The impact of the "exodus" on the economy

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#1 · Apr 3, 2018

Andrew Booth29, listen—can we get some moderation on this "exodus" thread? Ideally with some bans, because about 90% of the posts over the last few weeks have been nothing but pure off-topic noise or trolling.

Thanks to one specific group of users, this entire discussion has become completely watered down.

As "Bitcoin skeptics," can we just get a dedicated thread for the actual "economists"? We could moderate that one more strictly and just leave this current mess to the off-topic crowd.

Emily Allen2 Newcomer

6 messages
joined Dec 2012

#2 · Apr 3, 2018

I am in favor of this proposal, though I should add that the current thread could still be salvaged through more rigorous moderation—an intervention that, in my estimation, has become absolutely essential. From its very inception, the discussion has been cluttered with off-topic tangents, but lately, the situation has truly spiraled out of control.

ruggeddriver70 Active Member

55 messages
joined Mar 2012

#3 · Apr 3, 2018

Harold Sanders10 said:Andrew Booth29, man—can we please get some moderation going on this "exodus" thread? Maybe throw out some warnings? Like, seriously, like 90% of the posts over the last few weeks have been nothing but pure off-topic nonsense or straight-up trolling.

I'm with you on that. All that off-topic stuff should probably just get moved over to the chat—not necessarily deleted, just relocated—and maybe hand out some warnings. And hey, if someone’s being a total pain and won't quit, just ban them.

driftingridge14 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Apr 2018

#4 · Apr 3, 2018

I’m honestly not sure there’s any "saving" this current thread. My suggestion was basically just to lock the whole thing down for a month, hoping the trolls and the off-topic junkies would just move on and forget we even exist.

Maybe it actually makes more sense to just start a brand new thread about the "exodus"—something on a much higher level, where the opening post lays down some hard lines on what counts as off-topic right from the jump.

The real kicker is that just a few days ago, we actually tried to step things up. Even some of the skeptics who were questioning whether an "exodus" could actually do any good started getting way more constructive, and then—boom—everything fell apart in a matter of days because of endless, useless posts.

Look, as the guy who started this thread and actually puts in the work to read every single reply, I find it incredibly rude when people start bickering amongst themselves about stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the core subject, especially right in the middle of a serious discussion. That’s exactly how you choke out a meaningful conversation; eventually, entropy just eats the whole topic alive.

Gerald Chavez7 Active Member

173 messages
joined Apr 2021

#5 · Apr 3, 2018

ruggeddriver70 said:I'm on board. Instead of deleting off-topic posts, just move them over to the chat—don't wipe them out, just relocate them—keep the threads organized, and if someone keeps being a nuisance, then go ahead and issue a ban.

Honestly, this is the best suggestion yet. We don't need more clutter with new threads; we just need to "rescue" the ones we already have...

The real question is whether we should dump everything into the chat or if we should create specific threads for things—you know, like "Cost of Living Comparisons Across Different US States" or something similar.

Andrew Booth29 Regular

338 messages
joined Mar 2012

#6 · Apr 4, 2018

The fundamental issue facing our economy right now is... a lack of moderators. As it stands, I think there are only two of us handling moderation duties—myself included—and we mostly don't even roll onto the thread until the late hours. In my specific case, that’s around 10:00 PM, once the kids have finally gone to bed and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open. So, instead of asking what this forum can do for you, why don't you start thinking about what you can do for the forum? 🧐

Take this particular thread, for example; I see plenty of potential new moderators right here... 😬

driftingridge14 Newcomer

2 messages
joined Apr 2018

#7 · Apr 4, 2018

So where did Zabotinski disappear to? Don't tell me he joined the "exodus" too.

I just don't see any potential for moderators coming from the crowd preaching about how "miraculously beneficial" this exodus is—we’re all way too fired up for that. 😁

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#8 · Apr 4, 2018

Andrew Booth29 said:The core issue facing the economy right now is... a lack of moderators. :

If moderation were stricter—if people actually got handed cards for off-topic posts or, more importantly, trolling—we wouldn't have such a massive pile of off-topic clutter to sift through before deciding who needs a warning. If things stayed civil and on-track, you could check the threads once a week or just deal with reported posts.

He gave me this wry little smile and said, Yoda-like, “investment precedes consumption.” Right then, Tom wasn't discussing macroeconomics. He was talking about self-control. IT would be helpful if policy makers carried that idea in their heads. In this context, “consumption” is that restless urge to jump in, pass judgment, and push out policies based on quick assumptions just to feel productive. “Investment,” however, is the actual work—the diligence required to truly grasp a problem and ensure that when we take risks, those actions are actually tied to the results we want.

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#9 · Apr 5, 2018

Why is nobody doing anything about the reported posts?

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#10 · Apr 5, 2018

Harold Sanders10 said:Why isn't anyone doing anything about the reported posts?

Andrew Booth29 - if it comes down to it, I'll step in and take moderator duties just for the "exodus" thread.

Andrew Barrett4 Active Member

163 messages
joined Jan 2018

#11 · Apr 5, 2018

Harold Sanders10 said:Why isn't anyone doing anything about the reported posts?

All this money, all this music... 😁

graniteviper37 Member

16 messages
joined Oct 2010

#12 · Apr 6, 2018

Gerald Chavez7 said:Honestly, this is hands down the best suggestion I've seen yet—we don't even need to bother starting some brand new thread, we just need to go back and rescue the existing one...

👍

It’s honestly such a damn shame—we had some absolute gems of posts here, especially right when this thread first kicked off, and now they’re just talking about shutting the whole thing down. Even that idea the bear floated about just closing it for a little while... man, what a waste.

Look, I’m starting this thread because this specific topic keeps blowing up all over the news cycle lately—it's everywhere you look—and honestly, it’s got everyone talking. It's one of those things that hits the front page, gets a massive amount of clicks, and then suddenly everyone has an opinion. Once people start reacting to certain posts or articles, you get that inevitable snowball effect where the whole conversation just spirals out of control. So, here we go.

Gerald Chavez7 said:...should we just move everything over to "Cost of Living Comparisons Across Different States" or something like that?

Honestly, if we want to save this thread from turning into a total dumpster fire, someone’s gonna need to step up and moderate this thing around the clock—like, strictly and constantly. We need some actual oversight to steer things back toward calmer waters, otherwise, we're never going to get any meaningful discussions going without everyone just shouting over each other.

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#13 · Apr 6, 2018

I’m still waiting for the forum elites to weigh in on posts like this:

Kerefek76 said:Look, you fit the definition of a fool perfectly. You've got two cards taped to the sides of your head with just a tiny slit in the middle, so you only see a sliver of reality. Everything else doesn't matter to you.

Claiming that wage growth or decline is solely the result of an exodus is pure idiocy and shows a massive lack of understanding. You can read all the economics textbooks you want, but clearly, you aren't grasping what you're reading.
Ignoring how all those factors interact and create synergy is just plain, simple stupidity....

I really hope you aren't some manager or decision-maker at a company. That business isn't going to have a bright future, and if you actually lead people, I’m certain they’re quitting left and right because nobody can work long-term with someone like you.

Michelle Evans Regular

320 messages
joined Jan 2013

#14 · Apr 6, 2018

Harold Sanders10 said:Why isn't anyone responding to the reported posts?

Harold Sanders10 said:I'm still waiting on the forum leadership to step in regarding posts like these:

This post was just made about 15 minutes ago. Standard practice is to give it 24 hours after a report is filed; if there’s still no word from a moderator by then, feel free to complain here.

Please, save your reports for those specific instances...

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#15 · Apr 6, 2018

It’s been over 24 hours since I flagged that massive pile of off-topic threads, and all we got from the mods was "we're back at it again with Ireland."
If the moderation were a bit more aggressive, it might actually give Andrew Booth29 a break before his eyes start crossing. Especially since most of this nonsense is coming from the same five to ten users anyway.

feraljackal2 Active Member

67 messages
joined Aug 2013

#16 · Apr 6, 2018

I’m fully behind driftingridge14’s suggestion to start a new thread. Before Gerald Chavez7 kicked off that other one—you know, the price comparison discussion—I actually thought about doing something similar myself; though, I figured it wouldn't really help clear the off-topic clutter from the exodus thread. It's funny how people compare beer prices on the life expectancy thread (which only really heated up once Anthony arrived), while Richie, Kerefek, and the others are still hanging out in the exodus thread just because it's where all the eyes are. We should definitely lock it down for at least ten days. But let’s be honest—this isn't exactly the place to dive into high-level economic theory, is it?

Nicole Collins13 Active MemberOP

61 messages
joined Sep 2011

#17 · Apr 6, 2018

Check out the old threads—stuff like "Free Markets," "Devaluation or What?", "Real Estate Prices," or discussions on stocks. As long as there’s active moderation, you can talk about just about anything. Those are the gold standard topics.

On the flip side, you have threads like the BTC skeptic pits, where all they really need is a few more ban hammers.

The fact that those "exodus" spin-offs die off just proves the group is more interested in nuking topics than actually discussing them.

Andrew Booth29 Regular

338 messages
joined Mar 2012

#18 · Apr 7, 2018

The primary goal for a moderator isn't actually to foster some high-minded, intellectual debate—though, let’s be honest, we all crave that—it’s basically just to maximize page views. If I recall correctly (and please, set me straight if my memory is failing me), the owner's whole philosophy was to avoid any kind of "elitism" and instead let everyone voice their opinion, provided they stay civil and follow the rules. It’s a delicate balancing act—not easy at all—and honestly, the simplest way to moderate would be to just stick to strict formality. For me, the easiest path would be if Anderlon simply mandated that any post lacking empirical evidence or peer-reviewed studies gets nuked immediately. 😬
Another issue here—which is really a separate matter entirely—is the sheer workload. To properly moderate the economy, you’d need to sink maybe two or three hours a day into it, yet look at how many active moderators you've actually seen over the last month.

Moving posts to different sections isn't trivial either; it completely guts the thread you're moving from. Since posts are strictly chronological, things get jumbled up with older content. And because not every single post gets quoted, you end up with this fragmented mess where the logical flow of the discussion just falls apart.

feraljackal2 Active Member

67 messages
joined Aug 2013

#19 · Apr 7, 2018

You don't need to move every single post—it's better to just grab the last three or four pages and migrate them into a new thread (basically splitting the topic). From what I can see, though, there isn't much off-topic chatter left, unless
Richie decides to pop in.

Andrew Booth29 Regular

338 messages
joined Mar 2012

#20 · Apr 8, 2018

You can't just go around spinning up new threads whenever you feel like it... Honestly, once you migrate to a new topic, the momentum usually dies anyway—and then the person who ends up at the top of the pile starts complaining. 😬

I guess we all just get used to Richie by now... Much like how people eventually just accept Black Peter.

The impact of the "exodus" on the economy

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