're allowed to do anything you want with the feedback you're getting. But at least you know it's happening so you decide if you think it's acceptable or not. Thanks.

Big Bag of Chips

@Musicrules you have given me no specifics. I don't know who you messaged, what you messaged about, whether you were polite or not, whether your post was one that required a response. So I am not going to tell anyone that they must reply to PMs.

Moderators are not expected to reply to every PM. Moderators are also site users. People seem to think they are some other "breed". They are users who are and have been posters. They know themselves how to use the site and judge themselves whether they want to get into a PM exchange with a poster.

If have outlined the steps above if you'd like to raise a specific concern.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176643#Comment_123176643

It's not just one mod and I'm sure the others are talking about different mods also. This is not an individual case but it's probably not sure wide either. I don't know. If you or the site management are not going to send a message out to say you should respond to polite messages asking for an explanation then that's fair enough. Again, it's up to you or them to decide on what's acceptable on their site. None of the rest of us have any say.

Working class heroes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176258#Comment_123176258

And sometimes mods don’t post in good faith.

They don’t PM or moderate in good faith either.

Works both ways……

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123176710#Comment_123176710

This is true, it works both ways. Also, we're all volunteers here. No one's getting paid apart from the owners of the site I believe. So I think respect is due to moderators who police this site fairly but also respect is due to other posters. I don't think that's too much to ask.

Working class heroes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123177672#Comment_123177672

No problem with that.

Yeah Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123175400#Comment_123175400

There is a process for disputing warnings………….Nobody "came up this this system"

So, there's a process, in which CA warnings are deemed not tp be appeal-able, but nobody came up with that process?

It just evolved independently and survived through osmosis until it became part of the furniture, I suppose?

He was quite clearly asking where the "these ones can't be appealed" aspect comes from came from. That was a conscious decision that was made, by somebody, somewhere along the line, with a valid reasoning behind it. You could at least point them in the right direction instead of pretending it didn't happen while also confirming it did.

Big Bag of Chips

You are not talking about the same things.

There is a warning ladder and an appeals process in place in CA, and other forums that was agreed by mods and admins. So they came up with that system.

The poster was asking who "came up with the system" where moderators are not obliged to reply to every PM. That's what that comment referred to. That's something every individual poster gets to decide for themselves, whether they're moderators or not. Nobody "came up with THAT system".

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123181810#Comment_123181810

Don't put words in my mouth please. Not sure why you think you can decide what I meant for me.

Leg End Reject

The new warning system in CA was introduced after a Feedback thread, it was suggested by a poster and there was broad agreement to it.

Big Bag of Chips

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123182462#Comment_123182462

I didn't "decide" anything or put words in your mouth. I clearly misunderstood you. You were very active on the feedback thread at the time so you were there when changes were discussed. You knew the moderators and admins took the feedback on board and "came up with the system".

There is a stickie at the top of the forum explaining the new system. So you know about it.

I did not realise you were asking about the CA warnings, because as I said, you were there when it was all going on.

When you seemed confused by "who came up with the system" I mistakenly thought you meant "the system" where a moderator doesn't have to reply to every PM. (Because you knew about CA) And nobody came up with that system. It's an individual choice.

My mistake.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123182514#Comment_123182514

Very active on what feedback thread? I accept your apology but I think it's important that you and other moderators don't assume what posters 'really mean'. It clearly is leading to issues. Thanks.

Big Bag of Chips

Check your posting history. I'm sure you'll find it.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123182572#Comment_123182572

I don't know how to check my posting history. I don't remember having any discussion about not being able to appeal a ban though. Are you sure you're not making another mistake?

Big Bag of Chips

Musicrules, your innocent act is not convincing me. I thought this thread was about a general complaint about mods not responding to PMs. Not a specific complaint of a mod not responding after issuing a warning in CA.

Can you please clarify. Because you know there is no appeal of warnings in CA, and there is also no loophole where you can start a feedback thread to try appeal the warning by a different means.

So can you clarify what exactly you are talking about in this thread? Because you were very vague with details when offered the various avenues available to you.

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123182603#Comment_123182603

I'm not appealing anything. It's been noted by a few posters that mods not replying to polite messages is an issue. One that only the staff at boards.ie can fix. Then I just had to politely correct you for trying to put words in my mouth. I think having these type of constructive discussions are very important and I hope other posters come along to give their view also. And then we'll see if the feedback is taken on board.