51 posts shown.
Sam Green73 said:Just like my colleague said.
If anyone cares about why they got flagged, they can just head over to the "appeal a card" thread in this subforum.
We basically handle almost everything related to politics here.
You're mistaken—I'm just more active in the threads you happen to frequent.
There’s really no need to get all defensive—I wasn't attacking anyone, nor am I saying anyone is doing a bad job. We have an "appeal a card" section, sure, but it doesn't address what I was actually talking about. What about people who aren't looking to contest a penalty, maybe even those who agree with the decision but just want some clarity? Or people who wish they had a full look at the actual criteria being used? We all know deep down that the rules often depend on whoever happens to be moderating at the moment—there aren't clear-cut lines, it mostly comes down to a mod's personal judgment. I honestly believe there will never be enough education on this, especially when it comes to things tied to the site's policies... something that isn't against the rules here might get you banned on some other forum, or vice versa.
I really think the educational aspect should come before the policing part... prevention instead of just repression.🙂
I also get that some subforums might be understaffed while others are totally overloaded... if you guys are feeling swamped, there should probably be a way to distribute the workload more fairly... but I guess that's up to the owner.
If anyone is constantly lurking in the Politics section, it's me. I read every single thread—I write in some and just follow others—so I have a pretty good sense of which mods are online and how active they actually are on the backend.
Also, since you're the only mod who has actually chimed in here, I'd love to hear your take on the rest of my suggestions... don't hold back, it's fine to tell me they're stupid or impossible to implement.
The very title "moderator" implies more than just handing out penalties and deleting posts... being a moderator is fundamentally a positive role, and the job should be more about being creative rather than just acting like a cop.
At the end of the day, it's in everyone's best interest—both for us and for you—that the work we do is top-notch and that these subforums stay high quality.
Ronald Allen said:Look, man—the Politics section is basically the dumpster fire of Reddit, and honestly, I don't see things ever changing there. It’s sad, but it’s just the reality of it. ☕
I mean, look, the current mods actually do a solid job—we're definitely not some bottom-tier corner of the internet, or at least that's not how it feels to me... maybe things are way better somewhere else, who knows? But it isn't bad here either (even if they did hit me with a 65-point penalty today 🙂). 👍
What I'm trying to say is, my suggestions aren't meant to be a critique—it's more about having a vision for how we can make things even better.
I really think they need to beef up the mod team over on the politics boards—nominally there are five of them, but Sam Green73 is always hanging around, then you've got Strile lately, The Edge is barely visible, Cuka is around too, but I honestly haven't seen the fifth guy in ages... and that's even though I'm online pretty much constantly. My bad if I'm totally misreading the situation here, though.
But look, my point isn't just about the politics section specifically; I’m talking about the moderators in general. I only brought up politics because that's where I spend most of my time—mostly because that's what I end up writing about most often... I do follow some of the other subreddits too, just by lurking through 🙂
Hey there, everyone.
I’ve been hanging out on this forum for a few years now—actually had two different accounts back in the day, though one got shut down because I wasn't following the rules. Most of my time is spent over in the politics and sports sections. Over these last three years, I've found myself crossing paths with the moderators pretty much every single day. Honestly, they're a necessity for any site like this, especially one as massive and busy as an American forum like Reddit or something similar. Beyond just being essential, mods are really a core part of the community—they basically set the tone and shape how discussions actually flow.
Just to help things run a bit smoother—specifically in the areas where I spend my time—I’ve put together a couple of suggestions. These aren't criticisms, per se, just some thoughts that might be useful, even if some sound a little silly. I wanted to post them here to see what other users think, and maybe get some insight from the mods themselves regarding these kinds of ideas.
Like I mentioned, I mostly stick to politics and sports. On the sports side, I follow hockey, and I have to say, I rarely ever run into a moderator there. There's just no real need for it; if someone shows up just to stir the pot, most users just ignore them and they move on quickly enough.
But in the politics section, you can really see how vital the mods are and how their work impacts the quality of the debate. Of course, the users themselves are ultimately responsible for keeping things civil, but on such an "explosive" subforum, you definitely need people stepping in to manage the chaos.
One thing I’ve noticed is that the mods—at least in my neck of the woods—act like cops about 99% of the time... punish, delete, ban, repeat. Given the nature of the topic, it’s necessary, but I think there's room for a bit more nuance. Here are my ideas for improving how moderation works:
- Providing a specific explanation for which part of a post was penalized during a warning. Right now, we just get a notification that we've been warned, our "score" changes, and we get a generic reason like "trolling," "spam," or "insulting." Since I don't believe every user who gets flagged is a malicious troll trying to be hurtful, I feel like mods should also serve an educational role. In other words, instead of just handing out a penalty, they could point out—maybe by bolding the text or adding a quick note—exactly which part of the post broke the rules. I often find myself looking at a flagged post wondering, "Why?" Personally, I'll send a PM to ask, and I always get an answer, but it would be much more efficient and transparent if the mods left a comment directly on the penalized post. I truly believe not everyone comes to these threads intending to be toxic; sometimes people just don't know where the line is drawn. I'm sure that by making these explanations public, it would educate people and let everyone see that the rules are being applied consistently.
- Secondly, I think mods should be more than just "cops"; they should act as true moderators in the sense of initiating topics, highlighting important threads, grouping discussions, and so on. Take the recent election cycle as a positive example. We all knew who the candidates were, so I think proactive mods should have opened a dedicated "Election" subforum themselves, created individual threads for each candidate—which they didn't quite do, leaving it to the users to do it somewhat messily—and then pinned those threads to the top. Once the election is over, they could simply archive the whole subforum.
I think having mods take this kind of proactive stance would really improve the quality of the discussion. Currently, they're great at closing unwanted threads, but I think it would be just as helpful if they set the framework for the conversation by opening relevant topics themselves... I'm not saying this doesn't happen, but it feels more like an exception than the rule.
- Thirdly, I feel like the mods, who have such a huge influence on how we talk, should introduce themselves to the people they "work" with every day. It would go a long way in ensuring they aren't viewed merely as a script designed to punish people whenever they act out.
Anyway, that’s my long-winded rant. 🙂
Tyler Ross86 said:And that rule about not using a second account while your main one is banned... they’d catch onto me instantly—if not right away, then definitely once I start posting my progress photos, what I’m eating, which days I hit the gym... anyway, I’m gonna give it a shot.
Man, 🙂
don't go announcing it like that, for heaven's sake 😲
just ask some friends how to set up a new handle without getting flagged by an IP trace... goodness, I don't need to end up getting banned again too.🙂
Look, the admins aren't some kind of psychic police force here; all they can really see is a dynamic IP address 🙂 and an email address 🙂
Tyler Ross86 said:I’ve just started being a bit more careful with how I phrase things—not because I'm trying to suck up to anyone, mind you—but just to avoid pointing out certain truths that some people clearly can't handle... honestly, I probably should have just kept my mouth shut about
Oh my god, seriously? Just go make a new account, try being a little less aggressive so you don't stir up drama, and then come right back to the forum and start posting again...
If the folks over at Politics actually stuck to their own rulebook, probably every third post here would end up getting nuked. I mean, seriously—it’s either blatant spam, someone just trolling for attention, an off-topic tangent, or straight-up insults. If they decided to enforce the rules strictly for just one single day, half the user base would be banned before lunch...
Richard Cook said:So, how do you deal with the crushing reality that you’re part of that 90%?
Drinking coffee isn't going to boost your IQ.
Is that really the best shot you've got??😂😂😂
Carol Torres4 said:Every single sports journalist working in this country, without exception, is an absolute moron. The same goes for about 99% of the political reporters in America; they’re just as clueless. Honestly, if you look at the media landscape as a whole, I’d say at least 90% of journalists covering any beat whatsoever are complete idiots. It makes me think the claims made in the opening post might actually be true. I can't tell you how many times I've found myself staring at the screen, wondering, "Seriously, where do you people find these people? Is there some sort of recruitment center for the mentally challenged that I don't know about?"
So, to wrap this up—more than 90% of Americans are just clueless. That’s why you can’t expect better ratios in politics, journalism, healthcare... or even here on this forum.☕
dustynomad50 said:Let's say that's the case—anyone who isn't strictly "American" should just be kicked out. Exactly like that—kicked out!
They have plenty of opportunities to work for private networks—but they shouldn't be allowed on public TV pushing those fringe extremist agendas.
Exactly. We spent four years dealing with all that partisan nonsense just so a tiny handful of extremists could spout their rhetoric on CBS? Not happening.
At the end of the day, their main guy is yesterday's news— 👎
In a few months, nobody is even going to remember that loser.
And who gets to decide who "breathes American" and who doesn't?
You?
Me?
Some failed political faction?
Honestly, they should just clear out everyone from NBC who doesn't happen to agree with the five patients over on the forum 😂🤣😂🤣