Terrible moderation on this forum

Is there any actual chance the social sciences section gets a moderator capable of identifying blatant harassment?

Some lunatic is flooding us with PDFs and causing absolute mayhem. Since the chaos keeps getting wiped clean, it’s entirely possible the admin team hasn't even realized the true scale of this mess.

If the moderators had stepped in when they were supposed to, this wouldn't be happening. So why didn't they? Because they pretended they couldn't grasp such unprecedented vulgarity. As if obscenity somehow paralyzes the brain.

On another note, I'll take this opportunity to complain about my warning. I was flagged for "insulting" a community member. I’d love to see exactly which community member I supposedly insulted. All I did was insult a moderator
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Let me ask you something. You’re walking down a street in Chicago and you realize someone is performing a lewd act right behind you. You turn to the nearest police officer for help, and he asks you, "What's the problem?"

Wouldn't it occur to you that the person is either an idiot or malicious? Not as a slur, mind you, but as a legitimate observation.

Of course. I was just walking around in a mini skirt when some guy attacked me.
I deserved it.

And the moderators? Absolutely brilliant. 👍

I’m not going to complain about my tiny little strike; I accepted it quite willingly... mostly because it was genuinely shocking to me that such vile comments could just sit there unaddressed. To be honest, it’s hard to swallow the excuse that they were intended to be removed, especially since there was plenty of time to clean things up even before I pointed out the issue. But fine, if that's how it is, then let them have my strike...

As for the actual incident, it really wouldn't hurt if the moderators coordinated a bit more effectively, so we don't end up in these situations where one person misses something that the other is actively flagging. This isn't exactly a first for us either. Furthermore, the idea of "feeding the trolls" should apply just as much to the staff as it does to the users, shouldn't it? Especially when dealing with someone who isn't just a troll, but a total fanatic who has been banned multiple times already...

At the end of the day, maintaining literacy and the overall aesthetic quality of the site is what actually matters. 👍

Michelle Flores40 said:of course. I was wearing a mini skirt when some guy attacked me
I deserved it

And the moderators are just brilliant 👍

The guy got slapped with three warnings—three—when I went back and read through everything at around 11:30 this morning, right after you reported that one post where he used "your" (he didn't actually use that specific slur, unlike you). Nobody even bothered to report his post from 12:30 last night.

He’s been dealt three times over; Euripides cleaned up the trolling and the disgusting posts. If you can't handle seeing trash get wiped, that's your problem.
The Catch-22 stuff is gone, and he'll only stay relevant if you keep quoting him and making a whole drama out of it. While you're at it, maybe stop insulting the mods. 😉

My use of that particular profanity isn't an insult because I wasn't actually aiming it at anyone.
If you can't grasp that distinction, feel free to ask someone else to break it down for you.

But more importantly, I haven't even had a conversation with that lunatic; he's just been busy arguing with my own quotes.

hollowtrucker77 said:
since this is just a chat thread, the mods were being way more chill than they usually are

That was straight-up assault. Doesn't matter if it happened at a local dive bar or a fancy concert hall in Lincoln Center.

To be honest, one of the moderators claimed that nobody actually reported the controversial posts, though I’m honestly at a loss as to what there is to report in the first place... It seems pretty obvious to me. But I saw them tonight, and I even saw one of the moderators editing those exact same posts—likely just adding quotes or merging them together. So, who on earth am I supposed to report when I know for a fact the moderators have already laid eyes on them? At least one of them has...

Regarding the deletions, those posts were wiped out today around 2:00 PM, along with the comments made by both myself and Michelle Flores40 regarding the moderation itself. Now, if we're going to discuss critiquing the mods, let's say it plainly: if you don't want people talking about it, perhaps stop dragging every conversation toward that topic... and not just in this specific instance, but generally speaking.

And finally, just to reiterate: responding to a banned user who is being, shall we say, overtly and slightly rude, is definitely subject to sanctions.

Seriously, everyone just back off. When Catch-22 was tearing me and wanderingbadger44 to shreds, you all stayed quiet as mice. Then, when I actually tried to deal with him, I got lectured for "feeding the trolls." Like, seriously? If someone's a troll, just ban them! What kind of me do you expect to take charge here? To me, he’s just some random guy on a forum. It's not my job to play police officer.

And leave Colby out of this. Why is she being blamed for that idiot's behavior now? You all sat there and let him slide, practically patting him on the head while he acted out. But now that his nonsense has finally blown up in everyone's faces, suddenly it's a huge deal?

Everyone needs to just chill out and maybe be a little smarter next time. The idiot got banned, so the problem is gone. Try to make sure it doesn't happen to someone else tomorrow. If it does, report the offensive posts and stop taking it out on the moderators—aim that energy at the actual troll instead.

Wouldn't it be fair if the decent people in this community showed a little solidarity with each other, instead of giving it all to the volunteer mods who are doing us a massive favor and getting trashed more than the trolls ever do?

Man, you guys really know how to get under my skin.

Back when that guy was tearing into you and wanderingbadger44, there were actually consequences because we had a moderator who actually stepped in when things went south... Besides, what he was spewing at you then doesn't even compare to the nonsense we're seeing today and yesterday. And sure, some people definitely poked the bear before we even realized he was just a troll, but now we know...

Be honest enough to see how much falsehood and disrespect is packed into Charles Davis88's response to Michelle Flores40. That doesn't make her right, obviously. But instead of looking down her nose at everyone, she could just admit her colleague messed up. It’s really that simple. Though, I've honestly never seen her own up to anything like that, so I'm not holding my breath this time either. And as for the damage she did to that sub-forum, I don't think I even need to say it; I think everyone here knows exactly where I stand on that. So, no, I don't owe her any thanks.

She’s sticking to that same playbook today, too, letting a user post while they were under a partial ban, so she really should be held accountable for bypassing the rules herself.

At the end of the day, I truly wonder if she's ever actually held responsible for anything at all...

vividtiger922 said:Back when that guy was trashing you and wanderingbadger44, it actually got sanctioned because we were living in the good old days with a moderator who actually gave a damn about stuff like that. Honestly, the garbage he was spewing back then was nothing compared to what’s been going down lately. And yeah, sure, some people totally fed him a line without even realizing he was just a troll. But hey, now we know, right?

Can we just be real for a second and look at how much nonsense and pure audacity is packed into Charles Davis88's response to Michelle Flores40? I'm not saying that makes Michelle Flores40 right, obviously. But instead of acting all high and mighty, she could just admit her colleague messed up. That's it! Simple, right? Except I’ve honestly never seen her own up to anything like that, so I’m not holding my breath this time either. And man, the damage she caused to that sub-forum? I don't even need to spell it out; I think we all know exactly where I stand on that. So, nope, I have absolutely nothing to thank her for.

And she’s still playing by those same rules today, like with that one user she let keep posting even though they were under a partial ban. Seriously, shouldn't she be held accountable for bypassing the rules like that?

At the end of the day, I really have to wonder... is she ever actually held responsible for anything?

Look, I really don't have the energy to dive into the weeds of this nasty little argument. All I'm saying is that things don't look the same from everyone's perspective. I'm telling you, when I'm dealing with an idiot (and let's be honest, anyone within a ten-mile radius can see he's an idiot), nobody lifts a finger. What's more, I ended up getting a (later overturned) penalty myself! If I recall correctly, Colby wasn't like that back then.

Maybe I'm blind, or maybe you guys just have much better vision than I do, but I simply don't see these "horrible flaws" in her moderation that everyone is screaming about. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say this: personally, I actually enjoy having Charles Davis88 here more than almost any other user. And looking back over the last year or two while I've been working as a mod myself, I haven't seen anyone else do a significantly better job.

I'm not using that as an excuse, just as an example to show that not everyone sees the forum the same way. When I saw total BS happening where Catch-22 was, somehow nobody else saw it. Now that you guys see BS where Charles Davis88 is, lo and behold, I don't see it.

I don't see why your drama is more important than mine. Or why your favorites matter more than mine. Just because you guys are constantly complaining while I never am?

Arthur Anderson49 said:When Catch-22 was absolutely shitting all over me and wanderingbadger44, everyone here stayed quiet as a mouse.

On a separate note, he looked less like a person and more like the active ingredient in your collective internal dysfunction.
Neither you nor wanderingbadger44 seemed interested in actually seeking help. Even then, the moderator at the time tried to assist; she explicitly asked everyone to just stop.

What bothered me most about this whole ordeal was Charles Davis88's supposed "failure to grasp" the situation.

Arthur Anderson49 said:I am talking about how when I struggle with this jerk (and anyone within a ten-mile radius can see he's a jerk), nobody reacts.

When I saw the garbage at the Catch-22 site, miraculously, no one else seemed to notice it.

You aren't right about that. Catch-22 mentioned having Asperger, so from that perspective, he deals with a disability (though "Asperger" is likely just a euphemism).

In American elementary schools, they teach tolerance toward individuals with any kind of impairment.

And since you are an adult, shouldn't you have been able to grasp that through simple maturity? This part I highlighted feels a bit strange. 🙂

Justin Newman38 said:I disagree. Catch-22 mentioned having Asperger, so from that perspective, they're disabled (and let's be real, "Asperger" is probably just a euphemism here).

In elementary school, we're taught to be tolerant toward people who have any kind of impairment.

And you're an adult now—you should’ve figured that out through sheer maturity alone. That part I bolded is honestly a bit weird. 🙂

I don't get why you're tagging me in this.

Why should I feel some special obligation to be tolerant toward someone who was straight-up insulting me? Why doesn't anyone else have that same obligation? I'm not the first person to give him a piece of my mind. In fact, I kept trying to talk sense into him and actually ended up getting penalized because my persistence was flagged as "feeding the trolls."

Look, if someone is struggling with something like that, I'm sorry, but it still doesn't mean they belong on this forum. If someone is spreading toxic vibes everywhere they go, it crosses the line of what's expected in decent communication—regardless of whether that toxicity is intentional or caused by an illness.

Michelle Flores40 said:To be honest, he looked like the main ingredient in whatever internal joke you guys have going on.
It didn't really seem like either you or wanderingbadger44 were actually looking for any kind of help at the time, even though the moderator back then stepped in to lend a hand by asking everyone to just let it go.

I feel like you should at least try to understand what it means to be a whiner. Neither I nor Arthur Anderson49 fall into that category. We weren't out there crying about our problems; we just dealt with them head-on, much like how Arthur Anderson49 ended up carrying my weight too, absorbing a massive amount of verbal abuse just to stand by me.

Is this an inside job? Look, I’ve said this more than once before: when I’m putting a team together for a bit of mischief, a Catch-22 situation just isn't going to cut it.

The way they framed that "help"—forcing the two of us to share a single basket like we were some kind of circus act—felt less like support and more like a slap in the face.

None of that really matters in the grand scheme of things because we made it through. I honestly don't get why everyone is still making such a massive fuss now that the troll has finally been removed from the equation.

@Sarah Garcia46, he could have written whatever he felt like, and honestly, we aren't under any obligation to take his word for it, let alone feel responsible for trying to fix him.

I’ve got to be honest, you’re really starting to get on my nerves. kaže:
Back when we were still completely in the dark about them being a troll, we had no idea what we were getting into. Now that the mask has finally slipped, everything makes sense.

🙄 What can I even say about this? You could see it clearly from an airplane window. But like Arthur Anderson49 said, it didn't really affect you guys.

vividtiger922 said:She’s sticking to that same old playbook even now, especially considering how she let that one user keep posting despite being under a partial ban; honestly, she really ought to face some consequences for playing fast and loose with the rules like that.

Wow, they’re really going to miss out. Honestly, I can't even imagine the regret that's coming his way. It isn't just about being let go; it's the realization that he sat there for months on the payroll, coasting on her kindness after taking advantage of it, without ever actually contributing a single thing to the team.

Arthur Anderson49 said:- Why should I feel any special obligation to be tolerant toward him?

- I am certainly not the first person to lash out at him.

- Furthermore, I maintained persistent communication with him, which actually resulted in me being penalized because my persistence was misconstrued as "feeding a troll."

- And if someone is suffering from such a condition—forgive me, but they simply don't belong on this forum.

- If a person spreads toxicity all around them, it exceeds the bounds of tolerance expected in healthy communication, whether that toxicity is intentional or caused by illness.

- Everyone holds a special duty toward those with disabilities, including you.

- No one should be lashing out at a person with a disability, not just the first person to do so.

- You failed to find an appropriate way to communicate because you failed to recognize the true nature of your interlocutor.

- In today's society, people with disabilities are not isolated; rather, we strive to integrate them.

- What I have bolded here is an insult directed at a forum member who isn't even present.

Justin Newman38 said:- Everyone has a special responsibility toward people with disabilities, including you.

- No one should be taking their frustrations out on a person with a disability, not just the first guy who starts it.

- You didn't find an appropriate way to communicate because you failed to recognize who you were actually talking to.

- These days, we don't isolate people with disabilities; the whole goal is integration.

- That part I bolded was actually an insult directed at a forum member who isn't even here anymore.

Look, Sarah Garcia46, I really do respect you—seriously, props to you. But man, you're totally off base here. Honestly, I think my approach to this guy was the most constructive one out of everyone involved! I didn't treat him like some fragile patient or anything. In fact, right up until the very end, I (along with wanderingbadger44) was the one catching all the verbal crap from everybody else without making a huge scene about it. So why is it that now, suddenly, when everyone realizes he’s being an absolute idiot (whether he's sick or not, it doesn't matter!), everyone is suddenly ganging up on *me*? I don't get it one bit. Seriously, what's gotten into you?

Justin Newman38 said:- We all have a duty to support people with disabilities, including you.

I’m honestly stunned by that. Do you actually have proof that he has medically documented special needs, or are we just taking his word for it?

Even if he is telling the truth, it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't belong in this space. And even if we were to accept him here, why should Arthur Anderson49 and I be expected to coddle him or endure his behavior? It seems like everyone else lashes out at Charles Davis88 whenever they have to deal with him, and that’s happening even after she already removed him.

edit: Maybe we should just make it an official forum rule: anyone who submits medical documentation to the moderators gets a green username and a free pass to troll and insult whoever they want.

The absolute worst part about all this is how we’re all acting now. We used to have such a chill, respectful vibe going on, right? But instead, we’re out here tearing each other apart and creating unnecessary drama. All because one idiot—whether he’s actually a jerk or just completely clueless, it doesn't even matter since the outcome is the same—managed to fly under the radar without facing any consequences early on.

Honestly, this whole mess is doing us no favors. Definitely not doing anything for me, either. So, I’m officially bowing out. I’ve already said my piece, and frankly, being part of this toxic back-and-forth just feels gross. There's zero point to this argument, and honestly? It just stinks.