Moderator Action

Broken link? Feature request? Anything related to the Spectrum Computing website here.
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R-Tape
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by R-Tape »

I have to admit the idea of trying to moderate a pure Off Topic forum, especially after this week, brings me out in cold sweats.

Changing it is something we've been discussing, now it's been raised it'd be interesting to hear what people would prefer.

Binning it entirely could result in lots of non Speccy things in Miscellaneous (and unpopular decisions when they are removed for being out of place), that's why Chitchat was created on WoS. So it seems some kind of repository for 'not quite Speccy' is needed.

Looking at Off Topic now, the good news is that almost all of it can be kept. Things like "Merry Christmas" can be move to Website, and all but a couple can be kept as retro something or other.

One suggestion was Retrocomputing. I liked that but it does exclude a lot of general computing and modern gaming that fits well here. Can anyone think of a way to include that?

Einar's suggestion of "Other Retro stuff" allowed even more scope.

Still no modern computers or gaming though. Is there a way of fitting that in too? Do we want that in?

Any more thoughts on this? How "not quite Speccy" do we want to get?
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Spud »

Einar's suggestion of "Other Retro stuff" allowed even more scope.
Maybe this but it is hard to say for sure. I don’t look at individual forums per se, I just look at the thing at the top and cycle through the recently updated threads and read or reply to stuff that takes my interest there.

I wouldn’t be able to post about the new guitar i bought recently if we only allowed retro stuff but then there isn’t much chance i’d create a thread about it if it was as allowed anyway! It seems a shame to remove or change a section that may be beloved by some members.

To summarise: no idea.
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Einar Saukas
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Einar Saukas »

Perhaps "Other Retro or Computer-related Topics"? What do people think?

Whatever we choose, let's make sure the scope is clear and easily understood, otherwise this change won't solve anything.
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Rorthron
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Rorthron »

Einar Saukas wrote: Fri Mar 09, 2018 9:44 pm A better analogy is, you placed a soapbox in your backyard and invite all neighbours to freely speak their minds about any off-topic subject, and long as they didn't offend each other. Then one of your invite neighbours steps into the soapbox to present an inflamed political speech and you think "Ops, that's not what I expected". Should you throw him out, or allow it but change the rules to prevent it from happening again? I think that's basically the issue here.
This is not correct. A more accurate analogy would be:

You host a ZX Spectrum party in your back yard and invited all your neighbours on the conditions that they behave nicely and discuss only subjects you consider appropriate. (Read the forum rules.) Then one of your invited neighbours starts screaming and calling people Nazis. You politely ask your guest three times not to speak about this, but your guest becomes abusive, refuses to comply with your requests, insists he should be allowed to shout about high-school shootings, refugees, "real" Nazis, etc and starts screaming again. So you decide to throw the person out at least until they calm down.

That's quite a different situation.

(Incidentally, I specifically considered the soap box analogy in reaching the decision I took.)

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Rorthron »

I would like to make one other point.

Several people in this thread have voiced strong opinions about circumstances where they actually have no knowledge. For example:

- Some have defended the content of the deleted posts, when they haven't even seen those posts.
- The mods have been accused of being heavy handed by people who have presumably never seen any of the communications with C.Born.
- Actions have been described as knee-jerk by people who have never seen the communication among the mods that considered the issue at great length.
- People have criticised the imposition of a permanent ban, even though the moderator team never said the ban was permanent. No decision had been reached on the length of the ban at that time.
- ‎People have accused me of being on a power trip, when quite obviously they cannot possibly read my mind and know my intentions.

There are many more examples, but I think these are enough to make the point.

I think it would help the moderators do their job and make the forum a better place if in future people are more circumspect. It's not just the mods who need to learn from this episode. Before any of you start describing events as "screw-ups" or suchlike, please make sure you pay as much attention to the information that you don't know as that which you do.

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Hikaru »

Some have defended the content of the deleted posts, when they haven't even seen those posts.
Remember kids, make sure to always read a deleted post before you attempt to defend it.
No decision had been reached on the length of the ban at that time.
That makes it a ban of indefinite length.
Before any of you start describing events as "screw-ups" or suchlike, please make sure you pay as much attention to the information that you don't know as that which you do.
For convenience's sake, I will try to present the important bits of information that we know about this screw-up below during the next 2 hours.

1. A regular and known member was banned indefinitely for stating that 'Someone somewhere is a Nazi'.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Rorthron »

Hikaru wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:16 am Make sure to always read a deleted post before you attempt to defend it.
Yes! If you haven't read the post, you have a very limited view of what it is about.
Hikaru wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:16 am That makes it a ban of indefinite length.
Yes, not a permanent one. The mods were discussing different possible ban lengths.
Hikaru wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:16 am For convenience's sake, I will try to present the important bits of information that we know about this screw-up below during the next 2 hours.

1. A regular and known member was banned indefinitely for stating that 'Someone somewhere is a Nazi'.
No. Please see the explanation I have already supplied.

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by hikoki »

hikoki wrote: Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:13 pm This thread will be locked for a two weeks cooling-off period.

We are also proud to announce that Rorthron will be the artist and level designer of a new game coded by C. Born.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Rorthron »

Hikoki and Hikaru. This is going to get confusing... :)
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by R-Tape »

Einar Saukas wrote: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:29 pm Perhaps "Other Retro or Computer-related Topics"? What do people think?

Whatever we choose, let's make sure the scope is clear and easily understood, otherwise this change won't solve anything.
We'll need to have a chat and decide what we're most comfortable with, but it'd be interesting to hear more views on this.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by hikoki »

hikoki wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:50 am
hikoki wrote: Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:13 pm This thread will be locked for a two weeks cooling-off period.

We are also proud to announce that Rorthron will be the artist and level designer of a new game coded by C. Born.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by 1024MAK »

Okay, I have been watching this for a while now.

Rorthron a couple of posts above makes some very relevant points.

And here in this place, some members have been second guessing things, just like they did over on WoS forums.

In general, most administrators and moderators don't do the role for reasons of power. There is no money in it. There is no status in it. They do it because someone has to do it to keep the forum from becoming a Wild West of the internet, full of spammers and various people having rants that have nothing to do with the reason that the forum was created. Or worse...

The work of administrators and moderators can vary wildly. They much prefer when they don't have to do any moderation. Keeping track of topics and threads where things may be about to kick off, or editing and moderating posts and threads where members have broken the rules or guidelines can be challenging. It often causes the administrator or moderator to have to decide which side of a moral dilemma to take. It can be very time consuming.

I have no more information than anyone else who has read this thread. But going on the information here, I believe the administrators and moderators made the correct decision. There are many other forums aimed at 1980s and 1990s computer enthusiasts that would have done the same, or a very similar thing.

In comparison, most (but maybe not all) of the moderation on WoS forums is very light in comparison.

On the subject of off-topic type areas, well one aim of having an off topic area, is to try to help to keep the main subject areas clear of off-topic items. Then if a member wants, they can stay clear of all (well, most of) the off-topic threads and posts.

If there is no off topic area, at some stage, someone will post off topic material elsewhere on the forums. This will then continue to happen at random intervals by various members over the years. Then there may be another issue with members getting upset that 'their' post has been moderated...

One forum that I am a member of has a special area for posts and threads that are considered to be against the ethos of the forums. Posts and threads are moved to this area, but still remain viewable (but may be subject to being edited depending on which rules were broken). This is not a normal off topic area. If this site decides to have such an area, one consideration should be will replies be allowed in this area?

Now the main point. The final decision on anything here, including the very existence of this forum is down to the owner and operator. It is not a fully democratic place. No ordinary member has any right to so called free speech. Each and every member here had to request to join, and then the owner/operator or an administrator or moderator (operating on their behalf) either accepted your membership or rejected your membership. So at any time, they can revoke your membership. It's their call.

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by PeterJ »

Rorthron wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:54 am Hikoki and Hikaru. This is going to get confusing... :)
I'm glad it's not just me!
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by 1024MAK »

PeterJ wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 12:39 pm
Rorthron wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:54 am Hikoki and Hikaru. This is going to get confusing... :)
I'm glad it's not just me!
It helps that one gives their location as Russia but does not have a picture avatar, while the other does not list their location, but does use a picture avatar...

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by PeterJ »

Hikaru wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:16 am

For convenience's sake, I will try to present the important bits of information that we know about this screw-up below during the next 2 hours.

1. A regular and known member was banned indefinitely for stating that 'Someone somewhere is a Nazi'.
That is so far from the truth!
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Pegaz »

R-Tape wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 12:03 pm
Einar Saukas wrote: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:29 pm Perhaps "Other Retro or Computer-related Topics"? What do people think?

Whatever we choose, let's make sure the scope is clear and easily understood, otherwise this change won't solve anything.
We'll need to have a chat and decide what we're most comfortable with, but it'd be interesting to hear more views on this.
Non Spectrum or Other retro related topics would be fine.
Chit chat or Off topic is too general, I think...
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by hikoki »

I think you are overreacting a bit. There's no need to take moderator "terminator" action with old coders. I may be wrong but these sites don't need much moderation. Do you really need 4 moderators? :) I thought you should spend your excellent english skills talking with Chris and maybe collaborate with him to make a small game, the man seems to be profficient with z80 asm and he never did a game with all of that power.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Rorthron »

[mention]hikoki[/mention], I am assuming from your previous comments that your last post was directed to me. I promise you I would much rather work on a game with Chris Born than do this. I do feel, though, I have to account here for the decisions made.

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by PeterJ »

[mention]Hikaru[/mention] I know the 2 hour edit thing is a real issue for you, but however much you bring it up it's not going to change and I have seen no example of longer.

I don't want to loose members but if it's that important to you maybe you need to find somewhere that gives you what you need.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by 1024MAK »

PeterJ wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 1:35 pm @Hikaru I know the 2 hour edit thing is a real issue for you, but however much you bring it up it's not going to change and I have seen no example of longer.
QL Forums
StarDot Forums
Atari-Forum
All the above forums allow members to go back and edit their own posts without a time restriction.

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Re: Moderator Action

Post by PeterJ »

Thank you. These are the first examples I have had. Appreciated.

The two hour limit won't change though.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by PeterJ »

This is how the Atari forum handle moderation...

Moderators control individual forums. They can edit posts in their forums and do that when and if they see fit. If you have a question about a particular forum, you should direct it to your forum moderator. If you have an issue with how something has been moderated send a polite PM to the moderator or the administrators. Opinions on how a particular post has been moderated are not welcome on the public areas of the forum
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by hikoki »

Speccy.org and zxuno.com are moderated but you can always edit your own posts. Two hours are fine though unlimited edits are handy.

Rorth, if you don't want to talk to C.Born I'll do it myself later. By the way, the man has a good pair of papaya fruits if he really called nazi the police :)
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by Rorthron »

hikoki wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 2:52 pmRorth, if you don't want to talk to C.Born I'll do it myself later.
I will contact him myself, but give it a little time first. That shouldn't, of course, stop you contacting him.
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Re: Moderator Action

Post by RMartins »

R-Tape wrote: Sat Mar 10, 2018 12:03 pm
Einar Saukas wrote: Fri Mar 09, 2018 11:29 pm Perhaps "Other Retro or Computer-related Topics"? What do people think?

Whatever we choose, let's make sure the scope is clear and easily understood, otherwise this change won't solve anything.
We'll need to have a chat and decide what we're most comfortable with, but it'd be interesting to hear more views on this.
Regarding, some kind of "off-topic" area, no matter what, it should at least be computer related (retro or not).
In this area, we could be extra permissive, for some even more off-topic, since we want to avoid this on the other areas.
But I believe it should not be as free as "chit-chat", since this is not what this forum is about.

Maybe people, want to talk to each other, taking into account that they have similar interests, like if they were meeting buddies in a pub.
So that would probably point me into a direction, of a live chat channel, instead of a forum area.

And this could be an eventual solution, to provide an area for some really off topic talks, and make up for this social pub kind of thing, but still having some rules, to keep the place civil.
Just an idea.
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