Global chat.. when is too much moderation TOO MUCH
By
Adeon Hawkwood,
Posted on: 2011-05-07 24:08 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
I am one of the people that gets frustrated when a 'tf/sf' channel gets flooded with 'who's yo mama?' type comments or, what I've come to see lately, the /help channel being flooded with 'lft' or 'is this good for pvp?' or 'that power is so gay!' type comments.
I'm slowly learning to ignore most comments in two of the channels that I, at one point, found really useful. I am doing this as channel members who dare mention that perhaps the channel could be used for its intended purpose are often given the channel equivalent of 'pile on' (along the very mature lines of 'cry moar!').
I figure it's easier for me to 'filter out' all the crud then it is to try to protest those who believe that free speech means they can say what they like, when they like, in a public (specific-intent) channel and expect every one else just to accept the spammed nonsense.
Quote:
The most effective way of combatting over-moderation? Create a channel and convince people to jump ship. No use being an overmoderator if there is no one to overmoderate. |
Originally Posted by Snow Globe
Hah. That channel was taken over by the people that complained of over-moderation and more people are being silenced now than before.
When a channel's MOTD and description (found in the channel search window) are clear that the channel is moderated, people should expect mods to act. If they disagree with the level of moderation, then the are free to choose if they prefer that level of moderation or make a new channel that is less moderated. |
http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-anim.php
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When I join a global channel, I understand I'm agreeing to the moderators' rules of conduct for that channel. It's a condition of continuing membership I've agreed to by either joining or not leaving.
If someone stays, and tries to use the channel otherwise, then I feel they're not showing personal integrity. Moderators ought to consistently silence or boot such members. It's not a whole lot different than people who exploit game-bugs they find, when they gave their word when they accepted the terms of service that they would not. Don't like the rules? Don't join, or leave at one's first opportunity.
If someone joins a channel and doesn't like how it's run? That person should leave. Don't stay and try to reap the benefits of that channel while willfully breaking the set of rules that have made it a success. Disagree with those rules? Discuss it with the people who've the authority to change them -- those same mods.
If moderators conduct a channel doesn't retain its membership or activity, they've no one to blame but themselves. Make a set of rules that works.
Quote:
I dunno about your gripes with the help channel.|
Originally Posted by SlackTech
I am one of the people that gets frustrated when a 'tf/sf' channel gets flooded with 'who's yo mama?' type comments or, what I've come to see lately, the /help channel being flooded with 'lft' or 'is this good for pvp?' or 'that power is so gay!' type comments.
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LFT I can understand, because quite literally, they are looking for help with content, may not be the best place, but it's not too harmful
Is this power good in pvp, I think should be perfectly fine in help, it's a question about powers.
That power is so /hurtful term/, isn't cool because it's a disparaging remark, but in terms of "That power is so weak", I think it may be a fair bit of actual help in terms of discussing various power balance.
Let's Dance!
Quote:
While I don't know the details of the latter situation, it is possible that the mod missed the invective. Its certainly possible to miss things in any channel for substantial periods of time, depending on what you are doing (working on a sg base, respecing, fighting for your life, logged onto a character on another server without that channel set up, etc.). With some of those you can't even see or respond to tells. |
Originally Posted by Psylenz
When I complain that the server doesn't participate in zone events, I get silenced. When one of Maya's cronies uses racially based invective against a sitting mod of the channel, that person skates.
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That said, unless channel mods are all in the same sg, or are friends, it can be pretty tough to set up any system whereby they all have exactly the same standards for how to treat things. My general attitude is that if a strictly moderated channel for a particular purpose has a high membership, and some people decide to make another "anything goes" one but are unhappy because they can't get most people to join the new one, it shows what proportion of people want to be in a strictly moderated channel vs a loosely moderated one. I suspect a lot of the people in such focused channels don't post much, don't want to get involved in drama, and just want to see things they might want to get into.
To me, the responsibility of the mods of a channel are to keep operating it in the way that the members support, based on "voting with their feet". The responsibility of the members is, well, to vote with their feet.
In the case of something like the example above of complaining that the server doesn't do zone events, assuming it was a channel for organizing events like TFs, I'd personally probably allow one or two complaints like that, but issue a warning if it continued being discussed. If, on the other hand, someone was trying to organize a team to participate in doing a zone event, that woud be fine. Thats the kind of constructive channel use its set up for.
I would also judge off topic content for a focused channel somewhat by server size and time of day. On Virtue and Freedom channels, you might have to be stricter about off topic stuff, especially during prime play times, because there are a lot of on topic posts and they could get lost if there was much side discussion at all. On something like the Triumph channel mentioned, say during early morning play when there might only be 20-30 players on the whole server, conversation could drift a lot further without being likely to impede anyones organizing.
I think what makes people mad when mods do stop off topic chat is the way that they do it. Something like "I don't want to sound controlling, but can you guys keep the chat on topic in case someone is looking for a TF?" is what people would honor.
But not "Hey you guys shut up and stay on topic or I'll silence or kick you" I'm sorry, but if someone asks like that, I refuse to take that lying down. No one else should either.....and ignore is too simple and easy. I like payback. And yes it does sound petty, but I will admit that it brings me joy.
Anyway, the first request was nice, respectful, and the mod understands that off topic chat will happen, but would prefer to keep it to a minimum.
The second: the mod seems angry that people aren't following his rules and comes off as a control freak who will silence anyone who dares to defy his iron-fisted rule. A request like that led to me leaving the TF channel on Virtue some months ago.
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