But look, if he’s claiming they're short-staffed—that they can't keep up, that they occasionally lack the motivation, or simply don't see everything—then why not just appoint another one, two, or even three members as moderators? It would provide much-needed backup. Ideally, someone with actual moderation experience who is genuinely willing to step up and help out.
Beyond that, there’s one thing: someone who actually deserves a reality check needs to tell certain people to stop talking nonsense—or just ban them outright. Going after everyone with a sledgehammer is ridiculous, especially when dealing with a new member who clearly doesn't have a clue about anything yet. 🙄 Regardless of whether they share the same opinion... Look, I’ll admit, I wouldn't mind if it happened once or twice, but when it becomes a constant occurrence? That's starting to feel like a bit much. And people will simply react. They'll either dive straight into an argument, start throwing intentional provocations, walk away entirely, or attempt to take some kind of action on the matter—pointing out mistakes along the way. But honestly, regardless of what anyone does at the time, there's just no accountability... It’s absurd to suggest an apology can be excused simply because someone has an "eccentric communication style." By that logic, politicians could claim they have an "eccentric way of thinking" to justify robbing us blind...
In my view, that isn't a "style"...
Furthermore, you can prevent conflicts and bad behavior without resorting to insults or offering others backhanded "compliments." You don't lose any authority or firmness by telling someone not to do this or that, then issuing a two-day ban, followed by a longer suspension or even a permanent one if they persist. In short, you don't sacrifice your authority or discipline by omitting the part where you call someone a moron, an idiot, or a complete jerk...
I'm with this guy.
Edit: gonna add one thing—I didn't vote because I wasn't feeling it.🤷
A perfect, flawless moderator who pleases everyone, stays polite to everybody, treats everyone with white gloves, and makes sure never to tell someone to "get lost"... yeah, that’s a total pipe dream.
The reality is, Michael Lee4 doesn't treat everyone the same—you know, there's a difference between the guys with xx posts and the ones with xxxx.. posts—but he isn't even trying to hide it. And honestly, sometimes he just straight-up ignores certain people, which isn't exactly his finest hour.
Plus, when he gets into an argument with those types, he goes off-topic and then joins them in tearing each other down. In my opinion, that's his biggest flaw, but I think I mentioned that somewhere else lately.
And as for him calling someone a moron or telling them to shut up... look, I'd rather deal with a mod writing about cabbage, carrots, and rabbits. Why is everyone so sensitive about insults online? Like, seriously, does it actually hurt your soul when some mod on some random internet forum calls you an idiot? Give me a break.
Regarding deleted posts and warnings, it's the same story as the insults. I've been warned a few times over stupid stuff, maybe two or three times I posted a picture... and I've had 15, 20, or even 30 posts wiped without any explanation... so what? Am I supposed to cry about it, whine, and throw a fit? Look, it's just a damn forum. If I took every little thing said on a forum to heart, I wouldn't be able to function.
But hey, I get that he clearly clashed with certain people, and that's a different story. As for who's right, I don't care and I'm not wasting energy on it. If his moderating sucks, he'll fall sooner or later. I'm just curious where all these people making a huge scene would end up if they were in charge of moderating. They'd snap and start gossiping themselves eventually! Before you start a revolt, just think about how many times threads started fighting over "French trash" or "garbage golf"... how many times similar topics were opened, how many times people got into massive fights across different threads, or how many dozens/hundreds of times Gary Lewis5 posted pictures of an Astra 😬... you have to keep all that under control, and it's not easy. That's why you need to have some understanding and tolerate mistakes or slips from the mods. They're human beings too, after all.
As for moving the BMW vs. Mercedes vs... threads around and the hunting of certain users—which, if you ask me or User—are the two worst things that happened to this sub, I remember that, and I know Michael Lee4 had nothing to do with it. Also, from reading the PM chats with that user, I know Michael Lee4 actually saved him xy times.
To wrap it up, my final verdict is positive because I haven't actually had problems with the guy, nor does he cut off discussions too much (because, let's face it, I troll and joke around a lot, and my posts only get deleted when I really go off the rails). The fact that there's so much drama surrounding him... I'd just say: big engines kick up a lot of dust.
Look, I won't lecture you too much, but it’s all mental.
I dealt with something similar back in college. I had to crush five finals in September just to stay on track, but my usual pace was maybe three or four exams a year.
The silver lining was that nobody was breathing down my neck because everyone thought my goal was a total pipe dream. But man, my parents had been riding me about this for a year straight. It was basically "make progress or else"—they weren't demanding I pass everything, just that I actually show some movement.
Maybe you aren't in that spot right now, but if you tanked this September, you would be.
And don't even get me started on being lazy. Most days I was basically horizontal—either passed out on the couch watching TV or rotting in bed—otherwise I was just drifting through coffee shops and hanging out.
Not to go into full detail, but once it finally clicks in your brain that you might actually *not* graduate (and look, in the US, only a fraction of people have degrees, so dropping out is way more common than it feels right now)... once you actually face reality, take stock of where you're at, and hit rock bottom, *that's* when you can actually change things. Because it's easy during the first two years to think, "Yeah, I'll finish this, no problem!" But as time drags on, you realize college isn't going to finish itself. You either wake up or you slowly sink. And the only question is how much more time you're gonna waste before life forces you to give up on your goals and go work at a local bakery or something.
Luckily, that realization hit me hard. I finally snapped out of it and studied (while still making plenty of time to party in the summer). I absolutely crushed those five exams on the first try and graduated right on schedule.
It all happened because I realized I might fail and end up having wasted years of my life. Just picture it: if you keep this exact same pace, where will you be in a few years? Nowhere. Not closer to a degree, anyway. Then ask yourself: is there any chance I'll leave here without a diploma? Nope. The math is pretty simple.
So, at least in my book, the solution is all in your head.
If nothing else, let that insane feeling of pride and satisfaction after a brutal finals week motivate you. Trust me, words don't do it justice. As for the stress, the nerves, and that pit in your stomach? That disappears. Plus, you'll get your parents' trust back, and that constant anxiety about money will vanish too.
Anyway, sorry for the rant, I just saw myself in your situation.