Diaspora Moderator - Ironing Man

Since she’s basically just some occasional skydiver dropping in to act as a moderator on this diaspora forum, I honestly think we should just get rid of her.

Look, we’ve already got Skate Mus, who handles the moderator duties perfectly fine without any drama. We don't need someone popping in just to delete posts without a single word of explanation and screw everyone over, all while completely ignoring the actual job—you know, things like actually encouraging decent discussions or starting new threads.
Ironing Man only shows up here when she gets bored with the other forums she hangs out on, and then she comes in trying to enforce her own twisted version of justice...

I’m genuinely curious to see if becoming a moderator in this black hole is actually going to change anything at all....

P.S. I can't even give you specific examples of her terrible moderation—mostly because she's already deleted the posts....

From what I can see, Skate Mus and ambermason16 are doing the exact same job, even if it’s invisible to you guys. So, I have to wonder—why is one considered good while the other is seen as bad? After looking through some deleted posts on various topics that both of them have scrubbed, I honestly think some people in the diaspora need to ask themselves what they actually want from these subforums. Are you looking for anarchy, endless off-topic rambling, and constant trolling everywhere you turn?
First, tell me: what would you actually gain if ambermason16 left? What exactly is she doing wrong? How is she holding back your discussions?

wiredangler5 said:From what I can see, Skate Mus and ambermason16 are doing the exact same job, even if it’s invisible to you guys. So, I have to wonder—why is one considered good while the other is seen as bad? After looking through some deleted posts on various topics that both of them have scrubbed, I honestly think some people in the diaspora need to ask themselves what they actually want from these subforums. Are you looking for anarchy, endless off-topic rambling, and constant trolling everywhere you turn?
First, tell me: what would you actually gain if ambermason16 left? What exactly is she doing wrong? How is she holding back your discussions?

None of that happened while she was gone for over a month. Plus, Skate was still around...

Ironing Man just pops in whenever she feels like it, hands out bans however she pleases, and then vanishes again for a while. Consistency? Tact? Calmness? Yeah, none of that exists.
She hasn't started a single meaningful thread.
She doesn't actually engage in discussions.
She even wiped my posts from the chat (and I'm talking about the ones where I wasn't even calling out her terrible moderation).

Need anything else? 🤷

I’ve gotta vent here, because honestly, I don't usually give a damn about the moderators, but this is getting ridiculous. 🙄 ambermason16 has seriously gone overboard with all this deleting posts lately. Now she's even started scrubbing the chat threads. Today, she actually docked me some points just because she thinks I'm "trolling" in the chat. 😕 😁 Look, it's not even about the points, but if we can't just talk about whatever we want in a casual chat thread—without any insults or hate speech, mind you—then what's the point? 😢 ambermason16 doesn't care about the diaspora subforum, she doesn't join the discussions, and she doesn't even moderate that section... so I have to wonder, what is her actual purpose being there? 😕

coppernomad28 said:None of that happened while she was gone for over a month. Plus, Skate was still around...

Ironing Man just pops in whenever she feels like it, hands out bans however she pleases, and then vanishes again for a while. Consistency? Tact? Calmness? Yeah, none of that exists.
She hasn't started a single meaningful thread.
She doesn't actually engage in discussions.
She even wiped my posts from the chat (and I'm talking about the ones where I wasn't even calling out her terrible moderation).

Need anything else? 🤷

Wait, can you explain that bolded part to me? I’m genuinely lost. Are you saying that trolling on this sub will only increase once she starts moderating?
Look, let's be honest—you have to admit there's trolling all over this site. It’s happening with Skate Mus, and it was happening before ambermason16 even showed up. You can't seriously tell me this didn't spike right after she arrived. I know this forum well enough to know that there isn't a single sub-forum without its share of problematic users. So, you're probably not going to sell me that story.
We can talk about the appeal regarding ambermason16. I honestly believe no moderator is perfect—not me, and certainly not anyone else. Because of that, I think justified appeals are always possible.
I’m not even going to bother bringing up that PDF full of perfect little angels, since apparently, nobody is allowed to talk about it anyway.
A lot of those deleted posts really deserved to go, so they were removed for good reason. From what I can see, everyone kept acting the same way even after she gave a warning. The moderator has every right to clear that stuff out.

Whether someone decides to post or start new threads is entirely up to them. That doesn't necessarily determine if they're a good moderator or not. Everyone should have the freedom to decide how much they want to write or how many topics they open. It’s not like there’s some employment contract dictating those things. 😉 Moderators usually don't have much time to actually post. They're busy balancing their day jobs and real life, then they hop on the forum just to clean up subforums. There's rarely any time left to write. I wouldn't use that as a metric for how good a moderator is. We can still discuss specific complaints—that's still relevant here—but using lack of posting time to judge someone's performance is a weak argument.

mistyhound2 said:I’ve gotta vent here, because honestly, I don't usually give a damn about the moderators, but this is getting ridiculous. 🙄 ambermason16 has seriously gone overboard with all this deleting posts lately. Now she's even started scrubbing the chat threads. Today, she actually docked me some points just because she thinks I'm "trolling" in the chat. 😕 😁 Look, it's not even about the points, but if we can't just talk about whatever we want in a casual chat thread—without any insults or hate speech, mind you—then what's the point? 😢 ambermason16 doesn't care about the diaspora subforum, she doesn't join the discussions, and she doesn't even moderate that section... so I have to wonder, what is her actual purpose being there? 😕

I took a look at your post too. It was deleted after a warning to move discussions about moderation over to the PZK. After that deleted post, you made another one about the moderators and got a strike. If a moderator asks to move a conversation elsewhere, we should probably respect that. Even in the chat threads. Those aren't exempt from moderation either; they're meant for casual chatting, but they still have boundaries and rules.

As for her writing, I’ve already said my piece above—it's entirely up to her. Whether she actually cares about that subforum or not is something she'll have to clarify herself.

wiredangler5 said:From what I can see, Skate Mus and ambermason16 are doing the exact same job, even if it’s invisible to you guys. So, I have to wonder—why is one considered good while the other is seen as bad? After looking through some deleted posts on various topics that both of them have scrubbed, I honestly think some people in the diaspora need to ask themselves what they actually want from these subforums. Are you looking for anarchy, endless off-topic rambling, and constant trolling everywhere you turn?
First, tell me: what would you actually gain if ambermason16 left? What exactly is she doing wrong? How is she holding back your discussions?

anarchy hasn't existed here, at least not since 2002. 😁 whether we have Ironing Man breathing down our necks or not. 😁 This diaspora sub-forum used to be my absolute favorite spot on the site. Now? It’s easily the worst.

The whole "messy threads and constant mocking" thing was always getting flagged before. We don't need Ironing Man to police that. Honestly, feel free to hand me a ban card for my own sarcasm—I won't even put up a fight.

As for the off-topic stuff, it’s everywhere. You want proof? Go look at the other threads in the diaspora section, from the UK topics to the Denmark ones, and you'll see just how much clutter there is. I mean, does anyone actually planning their move to America really care about the weather in Copenhagen or what some former user's vacation schedule looks like in Denmark? Or where some guy who writes a blog is hanging out right now? I haven't seen her deleting those kinds of posts, even though they are totally off-topic. Personally, I think she shouldn't be deleting anything at all—just let people talk. But if she's going to play cop, she should at least be consistent and wipe everything out.

Anyway, that's my two cents...🙂

The diaspora subforum is honestly the absolute worst place on this site, but it’s not even because of the moderators... It’s just that the crowd that gathers there—and I’ll give credit where it’s due because there are a few decent people tucked away in there—tends to scare off every single new user who wanders in, trolling everything in sight, showing zero respect for the mods (unless, of course, those mods are doing absolutely nothing and letting them troll until they pass out), and basically acting like a million clones of the same person, holding endless debates with themselves and starting these massive, pointless revolutions over nothing...

Basically, there isn't a single corner of this forum that’s quite as messy as that one, because it serves as a magnet for people who get banned from Religion or Politics and then migrate over to the diaspora section just to dump all their bitterness and frustration...
Instead of whining about every little thing, maybe we could try actually supporting the moderators for once, paying attention to warnings, and not crying over every single deleted comment like it was some masterpiece worthy of a Nobel Prize... And please, stop treating new users like enemies just because they dared to ask how they might emigrate to, say, Australia, while everyone else acts like this isn't a dedicated service for emigration... I don't even want to start listing all the ridiculous things people do in there...
Clean up your own backyard first before you start pointing fingers at the moderation team...

By the way, I’m not targeting mistyhound2 or coppernomad28 specifically here, I’m just speaking generally about the whole vibe in that section...

Look, there’s nothing wrong with sharing info about moving to interesting countries. But when you have a thread titled "Emigration and Life in Canada" that already has 3,647 posts, and then some guy shows up at the very end just to drop: "I want to move to Canada, what do I need to do?" without even putting in a shred of effort—not even skimming the thread or checking actual resources online—what can you even say? Honestly, shouldn't those kinds of posts be auto-deleted? Maybe we need to update the rules to state that asking questions that have been answered a million times over is unwelcome and subject to deletion. If that doesn't fix it, I'm out of ideas.

By the way, the diaspora subforum used to be a place for great topics and good discussions, even if things weren't always polite. Every single thread that wasn't strictly about immigration or leaving the US was either deleted, moved, or shut down. That’s ultimately what killed that subforum. Personally, I think the diaspora should be able to talk about other stuff too, not just give advice to people looking to leave the US, because we all have opinions on plenty of things. I don't really care to go into heavy political debates over there; I'm more interested in hearing from people who have actually lived all over the world and might have a different perspective than someone who hasn't. Maybe we should just allow new threads to be opened and see if there's interest, just like how it used to be...

Then again, maybe I completely misunderstood the whole point of the diaspora section, and I'm just talking for nothing...

I’m pretty much on the same page as Steven Ruiz. I honestly didn't realize it would turn out like this—where it looks like just a handful of actual people are talking while everyone else is just some group of clones. 😲Look, I don't have the power to go stalking everyone's IP addresses, but when you see a bunch of "new" users popping up constantly who are clearly just carbon copies of each other, yeah, it's true.

But seriously... I was just venting yesterday in some totally unimportant thread on a random chat topic where someone was rambling about how the diaspora had issues way before ambermason16 ever showed up. She's lost her spark and become incredibly boring... a lot of people just stopped posting or visiting for all sorts of reasons. Some have real stuff going on in their lives, some just got bored, and others are just tired of answering the exact same questions for the thousandth time. Let's be real: most of the questions have been answered ages ago; you just actually have to read the threads. But most of the newbies don't bother reading anything, so they just show up and ask the same thing again. It's annoying. Of course, conversations aren't always the same, especially for those of us who have been hanging around this forum for years. And then, whenever someone—like Stefa or whoever else—starts an interesting discussion, the thread gets shut down. It's pointless... that old magic we used to have is gone. There's no inspiration left because threads get closed, posts get deleted, and people just leave or boycott the whole thing. This forum is dying. And then you've got the mod coming in with that bitchy attitude, completely killing whatever tiny bit of life was left. Honestly, it's a failure of leadership. Why doesn't she try starting a thread herself or actually contributing something? It's her forum, after all. 🙂

So, ambermason16 shows up after being gone for a whole month and—boom—instant chaos. Suddenly, posts are getting deleted left and right without any actual logic behind it. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one—how exactly am I supposed to know when I'm trolling or going off-topic? Because honestly, how can you hand out warnings and red cards when the conversation never even stays on one track long enough to develop? It just shifts every time someone jumps in.

Just look at that intervention—or should I call it an ULTIMATUM—from ambermason16. The vocabulary she chose, that rude and insulting way she talks down to everyone here... it says everything you need to know about her personal class, not to mention how much she "cares" about the diaspora. After seeing her act like that, I've honestly lost my appetite for this forum.

@ Nicole Morales3, honestly, even on the Photography board (and other subforums like Tourism, for instance), people are constantly dropping by just to ask the exact same questions over and over again...
If you don't feel like answering them, just ignore them! Someone else will surely step up and provide an answer eventually...
You can't expect people to rush in and engage immediately at the very start, you know? If they aren't met with some warmth, most people might just stay away, instead of us always circling back to the same old conversations...

As for Politics... there is politics within the diaspora, sure, but not a whole lot... And why is that? It's because even without politics, about 80% of any topic eventually devolves into aggressive, profanity-laced arguments... Just think back to that absolutely DISGUSTING exchange between Milos and dead cold back when I was a moderator. And the topic wasn't even political in nature, at least not right at the beginning...
The vibe within the diaspora community is such that if a moderator actually DARES to hand out a warning, it triggers this massive, sudden revolution of nonsense, followed by at least ten days of non-stop trolling, nasty private messages, and people picking apart your personal life...
For heaven's sake, moderators aren't made of steel, nor are they being paid to deal with this kind of chaos twenty-four seven...

The reality is that so many moderators have left because the atmosphere is just toxic—between the constant interference and being called out over every single, tiny, insignificant little thing...
Now, mistyhound2, I personally never had any issues with you, but I see you're upset about a deleted post in the chat...
I can't see which specific post it was, but yes, chat posts do get removed if a moderator decides they don't belong there...
Especially if, as wiredangler5 puts it, it's a case of continued disrespect after a moderator has already issued a warning. I truly don't understand why it's so difficult to stop trolling once a moderator says enough is enough regarding moderation? And then people turn around and complain that the post—which came *after* the warning—was deleted? You all really need to watch what you say... Instead of whining about every single post or every ban, maybe before starting a revolution, you should ask yourselves if you might have actually gone a bit too far...

I rarely visit the diaspora boards anymore, even though they used to be one of my favorite places, specifically because of that poisonous atmosphere where everyone counts every little grain of sand... and I'm certainly not the only one who feels this way. I have friends in the diaspora who hang out in Photography, and they tell me they avoid the diaspora boards for those exact same reasons...
And speaking of moderation, back when I was a moderator, I handled Photography and the diaspora boards equally... On the Photography side, problems are rare or get resolved instantly, but on the diaspora boards, drama happens every day and drags on for ten days straight. That isn't normal at all. And it’s not the fault of the moderators; it’s the fault of the users who frequent those areas...

So, one last thing... I'm not calling anyone out individually here... I've never had any major issues with you (Nicole Morales3 and mistyhound2), but a huge portion of the problem there lies with the users themselves...

electriccobra17 said:So, ambermason16 shows up after being gone for a whole month and—boom—instant chaos. Suddenly, posts are getting deleted left and right without any actual logic behind it. I’m still trying to wrap my head around this one—how exactly am I supposed to know when I'm trolling or going off-topic? Because honestly, how can you hand out warnings and red cards when the conversation never even stays on one track long enough to develop? It just shifts every time someone jumps in.

Just look at that intervention—or should I call it an ULTIMATUM—from ambermason16. The vocabulary she chose, that rude and insulting way she talks down to everyone here... it says everything you need to know about her personal class, not to mention how much she "cares" about the diaspora. After seeing her act like that, I've honestly lost my appetite for this forum.

I have to disagree here, because it feels like she uses much softer language than what folks over there use when they talk to the moderators! Why do you think every little thing directed at her is treated like a major offense, yet if she writes something that is merely considered rude—mind you, just rude, not necessarily offensive—suddenly it’s the end of the world? It's just classic double standards, isn't it...

And just to reiterate... a chat gets flagged if a mod decides that something needs to be warned or deleted...
That isn't something unique to the diaspora, it's just how things work across the entire forum...
Truth be told, the diaspora is the only group that turns a tiny molehill into a massive mountain... 😉

Here’s exactly why I say PZK is a black hole: everything anyone says here who doesn't fall in line ends up getting swallowed by that void, and honestly, it's the same story everywhere else.

wiredangler5 — trolling exists on every damn forum out there. I hang out in a few different subreddits and see the exact same thing. So what? Are we all supposed to pull our hair out over it? Most moderators basically turn a blind eye, and if you ask me, it's not even that big of a deal because people are just inherently like this.
The diaspora isn't any different from anyone else...

Anyway, this whole debate is playing out exactly how I thought it would. If the mods are always right, then the whole forum is pretty much useless...

I just want to weigh in on that whole "nitpicking" comment, mostly because this kind of stuff always gets under my skin. It absolutely drives me crazy when someone starts spewing endless, pro-Mexican nonsense and nobody is allowed to say a damn word about it. We’ve seen statements floating around claiming that Americans killed in conflicts deserved what they got—just mindless, disgusting garbage that goes unpunished. Fine, I get it, freedom of speech. But then things cross a line into being straight-up revolting. Take Milos, for example. He never bothered me, nor did I care that he’s a Mexican (if I recall correctly), because 99.99% of the time he treats other users here with respect and doesn't go looking for trouble. There’s a razor-thin line between expressing an opinion and just being a provocateur. Personally, I find it hard to tell them apart sometimes, but when someone is clearly spitting venom and trying to start something, I’m going to react. I don't give a damn if I get a warning card or not. At the end of the day, who is saying it matters just as much as what is being said. Most of the time, people in the diaspora don't give a single crap about Mexico or Mexicans—it's just not on their radar. But suddenly, everyone becomes an expert when the provocations and filth start flying. That’s when we all start "counting blood cells." Actually, let's not even call it that. I have zero interest in visiting Mexican forums, let alone any actual gathering places of theirs. And honestly, I don't get why someone who truly hates Americans or the US would even show up on the American Diaspora sub-forum expecting us all to be perfectly tolerant of their hate. If the policy is that we should tolerate provocations above all else, then fine: next time a nasty scene breaks out, just permanently ban the person who actually reacts to the provocation. Then we’ll finally have some peace.

So, basically, the whole argument about "nitpicking" doesn't hold water.

This whole thing keeps happening because the moderator cares more about their own ego than actually showing respect (or finding the time) for everyone else.
I’ve been part of the diaspora for ages, and I feel like I’ve seen every single crisis and headache since, I don't know, 2002 or 2003. Honestly, aside from that one guy from Australia (was his name Hobbit or something like that?), this entire moderation team is pretty useless, and the quality of leadership just keeps getting worse. I remember when this group of "housewives" suddenly swooped in—I think that was the exact moment this forum lost its edge. Look, if we're chatting about cookies or recipes, fine, everything's great. But the second Kokuza jumps in to lecture people like they're uneducated peasants, she gets banned, while the "clueless" crowd stays right where they are.
People in the diaspora have way more options for how to build their lives. It's not like nobody wants to help the newcomers, but even these "kids" need to put in a little effort to find info themselves. Like, imagine someone asking: "I'm a chef but I want to work in IT, what school do I need, and how much is an apartment in Los Angeles? Because I'm an American from Lower Krkusa and I only want to live in New York, Florida, or California"—what are you even supposed to say to a question like that?

Up until now, most of this moderation has basically come from the diaspora living in Graz or Vienna. But the diaspora includes users from every single continent with years of life experience (some even live in multiple countries!). How can someone moderate a global community when they spend every weekend sleeping at their mom's place back in... America?

BTW, ambermason16 is (as far as I know) just another name for Skate Mus... If moderators are allowed to have a couple of nicknames, why shouldn't regular users have a few too? Just to keep things interesting!

On top of that, there are political topics that really matter to the diaspora. Economic issues in different countries hit politics differently in the places where we actually live. Our view of the political world is completely different from someone who's seventeen and only knows about the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. I realized a long time ago that in Europe, your only choices seem to be being a fascist, a communist, or part of the diaspora—but moving continents doesn't magically fix all the old baggage. We have a few users here with libertarian views that are totally unknown in most parts of the world, and their posts make zero sense to anyone who hasn't experienced much more than just Communist Party or Republican Party ideas.

Naturally, the diaspora sees internal American problems through a different lens (as Njegos would say, "if you stand on a hill, you see better than those stuck in the valley"), and certain European solutions just don't align with what people in the diaspora have actually gone through.

Plus, the criteria for free speech are totally different here compared to the EU or America, which causes a lot of frustration. For example, if I write that my current president is a jerk, it's totally fine here. But if I go on a forum and say Sanders is a jerk—whether I mean it literally or just figuratively—will I get banned? That feels so disconnected from the environment I actually live in; neither side should be bowing down to political figures.

Because of all this, I truly believe a moderator for the diaspora should be from the "New World"—the USA, Canada, or Australia. But hey, if there aren't any other options, or if the forum policy is to maintain some "Old World" tradition of being overly respectful to hierarchical structures, then let it be!

As for me, I don't even have to visit the forum, but I'll swing by for updates. I won't pretend I'm not rambling a bit too much!

@ Nicole Morales3, you claim that being nitpicked over every little detail really gets under your skin, yet somehow you have this incredibly selective memory regarding how things actually went down... It makes it look like Milos was the only one posting trash while Dead Cold was the only one who got penalized. Honestly, I couldn't care less about whether someone is a Mexican or an American. Both sides were talking nonsense, and both sides ended up getting hit with a seven-day ban.
End of.

First, thanks to my colleagues for the support. Now, let’s lay this out clearly:

- It's bad when I'm not around.
- It's bad when I am around.
- It's bad when trolls harass you (just look back at how much everyone cried about getting Papa Smurf removed).
- It's bad when trolls, trolling, or spamming actually get sanctioned.
- It's bad when someone tries to join the discussion—because apparently, what could a random American woman living in Los Angeles possibly have to say to you? Just some mindless nobody, right?
- It's bad when people DON'T participate—because clearly, it's my sacred duty to force high-quality conversation (an argument you pull out like you're trying to squeeze free moonshine out of a dry stone), while completely ignoring the fact that YOU are the ones supposed to be providing 99% of the intelligence here.
- Every single moderator in the history of the diaspora is worthless. Every one of them! They're just monsters put there specifically to abuse you poor souls. And you won't even lift a finger to call any of them, or me, out when it's deserved.
- It's bad if there's no moderation, because then the trolls kill you.
- It's bad when people are punished, because... what trolls? You're just swatting mosquitoes.
- It's bad when people ask you questions (and I'm talking about the users)... because why should they bother pestering you a hundred times about the same thing? (I'll cite Vilk and Nicole Morales3 as clear exceptions here... if I missed anyone, my apologies... the diaspora does have quality users. But then there's that annoying disability where a handful of people make it their life's mission to destroy this thread and then blame the moderators for it.)
- It's bad when people don't ask you, because what do they know about life in the diaspora? Who are they to lecture you anyway?
- It's always bad.
- Everything is bad.

Moving on:

I still don't see a single damn example of poor moderation on my part. Something was deleted? Fine. Name it. We'll find it.

All I see are two or three of you who needed at least three warnings and a red card just to stop spitting on me from dawn till dusk and posting your grievances exactly where they belong. Like I said, I still don't see a single actual instance of wrongdoing. Just pure spite.

Discuss with you? You had your knives drawn before I could even get a word in. You act arrogant, you act condescending, and there is zero talk of cooperation between moderators and users... so what am I supposed to discuss with you? I don't want to. I'm not interested in that kind of communication. Dozens of high-quality users I could actually relate to are perpetually drowned out by a few of you who have decided you're the local sheriffs. I have nothing to talk to you about. Besides, that isn't even my primary job. My job is to keep order in this thread... which is practically impossible (see my "It's bad when..." section above). As you all love to point out—I don't engage with you. So, am I the one trolling? Am I the one spamming? Am i the one being abusive? Or are you all just responsible for your own mess?

There is an entire dimension of mental wrecks who clone themselves faster than rabbits, making sure every single morning a new "world class whore" PM is waiting in my inbox (we're talking dozens of PMs, not just trolls... and even they are plenty) I won't even mention it.

So? Where is the error? Why can't the super-moderator see it? Why can't the admins see it? Why is it always the same group of people pointing fingers? Is it because I refuse to be their little friend? Boo-hoo. Rewind the tape and think about how you treated your friends versus how you treat people trying to enter your sub-forum... and there's your reason why I won't socialize with you. Doing so doesn't break any rules.

And why am I handing out cards and deleting posts? Look, it's simple: Because you're breaking the forum rules. Rules I committed to protecting. And I intend to keep doing exactly that.

Disclaimer: I am glad this petty bickering is finally being put in its place. I have made myself clear. That is all you are getting from me. Don't expect a twenty-five-page debate. If the admins decide I acted wrongly, they will sanction me just as I sanction you. And get it through your heads: I didn't just wake up one morning and decide to ruin your thread or systematically target someone personally. You aren't that important.

Ashley Rogers4 said:This whole thing keeps happening because the moderator cares more about their own ego than actually showing respect (or finding the time) for everyone else.
I’ve been part of the diaspora for ages, and I feel like I’ve seen every single crisis and headache since, I don't know, 2002 or 2003. Honestly, aside from that one guy from Australia (was his name Hobbit or something like that?), this entire moderation team is pretty useless, and the quality of leadership just keeps getting worse. I remember when this group of "housewives" suddenly swooped in—I think that was the exact moment this forum lost its edge. Look, if we're chatting about cookies or recipes, fine, everything's great. But the second Kokuza jumps in to lecture people like they're uneducated peasants, she gets banned, while the "clueless" crowd stays right where they are.
People in the diaspora have way more options for how to build their lives. It's not like nobody wants to help the newcomers, but even these "kids" need to put in a little effort to find info themselves. Like, imagine someone asking: "I'm a chef but I want to work in IT, what school do I need, and how much is an apartment in Los Angeles? Because I'm an American from Lower Krkusa and I only want to live in New York, Florida, or California"—what are you even supposed to say to a question like that?

Up until now, most of this moderation has basically come from the diaspora living in Graz or Vienna. But the diaspora includes users from every single continent with years of life experience (some even live in multiple countries!). How can someone moderate a global community when they spend every weekend sleeping at their mom's place back in... America?

BTW, ambermason16 is (as far as I know) just another name for Skate Mus... If moderators are allowed to have a couple of nicknames, why shouldn't regular users have a few too? Just to keep things interesting!

On top of that, there are political topics that really matter to the diaspora. Economic issues in different countries hit politics differently in the places where we actually live. Our view of the political world is completely different from someone who's seventeen and only knows about the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. I realized a long time ago that in Europe, your only choices seem to be being a fascist, a communist, or part of the diaspora—but moving continents doesn't magically fix all the old baggage. We have a few users here with libertarian views that are totally unknown in most parts of the world, and their posts make zero sense to anyone who hasn't experienced much more than just Communist Party or Republican Party ideas.

Naturally, the diaspora sees internal American problems through a different lens (as Njegos would say, "if you stand on a hill, you see better than those stuck in the valley"), and certain European solutions just don't align with what people in the diaspora have actually gone through.

Plus, the criteria for free speech are totally different here compared to the EU or America, which causes a lot of frustration. For example, if I write that my current president is a jerk, it's totally fine here. But if I go on a forum and say Sanders is a jerk—whether I mean it literally or just figuratively—will I get banned? That feels so disconnected from the environment I actually live in; neither side should be bowing down to political figures.

Because of all this, I truly believe a moderator for the diaspora should be from the "New World"—the USA, Canada, or Australia. But hey, if there aren't any other options, or if the forum policy is to maintain some "Old World" tradition of being overly respectful to hierarchical structures, then let it be!

As for me, I don't even have to visit the forum, but I'll swing by for updates. I won't pretend I'm not rambling a bit too much!

This whole post is, well, full of nonsense. 🙂

Between claims that Ironing Man is just another name for Skate Mus, suggestions that moderators should be from the "New World" (🤣), and the idea that in America you can only be one thing—a fascist, a communist, or part of the 🤔 diaspora... Not to mention quoting Kokuza like she’s some modern-day heroine! It's the ultra-urban Kokuza versus the shepherds! 😂😂

Posts like this are exactly why I don't hang out here more often. 😁 I'm afraid of catching the contagion, if you catch my drift...

Honestly, we’d probably be better off if the moderator for this diaspora forum was recruited from a different galaxy altogether.
Calling it the "New World" feels just a bit too cliché, don't you think?☕

Look, they don't need to be some kind of intergalactic overlord, though honestly, that would be pretty cool 😁 They just need to be normal. That’s really all anyone expects. This whole PDF thing isn't some sacred text, and I certainly don't believe the moderators on this site are the biggest badasses in the universe either. 😁 ambermason16, with that aggressive "savior complex" attitude and irritating behavior, basically poisoned the well with nothing but dislike and distrust from day one on that miserable PDF. Personally, I never sent threatening messages to mods—or anyone else for that matter—I never used burner accounts, and it never even crossed my mind. To be honest, I haven't felt like posting on that PDF for ages, and it wasn't because of the mods; they were all perfectly fine by me. It was because of those windbags who spend nearly 24 hours a day acting like experts, lecturing everyone, and Googling facts that any sane person could find themselves. Sure, there are annoying users, and sure, there are likable people too. Everyone has two choices: keep typing, or just ignore it and boycott the whole thing. Let everyone decide for themselves. ☕