Biased and problematic moderator: Deckard on the film thread

I’d love for the admins to step in here. I need someone above this moderator to give him a reality check because I've never seen bias this bad.

The guy acts like he's some untouchable deity. He runs the whole discussion, then starts handing out warnings the second his arguments run dry.

Then there are the people who back him up. I remember Bumboslavov being super disrespectful in the Prometheus thread, saying things way worse than anyone else, but he didn't get a warning or a ban. I recall briskhound2 commenting that the mod knows how to play the rules perfectly, so he doesn't have to issue any penalties. That comment just proves the mod knows exactly which rules are being broken.

Now, this latest mess started over Transformers. It's exhausting how he compares every single movie to Transformers. I made a joke about him being a closeted Transformers fan and ended up getting a warning. Now the debate has spilled over into the Mad Max thread, where the moderator is stooping to Bumboslav's level. He actually insulted me personally just because I mentioned Avatar in my signature. He started claiming I was constantly attacking him and demanded I prove my claims. That's impossible since he has a habit of deleting posts or editing them to make himself look right and like the victim. If anyone besides him can access the archives or deleted posts, I'd love to see what he's been scrubbing and why he's handing out warnings.
Logic says if I'm getting warned just for mentioning him, it's unfair. He gets to mock my taste in movies, though. Regardless of who started it, an objective moderator would warn both of us because the offense is identical. But that's just how it works when he can just delete or edit posts whenever he wants because he holds the power.

I hope others who have been treated this way will speak up. I remember him doing this across various threads. He usually just shuts down a conversation by threatening a warning because he's the moderator. And he mostly does this when he's actively participating in the talk. That's the only way to stop this undemocratic and biased moderation without wasting hours digging through old threads—which, again, he frequently deletes.

The bottom line is that the other moderators on the Smoogj and katatoničan dabar threads don't abuse their power. They don't use warnings to dominate discussions or push away users they disagree with. This guy's moderation is amateurish and totally subjective, with rules that seem to change constantly. Worse insults go unpunished, but when someone targets him while he's acting as a regular user—though he claims he knows the difference—the sanctions are much faster and harsher than they are for his supporters, even when those supporters are being much worse.

Calling for a 'public lynching' of a moderator isn't allowed, so please don't make a habit of doing that.
Any user can and should start their own thread on the US Forum if they feel a moderator unfairly issued them a warning or deleted their posts without a legitimate reason. Opening mass threads just to vent about a moderator's general management style is strictly off-limits here.

Furthermore, this whole latest mess started because of Transformers. It’s honestly exhausting how people compare every single movie to Transformers. I made a joke about someone being a closeted Transformers fan, and then I ended up getting some kind of warning.

You didn't get "some kind of warning," you got flagged for trolling because you were trolling. Honestly, your post was clearly just mocking us, and if you ask me, the call stands.
From what I can see, the user above your post shared their opinion with briskhound2 regarding his comments on Transformers, and he wasn't warned at all. So, it's clearly not true that every opinion which doesn't align with briskhound2 gets deleted or flagged.

Now the argument has spiraled into the Mad Max thread, where the Mr. Moderator is sinking down to Bumboslav's level, for example, and insulting me as a user just because my signature praises Avatar.

Actually, no, you aren't praising Avatar in your signature.

Edward Price6 said:My signature is just a trap for idiots.

So, I would like others who have been similarly mistreated or belittled to come forward, because I remember there were quite a few of them across various threads.

No. On this specific thread, only you can weigh in, since we are discussing the moderation directed at you. Other users have nothing to contribute here. Most people already know how to open a new thread and how to file an appeal if they think they actually have a case.

As for that actual discussion over in the Mad Max thread, I took a look and went ahead and deleted your totally off-topic rant.
That debate belongs on the US Forum, right here.
You entered that thread knowing you guys had already clashed over Transformers, and you deliberately wrote that briskhound2 would be first in line for the next Transformers release, which is nothing more than pure mockery.
In the post below that, briskhound2 just gave you a taste of your own medicine by bringing up your signature. And I'll say it again: he wasn't insulting you (nor do I see any insult in that post) because you like Avatar. Because you don't actually like or respect Avatar. I mean, at least based on your own post saying your signature is a "trap for idiots." Which could be interpreted as anything from intentional provocation to a subtle insult.

Which is totally fine by me.
If > wants to vent here, then let them.
But I’m not gonna let this turn into some massive pile-on where every single person on the site who has a bone to pick with > jumps in, because that's definitely not how he intended for this thread to work in the first place.

Edward Price6 said:But he’s basically mocking me and insulting my taste in movies.

Just for the record, your very first post was basically...

some guy who's totally obsessed with ancient classics and spits on anything made after 1990.

Followed by stuff like...

go grab your old-school gear from last century, and I'll bring my modern setup, and we can meet up in some Mad Max wasteland. Let's settle this once and for all and see who's actually got the goods.

...which is a direct hit on MY taste in films for no reason—not to mention you're making up this idea that I hate everything new—and then you go ahead and throw out a little threat, I don't know, like a dawn duel? Anyway, this kind of communication just isn't it. And aiming this directly at me just to provoke a reaction is also not cool.

Alright, I'll spend just a little more time on this. Though looking at the other posts here, it always ends the same way. A second moderator jumps in to defend the first one, and that's how the argument dies.

briskhound2 asked me for links and proof and all that stuff. But when I ask for things, everyone goes silent. Why is that? It would be cool to see how many times a moderator has been warned, suspended, or banned within a certain timeframe. I bet it's zero since moderators are supposedly perfect. Statistically, that's just impossible.

It’s pretty symptomatic, actually. Like I mentioned before, the last thing left in that thread—after all the posts were wiped—was a comment from briskhound2. As a moderator, he basically told me I had nothing to say because of my signature in Avatar. Is that even normal? Does anyone do that? A moderator talking to a user like that just isn't right. It’s not even the first time his behavior has pushed me to finally take action. It’s like hopping on a Greyhound bus only for the driver to tell you he won't take you because he doesn't like your haircut. Plus, I pay my dues here as a taxpayer, and I honestly think I add value to the film discussion.

It’s time we set up a way to report or rate moderators. If a mod hits a certain number of complaints within a specific timeframe, they should get a warning, then a strike, and eventually a temporary or permanent ban from moderating. Since students get to evaluate their professors at university, why shouldn't you guys be held accountable too? It seems obvious that everyone is just covering for each other to protect their spots. But even if you're volunteering, that doesn't give you the right to act out against the users.

Going back to my initial complaint: briskhound2 either can't or won't separate his role as a user from his role as a moderator. I don't have this issue with any of the other mods. Usually, if I break a rule, I just get a warning and move on. But briskhound2 gets dragged into the argument and starts playing dirty once he runs out of actual points. Then, when he’s lost the debate, he hides behind his moderator status. You can't do that. Either stay out of the discussion or shut the whole thing down immediately. It used to be that comments like these were treated as jokes, and honestly, even worse insults toward certain users went unpunished. Now, much lighter remarks are getting hit with warnings and penalty points—I think it was around 35 points. Meanwhile, the garbage being posted about Prometheus is unbelievable. And absolutely nothing happens.

Now they’re trying to paint me as some kind of troublemaker. Here is a chance to actually prove it. How many warnings or penalties have I really picked up over the last year or two? Maybe two minor ones at most. One of those involved briskhound2. Now suddenly it looks like I'm constantly attacking him. It's nonsense. I usually just avoid arguing with him because I know exactly how it ends. I get a strike, he insults me, and then he deletes whatever part of my post he doesn't like. He always gets the last word, which builds this false reputation of being a moderator who never loses an argument. Statistically impossible.

Now that the second moderator is throwing around the word "lynching," it's clear what's happening. Every single attempt to challenge the current system gets labeled as an attack. It makes it impossible to call out misconduct when any complaint is shut down immediately. I see people posting grievances on this thread, but nothing ever changes. It’s easy to dismiss someone who resorts to insults, but much harder to ignore a solid, reasoned argument. I'm curious to see how this plays out and if the moderator will actually face any consequences. Based on what I'm seeing here, though, I doubt it.

I think this is a perfect chance to push for a moderator rating system that shows up right on their Avatar. It would make it easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. Or are you guys afraid of that? If needed, I'll just start a separate thread and see if enough people are on board.

northernpilot2 said:Which is fine.
Edward Price6 can vent here if they want.
This isn't meant to be a massive pile-on against briskhound2 like he originally intended.

Why aren't users allowed to post specific examples of when a certain moderator fails? Or any moderator for that matter. It’s the only way to actually gather evidence.
I don't have anything personal against briskhound2 since I don't even know him. My issue is strictly with his moderation style.

Does that mean someone posted something and you just deleted it?
Real democracy right there.

And while we're on the subject, it would be great if this whole discussion just moved over here instead of getting wiped out and lost in the void again.

I’m still encouraging anyone who had issues with that specific moderator to reach out, even if it's just via DM, because that's the only way we might actually change things. If we start with one moderator, maybe we can overhaul the entire system to make it more transparent and democratic for everyone.

Or should I just start a new thread about how we handle moderator ratings and reporting?

I’m just gonna stick to the stuff that actually matters for this appeal and this specific situation.

Edward Price6 said:briskhound2 asked me for links and proof and all that jazz. But when I actually go looking for it, suddenly everyone goes deaf.

Look, if you’re going to post something publicly and claim someone said or did something, you obviously have to back it up with links. All the deleted posts are still visible to the admin team, so you don't really need to worry about whether briskhound2 deleted anything just to 'hide' it from the rest of the admins.

Furthermore—and this is what I mentioned before, which is kind of symptomatic—the last thing left on the thread where the debate started was briskhound2’s post (well, what was left after the deletions), where he’s acting as a moderator telling me I have nothing left to comment because of my signature in my Avatar. I mean, seriously? Is that even normal?! Since when does a moderator talk to a user like that? And it's not even the first time; this whole way briskhound2 behaves is exactly why I finally decided to take action. It's like if I hopped on a Greyhound bus and the driver told me he wasn't driving me because he didn't like my haircut. And yeah, let's not forget that as an American taxpayer, I basically pay for this forum, and I honestly think I contribute something positive to the film threads.

Okay. I guess I sort of agree with you there. I went ahead and deleted both posts. Your post where you started the trolling and briskhound2’s response to that same trolling. If I had handed out a warning for that, you probably would've been the first one to get another strike for being a troll. And it's not even because briskhound2 is a moderator. In that thread, he’s just another guy on the forum, just like you. You showed up intentionally to mess around, so why would you expect nobody to react? Every mod, including briskhound2, uses this forum as a regular user too. If they cross the line, they're gonna get a strike. Rules apply to everyone, period.

Going back to the grievance in my first post: briskhound2 either doesn't know how, or simply refuses, to separate his role as a user/commenter from his role as a moderator. I don't have these issues with the other mods. Usually, if I break a rule, I get a strike and that's that. But briskhound2 gets right into the fray, resorting to low blows whenever he runs out of actual arguments. Then, once he's backed into a corner, he hides behind his moderator status. Well, that's not how it works; you've gotta pick a side. Either stay out of the argument or shut it down immediately. Before, comments like this that caused a stir were treated as jokes—honestly, people have insulted users way worse than this and walked away without any punishment at all. So here we are, where some pretty minor remark gets someone hit with strikes and penalty points (and I think it was quite a few, maybe like 35 points or something), while on the Prometheus thread, there's still garbage being posted that you wouldn't believe. And nobody says a word.

Give me the links to whatever you're claiming.
As far as recent strikes go, you personally have one from briskhound2 for trolling. I looked at the strike, and it stands. You were trolling.

So, now they’re trying to paint me as some kind of problematic user here. Honestly, this is just another perfect chance for you guys to actually prove those claims of yours. Like, seriously, how many warnings or bans have I actually racked up over the last year, two years, three? Maybe I got like two minor warnings, I guess. And one of those was because I bumped heads with briskhound2. So now, suddenly, it’s being framed like I’m constantly attacking him. It’s just stupid, really. Most of the time I don't even bother getting into arguments with him because I already know how the whole thing plays out. I end up getting a red card, he spends the whole time insulting me, and then he just wipes out whatever part of my post he doesn't like. That way, he gets the last word, and it builds this whole image of him being this invincible moderator who always wins every debate. Which, statistically speaking, is basically impossible.

I wouldn't say that, though. Please, send over the links.

And looking at that other point, this second moderator is throwing around the word "lynching" now. And honestly, that's exactly where we're at—any attempt to question how the system works gets labeled as a lynching. How am I supposed to call out a moderator for behaving badly if every single complaint gets shut down immediately? I see people complaining in this thread, but from what I can tell, absolutely nothing changes. It’s easy enough to write off someone who starts swearing or being abusive, sure, but it’s way harder to counter someone who’s actually making a reasoned argument. So, I’m genuinely curious to see how this all ends, and whether the moderator will actually face any consequences, though based on what I'm seeing in this thread, I highly doubt it.

He started a thread and basically invited everyone who has an issue with briskhound2 to join in for a collective protest. If you ask me, that's nothing more than calling for a 'lynching.' It might sound harsh, but that's pretty much what it is.
That’s not how PŽK works. People only complain about their own stuff and their own bans. You start a thread, and you can only complain if you personally were treated unfairly.
Most people know how to start a thread, and if they feel like briskhound2 or any other mod has screwed them over, they can definitely file a formal grievance.

Edward Price6 said:briskhound2 was asking me for links, proof, whatever... But when I actually go looking for them, everyone suddenly goes deaf. Why is that?

Because you’re being contradictory. In one thread, you’re accusing me of being some nostalgic fossil who only likes action figures and hates every single movie made after 1990—then in the next one, you point out how I praised San Andreas, which came out back in 2015. So, it’s not really about the debate for you, is it? It’s just about throwing stuff at me. That’s why I’m asking you for those links—to back up this imaginary claim that I can't handle modern films. Like Blood dim told you, the admins can see all the posts. If you can't find them, at least point me to the thread where they supposedly exist. Otherwise, you're just making things up...

It would be interesting to see how many times a moderator has actually been warned, given a strike, or had their mod status suspended—either temporarily or permanently—within a specific timeframe. My guess is zero, since moderators are apparently perfect beings. Which, statistically speaking, is impossible.

I’ve personally taken both a warning and a formal strike from the admin in charge of the Movie section. I overstepped, did something I shouldn't have, took the strike, apologized, and we moved on...🤷

Where does that happen?! Where else can a moderator talk to a user like that?

Should I bring up that old saying about whose mother is spinning black wool? If you asked me, he’d probably get a massive strike just for the insinuation involving someone's mother, but hey, that's just my take. Your way of addressing the mods is truly something to behold...

I’ll get a strike, they’ll insult me, and then they’ll just delete whichever part of my post they don't like. That way, they always get the last word, creating this image of a moderator who never loses an argument. Again, statistically impossible.

The math doesn't add up, because Bumboslav—the guy you claim I'm protecting—has actually picked up six strikes from me for trolling, mostly during that Prometheus discussion, plus maybe four or five warnings to just chill out and behave. You, on the other hand, got one strike after ignoring advice to stop trolling and basically throwing it in my face. Besides, I haven't warned you or punished you once before or since. So, who's actually coming out ahead here? The guy I supposedly "protect" because we agree, or you, whose opinion I totally disagree with?...

briskhound2 said:You're being contradictory. One minute you're calling me some nostalgic kid stuck in the past who hates everything made after 1990, then in the next post you claim I hate San Andreas, which came out in 2015. It’s obvious the point isn't the debate; you just want to take shots at me. So, send over the links to prove this fake claim that I don't like modern movies. Like Blood dim said, all posts are visible to the admins. If you can't see them, at least point me to the thread. Otherwise, you're just making things up.

You’re acting like you're some sophisticated intellectual, which feels a bit silly. It's obvious you aren't praising San Andreas because it's actually good; you're just using it to trash another movie. Basically, you're saying, "That movie is so bad that even San Andreas looks like a masterpiece." You do this all the time. And you pick San Andreas specifically because it's trending right now. Please don't insult my intelligence. This tactic is pretty transparent. Smoogj once tried something similar with Twilight—maybe involving Avatar too—on a forum thread once, but they backed off quickly when they saw where it was going. You, on the other hand, just keep at it.

I got a warning and a formal write-up from the admin in charge of the film section. I went too far and broke the rules, so I took the hit. Apologized and we're moving on. 🤷

Of course, how would I know? Good to know, though. Thanks for the info if it's right.

Let me quote that bit again about whose mother spins black wool. Personally, I think he'd get slapped with a ban just for even hinting at someone's mother, but that's just my take. Your way of talking to the mods is top-notch.

Looking at the context, it was pretty obvious that was just a joke. If you actually took it personally... honestly, it feels like you're acting all high and mighty again, which is kind of silly. That’s really the issue here. Discussions flow fine for a while, but then suddenly, things like this start bothering you—maybe it's just a bad day or a lack of actual arguments, who knows—and then comes the reporting, the warnings, the bans. I haven't had much trouble with other moderators, if I recall correctly. For some reason, you took this as a massive insult when there was absolutely no reason to. That’s the problem when you can't tell the line between being a user and being a moderator. If you don't know where that line is, how am I supposed to?

The numbers don't lie. You claim I'm protecting Bumboslav, but he’s already racked up six warnings for trolling—mostly over that Prometheus thread—plus a few extra notices to just chill out. You, on the other hand, got a strike just for ignoring my warnings and being disrespectful. I haven't issued any warnings or penalties to you before or since this. So, who's actually getting the better deal here? The guy people think I'm shielding because we agree, or you, whose opinion I don't even share?

Again, how would I know? It looks like they aren't getting any warnings. I'm not hanging out on the forum every single minute.

If I can say this without getting banned from here
Look, I’ve got nothing against briskhound2, whether you look at him as a regular user or as a moderator. Honestly, he’s never once handed me a ban.
Whenever a thread starts spiraling into some mindless, petty argument, briskhound2 usually steps in to clean up the mess—deleting a few posts and dropping a warning to stop the "who's bigger" nonsense or the constant back-and-forth about who gets the last word. He basically tells everyone that if they keep going down that rabbit hole, they’re getting a strike. Personally, I think that’s exactly what a mod is supposed to do: instead of just handing out bans, they try to steer the conversation back onto the rails when we all start losing our minds.
But then, a few pages later, you'll catch him getting sucked into these ridiculous debates with a guy named Ajuta—I can't recall his full handle, but briskhound2 knows exactly who I'm talking about. They’ll spend several pages just arguing for the sake of arguing, essentially measuring egos. Though, I have to admit, I haven't actually seen him ever slap Ajuta with a ban for lack of points, mostly because both of them always seem to have an endless supply of "arguments" ready to go.😬

So, don't take this as a complaint; think of it more as some constructive criticism.

Edward Price6 said:It feels like you’re acting all high and mighty—or just plain silly, honestly. It’s pretty obvious you weren't praising San Andreas because you actually liked the movie; you were just using it to trash another one. Basically, if I were paraphrasing your vibe: "That other movie is such garbage that even San Andreas looks like a masterpiece by comparison."

Nah, look, I actually thought San Andreas was a fun ride... definitely don't regret seeing it in theaters. These little insinuations you're throwing out are totally uncalled for; I've never done that, and I'm not about to start now. If something is total crap—like Avatar, for instance—I'll just say it's crap. If I actually dig something, I'll say that too. I'm not into being vague or a hypocrite...

Sure, how would I possibly know? Good to know, though... thanks for the info, assuming it's even right.

Well, just ask then. Don't go making assumptions about stuff you don't actually know.

Again, how am I supposed to know? From what I could tell, it didn't seem like any warnings were being handed out. I'm not hanging out on this forum every single second of the day.

But hey, the main thing is that you jumped to the conclusion that I'm playing favorites without even checking first. Now you know that isn't the case...

Unbelievable—briskhound2 is back at it again, pushing that whole Mad Max obsession. My last reply got nuked for absolutely no reason either (it was directed at Magicrat, but I can't even drop the link because it's gone)

Just check out this blatant mockery:

If this isn't pure trolling, then I honestly don't know what is:

The guy is straight-up insulting and trolling me here—calling me a 'fanboy,' an 'obsessive over overpriced special effects,' and all that junk. Seriously, since when is it okay for a moderator to act like this? From his very first post, he’s just been trolling, insulting, and being a jerk. When is someone actually going to step in and put a stop to this?

I don't see how you're finding offense here. Honestly, thank god I caught your reply to Magicrat where you basically ordered them to leave the thread because they lack the capacity to critique the film. If you had actually followed today's debate, you'd understand why briskhound2 brought up "fanboys." You likely did read it, though—you're just pretending you didn't, otherwise how else do you explain being fine with users like dobrimag and 0000 making sweeping generalizations and labeling everyone a hater? That's where this all started. Certain users constantly slap labels on people just because they didn't like the movie. If anything needs to be banned, it's definitely this habit of calling people "haters" or "fanboys." What briskhound2 did was simply an example of what would happen if he started treating everyone who loves the film that way.

User 0000 starts labeling everyone the second they finish a movie. When pushed for actual arguments, they pivot to talking about critics versus the audience, and their closest thing to a "point" was when they dismissed everyone as haters or nostalgic types. This has been the pattern for weeks now.

Look, I’m not even talking about some random user—I’m talking about the moderator himself. It’s like whenever things don't go his way, he stops acting like a regular guy on the board and suddenly starts pulling the "mod card," acting all insulted and throwing his authority around like it's some kind of superpower. He’s out here making threats left and right.

If calling him out counts as an insult, then yeah, I insulted him—and don't you dare try to tell me otherwise. Based on all the times I've seen people get slapped with bans for trolling, it's pretty obvious the rules just get twisted whenever it suits the mod. Talk about a total double standard! Honestly, I don't care how the conversation started; I was trying to talk about the film, not some dumb off-topic nonsense—which, by the way, could also get penalized, even though the mods are openly jumping into those threads themselves.

Seriously, you guys are really getting worked up over three little words? I wasn't actually chasing anyone down; it was just a figure of speech, like saying "get outta here!" But apparently, everyone on this board is supposed to be an expert at reading sarcasm through a screen, yet somehow nobody realizes that not everything should be taken literally. People just act however they feel like.

Grace Sanchez50 said:... so people just go around making threats.

For instance, I’ll be polite. These "threats" that seem to slide by so easily...

If I felt insulted by being labeled, then I was offended—and you don't get to tell me otherwise,

And calling others "haters" isn't a big deal? Well, if we aren't going to banish that label too, I don't see why this counts as an insult (not that either term means much—they're usually just things people throw out when they run out of actual arguments)—so, you decide. Either we penalize everything, or we penalize nothing.

Anyway, since you aren't complaining about the warning you got, I don't see any reason to drag this whole thing out...