Lonelygirl15

itsreallyreal wrote:Can I also suggest something new???

On another forum we have a "Flame Fighters" thread... Now I know how it sounds but actually it's not a place to flame... It is a place to report flames so that the mod can handle it and the person reporting it doesn;t confront the flamer or get involved in the actual fight. It works pretty well and it helps the mods allot///

Well, some of us have said that we don't necearrily want the flames to disappear...and that not all flames are inherently bad, either. There really is a difference between heated discussion and personal insults. Some people like to lump them all together...but you reallly shouldn't do that.

Earlier in the thread I compared it to a forest fire. Sometimes, the flames are healthy and necesarry...so long as they are contained. An overgrown forest is a total disaster waiting to happen. Better to have the contained burns to get rid of old growth rather than let it take over the entire community and destroy it. Thing is, when the mods lock things on request because somebody is upset, they are, in essence, playing with fire and spreading sparks all over the community.

So long as accutely personal attacks are removed and threads not locked on a whim because someone gets the vapors over something...well, it's takes a really talened moderator to be able to control a healthy flame thread.

This thread alone could be seen as a flame thread...it's brutally honest toward the moderators. It got heated on ocassion and really innapropriate stuff has been removed. And yet...it's remained level headed because people (for the most part) are flaming an issue rather than any particular person.

The idea is that you don;t post any commentary in that thread.. only links... Part of the rules for the thread...

I just wanted to say that as soon as people feel themselves becoming angry at another fan, the best thing to do is chill out. I time myself a few minutes, actually. Then, PM the person and/or write to a moderator. That way, no flame war can erupt.

I don't think it is possible as long as people follow that approach.

Marbella wrote: I don't think it is possible as long as people follow that approach.

Good luck regulating that...

But seriously... I think that has been trhe recurring theme of the thread... It al starts with the users respecting themselves and eachother more...

That's good if you have an ignore type of option...some people just get fed up after awhile...some can't hold their tongue..etc. In theory, if people would ignore it, no problems would arise...

Thank you everyone for constructive criticisms and suggestions in this and other forums. Please be assured that your concerns are being heard and all suggestions are seriously considered. I apologize for not responding in depth sooner, but others have, and I thought it was important to be as concise and descriptive as possible. There are two main things I want to address (please forgive the long post!):

Moderators
(In this message, operators and moderators are considered one and the same.) Please remember that moderators are fans. They were chosen in part because they were actively involved in the story/ARG discussion and participated as much as possible. They do this as a volunteer and spend considerable time here because they enjoy the story and/or ARG. Moderating is not easy.

That being said, a moderator should remain intrinsically neutral. No users should receive preferential treatment or detrimental treatment, and despite being friends with many people here, friendships should not come into play. Sometimes this is a hard guideline to follow, and if you feel a moderator is not behaving in a neutral and authoritative manner, please contact another moderator or myself. Be aware that we have guidelines that all moderators are expected to follow, and we are revising/updating those guidelines currently. (Many of your comments/suggestions are included in this discussion!) The moderator guidelines will remain between the moderators, but they will be held to those guidelines. If you feel a moderator behaves inappropriately, please contact me. I support the great staff we have here, but if actions need to be taken, I or The Creators will do so, and no concern will be overlooked, even if we disagree.

That being said, moderators are people too, as others have said, and we all have the same faults. We do our best on a very busy forum. And if we mess up, we have every intention of using that as a learning experience so it does not happen again.

Moderators are encouraged not to be heavy-handed. So yes, some flame wars will occur, and some threads will be let to continue. If you feel an action needs to be taken, please contact a moderator with a link to the issue in question. Sometimes people see things in different ways and getting another person's perspective is very helpful! But if an action does take place that you disagree with, be aware that there are often issues you are not aware of, such as PM complaints and moderator discussion.

Fans
The Forum Etiquette, Rules, and Policies are guidelines for users, and all users are expected to abide by these. Obviously there's more leeway in certain things (such as posting off-topic or using nested quotes and such in the areas of the forum for chatting), and some points here are helpful suggestions more than "laws", but these rules are very important. If you receive a message from a moderator that you are not following these rules, please take that message seriously, review the rules, and consider changing your post or action. If an offense is minor, sometimes it's helpful just to have it pointed out. But if an offense is more extreme, users will be warned. Enforcement can include a temporary or permanent ban. Be aware that moderators do not make this decision on their own, especially if it involves banning.

Flame wars are a part of any message board, especially one as large and with as many users as this. But please be aware that the general rules of society should apply here. If you wouldn't call a co-worker or fellow classmate/acquaintance a bad name in public, don't do it on a message board. As Tigerlilylynn pointed out, self-moderation is key. A civil and intelligent discussion is productive, while an angry and offensive discussion only breeds more of the same. Sometimes, everyone just needs to step away and cool down before posting. Again, it's human nature.

Most importantly, this is supposed to be a fun place!!! I know people get frustrated sometimes. Folks feel they're not included at times or not heard. Maybe you don't like someone. But remember that we're all here to have fun, and these issues will come up far more often.

Thanks everyone!
-BK

BK...I didn't think that was too long. honestly, I rather read a lengthy and detailed post than a short, cryptic one. Maybe that's just me...but eh.

Thank you for posting some feedback on all of this. I really nice to hear back from you guys in a way that shows you're hearing our concerns rather than just enduring them.

I've shown up to this party late, I see. I've taken the time to read everything that was said here and in the numerous peripheral threads related to this discussion (or which lead into it).

There's a lot that has been said up to now, so I don't really have to say much more than that I agree a place for new members and then consistent moderating is the answer to most of the problems going on. Hopefully, that will cut down on the flame wars and prevent clique blitzkriegs from developing.

I also think both of those ideas would go far toward making the place more welcoming to new people. I noticed months ago that newcomers often got a harsh "welcome," and some of them didn't want to stick around afterward. I briefly voiced that concern after one new member was given a poor reception. They thankfully stuck around despite that unpleasant beginning, but they didn't want to, and only did after I tried talking them into staying. Actually, I'm not sure if my talking to them made the difference, but I know they were really upset before that and expressed to me that they didn't want to stay.

Anyway, I'm glad to see that this discussion was civilized and productive, when it could have easily eroded without everyone really making the effort for it to go somewhere. To all of the moderators, admins, and ordinary users who contributed to this discussion, let it continue, or held their temper when it was difficult, I give you an e-pat on the back.

I agree with BK, that moderators should be neutral. Unfortunately, that is not the case (in my humble opinion.) I think we should just ban everyone who is not part of the LG15 clique. Oh wait - cuz that's what you do anyways...

Heya, smurfswim? I PMed you...

Got it. Good job, girlfriend.

Who's been banned other than Glowe (and all such puppets thereof) and spammers?

i'm not sure. i saw one conversation regarding people who had been banned for speaking against moderators (in general, no names). I'm sorry, but i do not have any names. i take back my comment. you guys are great.

I don't want to start anything in public, but why was glowe banned? i talked to her several times in chat, and there didn't seem to be a problem. please contact me via pm. moderators, please lock this if you have to, i believe this is a misunderstanding on my part.

Let's all take a step back...

We just got some VERY open and posative feedback from the Admin. Some very clear lines have been drawn. It's time to LET GO OF "WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST" and move forward from here!

Now that everyone has a CLEAR reference. If there is an isse you should feel confident that you can go to the admin or to ANY of the MODS/Opps and get it resolved... So lets not "complain" about wehat is broken any more until it has had time to prove that it has been fixed or not

Just my $0.02

Thanks again to everyon who makes this place run!

Thanks BK and mods/pms!