Forum Moderation - give me suggestions and feedback

[Greycat]

57 minutes ago, Parabola said:

I suggest an extra step between 2 and 3 where appropriate:

 

2.5) Ok X and Y, you were asked nicely and this isn't on. Do not post again in this thread or bans will follow.

 

 

While you don't see it, that may well be said in PMs to the individuals.

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

On 3/18/2025 at 4:04 AM, Stormwalker said:

Telling someone "Your idea is stupid" will nearly always be read by that person as "You are stupid", whether that was the intent or not.  It establishes a hostile tone for a discussion, and contributes to the digging in of heels I mentioned in my previous comment.

 

I generally agree, but there is a nuanced difference between insulting the poster and insulting the idea.  I think it depends on the context and the wording.

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

On 3/18/2025 at 8:03 AM, tidge said:

#1 I think the forum members deserve more than a "be excellent to each other" or "we are watching" comment; there should be some specificity regarding the behavior that prompts such a post. * * *

#2 When posts are hidden, I similarly think a note acknowledging the moderator action, with a brief explanation that can offer clues to forum members about behavior that was considered inappropriate. I'm not looking for a novel-length replies to content.   This is a valid complaint against me in particular.  The problem lies with our general policy not to comment on moderation. I'm thinking of ways to give more guidance and this thread is part of that.

* * *

#1 I believe that the forum moderation is too slow to recognize and/or call out certain negative/bad-faith behavior, with a corollary that sometimes the hammer falls on folks who call out the negative/bad-faith behavior.  Also a fair critique.  But we are more reactive that proactive and sometimes get tied up with work or family even if it is reported.

* * *

#2 One common behavior that spirals is what I refer to as self-brigading. A user makes a post (often in the suggestion forum) that receives analysis, criticism, or clarification that doesn't agree that the proposal is 100% correct and brilliant. The original user then begins a meticulous process of responding to every other post, often in minute ways... so instead of receiving a dopamine hit from direct validation, the dopamine is flowing from "energized" back-and-forth.  This one is a little harder and may take a detailed reading of the entire thread to make a judgment call.

 

[PoptartsNinja]

I see a big difference between not commenting on moderation and not explaining it.

 

A simple post explaining why a set of posts in a thread were removed/hidden with a link to the forum's appeals policy seems like a reasonable and positive way to manage a forum. Getting into an argument with a forum poster who isn't happy about a mod action is another story.

 

Albeit rare, I have seen the latter happen more often than the former--not necessarily by you Moogly, my memory isn't that good--but I do feel like that's a real problem, and the source of a lot of persistent negative feelings.

Edited Thursday at 08:10 PM by PoptartsNinja

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

On 3/18/2025 at 5:40 PM, PoptartsNinja said:

It might be worthwhile to have moderators focus on assigned subforums or small groups of subforums--with people pitching in outside 'their' area if someone's away or there's a spam attack in General--rather than having to police the whole of the forums and all of the stress that probably entails.  Too many threads, too few GMs.  And many of the GMs prefer not to moderate the forums.  That's OK because I don't mind and there are plenty of other GM things to do like help people get their missions unstuck and going after the 798th version of Superman this week.

 

On 3/18/2025 at 5:40 PM, PoptartsNinja said:

And I definitely think it would be worthwhile to have a public record of moderator activity. We do have an internal log of GM actions on the forums, Discord, and in game.  The lets other GMs, including leads and City Council see what we have done.  But it will not be made public as that goes against our policy of not revealing complaints and outcomes.

 

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

On 3/18/2025 at 7:20 PM, Captain Fabulous said:

the people who do nothing but troll, harass, and antagonize other posters.  If anyone feels they are being trolled, harassed, or antagonized please do file a report so that we can take a look at it.  Sometimes we agree and you don't know if the offender was warned or issued a temporary ban and sometimes we disagree with the assessment.  But if you don't report it we many never see it.

 

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

On 3/19/2025 at 12:35 PM, Mystoc said:

maybe add an off-topic reaction emoji it would be a way of the poster saying I see what you said but it has nothing to do with suggestion/feedback

Have you looked at our list of emojis when you hover over the heart at the bottom right of the post?  I know what some of them mean but moose, banjo, pizza Finland flag . . . anyone of those could work.

 

[battlewraith]

54 minutes ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

 

I agree that some people on these forums can be contrarians or argumentative or relentless or all of the above.  And sometimes people with a suggestion are just as relentless and argumentative and take criticism personally.

 

It's OK to post suggestions; it's OK to disagree with suggestions; but it's not OK to attack each other or beat the proverbial dead horse into tiny pieces.

 

If you're at the bottom of a dogpile, it's going to take some tenacity to crawl out from beneath it. That was the point of the statement you quoted. 

One engenders the other. If you make a suggestion and the usual suspects show up with the usual complaints, which they make repeatedly--there's your dead horse in tiny pieces. There's an implicit bias in that direction. 

[PeregrineFalcon]

1 hour ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

Your complaint pre-dated my arrival. 

Yes. As I said, I haven't had an issue with your moderation and most of the issues that I've had with moderation predate you.

 

1 hour ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

Edit to add: I would be more disposed to take GM action if you were insulting other players vs insulting some outside group.

Right. So in the example I gave the post likely wasn't moderated because it wasn't directed at a specific person. However, in the post that you recently warned someone about in this thread that insult was also not directed at a specific person. But one resulted in nothing, despite being reported, while the other resulted in you warning the poster (and possibly taking action if he doesn't edit his post).

 

So like I said, selective enforcement.

 

By the way, thank you for making this thread and for discussing this issue with us.

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

Other than you bringing it up, I would have no idea that you felt someone saying "those neckbeards" referred to you or any other poster.  I am pretty sure I know who the "morons" Sai is referencing.  So you can call it selective if you like, but I do have some reason for my selectivity.

[Super Atom]

I worked hard to make this a polite comment.

 

I think you should stop quoting people and replying with one liners when closing threads. It's not always a problem, but sometimes it just looks like you're mocking someone while saying "BETO". It's not a good look and i think you as a GM should probably stop doing that.

[Troo]

2 minutes ago, Super Atom said:

I worked hard to make this a polite comment.

 

I think you should stop quoting people and replying with one liners when closing threads. It's not always a problem, but sometimes it just looks like you're mocking someone while saying "BETO". It's not a good look and i think you as a GM should probably stop doing that.

 

I disagree.

[Super Atom]

Just now, Troo said:

 

I disagree.

 

Didn't ask

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

11 minutes ago, Super Atom said:

I worked hard to make this a polite comment.

 

I think you should stop quoting people and replying with one liners when closing threads. It's not always a problem, but sometimes it just looks like you're mocking someone while saying "BETO". It's not a good look and i think you as a GM should probably stop doing that.

 

Thank you for being polite. 

 

I think I know the thread you are talking about, but feel free to PM me if you want to tell me the one you are thinking about.  I can see what you are saying that it may come across as mocking.

 

The whole "Be Excellent To Each Other" has become my meme, for better or worse.  I don't mean it to be mocking, I sincerely want players to be excellent to each other.  We are all here because we love this 20 year old game that lets us pretend we're superheroes or supervillains and run around in costumes using powers.  Despite all of our differences, we have that in common.  If we weren't passionate about it, we wouldn't be here arguing about it.

[Super Atom]

Just now, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

 

Thank you for being polite. 

 

I think I know the thread you are talking about, but feel free to PM me if you want to tell me the one you are thinking about.  I can see what you are saying that it may come across as mocking.

 

The whole "Be Excellent To Each Other" has become my meme, for better or worse.  I don't mean it to be mocking, I sincerely want players to be excellent to each other.  We are all here because we love this 20 year old game that lets us pretend we're superheroes or supervillains and run around in costumes using powers.  Despite all of our differences, we have that in common.  If we weren't passionate about it, we wouldn't be here arguing about it.

 

I don't really mean the actual Be excellent to each other part. It's more the quoting someone then saying a one-liner. The one that's most easy to think about it and what you're thinking about as well is a good example for sure, so you know what i mean by how it can come across as mocking even if you don't mean it to and is likely just best avoided all together when its a heated back and forth.

 

otherwise 👍

 

[Nerio72]

I've seen a lot of people complain about posts about things that have already been discussed and I agree with that a bit but the search function in this forum ISN'T the best and there are other reasons to bring up a topic again. Especially if we also don't like necro threads. And also just because a topic comes up "yet again" does NOT mean you have to "yet again" give all of your personal reasons why you don't like it. just link to where it was said before 🤷‍♂️

[Rudra]

9 minutes ago, Nerio72 said:

I've seen a lot of people complain about posts about things that have already been discussed and I agree with that a bit but the search function in this forum ISN'T the best and there are other reasons to bring up a topic again. Especially if we also don't like necro threads. And also just because a topic comes up "yet again" does NOT mean you have to "yet again" give all of your personal reasons why you don't like it. just link to where it was said before 🤷‍♂️

Except when that is done, people still demand you explain yourself or tell you they won't bother reading the linked thread(s).

[Nerio72]

Just now, Rudra said:

Except when that is done, people still demand you explain yourself or tell you they won't bother reading the linked thread(s).

And you don't have to. And they don't have to.

[@Ghost]

My immediate feedback is that I don't really understand where there's seemingly a lot of leniency when it comes to people sharing hateful/bigoted rhetoric. I haven't paid attention to the forums lately but reported it when I've seen it before and seemingly no action was taken, and it's a rather recurring issue on the official Discord.

 

Allegedly this sort of behavior is against the rules but it never quite seems like anything is done.

[shortguy on indom]

1 hour ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

 

 

• HEY NOW!

[Aracknight]

[Stormwalker]

3 hours ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

 

I generally agree, but there is a nuanced difference between insulting the poster and insulting the idea.  I think it depends on the context and the wording.

 

That's definitely true regarding there being a difference - there is a difference.  But, well... I kinda see it like this:

• If someone tells me, "You're stupid," I'm just going to completely tune them out and not have any interest in anything they have to say.
• If someone tells me, "Your idea is stupid," I might listen to what they have to say, but I'm definitely not going to be very charitably-minded toward their opinion (on account of viewing their response as extremely rude), and probably won't give it all that much credence.
• If someone tells me, "These are the problems with your idea," then I might be a little bit annoyed over their disagreement, but I'll also feel like I should take their comments seriously and at least give due thought to what they have to say (and even if I still disagree with them on the whole, I may take bits and pieces of their thinking and try to incorporate it into refining my own idea - this is something I do quite a bit).

 

Obviously, the third case is a lot more conducive to constructive discourse.

Edited Thursday at 11:18 PM by Stormwalker

[Captain Fabulous]

It's really fascinating watching <redacted> twist themselves into knots trying to criticize moderation without <redacted> while doing so. 😂😂😂

Edited Friday at 01:28 AM by Captain Fabulous
<redacted>

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

I think you might consider editing your post as well.  

[Captain Fabulous]

7 minutes ago, GM_GooglyMoogly said:

I think you might consider editing your post as well.