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Can someone explain the PowerLock moderation policy?

Started by Susan Price · · 👁 4 views · 12 replies

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Participants Susan PriceRichard James2slybison8Linda Collins3Daniel Ward87Walter Jones4
Susan Price Susan Price MemberOP
13 messages
joined Aug 2013
#1 ·
1. Okay, I really need someone to make sense of this for me:

Over in the Politics - World - Libya sub-forum, everyone’s been dissecting the situation in that African country following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. I actually take this topic quite seriously—I spent most of my childhood living in Libya and my family is still there—so when I realized my perspective on the whole mess was wildly different from the moderator's, I still tried to contribute my two cents in my own way.

But then I ran into this—forum user PFC wrote this post that is completely out of left field and, honestly, feels like absolute trolling to me.

After forum user Tom Malkin pointed out that specific post and asked why it wasn't being treated as the blatant troll and mockery of such a serious subject that it clearly is, the moderator slybison8 had this to say:

I view it as a unique way of expressing himself by a forum user who, through his diligent, almost daily contributions to this thread, has kept it informative and played a major role in breaking through the media blackout imposed by Western nations.

I am incredibly grateful for his overall contribution to this topic, and I am more than willing to "look the other way" regarding certain posts that represent minor exceptions compared to his total input.

slybison8

And predictably, PFC shares the exact same views on the Libyan situation as slybison8 does.

So, look, I've read the rules of conduct, and I want an explanation for the following:

According to Article 2 — which highlights the principles of equality among forum participants, tolerance, fairness, unity, discussion efficiency, and so on... —these are supposed to be the core values of this sub-forum.

What I specifically want to know is this: isn't the moderator slybison8 playing favorites? How can he allow one user to post such nonsense on a grave subject while nitpicking every single word everyone else writes?

Furthermore, why do the rules seem to shift for others who, despite contributing to the topic in their own way, just don't do it in a style that "clicks" with the moderator? Why do they have to be the ones getting punished?

Are we all just expected to sit here and tolerate posts about the goddess Minerva and "Satanists" simply because the guy writing that garbage happens to agree with the moderator—who, let's be real, is basically encouraging him to keep going?

2. And if the moderator slybison8 feels entitled enough to tell us where someone stands—or doesn't—should I be worried that tomorrow he'll decide to drop some "fact" about me personally? I mean, if he can use my email address to find out my last name, who knows what else he might dig up?

I just want someone to answer these questions.
And before the shouting starts—no, I'm not looking for a fight. I just want someone to explain the moderation on this thread, because we saw similar drama in the previous Libya thread, and in the end, the only people who got hammered were the ones who didn't share slybison8's opinion.
Richard James2 Richard James2 Active Member
84 messages
joined Feb 2012
#2 ·
Susan Price said:Are we seriously going to keep reading and putting up with these posts about the goddess Minerva and "Satanists"?

Thanks for the laugh.

The politics and pdf world has its flaws—your run-of-the-mill boring trolls, spammers, and all that jazz—but once a more serious scenario rolls in, whether it’s the assassination of some backwater dictators, royal weddings, Wall Street protests, or the mass migration of those happy folks who technically belong to the Alternative, it becomes completely unbearable. Haven't you noticed? Start actually reading.

That quoted forum user is just one example, though when he's involved, he's so loud and present that even a dedicated ignore filter doesn't help. Generally speaking, the amount of Icke-style trash being recycled across this board is ridiculous—ranging from pseudo-prophetic messianic announcements delivered in the tone of gods from Olympus imparting "Truth" to the ignorant masses, to posts stuffed with ten different links to crackpot websites that offer zero actual substance, no opinion, and no argument. They just take up space.

I still maintain that the World is the highest quality part of Politics, but it won't stay that way for long if you don't keep the Alternative on the Alternative. I'm not advocating for sterile, mindless debates, but I certainly won't stand for the constant turning of a blind eye to the stuff I just mentioned. This is an appeal to all moderators: look, I'm telling you now, I am going to climb up your backsides with reports for off-topic spam regarding Minerva. It's for your own good, and ours. 😍

At least, while I still care.
slybison8 slybison8 Active Member
162 messages
joined Oct 2011
#3 ·
Susan Price

1. I suppose neither the principle of equality nor the efficiency of our discussion has been compromised by my decision not to sanction PFC for his "unique way of expressing himself." While certain minor elements of his style might deviate from the norm, I don't believe they cause any actual imbalance in the debate. Over the past few months, PFC has been one of the most productive forum users in this specific thread, and I feel he truly deserves protection from the moderators against these group ad hominem attacks targeting his manner of speaking. There isn't any rule suggesting that individuals who naturally lean toward alternative ways of thinking shouldn't participate in the politics and pdf world, especially when their systematic work on a topic adds so much value. If any other forum user had put in a similar amount of effort and dedication to a subject, they would be treated just like PFC was regarding the situation in Libya; they would be treated equally.

2. You can be entirely certain that all of your data remains secure. In the specific instance you mentioned, sharing that information became necessary because of the sheer number of forum users involved—including some long-time members who have been discussing things here for years (Halo Effect) and were left quite confused by another forum user's claims of being in Tripoli. Such behavior isn't really fair "forum usage," and while there are moments when a moderator might choose to overlook such occurrences, there are also times when it simply cannot be ignored if we want to protect the integrity of the rest of the community. I guess lying openly is simply never a very smart strategy during a discussion.
Susan Price Susan Price MemberOP
13 messages
joined Aug 2013
#4 ·
slybison8 said:PFC has honestly been one of the most active users in this specific thread over the last few months, and in my book, he totally deserves some protection from the moderators against these group ad hominem attacks targeting his way of speaking. There isn't some secret rule saying people who happen to lean toward alternative ways of thinking can't post on the politics and pdf world, especially when they actually contribute useful info through systematic work on a subject.

Look, if he was one of the most productive users in this debate because he "kept things informative and helped break through the media blackout established by Western nations," then let's not pretend—it wasn't because he kept bringing up the goddess Minerva. Let's not play dumb here.

Furthermore, this, this, this and this are just a handful of random posts from this guy that show his actual style. So, your claim that you were defending his "style of expression" from "group ad hominem attacks" completely falls apart, because this clearly isn't how he actually talks.

I also think you're being pretty condescending by mocking my request for an explanation regarding your moderation. I mean, any regular Joe or average guy on the street would see, after reading all of PFC's posts in this thread, that his post about the goddess Minerva was pure trolling and nonsense—it has absolutely nothing to do with his "serious" views or his supposed "habit of leaning toward alternative trends of thought." If PFC had spent the entire thread arguing that the goddess Minerva or God Pero were responsible for the situation in Libya, then maybe your argument would have legs. But as it stands, it just looks like you let certain people write whatever they want while the rest of us have to walk on eggshells with every single word we type. Why? Just because our opinions don't align with yours.

You called me a spoiled brat, for instance, simply because you couldn't be bothered to actually read my post about my education and my life in Libya—you just "decided" which facts fit your narrative and reacted to your own false assumptions. On the flip side, you meticulously read through PFC's trolling and don't react at all, except to tell other forum users that the post won't be deleted. Interesting.

So, let me get this straight: if I don't have the time to hang out on this forum constantly, or if I don't say exactly what you want to hear, then my occasional trolling gets flagged and sanctioned according to the rules, while others—who obviously have way more free time and share your exact worldview—get a free pass to post whatever nonsense they want?
slybison8 slybison8 Active Member
162 messages
joined Oct 2011
#5 ·
Susan Price

I believe I have provided the explanation you were looking for. I don't feel it would be quite right, nor particularly appropriate, to dissect every single post by a PL Forum PFC forum user alongside you, even though there are other posts that might suggest the discussion regarding the goddess Minerva is representative of certain segments of the PFC work on this forum.

My objection—which I am fairly certain was not actually triggered by that specific post—was really more about a disagreement with that forum user's views regarding the sanctions sought against PFC, which I suppose aren't even directly related to the post itself.

I would also ask that you consider the fact that I could have simply ignored the objection entirely, or perhaps even issued a warning to the forum user for violating our rules against debating moderator decisions within a general discussion thread.

Instead, I decided to spare them from a penalty, choosing instead to use this moment to clarify things for everyone and outline the criteria that will continue to be applied to the politics and pdf world as long as my small self is helping to moderate those discussions.

PL
Susan Price Susan Price MemberOP
13 messages
joined Aug 2013
#6 ·
slybison8 said:

Look, you asked for an explanation, and I gave you one. Honestly, I don't want to—and frankly, it wouldn't be right—to sit here and dissect every single thing this PL Forum PFC user writes with you, even though there are plenty of other posts that prove his whole bit about the goddess Minerva is just typical behavior for certain types of users over on the PFC forum.

I actually spent the last half hour scrolling through his history because I had this gut feeling you were going to say exactly this—and honestly, I can't say I agree with you, at least not regarding this specific thread or how we talk about PFC. Maybe he’s out there spinning fairy tales about Minerva and all that in some other corner of the internet, but he isn't doing it here. Sure, he throws out a joke now and then just like the rest of us, but his entire post was just a massive pile of nonsense that didn't have anything to do with the actual topic.

Let me reiterate— if PFC had spent this entire discussion claiming that either the goddess Minerva or God Pero were responsible for what's happening in Libya, then maybe your argument would actually hold water.

Yeah, I asked for an explanation, but I was kind of hoping others would chime in too—whether they agreed with me or not—since I already got your answer, and I still think it's problematic.


Please also keep in mind that I could have easily ignored the objection entirely and simply handed a penalty card to the forum user involved for breaking the rules against debating moderator decisions within a discussion thread.

Instead, I decided to spare him the penalty and used the opportunity to clarify the situation for everyone and outline the criteria that will continue to be applied to the politics and pdf world, even when my humble self is helping moderate those discussions.

My take? I assume the forum user was commenting on your moderation because he couldn't wrap his head around why a blatant troll post wasn't deleted when it clearly violates the site rules. To me, there's nothing controversial about that.

Fine, whatever—you might run the politics and pdf world with an iron fist, but I'm still confused by these "criteria" of yours. So I'll say it again: ...are you saying that if I don't have the time to hang around the forum constantly, or if I don't write exactly what you want to hear, my occasional trolling will be flagged and punished while people who clearly have way more free time and happen to echo your opinions get a pass to post whatever stupidity they want?
Linda Collins3 Linda Collins3 Active Member
65 messages
joined Jun 2013
#7 ·
Look, one reason I didn't want America joining the EU is because I honestly believe that organization is pure evil.

I’d ask the OP why they think having a view like that isn't a legitimate way to approach politics—especially when that belief directly shapes my political decisions, like voting against EU membership in a referendum.

What some people might call irrational is actually a completely valid political stance if it influences how a person views the world and how they choose to act.
Susan Price Susan Price MemberOP
13 messages
joined Aug 2013
#8 ·
Douglas Rogers45 said:Look, one of the big reasons I don't want America joining the EU is because I truly believe that organization is nothing more than a demonic outpost.

I’d actually love to ask the OP—why shouldn't such a stance or belief be considered a perfectly legitimate way to express oneself in politics? Especially when that specific belief directly impacts my political decisions—like, say, voting "no" in a future referendum regarding EU entry.

What one person might label as "completely irrational" is actually a totally valid political position if it shapes someone's political worldview and their actual actions. It's how people function!

Honestly, I’d turn the question back on you: did you bother reading the posts by Mr. PFC? Or did you just skip straight to his last post about the goddess Minerva, which was clearly just him making fun of this entire thread? Even slybison8 basically admitted it when he confessed to "looking the other way" on that particular post.

Like I said before—if forum user PFC spent the whole time claiming the reason for the conflict in Libya was the goddess Minerva, fine—that’s his opinion and his take. But when he’s obviously just trolling because he has nothing better to do, then yeah—I'm going to point out that post, and I don't see anything wrong with doing that.

Either we have one set of rules that applies to everyone, or we just scrap the rules entirely. Because right now, it feels like certain forum users get a free pass for useless posts while everyone else has to listen to nonsensical excuses for why they're allowed to derail things.
Linda Collins3 Linda Collins3 Active Member
65 messages
joined Jun 2013
#9 ·
I only read the specific post you linked.

And honestly, it doesn't look like trolling to me. A massive amount of people genuinely believe that Satanists are running the world.

They're entitled to that view, and they have every right to let it shape their politics, just like any other belief that isn't illegal.
Daniel Ward87 Daniel Ward87 Active Member
195 messages
joined May 2023
#10 ·
Susan Price said:Boldano - Look, you're running the Politics and PDF World sub here... but I still don't get your logic, so let me ask again - ...if I don't have the time to hang out on the forum constantly, or if I don't say exactly what you want to hear, am I going to be flagged for trolling just like everyone else? Meanwhile, people who clearly have nothing but free time and happen to agree with you get a pass to post nonsense?

Just wanted to point out that slybison8 isn't some kind of heavy-handed enforcer; there are definitely people with more muscle than him 😁...and honestly, even more than me 😢.

I read through that controversial post, and I’m with Susan Price on this—PFC's post really doesn't fit the vibe of the specific discussion thread it was dropped into. Linda Collins3 makes a fair point: plenty of folks believe Satan runs the show, but the Politics and PDF World sections aren't really the place for those kinds of deep dives. For stuff like that, we have the Alternative section.

So, I'm going to go ahead and pull PFC's post and the whole side-argument. I’d just ask everyone to keep things grounded regarding occult forces, the NWO, and all that similar stuff within the World section. There's room for some of that, sure, but let's try to keep it within reasonable bounds.
Walter Jones4 Walter Jones4 Newcomer
5 messages
joined Oct 2014
#11 ·
Susan Price said:forum user Tom Malkin

So glad someone finally kicked this thread off! Just a quick heads-up—I think you meant the forum user is Walter Jones4. 😁
Susan Price Susan Price MemberOP
13 messages
joined Aug 2013
#12 ·
Walter Jones4 said:I’m honestly just glad someone finally had the guts to start this thread—it was about time! But, just so we're all on the same page here—and I hate being that guy, really I do—I just need to make one quick correction: the forum user is... Walter Jones4. 😁

🤦

Heyyyyyyyy there, dyslexia! 😬

My bad. I really dropped the ball on this one—total mea culpa. 🙂

I just had to—that post was seriously grating on my nerves. It was like a thorn stuck in my side, honestly. And don't even get me started on that whole explanation about why it wasn't deleted... just ridiculous.

Daniel Ward87 said:Just wanted to point out that slybison8 isn't exactly some kind of unstoppable force—believe me, there are plenty of people out there who pack a much bigger punch than he does. 😁...well, I guess I’ll weigh in too.😢.

Don't go crying about it. 🙂
Maybe one day you’ll wake up and realize you’ve become one of those massive, all-powerful, super-duper-triple-whoop moderators too. 😬

I just finished reading that controversial post—and honestly? I’m right there with Susan Price on this one. That PFC post is spot on. Look, I’m just going to say it—this is totally off-topic. We’re supposed to be sticking to the actual thread we're in, right? It feels like we've drifted way too far from the original point of discussion here—it's basically becoming a whole different conversation entirely. Linda Collins3 actually has a point here—there are plenty of people out there convinced that Satan and his crowd are pulling all the strings behind the scenes, but honestly, you won't find that kind of talk being discussed over in Politics and PDF World. It’s just not their vibe. If you're looking to dive into those kinds of theories, you really need to head over to Alternative instead.

Look, I’m just going to go ahead and pull the plug on that controversial PFC post—and honestly, the whole debate surrounding it—because we really need everyone to take a breather here. Let's dial it back a notch regarding all this talk about occult forces, the New World Order, and that whole brand of conspiracy stuff on the politics and pdf world. Don't get me wrong, there’s definitely enough material floating around to fuel those rabbit holes—I mean, I've spent way too many late nights scrolling through those theories myself—but I agree that we have to keep things within certain boundaries if we want this place to function..

Spot on. Exactly that.
Daniel Ward87 Daniel Ward87 Active Member
195 messages
joined May 2023
#13 ·
Case closed.

Neeeeeext 😁

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