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Forum moderators - deleting posts (not updating them)
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorArdos
Registered: July 31, 2008
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I agree with what has already been said in the thread & have said so before (whether or not the posts remain is another story).
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile RegistrantDr. Killpatient
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Registered: May 19, 2007
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Moderators probably should be anonymous - otherwise, there could be a perceived conflict of interest.  For example, a known moderator doesn't whammy someone but does whammy someone else for the same infraction.  If the non-whammy person is a friend of the moderator, it could be seen as favoritism even if the moderator simply didn't know about the post.
DVD Profiler Unlimited Registrantxradman
Registered: June 17, 2002
Registered: March 14, 2007
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Quoting Dr. Killpatient:
Quote:
Moderators probably should be anonymous - otherwise, there could be a perceived conflict of interest.  For example, a known moderator doesn't whammy someone but does whammy someone else for the same infraction.  If the non-whammy person is a friend of the moderator, it could be seen as favoritism even if the moderator simply didn't know about the post.

They can remain anonymous (from their regular DVDP name), but if there are multiple moderators, they should have a unique moderator handle.
My Home Theater
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantkdh1949
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One of the forums I frequent has a "no political posts" policy.  If someone posts a political thread, you can be sure it will be deleted.  And, I believe, abusers will eventually be banned.

I'm not sure what this has to do with the discussion at hand, since there seems to be no "reason" other than abusive language for deletions here.  But, I suppose it's easier to delete an entire thread than it would be to edit objectionable material out of a thread that remains on the board.
Another Ken (not Ken Cole)
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DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantjgilligan
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Registered: March 14, 2007
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If the moderator (or moderating team) has decided that a post needs to be deleted, then they should delete it.  I have always felt that moderators should not be allowed 'editorial' updates.  Updating just a portion of a message could cause a completely different problem.  I would prefer that the 'envelope' be left showing that the post has been deleted.  This may cause continuity issues in the forum, but that is just an unfortunate side effect.

On the somewhat related topic of deleting threads... Again, sometimes it is necessary to do this to maintain the standards Invelos wants.  If there are links to the thread, they of course will not work.  One possibility would be a change to the web application to redirect a link to a deleted thread to a page that indicates the thread was deleted instead of a random post.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantpauls42
Reg: 31/01/2003
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Quoting xradman:
Quote:
Quoting Dr. Killpatient:
Quote:
Moderators probably should be anonymous - otherwise, there could be a perceived conflict of interest.  For example, a known moderator doesn't whammy someone but does whammy someone else for the same infraction.  If the non-whammy person is a friend of the moderator, it could be seen as favoritism even if the moderator simply didn't know about the post.

They can remain anonymous (from their regular DVDP name), but if there are multiple moderators, they should have a unique moderator handle.


all the moderators have the name - Forum Moderator - I'm not sure if this is what you mean. And Ken announced at the very beginning that the moderators are employed directly by Ken - so they are not connected to any of us.
Paul
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantpauls42
Reg: 31/01/2003
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there may have already been some notes taken of what we are saying since a post has been deleted in a contribution thread, but whereas before the whole post would have disappeared - it now is left but has the comment "Post removed because it was off topic.".

So now we can see where the post has been edited.
Paul
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantGendji
Reg: June 12, 2002
Registered: March 20, 2007
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The Moderating "Solution" chosen in this forum will not work and will confuse,
anger or even drive people away.

There is a simple solution for this used on forums that have 50k+ users, which i visit regularly. If someone is braking the rules or is being abusive he/she first gets a warning from the Staff/Moderator. Second abuse you get an icon that can be seen by everyone and is considered your last warning. Third time abuse gets your account disabled for either a period of time or banned permanently.

No posts are ever edited or deleted. If a topic is getting out of hand, the Moderator issues a warning, if being ignored, the topic gets closed. NOT deleted because that way everyone can see the reason why and what happened in the topic.

Yes it will be more work for a Moderator but it's an open and fair solution for everyone. Yes the abuse might still be seen by others but it will also show what kinda person behaved abusively and what kind of person he is. And yes you can see who the moderator is. Is that a problem? No, cause good moderation isn't build on hide and seek tactics but based on respect. Respect you will have as a moderator if you do your job in an honest and open way.

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but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 'WOW What a Ride!!!
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorsurfeur51
Since July 3, 2003
Registered: March 29, 2007
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Quoting Gendji:
Quote:
The Moderating "Solution" chosen in this forum will not work and will confuse,
anger or even drive people away.

There is a simple solution for this used on forums that have 50k+ users, which i visit regularly. If someone is braking the rules or is being abusive he/she first gets a warning from the Staff/Moderator. Second abuse you get an icon that can be seen by everyone and is considered your last warning. Third time abuse gets your account disabled for either a period of time or banned permanently.

No posts are ever edited or deleted. If a topic is getting out of hand, the Moderator issues a warning, if being ignored, the topic gets closed. NOT deleted because that way everyone can see the reason why and what happened in the topic.

Yes it will be more work for a Moderator but it's an open and fair solution for everyone. Yes the abuse might still be seen by others but it will also show what kinda person behaved abusively and what kind of person he is. And yes you can see who the moderator is. Is that a problem? No, cause good moderation isn't build on hide and seek tactics but based on respect. Respect you will have as a moderator if you do your job in an honest and open way.


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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantAstrakan
Registered: Feb 12, 2000
Registered: March 28, 2007
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The scenario Gendji describes sounds like a good solution to me. Some may view it as harsh, but if a user hasn't improved their behaviour after being repeatedly asked to do so, it is indeed time for a time-out.

Personally I would very much be against a permanent ban after only two infractions, but maybe extending the three strike rule would be appropriate. Meaning, you get temporarily banned after your third offense, and you get permanently banned after your third temporary banning.

The only issue I can see with this solution is that Invelos may feel uncomfortable with banning people who are customers of theirs, but personally I don't think it should be a problem. The fee paid to Invelos is for access to the program, not the forums. The forums is just a courtesy, and in order to create an overal more harmonious environment for the vast majority of customers, tactics like these appear to be necessary, since forum moderation doesn't appear to be working.

KM
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar ContributorWinston Smith
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Registered: March 13, 2007
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The questiom I have is defining "correct" behavior, Astrakan. Trust me, from my viewpoint some of those whopoint fingers are among the worst in terms of their own behavior. And since we ghave a lot of users that for some reason feel the need to state their qualifications, mine was 10 years as a Community Leader for AOL (back in their prime) and part of that job was moderation of several forums.

Skip
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantAlien Redrum
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Green arrows for Gendji and Astrakan. 

Currently the contribution side of the forum (including the belligerent remarks on the voting for profiles side) is incredibly disparaging and destructive, costing the forum and the database long time members and new ones, as well.

I read some of the comments in the profile updates addressing people who are submitting their first contributions, and sometimes they disgust me. Instead of some positive reinforcement, you get tripe like "WRONG READ THE RULES!" and "Your data is BAD. Read the RULES!" and "OMG YOU USED IMDB YOU SHOULD DIE!!!!" (capped just like that). It's easy to say, "Well, that's just one or two people," but that's a copout because you are doing nothing more than defending a clown. What happens is (and I speak from experience), the person might not understand the rules (which, really, is not that hard to do in some situations, there should be no disagreement there) and just say screw it, and keep it locally. That's what I do. I don't submit so much because of the buffoons who don't know how to give constructive criticism. Their comments don't bother me so much as the impression that Invelos doesn't seem to care how some of their paying users are treated by others, and I don't feel comfortable supporting a database that turns a blind eye to it. Especially as someone who dropped the money for the program. And, to be completely honest, I would find it hard recommending the program because of the seemingly lackadaisical attitude of Invelos allowing this to go on (once long time and well liked contributors start leaving in frustration, you need to address the problem). That's not to say I wouldn't in the future, I'm not a fool, I realize things can change, but at this point I couldn't in good faith. And, if for some reason I did (because it's a fantastic offline solution for a DVD database), I would recommend not contributing. It's gotten to a point where it's that ugly.

I realize I don't have the post counts of many, but I put my two cents in because I want to take more part in the forums. Yet with the bickering that goes on in virtually every thread (outside of the actors name verification threads), it's hard to.

A stronger hand in moderation would help this. As some of have mentioned, there are forums much bigger than this one, and they do about exactly as Gendji describes, and it seems to work. If someone can't post without mudslinging, then they shouldn't be here. I've said before that I've been both warned and suspended from forums for things I've written. Do I hold it against the forum? Nope, because every forum has a different 'attitude', some I've adjusted to, others I just left and no matter which decision was which, everyone was happy.

The point is, I want to contribute more. There are people who don't post that want to contribute more. There are people who used to post that gave up in frustration. All because *seemingly* nobody wants to openly take the responsibility of making the forum a non-volatile environment.

These moderation suggestion threads are a good start, but until someone in power (be it a mod, Ken or Gerri) pop in and say something, it seems like wasted time. I'm not saying that's the case, but it is the impression because this underlying frustration on the forum has been going on for months (or at least the months that I've been lurking). I've seen at least two long time contributors leave in the past two months over the attitude running unchecked. How many more are going to leave? It's sad when one (like myself) would rather PM someone a question -- a question others may have -- rather than start a thread that could help those others, simply because the chances are extremely high that that thread will become a battle.

Like I said, I know I don't have the post count like some here, but I've definitely been on my share of forums, and (currently) by far this one is the most volatile.

(Note, when I say "forum", I speak of the Contribution side of it. I do not go to the General side much.)
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DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantStar Contributorsugarjoe
Registered: March 15, 2007
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Agree with Gendji, Astrakan and Alien.
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantVittra
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Registered: September 29, 2008
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Quoting Alien Redrum:
Quote:
Green arrows for Gendji and Astrakan. 

Currently the contribution side of the forum (including the belligerent remarks on the voting for profiles side) is incredibly disparaging and destructive, costing the forum and the database long time members and new ones, as well.

I read some of the comments in the profile updates addressing people who are submitting their first contributions, and sometimes they disgust me. Instead of some positive reinforcement, you get tripe like "WRONG READ THE RULES!" and "Your data is BAD. Read the RULES!" and "OMG YOU USED IMDB YOU SHOULD DIE!!!!" (capped just like that). It's easy to say, "Well, that's just one or two people," but that's a copout because you are doing nothing more than defending a clown. What happens is (and I speak from experience), the person might not understand the rules (which, really, is not that hard to do in some situations, there should be no disagreement there) and just say screw it, and keep it locally. That's what I do. I don't submit so much because of the buffoons who don't know how to give constructive criticism. Their comments don't bother me so much as the impression that Invelos doesn't seem to care how some of their paying users are treated by others, and I don't feel comfortable supporting a database that turns a blind eye to it. Especially as someone who dropped the money for the program. And, to be completely honest, I would find it hard recommending the program because of the seemingly lackadaisical attitude of Invelos allowing this to go on (once long time and well liked contributors start leaving in frustration, you need to address the problem). That's not to say I wouldn't in the future, I'm not a fool, I realize things can change, but at this point I couldn't in good faith. And, if for some reason I did (because it's a fantastic offline solution for a DVD database), I would recommend not contributing. It's gotten to a point where it's that ugly.

I realize I don't have the post counts of many, but I put my two cents in because I want to take more part in the forums. Yet with the bickering that goes on in virtually every thread (outside of the actors name verification threads), it's hard to.

A stronger hand in moderation would help this. As some of have mentioned, there are forums much bigger than this one, and they do about exactly as Gendji describes, and it seems to work. If someone can't post without mudslinging, then they shouldn't be here. I've said before that I've been both warned and suspended from forums for things I've written. Do I hold it against the forum? Nope, because every forum has a different 'attitude', some I've adjusted to, others I just left and no matter which decision was which, everyone was happy.

The point is, I want to contribute more. There are people who don't post that want to contribute more. There are people who used to post that gave up in frustration. All because *seemingly* nobody wants to openly take the responsibility of making the forum a non-volatile environment.

These moderation suggestion threads are a good start, but until someone in power (be it a mod, Ken or Gerri) pop in and say something, it seems like wasted time. I'm not saying that's the case, but it is the impression because this underlying frustration on the forum has been going on for months (or at least the months that I've been lurking). I've seen at least two long time contributors leave in the past two months over the attitude running unchecked. How many more are going to leave? It's sad when one (like myself) would rather PM someone a question -- a question others may have -- rather than start a thread that could help those others, simply because the chances are extremely high that that thread will become a battle.

Like I said, I know I don't have the post count like some here, but I've definitely been on my share of forums, and (currently) by far this one is the most volatile.

(Note, when I say "forum", I speak of the Contribution side of it. I do not go to the General side much.)


Excellent post Alien. 

I also agree with Gendji, Astrakan and Alien. Moderation doesn't mean anything when it doesn't have teeth and it's obvious that our current method is only trying to cover the problem up (removing/editing posts) rather than solving it (consequences, people learn their lesson). If people refuse to change and communicate in a manner that isn't so harsh even after several warnings/temporary suspensions then banning is the only option left. No community has room for rude behavior and only prevents the community from growing. And in this case we are shrinking... 
"The perfect is the enemy of the good." - Voltaire
DVD Profiler Unlimited RegistrantAstrakan
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Registered: March 28, 2007
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Quoting Dr Pavlov:
Quote:
The questiom I have is defining "correct" behavior, Astrakan.

That's a job for Invelos. It's their forum, it's up to them to decide what kind of environment they want to foster.

KM
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Dolly's not alone. You can also clone profiles.
You've got questions? You've got answers? Take the DVD Profiler Wiki for a spin.
DVD Profiler Desktop and Mobile Registrantjgilligan
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Registered: March 14, 2007
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Beautifully stated Alien Redrum!
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