some thoughts

[ButtNekid]

Firstly I would like to state that i did not post this thread:http://www.perthstreetbikes.com/foru...-thread-66224/, it has been taken entirely out of context by someone, obviously a mod. It was actually posted into Rhino's thread and I simply thought the mod concerned's comments were jumping the gun and basically a statement akin to 'i have the power and will wield the stick so beware'.

I do not want start a hating issue with anyone, particularly Nath as he is a mate, I simply commented on his post within the thread and that I felt it was uncalled for.

If I go back 3 or 4 years, before the current crop of mods existed as mods, from memory there was melkor, Roost, Deej, Klink and one or two others, the modding was never as broadbrush as it is now nor was the power they held waved around light a big bright lightsaber that some seem to do from time to time.

However I recognise this place has changed considerably over the past 3 or 4 years, has grown exponentially and with growth, change is inevitable, it is just sometimes sadly all of the inevitable changes are not good.

THe amount of times I read shite on here from people who have been here less than 5 minutes and acting like they have some right or wotever is getting to be a joke and those same people sucking up other people's arses trying to become some kind of ruler is sickening.

Instead of trying to work out how you can have some kind of control, why dont you just fukin enjoy what this place was and should be about - bikers sharing biker knowledge, know how and meeting new people, making new friends.... and that's it, not trying to waive a stick or trying to exert your will or power over someone else.

I for one have tried to help many people out where I can and I have also made some life long mates and had some really good times with a fairly large group of peeps on here (my mind casts back to some of those nights at the Stang with Nath dancing up a storm....). While I will continue to frequent this site, some of the attitudes on here (and it is more so the noobs) stink and make me (and a lot of other 'old timers') wonder why I should keep doing so.

Please do not whore out this thread with pointless dribble or antagonistic comments aimed at any particular person, I would just like to hear some bona fide comments from people.

Unlike the case with the previous thread referred to above, I would also like the opportunity to reply tomorrow to any responses given to me in this thread before it is locked.

Peace

[Rooster]

Fair call.

Good post.

Play on.

[Maxo]

Instead of trying to work out how you can have some kind of control, why dont you just fukin enjoy what this place was and should be about - bikers sharing biker knowledge, know how and meeting new people, making new friends.... and that's it, not trying to waive a stick or trying to exert your will or power over someone else.

THe amount of times I read shite on here from people who have been here less than 5 minutes and acting like they have some right or wotever is getting to be a joke and those same people sucking up other people's arses trying to become some kind of ruler is sickening.

I'm not really sure how you are trying to play this one?

Nath's post in that thread wasn't power hungry at all (in my opinion)....?

[Charger]

Are you saying that newbies get away with more than long time members? Or are you saying newbies get away with the same as long time members but don't deserve to as they haven't earnt their stripes so to speak? I'm not being smart but I can't see your point

[RICO]

Originally Posted by ButtNekid

just fukin enjoy what this place was and should be about - bikers sharing biker knowledge, know how and meeting new people, making new friends.... and that's it

Yep, I'd go for that, thats why I joined!

But yeah, I have noticed, a decline in "Quality" so to speak, over the last year-ish, to the point where I am not to fussed if I don't log in for a bit

[XSorXpire]

I reckon your advice has been some of the most helpfull on this site.
Each time we have a legal enquiry/dilemma you willing give your opinion for our benefit.
The biggest difference between your opinion and the other opinons on this forum is that your opinions are worth money.
In your work life you are paid for your opinion.
Many of us both appreciate and respect those opinions.
It would be a sad day if you gave up on this forum.

Moderation has always been a contentious issue on this site. Remember the chaos i caused when i joined?
I think the growth of the forum has led to many people feeling they need to prove their worth. Some have failed and have left, some have been thrown out.
Perhaps it is up the the user to understand the rules of the forum and abide by them in a more understanding fashion. That would aleviate many of the problems the moderators face and allow them to go back to being posters and active members of the forum and not just part of the staff.
Sadly some of the new mods have stopped posting the things that made them so much fun in this community. Now they do not lead by example, but by authority and discipline.
Sadly that leaves it to the next generation to lead by example and some of us fail.
I miss the fun posts that came out of the people who are now moderators from before they were moderators. But i guess that is a part of the change we call growth.

It would be a hard task to moderate this forum. It was so much more fun when we jumped on the idiots and flammed them out of their stupidity. Unfortunately the flamming process took over even the most rational of posters and moderation had to be stepped up.

Once upon a time the community was almost self moderating through the posts of the now moderators. I guess it is easier to whack a post than write a post that can use humour or sarcasm to correct the behaviour of the wayward poster.

There is still fun to be had here Buttnekid.
The drinking crew are all fun and their is still good advice to be found.
The mods are all people who were a part of the fun this forum was three or four years ago. Just now they have a role to play, they have changed and moved into those roles. They act out those roles as they see them to be.
I wish they could still be the online people they were and weild their power behind the scenes. There are some funny people in power on this forum, sadly that power has styfled their online clowning behaviour.

Perhaps in time they will move beyond the mod based power they now carry and they will go back to being post whores who contributed to the humour this site was once full off.

I think the mods have a hard job.
I wish them all the best.

[thro]

I think the gist of post #1 is similar to my personal philosphy on moderation (modded a few boards before, this isn't the be all and end all, just how *I* personally do it):

- if its not illegal, leave it be and proceed to step 2
- if its not blatantly sexist/racist/etc (ie, it was posted as satire or in a manner that was clearly *not* serious), leave it be
- if its not in an "on topic" section of the forum (ie, its under YYY on here), leave it be
- if the above criteria are fulfilled, and no one has actually complained to a mod about it or reported the post because they found it offensive - leave it be.


if you start making subjective judgement calls and moderating stuff trying to predict in advance what people will take offense too, unfortunately the below two things happen:

- a lot of "gold" disappears
- possibly more people end up taking offense to the moderation than the actual content that you removed


just my 2c - moderation is a slippery slope and its easy to "over moderate" (trying to do the right thing, but actually pissing people off more than not).

Personally, i'd be modding the crap out of the tech/bike topic forums a lot more (ie, stuff people try to search for relevant info) and leave yadda yadda yadda to posts that get reported/complained about.


edit:
No i am not super keen on being a mod, it's a thankless job and as per the above.. its way too easy to get it "wrong" or get on the wrong side of half your users and piss them off. cut the mods some slack guys, its not easy, and you're often "damned if you do, and damned if you don't", just to differing levels...

[semi]

I agree with thro. Too much moderation, which is what we have, makes for a boring site.

[thro]

^^ dunno if "boring" is the word i'd use.... but "sterile" perhaps...

we're all adults here for the most part yes? a little colour makes things feel a bit more alive... imho...

[Satan1]

With the original post being made into a new thread with no denotation it added a whole new spin on the contents.

Glad to here that this was not the case (making a new thread to 'hate' on a mod), and a top post for clarification.

I hope something can be learned from it and not the usual 'f@ck the mods' vs 'may i please blow a mod argument'.

[Desmogod]

Funnily enough I was going to post a thread about noobs learning to listen to advice and not jumping into threads and adding their 5c worth when they know sweet fuck all about the subject heading. Sometimes it's good to listen to others. I'm sick of people who have absolutely no knowledge whatsoever throwing in their opinion then arguing it like it's gospel. It makes you look stupid as well as wrong.
I do agree with you when you say PSB has become sterile, even in the short time I have been here it has turned from a bunch of people having a laugh and a joke into a broader demographic, and in that group of people you are invariably going to get different people. You get people who come for information, people who like the social aspect, and "The Internet is serious business" people who whinge, moan and bleat and ruin it for everyone else.
I believe it's because of these people that the moderation has had to evolve into a whack first, ask questions later scenario, which is a shame for the people that remember what it was like before.
I have to say though Si, I have always thought you where level headed, and Nath is also one of my closest friends and I think you may have taken what he said out of context. If you look at other RBAR threads they end up turning into a shitfight of "planes are crap" "no they are not" which is really a bullshit situation to be in.
I'm not speaking for Nath, but I think his intention may have been just to lay some ground rules in the thread before it ended up being filled with diatribe.

[Brougham]

so much happens behind the scene that members don't see. you say "if no one complains, then leave it." that IS how we play it. we'd get a minimum of 15-20 'reported posts' each day! somedays we get 2-3 PAGES in the mod room.

we DO try to moderate the On-Topic forums more than off-topic, just the way it is done is often not noticed. we can delete a post so you know it's happened, or make in invisible and then people never knew it was there.

we do a lot of PM's to people to try to settle arguements before they get out of hand.

i don't agree with the over-moderation comments. i rather see it as a rise in complete utter tripe posting, and yes - mostly by n00bs.

it goes in cycles:

heaps of shit posts = complaints of no moderation
we crack down = complaints of over-moderation.

we can't win. so we just try to be as balanced and minimal as we can. sometimes that means posting 'warnings' like nath did to hopefully remind people to keep it within limits, but as we've seen, some people take that to be mods waving their e-peens around. what would you rather? make up your minds people!

[Kryzaach]

Just as an aside, purely for interests sake, do you get more reported posts from newer or older members?

[TYSON]

even split, leaning towards older members

[Rich]

*looks in inbox*

bloody report button whores...

The moderators are all individuals who have to make a judgement call about a post or thread...

What some would whack, others would leave..it balances out...

The same with the members...what some would report others would not...


I personally let alot of stuff go by, it has to be a personal attack or offensive to prick my ears up...

Unless of course your signature doesn't comply with the terms of use...

Yes, yes, I'm the sig nazi...

[sathid]

Can't say I've really noticed any "over moderation". *shrug*

[Breyten]

'Older' by age, or by how long they have been around?

Was on some boards since they started, and it was just part of the cycle. PSB will cop a lot more of it, because of it's diversity of users and uses. Just like life.

[TYSON]

By how long they have been around.

Just to give you an idea on the volume of posts, bout 1800 a day during the week and 1000 a day on weekends. Outisde of the for sale section we can go days without a post being wacked.

[Breyten]

Thats pretty darn good!

[Brougham]

it certainly is.