Would love to see some moderation of moderators.

You really have two ways to look at it...

1)  This is "your" site and you can do what you want with it... AKA ban/block/delete and otherwise censor everything you don't agree with.  Basically turning the site into another useless location for biased information.

OR

2)  Moderate the moderators.  They should be controlling the "troll" population and useless posting of hate and such.  I've seen multiple people banned (temp) for posting opinions that don't agree with the mods on this site.

Originally posted by Painlezz

2)  Moderate the moderators.  They should be controlling the "troll" population and useless posting of hate and such.  I've seen multiple people banned (temp) for posting opinions that don't agree with the mods on this site.

If that is actually true, then you will be getting a ban for posting this thread. If you dont, then it proves its not true.

If a person feels a ban was unnecessary then they can contact the mod that issued the ban or community@mmorpg.com (I believe is the address) and try to get it sorted out.  The mods are reasonable people when you actually talk to them.  Its the internet and it can be difficult to illustrate your meaning and posts can eaisly come across as bashing, baiting, or trolling without the poster intending it to.

I think there already is a moderation of moderators in the sense that MikeB is the head mod and then there are other mods.  If you feel you were wrongly banned and the mod that issued it just wont let up then you can go up the chain.  If even he agrees with the ban then I would look back at the post and see what might have caused it. 

I've recieved warnings on a few of my posts that at the time felt okay to post and all good, but upon further review (when I calmed down) I noticed I was trending it to "baiting."

It would actually be really nice IF you knew who the mod was that attacked you and get some more information.  Unfortunately from my experience it is 100% anonymous.  You're told it's from the "MMORPG.COM Staff" and nothing more.

I think the issue is, the rules are written (as are most rules) to basically cover anything under the sun.  A disagreement with another member or even moderator post and comments about it could be considered attempted to bait another user into negative bla bla bla or whatever that rule is.

It's just really unfortunately because this is one of the larger "neutral" MMORPG communities and yet I continue to see so much bias against one thing or another.  Feels like watching Fox news almost!

Originally posted by Painlezz

It would actually be really nice IF you knew who the mod was that attacked you and get some more information.  Unfortunately from my experience it is 100% anonymous.  You're told it's from the "MMORPG.COM Staff" and nothing more.

I think the issue is, the rules are written (as are most rules) to basically cover anything under the sun.  A disagreement with another member or even moderator post and comments about it could be considered attempted to bait another user into negative bla bla bla or whatever that rule is.

It's just really unfortunately because this is one of the larger "neutral" MMORPG communities and yet I continue to see so much bias against one thing or another.  Feels like watching Fox news almost!

Well then just email the community email for the forums and you'll get a response from the mods. 

And if what you say in paragraph two was true then 90% of posts on this site would be in violation.  I've seen people instigate, disagree, and argue with a mod even and those posts remained visible.  Its about what the post says and how its interpreted.

Originally posted by Grand_Nagus

Originally posted by Painlezz

2)  Moderate the moderators.  They should be controlling the "troll" population and useless posting of hate and such.  I've seen multiple people banned (temp) for posting opinions that don't agree with the mods on this site.

If that is actually true, then you will be getting a ban for posting this thread. If you dont, then it proves its not true.

If that is always true, then you will be getting a ban for posting this thread. If you dont, then it proves its not always true.

Fixt that for ya.

There's a pronounced tendency to overmoderate reported posts and ignore everything else. Add in the natural inclination of the senor staff to back up the moderators on anything but the really obvious bad moderation and you end up with spotty enforcement. That's true on most forums BTW. People know that and work the report button like a rat in a skinner cage. It's been getting better lately but it's not perfect.

As mentioned above, anyone may give feedback on moderation by emailing community@mmorpg.com . Michael Bitton, the Community Manager, is always willing to hear you out.

It is not your opinion that gets you banned but how you write it.

While there have been times some mods have been over sensitive (mostly during the AoC Vs WAR battle and during the great Darkfall trollwars) they rarely censor or warn anyone that write a polite and smart post.

I think I got 2 bans since I started here, both deserving because I got upset when someone called me names and lowered myself to that level myself, it was years ago, last time 3 years ago. And I write a lot of posts, and far from always agree with the oponions of the page.

I think most mods here do a great job and if you don't agree with me, send a PM to the lead mod explaining the issue with qouthes and why you feel unjustly banned. Mods are humans as well as the rest of us and it is possible that someone might go down as colleteral damage in a flame war for stuff that wouldn't have banned them in a normal thread.

Compared to most forums this isn't a heavy moderated forum except with NDA breaks and beta leaks. And since the page needs the advertising money to survive that makes sense.

I once got a ban I thought I didn't deserve, complained about it to community@mmorpg.com, and a few hours afterwards MikeB removed the ban. I think the moderation of moderators works well enough.

Originally posted by marinrider

If a person feels a ban was unnecessary then they can contact the mod that issued the ban or community@mmorpg.com (I believe is the address) and try to get it sorted out.  The mods are reasonable people when you actually talk to them.  Its the internet and it can be difficult to illustrate your meaning and posts can eaisly come across as bashing, baiting, or trolling without the poster intending it to.

I think there already is a moderation of moderators in the sense that MikeB is the head mod and then there are other mods.  If you feel you were wrongly banned and the mod that issued it just wont let up then you can go up the chain.  If even he agrees with the ban then I would look back at the post and see what might have caused it. 

I've recieved warnings on a few of my posts that at the time felt okay to post and all good, but upon further review (when I calmed down) I noticed I was trending it to "baiting."

Sums it up pretty well.

As Community Manager, I am in charge of our moderators here. If you have an issue with a particular moderator, a moderator's action, or would like to appeal an infraction given to you by a moderator, simply get in touch with me and I'll be glad to assist. If you just have feedback you can send it my way as well, or post it here in Site Suggestions.

I'm going to disagree with the OP. 

By and large the moderation here is "fair and balanced" on those occasions when I felt it was over the top MikeB was willing to review the situation and in some situations (not all) agree with me.

Few people post as much as I, yet I've only had a couple of temp bans in all that time.  I've learned to moderate my own behavior, staying away from attacking posters, and even being careful how I disagree with another's opinion.

There's a big difference in saying "people who believe in A aren't thinking the situation through carefully" vs "only a flipping idiot could possibly believe in A" with the latter likely to be moderated.

Chose your words carefully and you'll rarely run afoul of the moderators here.

Originally posted by Kyleran

I'm going to disagree with the OP. 

By and large the moderation here is "fair and balanced" on those occasions when I felt it was over the top MikeB was willing to review the situation and in some situations (not all) agree with me.

Few people post as much as I, yet I've only had a couple of temp bans in all that time.  I've learned to moderate my own behavior, staying away from attacking posters, and even being careful how I disagree with another's opinion.

There's a big difference in saying "people who believe in A aren't thinking the situation through carefully" vs "only a flipping idiot could possibly believe in A" with the latter likely to be moderated.

Chose your words carefully and you'll rarely run afoul of the moderators here.

I completely disagree with you, based on my own experiences, and the fact that I've read many posts by others whose experiences echo mine.

Originally posted by Kyleran

I'm going to disagree with the OP. 

By and large the moderation here is "fair and balanced" on those occasions when I felt it was over the top MikeB was willing to review the situation and in some situations (not all) agree with me.

Few people post as much as I, yet I've only had a couple of temp bans in all that time.  I've learned to moderate my own behavior, staying away from attacking posters, and even being careful how I disagree with another's opinion.

There's a big difference in saying "people who believe in A aren't thinking the situation through carefully" vs "only a flipping idiot could possibly believe in A" with the latter likely to be moderated.

Chose your words carefully and you'll rarely run afoul of the moderators here.

Agreed.

Heh, I got some PMs from this guy that got 4 different accounts banned in 3 days. It wasn't really because he was a bad guy either but he was rather clueless and spammed the same questions over and over everywhere. Besidews being rude, that is another thing to avoid.

Most people who post a lot frequently here never gets issues with the mods, or a possible tempory ban due to not thinking when tired or in some cases drunken posting. ;)

There is a reason that the people who are rude or trolling usually have few posts. For some reason the net is bringing out the worst in certain people and if you can't take an adult discussion you really don't belong in this forum anyways.

Generally speaking, when there has been communication - it has gone well.  Sometimes it being a case of it being explained where something I was doing came across in a certain way and how I might avoid doing that, sometimes it was a case of seeing where I was coming from, sometimes it was a case of my apologizing for being the obvious ass.

Generally speaking, where there has been communication - it has gone well.

Where I'm completely lost is on the ghost dingage.  I've been around here for a wee while, and I've never experienced the ghost dingage like I have in the past couple of months.  I'm familiar with the hits for deleted posts, mod edits, and even if you post a bunch of silly short things (I tend to post long things people cannot be bothered reading, lol - could that be it?)...

Each time I come to the forums, I usually check for replies in the threads that I've posted in.  That means that I'm going through my posts . . . so mod edits, deleted posts, etc would stand out.  As my post counts increase, not with fluff nor filler, amongst a plethora of threads - sans warnings/etc - I've actually been experiencing ghost dingage.  Things that mathematically do not seem possible - givens the number of points actually lost for warnings, deletions, mod edits, bans, etc.

You post a hundred things - you drop 1-2 pts.  No warnings, deletions, etc, etc.  It happens day after day after day.

I decided not to post for a period of time, and I actually went up 3 pts.

I'm fine eating the loss when it is communicated - even if I do not agree completely with it, since I honestly believe that the community guys here do a reasonably well - Hell, a great job - in those instances where it is communicated.

That does little for the growing paranoia over the ghost dingage because I'm not a F2P/GW2/SWTOR fanboi.  The latter two are the worst, it would appear - if I post anything in a GW2/SWTOR thread - no warnings/deletions/mod edits/etc . . . I get dinged.

It could be outright paranoia - it's just funny though, I post a bunch without any warnings - I lose ratings.  I'm quiet.  I gain rating.

What used to make me angry and now is just irksom is my ratings. If I don't post regularly and with with some substance...my ratings fall like a rock. If I stop posting they just continue to drop.Now....I just ignore my ratings....use the boards for my purposes and leave.

Originally posted by Kyleran

I'm going to disagree with the OP. 

By and large the moderation here is "fair and balanced" on those occasions when I felt it was over the top MikeB was willing to review the situation and in some situations (not all) agree with me.

Few people post as much as I, yet I've only had a couple of temp bans in all that time.  I've learned to moderate my own behavior, staying away from attacking posters, and even being careful how I disagree with another's opinion.

There's a big difference in saying "people who believe in A aren't thinking the situation through carefully" vs "only a flipping idiot could possibly believe in A" with the latter likely to be moderated.

Chose your words carefully and you'll rarely run afoul of the moderators here.

 

 

You ever notice that you and maybe 1 or 2 people are the only ones who reach over 8000 posts and have been here for a long time?

You ever notice that the other 95% of the people who've been here since <2006 have less than 2000 posts? If they have that many or more, generally they are in fact Mods themselves. 

Coincidence? 

Nope. Getting a ban on this site is simply inevitable. 

Originally posted by DLangley

As mentioned above, anyone may give feedback on moderation by emailing community@mmorpg.com . Michael Bitton, the Community Manager, is always willing to hear you out.

 

Indeed. Michael is actually a great overseer of the moderators.  If you have an issue with a moderator constantly deleting or removing content that does not seem to be correctly moderated send him an email. If you are constantly getting warnings and or temp bans send him an email as well. He is a great guy in that regard. I'd buy him a beer if I lived near NY heh.

Originally posted by Donev

Originally posted by Kyleran

I'm going to disagree with the OP. 

By and large the moderation here is "fair and balanced" on those occasions when I felt it was over the top MikeB was willing to review the situation and in some situations (not all) agree with me.

Few people post as much as I, yet I've only had a couple of temp bans in all that time.  I've learned to moderate my own behavior, staying away from attacking posters, and even being careful how I disagree with another's opinion.

There's a big difference in saying "people who believe in A aren't thinking the situation through carefully" vs "only a flipping idiot could possibly believe in A" with the latter likely to be moderated.

Chose your words carefully and you'll rarely run afoul of the moderators here.

 

 

You ever notice that you and maybe 1 or 2 people are the only ones who reach over 8000 posts and have been here for a long time?

You ever notice that the other 95% of the people who've been here since <2006 have less than 2000 posts? If they have that many or more, generally they are in fact Mods themselves. 

Coincidence? 

Nope. Getting a ban on this site is simply inevitable. 

Well, I'd say posting on this particular forum is a hobby of mine that I enjoy more than most others therefore my post count is higher than theirs even if they've been on the site longer than I. 

If you're implying that somehow I am or have been a moderator I can say for sure that has never been the case.  MikeB knows better than to put someone like me in charge, I'd be dropping the banhammer on all sorts of folks who irritated me the wrong way.  (power is not something I deal well with)

And I will agree that temp bans are probably inevitable, collected a few of them myself over the years, but permanant bans really are easily avoided if you just keep things civil.

The moderating on this site is terrible.

I've been posting on forums for years and this is the only site that I've gotten a temp ban on of any kind.

The mods are a little trigger happy that's for sure.

But let's face it, it's their website. If they want a politcally correct,  saccharine and censored forum it's their perogative. 

Wait...Was that baiting? Or trolling? Damn, I can't even tell.....