Expressing Opinions

[Kagan]

So when are we going to be able to say anything on here that wont be removed????

[Bogan]

I'm all for freedom of speech but four or five different people expressing opposing opinions about the ACT AFP in a thread which was simply started to alert us all to a stolen car is just a waste of space.

If people put half as much effort into finding volunteers for the Giro (which is only three and a half weeks away) the world would be a better place.



T.

[Miss]

Apparently if you're a moderator, you can insult people and that's okay.

You can even make sexist comments, that's no problem, even when it's reported to the mods.

If you're Kagan or Lizzy, amongst others, you can't have an opinion.

The double standards are standing out something wicked lately. Bede and I were having a go at each other not long ago - we knew what was going on - no public insults - deleted.

In fact, they're not even deleted... they get moved to somewhere called "wasteland", a forum only mods can see. If you've received rep over a post that has since been moderated, hover over the link in the User CP and look at the status bar in your browser (bottom left)... you'll see it directs you to bmsc.com.au/forums/wasteland.

Apparently the moderators have heavy hands when it comes to what other people see but are quite happy having access to it when it suits them.

Moderate away.

[Kagan]

If you're Kagan or Lizzy, amongst others, you can't have an opinion.

The double standards are standing out something wicked lately. Bede and I were having a go at each other not long ago - we knew what was going on - no public insults - deleted.

Something I have also been noticing, and have asked about in the past...

Oh well Lizzy, lets just get stuck into each other over PM and they can't do anything about it... or can they???

[Spac]

http://www.bmsc.com.au/forums/austra...oderation.html

Yes Karl wrote it, but it's still applicable.

The wasteland forums exist so that if a mod is overly enthusiastic, posts can be brought back. It's also needed if something gets lawyers-and-lawsuits-type nasty.

It was me that hacked up the SKDAC thread. Given that it was two of my mates, and I understand the personalities involved better than most, it wasn't something I did out of petty-mindedness.
That thread wasn't going anywhere worthwhile, it was getting in the way of Stewy's original post and it had a greater than average chance of 'erupting' into something ugly (NB: I am not suggesting that it was Stwey, Bede or Lizzy that was going to be responsible if it did erupt).

[Miss]

Sorry K, I think they can do that too .

I'll go first...

"Kagan, you're a whiny, snotty-nose FWD sicko who wouldn't know sideways if it slid off the road and scratched your daily driver"

If you go and read the sticky moderation thread karl put up donkeys ago it's written there that "all notifications of bad posts are taken seriously".. my pasty white one. Taken seriously if you have the same opinion as the mods, not so if it's different.

[Kagan]

"Kagan, you're a whiny, snotty-nose FWD sicko who wouldn't know sideways if it slid off the road and scratched your daily driver"

Yeah well, you drive a Gemini!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fro]

Originally Posted by Miss

If you go and read the sticky moderation thread karl put up donkeys ago it's written there that "all notifications of bad posts are taken seriously".. my pasty white one. Taken seriously if you have the same opinion as the mods, not so if it's different.

We delete stuff, we're being heavy handed.

We leave stuff there, we're not taking it seriously.

Say what you like. If we think it should be moderated, we'll moderate it.

Oh, and (part of) the reason it goes to Wasteland is so if one of us has been heavy-handed, the others can re-instate the posts. I haven't seen it done yet.

[Ben Wilson]

Originally Posted by Miss

If you go and read the sticky moderation thread karl put up donkeys ago it's written there that "all notifications of bad posts are taken seriously".. my pasty white one. Taken seriously if you have the same opinion as the mods, not so if it's different.

That's a little hard to avoid isn't it? People are always going to have differences of opinions and moderators are people too* I can't think of a more thankless job than dredging through a forum trying to fix all the cr@p which people come up with while safe behind a keyboard (except possibly being a teacher ).

Every forum is going to wind up with an overall feel similar to the moderators point of view and hopefully the moderators are chosen for their even hand/open mind.

Nobody ever seems to get upset when I insult Daniel...

[tortfeaser]

And if you're not into it, feel free to, you know, not be here. Free speech doesn't exist. There's a cost.

[Kagan]

Free speech doesn't exist. There's a cost.

Thats why they use the word Freedom, rather than Free when talking about speech.

[Miss]

Originally Posted by Kagan

Yeah well, you drive a Gemini!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the better to roll it into a little ball, my dear

At least I don't ponce around in driving boots and a suit... oh no wait that won't wash... ummm...

Yeah, well I don't care when my car gets dirty, you clean freak boy

Spac, WTF for? Why not just delete the offending posts altogether? You guys have said that a thread has never been brought back from wasteland... what are you waiting for? A bleeding miracle?

Ben, that's the point I was trying to make. Recently it seems the mods are neither even handed nor open minded. Take it as a dig if you will, I have my own little forum to moderate now, but the disparity between what some get away with to what others do is more than disenchanting in a space that once vehemently defended the opinions of it's registered members (insert Voltaire quote here).

If the pattern of moderation continues then what's the point of having a forum for opinions? We should just all log on to myspace.com/bmscmoderators.

[Swill]

I love the internet, but thats just an opinion

[Kagan]

Yeah, well I don't care when my car gets dirty, you clean freak boy

Thats only cause the more dirt on your car the better it looks!!!!!!

[fro]

Originally Posted by Miss

Recently it seems the mods are neither even handed nor open minded.

How is it constructive to have a thread that started on an appeal for information about a stolen car, turn into a slagging of both the police force, and then everyone that slagged the police force? What good could possibly come of that?