Tougher Moderation Policies

[Kashmiri Nationalist]

In the years I've been on this forum, it's been degrading at an alarming rate. Good, intellectual debate is getting harder and harder. Rather than rambling on rhetorically, here's what I propose:

1. Tougher moderation. Get rid of the 'lax' feel, if a post isn't related to the topic, it's off-topic. Infract and delete (in the case it is a developed post, create a new thread for it).

2. Under-mods; group of people that are active, reasonably logical but are allowed -- most importantly -- to report posts with a minimum seconds delay (if at all). Would stream line mods' job - a report from this group can be seen as more genuine and mods would have to stop lurking around so much in threads looking for violations.

3. Cut down on Sticky Threads. The JF-17 section alone has 5/6 threads all labelled 'JF17 Discussion [Number]'; it bloats up the section.

4. Change infractions-to-bans. Let me rephrase that - with three infractions you're banned from posting for 3 days, and on probation for 2 weeks - violating this probation means a no-post ban for 3 weeks, and so on.

The last point might seem a bummer for freedom of speech, but the truth is, a lot of threads here are getting out of hand and derailing into childish gibberish.

 

[Icarus]

In the years I've been on this forum, it's been degrading at an alarming rate. Good, intellectual debate is getting harder and harder. Rather than rambling on rhetorically, here's what I propose:

1. Tougher moderation. Get rid of the 'lax' feel, if a post isn't related to the topic, it's off-topic. Infract and delete (in the case it is a developed post, create a new thread for it).

2. Under-mods; group of people that are active, reasonably logical but are allowed -- most importantly -- to report posts with a minimum seconds delay (if at all). Would stream line mods' job - a report from this group can be seen as more genuine and mods would have to stop lurking around so much in threads looking for violations.

3. Cut down on Sticky Threads. The JF-17 section alone has 5/6 threads all labelled 'JF17 Discussion [Number]'; it bloats up the section.

4. Change infractions-to-bans. Let me rephrase that - with three infractions you're banned from posting for 3 days, and on probation for 2 weeks - violating this probation means a no-post ban for 3 weeks, and so on.

The last point might seem a bummer for freedom of speech, but the truth is, a lot of threads here are getting out of hand and derailing into childish gibberish.

A very genuine concern and some very valid points raised. Your advice will also be taken into consideration. The management realizes these concerns and is already hard at work, working on a new moderation policy that is meant to better manage the growing community. An Admin can tell you more about the details, in any case. We are expected to see positive changes soon, until then you are requested to ignore trolls and just report their posts.

 

[Jango]

Agree with you. This forum has slowly got alot of trolls, and off-topic posts are there in every thread.

I understand that the mods might be a bit over-worked, but the quality of the forum has changed IMO.

And I wholeheartedly agree with proposal #2 . A group of members whose report gets priority because you know he will report the right (or wrong) post.

 

[Safriz]

i may be the odd ball here..
But i think all is well at the moment and trolling,no value , off topic posts have gone down to a tolerable level.
But thats just my opinion.

 

[livingdead]

^^^ agree with you. I dont see suicidal trolls anymore, most trolls do soft trolling now.

 

[Kashmiri Nationalist]

Safriz/hinduguy:

I can name several topics off the top of my head that have degraded into childish, rhetoric based name throwing. It's just about trolls, it's about people lowering the quality of threads with LQ posts that attack something out of emotion and heart-drum beating over having a reasoned, logical debate.

A very genuine concern and some very valid points raised. Your advice will also be taken into consideration. The management realizes these concerns and is already hard at work, working on a new moderation policy that is meant to better manage the growing community. An Admin can tell you more about the details, in any case. We are expected to see positive changes soon, until then you are requested to ignore trolls and just report their posts.

Thanks for the reply. I too do understand the mods have way too much pressure - I can only imagine the kind of pressure Webby deals with, as this is undoubtedly not his only venture in life (i.e., it's not his primary source of revenue generation, and most of the revenue will probably go to server costs anyway).

That's why I suggested number '2' - a group of 'Under Mods', possible mods in training, that are trusted hence given the ability to hit the 'report' button without a 60 second delay.

 

[SQ8]

Apart from the fact that we will be looking into increasing mods soon... we are also looking into deciding the definition of those members we consider forum leaders.
Many senior members even after all their time here end up being baited by immature trolls.
Others end up being class A trolls themselves, despite our many efforts to solicit better behaviors from them on their basis of being old hands on this forum.
Their long term pretense, along with the fact that they have from time to time contributed good material to the forum grants them lax behavior from our side.. but as such, it does not grant them our respect.
I will propose soon that our policy on letting the cats that decide to perform hajj(good posts) after murdering 900 mice(trolling) should be much more strict.

 

[Awesome]

In the years I've been on this forum, it's been degrading at an alarming rate. Good, intellectual debate is getting harder and harder. Rather than rambling on rhetorically, here's what I propose:

1. Tougher moderation. Get rid of the 'lax' feel, if a post isn't related to the topic, it's off-topic. Infract and delete (in the case it is a developed post, create a new thread for it).

2. Under-mods; group of people that are active, reasonably logical but are allowed -- most importantly -- to report posts with a minimum seconds delay (if at all). Would stream line mods' job - a report from this group can be seen as more genuine and mods would have to stop lurking around so much in threads looking for violations.

3. Cut down on Sticky Threads. The JF-17 section alone has 5/6 threads all labelled 'JF17 Discussion [Number]'; it bloats up the section.

4. Change infractions-to-bans. Let me rephrase that - with three infractions you're banned from posting for 3 days, and on probation for 2 weeks - violating this probation means a no-post ban for 3 weeks, and so on.

The last point might seem a bummer for freedom of speech, but the truth is, a lot of threads here are getting out of hand and derailing into childish gibberish.

A lot of these measures are already implemented. Stickies are removed from time to time and others appear up as time passess by, it can be improved upon. "Tough" is a subjective thing. In many cases the hammer cannot be easily laid down and hence mods are tasked with the added responsibility to guide discussions back on topic.

However in due course, a bigger moderation team may handle this problem. Mods are all volunteers and on top of that its a job that needs extensive quality control. It's not like we can hire just about anyone to this role, it requires an extensive set of capabilities, plus training. So any change would most likely be gradual.

 

[BJP*]

The quality of forum has improved a lot. PDF is now more neutral resulting members from around the world are active. Now a days Mods are not banning just because they dont agree with you. The so members who are calling for "Tougher Moderation Policies" must must also clear which posts are to be called as trolls and which posts are called as useful.

Wait!!! or OP mean pro-pakistani post as "useful" and post which criticize pakistan as "trolls".

These are few post by OP which I categorize in "Trolls"

Imperialist Indians...this is undoubtedly another great conspiracy to be revealed by Zaid Hamid in his infinite women.

and the posts like below ones on thread Antony says India will match Chinese military infra buildup

Rhetoric is like fibre, good for the intestines but nothing else.

Of course, shame it isn't good for rampant sexual-diseases (aids, anyone?).

 

[Cherokee]

People Who start a Topic Should Also Take a Responsibility . I was Able to Veer two of My threads to On topic Discussion by simply requesting the Members not to Post Off Topic and in One Case Members Also Deleted Their Own Off Topic Posts . On Another Thread some Reporting and Some Comments By Icarus Helped .

Problem Magnifies When People Who themselves Start a Discussion end Up joining Trollibans and Firing Off Topic Posts .

 

[BJP*]

The quality of forum has improved a lot. PDF is now more neutral resulting members from around the world are active. Now a days Mods are not banning just because they dont agree with you. The so members who are calling for "Tougher Moderation Policies" must must also clear which posts are to be called as trolls and which posts are called as useful.

Wait!!! or OP mean pro-pakistani post as "useful" and post which criticize pakistan as "trolls".

These are few post by OP which I categorize in "Trolls"



and the posts like below ones on thread Antony says India will match Chinese military infra buildup

This is what one call "900 trolls karke, troll-y moderator bana "

 

[OrionHunter]

4. Change infractions-to-bans. Let me rephrase that - with three infractions you're banned from posting for 3 days, and on probation for 2 weeks - violating this probation means a no-post ban for 3 weeks, and so on.

The last point might seem a bummer for freedom of speech.

Hmmmm.....In the beginning, I was banned for three weeks without all that you just mentioned - even without an infraction!! And I wasn't trolling for sure. But then, it's the question of freedom of speech. Some mods just don't like what they read as it goes against their grain.

And others don't like my face!! I know my avatar sucks, but....

I think there's too much of subjectivity out here. But then, we're only human - even the mods! What's sauce for the goose ain't sauce for the gander!

 

[Awesome]

Please note... Free speech is always allowed and forever will be. Precondition is Civility and on topic discussions. The bulk of the infractions that we issue are primarily due to offtopic posts.

 

[Kashmiri Nationalist]

Please note... Free speech is always allowed and forever will be. Precondition is Civility and on topic discussions. The bulk of the infractions that we issue are primarily due to offtopic posts.

Agreed. Civility and mutual respect should be in any aspiring person's arsenal.

 

[Donatello]

Apart from the fact that we will be looking into increasing mods soon... we are also looking into deciding the definition of those members we consider forum leaders.
Many senior members even after all their time here end up being baited by immature trolls.
Others end up being class A trolls themselves, despite our many efforts to solicit better behaviors from them on their basis of being old hands on this forum.
Their long term pretense, along with the fact that they have from time to time contributed good material to the forum grants them lax behavior from our side.. but as such, it does not grant them our respect.
I will propose soon that our policy on letting the cats that decide to perform hajj(good posts) after murdering 900 mice(trolling) should be much more strict.

Then don't count on people with the most posts or most thanks. Let others take charge as well.