Rules on deleting and moderating posts

Galileo said:The mods over at the Fringe forum should probably notice that Geza has cloned himself into two other accounts... He's exhausting enough as it is; imagine how much worse it gets when he starts having conversations with himself...

Why do you think I was so relieved when that forum finally opened? I've been obsessing over the hard sciences non-stop since then.🙂

Mr. Pes said:Should I take a decent proposal seriously, or just pretend I didn't see anything at all? 😁

See? I did say something after all. 😉

As for that "decent proposal"—I was really just checking in to mess with you, go2sluu. 😁

Mr. Pes said:What's happening? Sadly, it's not what would have made someone's day—or next three years—better. It's more like: "The Inquisitor finally got kicked out, hallelujah!"😛

The Inquisitor quit being the trendsetteron his own request.
And he had to be incredibly stubborn about it, heroically fighting just to make sure this fifth attempt at his final exit actually counts.😁

This is just too much!
Everyone knows I hang out on a few different forums, but I’m lightyears away from American AMAC and those doom-and-gloom sites. Ever since that permanent moderator was appointed—a guy who was bragging about being a total ultra-nationalist just yesterday—that whole nonsensical crowd moved over to IMF policy. Their loudest mouthpiece is that W(esson)&S(mith) guy, whose posts are nothing but blatant, far-right propaganda.

Since you go by Istinka Muenchausen, I'll take your word for it that he really insisted and fought tooth and nail to *not* be a moderator. It's funny, because he lived for that role, desperate to fulfill his mission and enable an extremist revival on the Politics board.

So, did someone finally give him a reality check from someone he probably shouldn't have ignored? Or did he just realize that the forum's rules were being violated right under his nose—mostly thanks to his own moderation—and he finally folded? Because I don't think there are two people left on this entire site, maybe including placebo, who actually believe this moderator resigned on his own terms.
Even walter isn't that dense.

That jerk used to delete my posts here, even though they never got flagged over at Americans.de, where the users aren't even considered leftists.

The guy shouldn't have been a moderator in the first place, certainly not on the Politics board. Maybe you could've given him a role as a joke assistant, just to moderate the punchlines.

Anderson said:We're actually working on bringing those ancient posts from before December 2002 back into the light. There’s some great stuff in there. Plus, it has sentimental value. 😉 Not to mention educational, aesthetic, or social importance...

I'm all for it.

If we could just get Vienna back as a moderator... then we'd really be back to the good old days. 🙂

Anderson said:Look, I’m being dead serious here, so feel free to laugh if you want, but what the regular users don't realize is that for every single registered user on Reddit, there are ten lurkers just passing through every day (think 3,000 versus 30,000). Basically, people come here mostly to read. Plus, most of the folks who actually register don't even post, so the ratio of posters to readers is roughly 1 to 30. That's why keeping the quality of the site high is a constant goal, even if it feels like an uphill battle.

The number of new threads being started has basically doubled in no time at all—jumping from 100 to over 200—and the post count has tripled from 3,000 to nearly 10,000, yet we haven't added any more moderators. But honestly, managing a massive community like this can be way easier if we just focus heavily on those fresh threads and the opening posts. Isn't it much simpler to keep an eye on 200 topics than to try and police 10,000 individual comments? If a new thread is set up well, it almost moderates itself, right? And hey, knowing how to start a good discussion is a skill anyone can learn, not just mods, don't you think? That's why stupid threads get nuked, and you really shouldn't bother wasting serious replies on them anyway.

I'm sure you realize that once you start posting something meaningful, the whole vibe and direction of the conversation shifts. Even the usual internet trolls know when to change their tone. At the end of the day, it's the people posting that set the mood for the discussion, not the moderators. Mods are really just there to step in and save things if they're already going off the rails. So, we can keep this thread going whether we stay on track or just keep it light and trivial.

I am totally on board with everything you guys are saying because let's be real, a huge chunk of the subreddits don't interest the average person at all, which is exactly why they aren't posting.

Phoenix said:Since you're known by the name Baron Munchausen,

To whom? Based on everything I've noticed so far, you're the only one who calls me that.
But hey, if it makes you happy... go ahead and enjoy it. 🙂

Mr. Pes said:Who else? Based on what I've seen, you're the only one who calls me by that name.
But hey, if it makes you happy... go for it. 🙂

How am I supposed to call you anything else when you start lying the second your fingers touch the keyboard?

dustywalker12 said:How else am I supposed to address you when you start lying the second your fingers touch the keyboard?

Look, my name works just fine for me. 🤣 Honestly, I don't care whether she's lying or not; I'm more concerned about what her version of "the truth" actually does for you, unless you're actually in love with her.

g2sl said:The name sounds fine to me, 🤣 and honestly, I couldn't care less if she's lying or not. I'm more concerned about what her version of the truth actually does for you, unless you're already in love with her.

I mean, obviously I value the truth!

quietwolf said:This is absolutely appalling!
Everyone knows I haunt a few different forums, but I’ve been light-years away from those specific circles. However, since the appointment of this permanent moderator—a man who was literally bragging about his far-right extremist views just yesterday—that entire nonsensical crowd has migrated over to IMF policy. Their most extreme mouthpiece is none other than W(esson)&S(mith), whose posts are nothing but blatant, radical propaganda.

Since you go by the name Istinka Muenchausen, I’ll take your word for it: he fought tooth and nail to *not* be a moderator, when in reality, he lived for the title. He wanted the job just so he could facilitate this reactionary revival on the politics board.

So, has anyone actually been put in their place by someone they really shouldn't have crossed? Or has someone finally realized that the forum's own rules are being violated under this moderator's watch, leading them to call him out? Because I don't think there are two people left on this entire site—aside from placebo—who believe this moderator actually holds himself accountable.
Even walter isn't that dense.

The guy used to scrub my posts, even though they wouldn't have been touched on Americans.de, and you can't even call those people leftists.

The man shouldn't have been given the keys to the kingdom, certainly not on the politics board. Maybe you could have given him a role as an assistant moderator for jokes, given his sense of humor.

You’re a bitter old man. 👎

Jack Harris3 said:What’s even happening right now? Sadly, it’s not what would make anyone’s day—or their next three years—better, which would have been something like, "The inquisitor's finally out, hallelujah!"😛

The inquisitor actually stepped down from being a mod on his own terms.
And man, he really had to dig his heels in and fight like a hero just to make sure this, his fifth attempt at last getting some actual respect, actually counts. 😁

Okay, so the first part of your post is a comment and the second is a statement... or maybe it's the other way around, who knows!

It’s a general question though (and I’m totally ignoring that little smiley you tacked onto the end)... is stepping down as a mod really that complicated? Is it harder to leave than it is to join? And can an ex-mod just be ignored? Honestly, being a mod here feels like having diplomatic immunity or getting a massive shot of Depakote... once you've had it, you can spend the next five years doing whatever you want without a single worry in the world.

The thing that would actually make my day is whatever you guys consider blasphemy... since you're all mods, I guess. I'm assuming because I don't know if you guys enjoy handing out diagnoses on the politics subforum, though I wouldn't be surprised if you actually were specialized in it... for everyone else, obviously.
I’d be thrilled if the inquisitor stayed, but if the new mod ends up being someone like natch or quietwolf, hey, why not? Sure, people might get jealous, but who cares! It doesn't matter to me who it is, as long as we don't end up with three different mods all using the exact same biased standards. If that happened, where's the fun in the politics section? It wouldn't be nearly as lively.
Look, I know it's hard to pull off right now, and I'm not saying it's impossible, but... if none of you have noticed that making a choice like that could actually bring a huge wave of joy to the community, then what am I even doing? *I'll just stay here hanging out and talking nonsense while you guys look in the mirror tomorrow morning and tell yourselves you did a great job.*
...here's another thought. Why not shake things up? Have some guest posts, rotate roles, or do a guest moderator stint. Why couldn't Elysium moderate the politics section for a bit? It's not like they're going to get access to the nuclear launch codes or cause some major diplomatic incident. Or better yet... Kiki. Or that fat cow. 🎉

Want more? Yeah? Alright then. Let's put some young, bright minds in charge of politics. Basically, as soon as someone hits twenty-five, they're ready for moderator retirement. They're too wild, too crazy, or just totally out of touch. Aren't there any like that? None? Well, then our politics subforum is just like our actual national politics: completely impotent.

There you have it...
😎

Jacob Allen said:It's a general question (I'm going to ignore that smiley face at the end)... but is it really that complicated to stop being a moderator? Is there any way out other than just leaving entirely?..

Sometimes.

And can an ex-moderator still be ignored?

Not as long as they still have access to the Moderator Lounge.

Do I want more? Really?.. Well, fine then. Just put some young, bright minds into politics.

Age isn't the deciding factor. But usually, those young, bright minds tend to give politics a very wide berth.

I won't comment on anything else... I've decided to get serious since my last post. 😁

Jack Harris3 said:Sometimes.
..

😕
..man, I hear you. It’s not even that I don't trust the guy, it’s just... look, someone is a moderator and then suddenly they decide they're totally over it and just stop doing the job. They vanish! Poof! Gone! Then one of their buddies tells them they really need to show up, and they’re all like, "Yeah, sure, I'll be there tomorrow..." and then, surprise, surprise, they still don't show up.
So what are we talking about here regarding sanctions? A total ban? Getting fired without cause? No official record of it in their file? Or maybe just social pressure because they aren't being super cool anymore? Like, what, are people going to start dodging them on the forum or literally spitting at their feet? Seriously, what would Goethe have even written today? That Faust was actually working as a moderator?

😁

ps. ..I could have sworn I saw a post from him somewhere else here... something along the lines of saying moderators are basically just waiting to crash and burn and that we should just scrap the whole system entirely? Or am I seriously just having forum-induced hallucinations? 😁

Jacob Allen said:so, what would you write about today?

"The Sorrows of Young Jacob Allen," I suppose I'd say.

Jacob Allen said:P.S. I thought I saw one of your posts somewhere else... something about how the moderators just keep crashing into waves until they break, and that they should all be abolished? Or maybe I'm just having forum-induced hallucinations. 😁

The absolute bane of this IMF policy forum is just pure evil.

Jack Harris3 said:"The struggles of young Jacob Allen," I'd say.

That’s a pretty rough paraphrase... honestly, calling it the "struggles of a young moderator" hits way closer to the mark! Even Pushkin tried his hand at describing my whole vibe in his work, though he definitely couldn't quite nail it perfectly...😬

We're totally veering off topic here, you know? ☕

Galileo said:The moderators over at the Edge... they should probably notice that Geza has branched out into two other aliases. He’s exhausting enough as it is; just imagine the headache of reading him when he starts having full-blown conversations with himself...

While it might certainly seem that way, I disagree. 😉
Geza is simply... Geza.

This place is starting to feel like a total communist commune...just make quietwolf the moderator and let the party begin.

Silajn said:The moderators really ought to start following the forum rules from the get-go. Some action was taken—just ask someone to walk you through 😉

Of course not. Let me be perfectly clear: I am not suggesting that the inquisitor's freedom of speech should be restricted by anything other than our own community guidelines. As a fellow member, regardless of whether I personally agree with his views—and let’s be honest, he’s an intelligent, articulate, and often quite witty guy—he still needs a moderator 😁 Right now, he's using his authority to wipe out anyone with a different opinion, allowing one-sided insults and threats to slide, and even shutting down threads just to distort the truth. Honestly, that kind of behavior is just appalling to me.

And as long as nobody—not the admins and certainly not you as the owner—steps in to address this, I’m going to assume you’re all perfectly fine with this style of moderation.

I’m with Silajn on this one. The whole PDF policy situation is a complete disaster, and the moderators have been the biggest contributors to the mess—especially with the inquisitor really running the show.😉

Sean Murphy5 said:The whole PDF policy is a complete mess, and honestly, the moderators did most of the damage themselves—that inquisitor was really leading the charge.😉

Well, now... If you listen to how people reacted to the inquisitor's departure, a lot of folks actually see his impact very differently than you do.
And that crowd includes everyone from Mexicans to leftists. 😁