Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

Packrat · 08-04-2024 07:18AM

Here we are discussing low level trolling and how to combat it, and meanwhile over on one of the most contentious threads, the biggest offender across several has the one single threadban against them lifted. One little bit of moderation over thousands of dung posts and several posters banned for quarreling with that user, and now it's reversed.

There's no point. This is a farce.

sydthebeat · 08-04-2024 07:19AM

The problem, as I see it, is a lot of posters do not know what "be civil" means.

And I mean that quite literally, they actually do not know that it means to be civil to other people

tom23 · 08-04-2024 07:31AM

(if it’s the same poster Im thinking off) i done a roger moore eyebrow shift when I saw the ban lifted.

Brian? · 08-04-2024 07:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121986508#Comment_121986508

nice post.

One of my least favourite quirks of boards is the complete inability to appeal thread bans. It makes zero sense. It has happened to me twice, once deserved and the other time absolutely not.

Raised it to the admins via DRP, was just told “you can’t appeal thread bans via DRP” and left it at that. It was incredibly frustrating after all the time I have put into disputes with my moderation over the years.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 08:03AM

Has anyone with a threadban PMd the moderator, or maybe a different moderator in the forum? A ban might be applied but on discussion overturned. As it seems it has been in the above case.

As pointed out above "be civil" gets you a long way. Both on threads and in discussion with moderators.

tom23 · 08-04-2024 08:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991402#Comment_121991402

I got a thread ban lifted but got it again. Imo it was harsh, considering some of the other stuff I've seen posted. I guess one, myself included, really has to look at the difference between sarcasm and trolling. It's a fine line imo. I do think some posters on certain threads get away with their own low level of trolling.

knucklehead6 · 08-04-2024 08:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991402#Comment_121991402

Yes, i have had a thread ban overturned, specifically in the Enoch thread. 3 PM's to the issuing Mod and it was taken care of. And i have posted in that thread since

ancapailldorcha · 08-04-2024 08:44AM

You can appeal threadbans in HelpDesk.

08-04-2024 08:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991402#Comment_121991402

I didn't think you could pm a different moderator in the forum - you had to deal with the one who issues the warning / threadban?

I've been spoken to like I was no better than a dog when I attempted to discuss something with a moderator civilly. Their tone and response when I contacted them was instantly hostile and rude. Decidedly "uncivil". CMod didn't want to know.

I've seen that same moderator speaking to other posters with the same lack of civility many times. Maybe they themselves don't know how to conduct themselves in a civil manner. Or just know they won't get pulled up for it.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 09:10AM

If you feel you are being unfairly treated you can of course contact another moderator or go to the Cat-moderator. It's probably better to go to the Category Moderator but there's no rule that you cannot PM any moderator in any forum. If you find one moderator hot headed, of course you can try discuss with a more reasonable moderator.

There's a poster in PI who thinks I have a grudge against them. As a result I have agreed to not action that poster any more and let the other moderators deal with them.

As with any poster if you get a PM from a moderator that you think is abusive or out of line you should report it. Take a screenshot and send it to any Admin.

08-04-2024 09:14AM

I would suggest to all posters appealing an infraction also that you focus on your own post/warning and not about those around you.

A lot of attempts at appeal I come across usually involve an attempt to discuss others, out of respect for all I personally will never discuss another poster with anyone else (bar other mods of course when necessary).

It is never acceptable to lash out regardless if you feel like you’ve been on the receiving end of uncivil posting, please report it and let us deal with it.

Packrat · 08-04-2024 09:26AM

@Big Bag of Chips , any comment to add on the unbanning of one the most vexatious serial rereg trolls in CA this morning?

There's been lots of fine words here about dealing with low level trolling but action speaks many times louder..

Clearly Beasty isn't on board with any proposed change to how they are dealt with. His action this morning is a slap in the face to those who took their time to post on the topic here, and demonstrates what the moderation policy on these individuals will be from here on.

08-04-2024 09:48AM

@bigbagofchips

If you feel you are being unfairly treated you can of course contact another moderator or go to the Cat-moderator. It's probably better to go to the Category Moderator but there's no rule that you cannot PM any moderator in any forum. If you find one moderator hot headed, of course you can try discuss with a more reasonable moderator.

Can we get this stickied somewhere? Because I have always understood that this was not an option, and that you had to deal with mod who issued the warning / threadban in all circumstances. CMod also didn't want to know, until this was done.

Thanks.

awec · 08-04-2024 10:25AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991787#Comment_121991787

You should always start by contacting the same mod.

You can contact another mod or the cmod if you think the mod is being unfair to you.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 10:28AM

If you've been issued a warning and are disputing it the first step is to discuss with the moderator in question.

If you have ongoing issues with a specific moderator then of course you can contact the moderation team and/or the C-Mod to raise your concerns.

You are all aware that moderators have their own forums to discuss issues in their particular forums. Some teams are much better than others at communicating with each other. But if a complaint is made to a moderator about another moderator it will be discussed and addressed. The moderator may discuss it with the team as a whole or may go to the C-Mod themselves for advice.

But everyone on here is an adult. So adults should be able to discuss issues with each other. There are formal processes in place for raising disputes or complaints but that doesn't mean that informal avenues can't be taken too. Very often a PM outlining issues can help to highlight problems and get them sorted without the need for formal procedure.

08-04-2024 10:34AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991942#Comment_121991942

That sounds good in theory, but call me cynical - I can't see that going down well with mods if other mods from the same forum intervened and started over-ruling them.

As I've said, I've found CMods don't want to know unless you've dealt with the mod first.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 10:36AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991708#Comment_121991708

I've already said on this thread it is a forum I know very little about and tend to stay away from! So I don't even know what poster and which thread you are talking about.

I will go to the moderators and C-Mods though and discuss what's going on.

08-04-2024 10:42AM

So adults should be able to discuss issues with each other.

You'd wish.

But there are mods that don't do that. They don't discuss, they take the line "do as I say, not as I do", and expect nothing less than an admission of wrong behaviour and a grovelling apology, even if their action was (in the opinion of the person challenging it) unwarranted.

This is where accusations of power-tripping mods comes in.

I personally will not admit to wrong-doing or apologise for something just for the sake of it when I believe the mod was wrong in the first place.

It leaves a poster between a rock and a hard place.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 10:54AM

Ezeuol, as mentioned above if you are having ongoing issues with a "power-tripping mod" then highlight it with someone else.

It will be looked at and it will be dealt with.

08-04-2024 11:28AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121992079#Comment_121992079

I don't, currently, and I hope I never will. Now I just don't bother with the forum they mod any more.

But I am filing the information on this thread for future use, if ever its needed.

As an aside, as well as the "ignore poster" function, boards should explore getting an "ignore thread" or "ignore forum" feature, if possible, with Vanilla.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 11:47AM

There are loads of threads and loads of forums I don't ever click in to.

It's possible to manually ignore a thread/forum you don't want to read.

08-04-2024 11:52AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121992297#Comment_121992297

An actual ignore function would remove the likelihood of clicking into an area you don't want to visit, when you browse via "Latest Posts" or "Recent Discussions" instead of by forum.

Anyway, it was just a suggestion. Feel free to ignore.

Brian? · 08-04-2024 01:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991538#Comment_121991538

I was told twice by different admins I couldn’t.

ancapailldorcha · 08-04-2024 01:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121992909#Comment_121992909

Fair enough. I always thought threadbans were a HelpDesk matter.

Brian? · 08-04-2024 01:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991402#Comment_121991402

I PM’d the mod, who happens to be an admin and got short shrift. The 2nd time it happened I appealed to other admins, I was told nothing could be done. Threadban can’t be appealed.

I won’t name names as I don’t want to make this about me. I want to make it about process fairness.

Patrick Mahomes · 08-04-2024 01:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121992913#Comment_121992913

This isn’t meant as a slight on you because you are being honest but when a poster who has been on the site since 2008 and is a C-mod on the site isn’t sure about one version of an appeals process does work say a lot really how convoluted some of the stuff on Boards is.

Regards,

P.

NSAman · 08-04-2024 01:47PM

Have to say, lots of the moderation is skewed towards a left leaning (some might say far left). I hold more center right views which many disagree with, thats fine it is supposed to be a discussion forum after all.

Any opposing views lead to moderation being quick to ban on a thread.

I'm not political. I do have opinions though and have stopped posting on any hint of political posts.

It's interesting that you can take a ban to HelpDesk. I was also told that you have to take it up with the moderator involved. Needless to say, nothing was ever resolved as there is no point in arguing a case on an opinion piece on the internet.

It's a shame that open discussion (yes i know that requires moderation) is stymied by one sided moderation.

Big Bag of Chips · 08-04-2024 01:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993016#Comment_121993016

Threadbans and complaints against moderators are normally dealt with in Helpdesk. They are not handled in the Dispute Resolution Forum.

The DRP is only for points warnings and forum bans.

ancapailldorcha · 08-04-2024 01:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121993079#Comment_121993079

That's how I always understood it. I've never, ever handled a DRP about a threadban.

Brian? · 08-04-2024 01:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121991953#Comment_121991953

I’ve found that to be untrue in my own case. A lack of a clear procedure left with no option but to give up and walk away in frustration.

To me it’s simple. Just allow the same procedure as you’d have for a forum ban for a thread ban. I said this at the time of my failed appeal and no one responded.

Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

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