northernpilot2 said:From where I'm sitting, you're just as much of a troll as anyone else here. I'm calling on the mods to tighten up the rules for everyone equally. It’s pretty obvious you guys play favorites with how loosely you moderate this thread.
We're tightening things up starting now. I already put out a warning about this in the official memo, but it wouldn't be fair to go back and punish people retroactively.
I won't tolerate mindless spam, just like any other repeated rule-breaking on this forum. But I'm not handing out bans or deleting posts just because I—or anyone else—don't like them.
Robin Lopez2 said:And I have to correct your terrible analogy. Here’s how it actually goes: I walk into a bar and order a cold beer, the bartender brings me a lukewarm one, I complain it isn't cold, and he tells me: "Screw you, go somewhere else if you want it cold.".
So, Joshua Clark7, you're wasting your breath. Either shut up and deal with it, or just find a better place.
What’s your move then? Tell the bartender to get lost and walk out? File a formal complaint in their logbook? Start quoting the Constitution at them? You can't even call the health inspector, because as much as warm beer is gross, it’s not exactly illegal.
Noah Diaz said:I hopped onto the thread about pyramids yesterday only to find everyone debating computer science courses. What else do you expect? You go to a thread about pyramids and people talk about everything except the actual topic.
Even the little emojis can't save this.
The usual trolls aren't even getting wiped anymore.
Just ignore the decent users who actually stay on topic and try to enforce the rules.
What a total circus. 🤣
...
UPDATE
Karton got hit... well done. 😵
Every single rule violation has been sanctioned. Just because someone else was being annoying doesn't give you a pass to break the rules yourself. And what's with this sudden divide between "normal" users and everyone else? We're all just users here. Discrimination of any kind isn't allowed on this forum.
Emily Myers32 said:I’ve lost count of how many times I've scrolled through this political scene and found absolutely nothing worth reading. Maybe it's just my mood on certain days—which happens—but I think there's a deeper issue here. Look, I only care about specific topics when it comes to politics, but when those topics come up, I usually have plenty to say. The constant bickering at the national level doesn't interest me at all, especially not the way it goes down on this forum.
I've said it before: this whole political scene is a disaster. If you want, I could list the trolls right now, but they've basically ruined the entire sub. The way people talk and communicate here is just nonsensical. You wouldn't even find yourself hanging out with the local drunkards at a dive bar in rural Alabama, so why would anyone want to associate with these people? It’s the same thing. Nobody wants to deal with them. And since they're the only ones left posting, it’s just an endless loop of the same garbage, over and over.
It is what it is. Apparently, nobody's going to clean up this mess. Whatever. Not my circus, not my monkeys.
True enough. The bullies have chased off the decent people.
Emily Myers32 said:Look, the truth is forums—every single one of them—are fighting for survival against a million other platforms and social networks. Most of them are just faster and more direct. It’s that simple. Plus, look at the demographics. The generation that used to run these places is busy working and dealing with kids and endless responsibilities at home, so they aren't hanging out on forums much anymore. Meanwhile, the younger crowd lives on those other platforms. That's just how they operate.
The world changes, 🤷
IMHO, that's exactly the point. A lot of smaller forums that used to be buzzing have just died off because nobody shows up. Everyone is glued to Facebook or Instagram. I'm not exactly a kid, but even I spend way more time over there than here.
Someone else is complaining on a different thread that there isn't enough rigor on Alternative. Since the truth usually sits somewhere in the middle, I’m betting the level of rigor on Alternative is actually just right.
Some user constantly spams threads with stupid links and random images. They start by asking a brainless question just to derail the whole conversation, then dump irrelevant pictures everywhere and somehow end up with a ban. It’s bizarre.
Matthew Barrett11 said:I gotta agree—the standards over at Alternative are pretty much nonexistent. A few months back, they wiped two of my threads without any heads-up or actual reason. Honestly, I’ve never had that happen on any other subreddit. I don't really get how anyone can claim they know what counts as "alternative" content and what doesn't. And this idea that moderators get to dictate the "spirit and tone"? I mean, come on. This isn't some scripted theater production or a personal playground for one person—it's supposed to be a space for public discussion.
The forum is just the owner's personal ego trip. And honestly, why does nobody bother reading the rules after signing up?
Your post actually does a great job illustrating why we close threads. This style belongs on a blog, not a forum.
Besides, moderators set the vibe and tone for their subforums, which gives me the authority to decide what fits our board and what doesn't. Like I said before, I'm open to changing my mind if there's a real argument for it, but a stream-of-consciousness rant isn't an argument.
Just a reminder: before you start posting on any specific board, you should probably get familiar with its rules and culture.
The Admin can easily check my history to see how many posts I’ve wiped from this and other "heated" threads. If you guys think it's fine to ignore the topic and constantly drown out moderator warnings—while being lightning-fast to report each other instead—then enjoy the mess you've made.
And by the way, moderation isn't even a real job; it's just volunteering.
Take the massive intro post, for instance. And like I already said, just because a PDF is titled "Alternative" doesn't mean people can post whatever random nonsense they want on it.
Topics like paranormal phenomena definitely fall under the "alternative" umbrella. If users are having a blast with mindless spiritual anecdotes, gossip, and urban legends, why fight it? Other PDFs have gossip threads too.
That said, even regular members have noticed a flood of threads lately that are totally out of place for this subforum. Some stuff got deleted, and some threads were shut down. Besides, if someone who rarely ever participates decides to start a thread, the least they could do is actually read the subforum rules first. There have been cases where closed threads were reopened, but we already have a dedicated thread for that kind of thing: suggestion for improving subforum workflow .
And * no hard feelings, but I don't see how your take on "nirvana" is actually going to "specifically help with the problems of real, everyday life."
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve reminded you all that this thread is titled "Who built the Great Pyramid of Giza?? Facts..." and honestly, I’ve practically become the dictionary definition of "facts" here. Yet, you all just spout whatever nonsense pops into your heads and then turn around and report one another. Is it really that hard to take some personal responsibility?
And look, if someone says something stupid, the rest of you have every right to call them out on it.
Nicholas Watson said:I’d say something about how biased the mods are regarding sports, but I probably shouldn't.
I've got a quick question, if you don't mind me veering slightly off-topic. Can I use usernames like Guantanamo, Auschwitz, or Treblinka here? ?
Here. Here are the rules for picking a username. It doesn't look like anything is explicitly banned right now, but we can always update the policy if we need to. 😉 My personal take? No.
And how exactly are you going to define "neutral"? In the current political landscape, Republicans call everyone a leftist, and Democrats do the exact same thing to them. 🤷