Moderator changes: A constructive proposal to improve forum quality

Here’s my take on this topic:

Technically, there just isn't an alternative to how things are moderated right now. Moderators act as a corrective force—on one hand, they keep our discussions aligned with socially acceptable values, and on the other, they serve as the middleman between us users and the admins. Ultimately, since the admins own the place, their main goal is making sure this "forum project" turns a profit.
Private property doesn't come with democracy.
If you look at it logically, all those other suggestions (from Kenneth Peterson5, rowdyhawk10... etc.) are basically impossible to implement. They require extra time and money, but the profit stays exactly the same. If I were the owner, I wouldn't sign off on them, and that's probably exactly what the current owners are thinking too.
Bottom line: we users have zero say in who becomes a moderator or what criteria the admins use to pick them.
Think of it like the police (Desiree). A cop should be able to punish you for the exact same offense whether you're in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, or Miami. It should follow a universal law that applies to everyone.
But here’s the catch.
There is no actual "law" on this forum. The rules are so vague that anyone can interpret them however they feel like—users, moderators, and admins alike. You could get banned on one sub-forum for something that would actually make a moderator on another sub-forum cheer you on, and vice versa. It’s like a cop in San Diego pulls you over for speeding, but then a cop in Miami gives you a high-five and some cash for doing the exact same thing.
Furthermore, I’d love to see a set of rules that applies strictly to the moderators themselves. Don't they have some kind of internal "samurai" code of conduct or honor?
Because I'm just not seeing it. Back when I was teaching high school nearly thirty years ago and managing eight classes of about 250 kids, my first rule was to treat every single one of them exactly the same. Sure, I liked some, disliked others, some drove me crazy, and I straight-up hated some—but I never let any of them see it. My authority rested entirely on the students believing that my grading was fair.
Also, changes to this forum will only happen once the vital functions start failing—like revenue, traffic, ad buys, or some massive scandal with huge social consequences. Everything else is just talk. Modern society doesn't work by making structural changes out of pure altruism or idealism. If something works, don't touch it. If you want something new, tear it all down and build it from scratch. It's cheaper that way.

hiddenhound3 said:That tells us quite a lot, actually.
The last time you checked the user counts was during a weekend tied to Christmas, which hardly constitutes a statistically sound sample. People were away on vacation, spending time with their families, and attending to various obligations; in truth, it would have been more concerning if forum activity had spiked during that period.

As of Monday morning, there were 12 members active in Psychology, 4 in Philosophy, and 6 in Spirituality. One cannot overlook the fact that Philosophy and Spirituality are separate subforums, which naturally results in lower individual member counts. Furthermore, the number of people truly engaged in studying philosophy is significantly smaller than those seeking help in the Psychology section, making such direct comparisons somewhat absurd.

Regarding the Spirituality section, the situation is evolving. People are learning, we have a new moderator providing much-needed assistance, and the aggressive agitators who used to cause trouble there have vanished. Consequently, we are persevering, and it appears that everyone is finding the environment quite pleasant.🙂

I am filing a formal complaint regarding this post due to trolling and discriminatory content. It contains veiled aggression toward participants who are being treated as unwelcome simply because their unique perspectives create a dynamic that the user florine labels as "unrest."
The implication that certain participants are somehow problematic—without any actual explanation of how they cause "unrest"—makes it clear that this post is nothing more than trolling.

Isn't this exactly where the issue lies? This kind of intolerance and failure to understand diversity is the core of the problem!

I kindly request that florine be sanctioned for this post. Otherwise, by allowing this behavior to pass without consequence, aren't we essentially encouraging the spread of discrimination and intolerance?

I don't even know where to start with this one—just total madness. Honestly, what the hell is going on lately? It feels like everything is spiraling, and nobody is even paying attention. Just constant chaos, man. I’m sitting here thinking about how much everything has changed, and it’s just... exhausting. You look around and it's like everyone's lost their damn minds. Anyway, just my two cents. Life's a mess. says:
That tells us everything we need to know.
The last time I actually checked the user count, it was that long weekend tied up with Christmas—which, let's be honest, isn't exactly a solid sample size for anything. People were out living their lives, hanging with family, dealing with all those holiday obligations... honestly, it would’ve been downright creepy if more people had been hanging out on Reddit during that stretch.

So, check this out—it’s Monday morning, and I’m looking at the numbers. On the psychology subreddit, there were 12 members hanging around, while philosophy only had 4, and spirituality had 6. Now, you can't just ignore the fact that philosophy and spirituality aren't even joined together as subforums—which obviously tanks their member counts. But honestly? Even beyond that, the number of people actually interested in philosophy is nothing compared to the crowd over in psychology practically begging for help. Trying to compare the two is just straight-up absurd.

As for that whole PDF spirituality scene—things are actually shifting. People are finally starting to learn some stuff, and we've got a new moderator stepping in to help out, which is huge. The aggressive trolls who used to constantly stir up drama and cause chaos there? They're gone. So, yeah, we’re surviving, and honestly, it feels like everyone is actually vibing for once. 🙂

Dear hiddenhound3,

Look, bottom line—your whole post is a total train wreck, so naturally—and I really hope you catch this vibe—my response is gonna be just as messy. 🙂

Mark Torres14 said:Here’s my take on this topic:

Technically, there just isn't an alternative to how things are moderated right now. Moderators act as a corrective force—on one hand, they keep our discussions aligned with socially acceptable values, and on the other, they serve as the middleman between us users and the admins. Ultimately, since the admins own the place, their main goal is making sure this "forum project" turns a profit.
Private property doesn't come with democracy.
If you look at it logically, all those other suggestions (from Kenneth Peterson5, rowdyhawk10... etc.) are basically impossible to implement. They require extra time and money, but the profit stays exactly the same. If I were the owner, I wouldn't sign off on them, and that's probably exactly what the current owners are thinking too.
Bottom line: we users have zero say in who becomes a moderator or what criteria the admins use to pick them.
Think of it like the police (Desiree). A cop should be able to punish you for the exact same offense whether you're in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, or Miami. It should follow a universal law that applies to everyone.
But here’s the catch.
There is no actual "law" on this forum. The rules are so vague that anyone can interpret them however they feel like—users, moderators, and admins alike. You could get banned on one sub-forum for something that would actually make a moderator on another sub-forum cheer you on, and vice versa. It’s like a cop in San Diego pulls you over for speeding, but then a cop in Miami gives you a high-five and some cash for doing the exact same thing.
Furthermore, I’d love to see a set of rules that applies strictly to the moderators themselves. Don't they have some kind of internal "samurai" code of conduct or honor?
Because I'm just not seeing it. Back when I was teaching high school nearly thirty years ago and managing eight classes of about 250 kids, my first rule was to treat every single one of them exactly the same. Sure, I liked some, disliked others, some drove me crazy, and I straight-up hated some—but I never let any of them see it. My authority rested entirely on the students believing that my grading was fair.
Also, changes to this forum will only happen once the vital functions start failing—like revenue, traffic, ad buys, or some massive scandal with huge social consequences. Everything else is just talk. Modern society doesn't work by making structural changes out of pure altruism or idealism. If something works, don't touch it. If you want something new, tear it all down and build it from scratch. It's cheaper that way.

Hey, Mark Torres14—did you seriously miss that suggestion from Jeremy Diaz9? Because honestly, it’s actually pretty solid.
Seriously? You're kidding me, right?
So, how does that even work, Mark Torres14? Seriously, man, how is that even possible? 🤷😁

Benjamin Long said:I am filing a formal complaint regarding this post due to trolling and discriminatory content. It contains veiled aggression toward participants who are being treated as unwelcome simply because their unique perspectives create a dynamic that the user florine labels as "unrest."
The implication that certain participants are somehow problematic—without any actual explanation of how they cause "unrest"—makes it clear that this post is nothing more than trolling.

Isn't this exactly where the issue lies? This kind of intolerance and failure to understand diversity is the core of the problem!

I kindly request that florine be sanctioned for this post. Otherwise, by allowing this behavior to pass without consequence, aren't we essentially encouraging the spread of discrimination and intolerance?

Hell yeah! Long live the Chinese Revolution. 🤣🤣

Look, if we're following that logic, we should probably both report each other to some government agency or something—because by claiming to stand for free speech and tolerance while basically trying to cancel everyone else, aren't we just asking for freedom of speech and tolerance for our own little circle while tossing everyone else under the bus? 😲😁
We can't do it like that, Alexis—we just can't (and yeah, I know, I'm repeating myself, but hey, I've lived long enough to know how this goes 😢).

That being said, I totally get why you're so pissed off about the constant disrespect shown toward our fellow user ja_sanje (you know, the one who's always knocking on the door...) and others by the "esteemed" hiddenhound3. So, I decided to just double down on the most important part of what you were saying—the stuff we've both been trying to point out to this whole online community, or rather, the administration, who could actually do something about it if they actually gave a damn.

🤣 🤣

Kenneth Peterson5, you're honestly the best—I mean, how do you even do it? 🤣 though I have to say, I partially agree with you regarding Religion; there's just no Brezovka, no little bird, not even any Labelline left...:šmrc:

Well, look here, my colleague Kenneth Peterson5, sometimes things truly have to be pushed to the absolute point of absurdity just to ensure the message actually reaches the ears of those who refuse to listen.
This initial report in my two-year tenure on Reddit serves merely as an expressive tool to highlight the sheer absurdity of this situation. In fact, it is quite simply all I have left—my sense of humor, as ridiculous as that may sound.😢
Miracles, unfortunately, are not within my power; I cannot grant sight to the blind or hearing to the deaf.

Kenneth Peterson5 said:Hey there, hiddenhound3,
I’ll happily throw in a few more details just for you, because I want to make sure we're totally on the same page here.

Look, if you look back about six months—back when the Religion section had maybe 60 active members, while Psychology was sitting at around 30, and Philosophy and Spirituality combined were hovering around 27.

So, what’s the takeaway?

It tells me that certain moderators—you know, the ones who love "editing the threads whenever they feel like it"—are basically driving away anyone who doesn't fit into that boring, mediocre middle ground. And that middle ground? They absolutely love to follow them blindly, whether they're worshipping them or just spitting on any content that isn't strictly "standard." It's a joke, because those outsiders are usually the ones serving up the best stuff.

Since I'm not sure if my little math lesson above made sense, I'll take the liberty of giving you some real-world examples. Let's talk about the actual users who aren't with us anymore—people without whom "things just aren't the same"—like alim, ja_sanja, mislim..., Musliman.hr, sjena., Adura, Zeev Zion, hija del zion, crno&bijelo, Aganor, and plenty more.

That's just a tiny list of names, really. Some got banned just for being "different," others were chased off by constant belittling from the mods and their little cliques, and some just lost the drive to participate in such a sterile environment where creativity and actual intelligence aren't exactly welcomed with open arms.

On top of that—and I don't know how much you know about this—there are tons of users constantly venting about how these specific sections are managed, which you can clearly see over in the "complaint and grievance" section, and sometimes even in the "ban corner." If my memory serves me right, hiddenhound3, you actually filed a completely valid complaint against one of the mods a while back, and—surprise, surprise—you never got a single shred of feedback from the admin team.

If my "numbers game" still hasn't clicked for you, well, maybe it's just me being unable to connect the dots clearly—so bear with me, okay?

Best, and happy scrolling!

OMFG 😲

Alright, look—I get it when someone brings up Adura, sunlight, or Dervish. I actually feel bad that they left, but there isn't much I can do when people choose to reject basic social norms just because they don't like them. However, once you bring up Aganor into the conversation, all I can say is WHAT THE FUCK? Seriously, just look at his body of work! Anyone who dares to disagree with him gets hit with some variation of "you're stupid, uneducated, clueless, why are you even talking to me, you jerk." People like that will never find a home on the Religion forum—not because they lack originality or intellect, but because they lack basic culture, self-control, or any shred of consideration for others.

crimsonhound80 said:🤣 🤣

Kenneth Peterson5, you're honestly the best—I mean, how do you even do it? 🤣 though I have to say, I partially agree with you regarding Religion; there's just no Brezovka, no little bird, not even any Labelline left...:šmrc:

Says the guy who became the moderator for Religion and then just... vanished. 🙂

Nicole James said:Says the guy who became the moderator for Religion and then just... vanished. 🙂

Look, I wasn't trying to argue with you—really, I wasn't—but you basically gave those guys over at PZ a free pass to go absolutely wild on peaceful believers (and by that, I mean people who aren't Aganor or whatever else).

Anyway, you're the one who set up that sub-forum in the first place. I could just sense it—it's like an instinct, I guess—that you weren't going to listen to me, so I just quietly stepped back, behaving like a decent Christian, and let those young hooligans have their way. 😢

Shady, crimsonhound80 used to be a moderator for the Religion section 😲

I definitely have a bit of a phobia regarding normal people 🙂

(I mean, whose perverse idea was that 😁)

Did I create a sub-forum? You’re giving me way too much credit here 🙂

As moderators, we just try to maintain a bit of balance—it's really the users who sit on the ends of the seesaw, pulling everything up and down...

Andrew Sanchez572 said:Shady, crimsonhound80 used to be a moderator for the Religion section 😲

I definitely have a bit of a phobia regarding normal people 🙂

(I mean, whose perverse idea was that 😁)

And why on earth would you—man (or girl, honestly, who knows anymore)—🤔 want me to be a moderator!?

I've actually been thinking lately about what role I should take on—mostly because I'm bored, let's be real—and I do quite enjoy banning troublemakers like you 🙂

crimsonhound80 said:And why on earth would you—man (or girl, honestly, who knows anymore)—🤔 want me to be a moderator!?

I've actually been thinking lately about what role I should take on—mostly because I'm bored, let's be real—and I do quite enjoy banning troublemakers like you 🙂

I heard they're looking for people over on Teens😁

🤣

crimsonhound80 said:And why on earth would you—man (or girl, honestly, who knows anymore)—🤔 want me to be a moderator!?

I've actually been thinking lately about what role I should take on—mostly because I'm bored, let's be real—and I do quite enjoy banning troublemakers like you 🙂

Which would you prefer?

I've actually been thinking lately about what role I should take on... life's getting a bit dull, and I do have a certain fondness for banning troublemakers like yourself 🙂

If you really want to ban me, then why don't you start moderating the cosmetics section? 👍

boldhound8 said:I heard they're looking for people over on Teens😁

Look, I already brought this up during the moderator meeting a couple of weeks back, 😈 😂

Nicole James said:Did I create a sub-forum? You’re giving me way too much credit here 🙂

As moderators, we just try to maintain a bit of balance—it's really the users who sit on the ends of the seesaw, pulling everything up and down...

Well, you were there the longest—and honestly, I guess you were pretty tough on us when you were running the show. 😉

Look, us moderators—we’re really just here to maintain a bit of balance, I guess. We aren't the ones driving the bus; it's the users themselves who are constantly teetering on the edges of the seesaw, pulling everything up and down...

Oh, please—give me a break. Honestly, I think some people are just bitter because they aren't the ones holding the moderator keys. It’s almost pathetic, really—though maybe I’m being too harsh? I don't know. But yeah, it seems like a huge chunk of them are just throwing fits because they didn't get the power trip they were craving. Typical. 😍

boldhound8 said:I heard they're looking for people over on Teens😁

jude, beasts, or monsters 🤣 🤣

Yeah, I suppose I could... honestly, the older I get, the more infantile I seem to become—it's just how it goes, I guess. ☕

you must be one of the oldest members on this Reddit 😲 elder 🙏

I’ve been scrolling through the last seven posts trying to find even one single constructive suggestion to actually make this Reddit better, but honestly? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Maybe I’m just losing my mind. 🤷

Kenneth Peterson5 said:

I don't even know where to start with this one—just total madness. Honestly, what the hell is going on lately? It feels like everything is spiraling, and nobody is even paying attention. Just constant chaos, man. I’m sitting here thinking about how much everything has changed, and it’s just... exhausting. You look around and it's like everyone's lost their damn minds. Anyway, just my two cents. Life's a mess. says:
That tells us everything we need to know.
The last time I actually checked the user count, it was that long weekend tied up with Christmas—which, let's be honest, isn't exactly a solid sample size for anything. People were out living their lives, hanging with family, dealing with all those holiday obligations... honestly, it would’ve been downright creepy if more people had been hanging out on Reddit during that stretch.

So, check this out—it’s Monday morning, and I’m looking at the numbers. On the psychology subreddit, there were 12 members hanging around, while philosophy only had 4, and spirituality had 6. Now, you can't just ignore the fact that philosophy and spirituality aren't even joined together as subforums—which obviously tanks their member counts. But honestly? Even beyond that, the number of people actually interested in philosophy is nothing compared to the crowd over in psychology practically begging for help. Trying to compare the two is just straight-up absurd.

As for that whole PDF spirituality scene—things are actually shifting. People are finally starting to learn some stuff, and we've got a new moderator stepping in to help out, which is huge. The aggressive trolls who used to constantly stir up drama and cause chaos there? They're gone. So, yeah, we’re surviving, and honestly, it feels like everyone is actually vibing for once. 🙂

Dear hiddenhound3,

Look, bottom line—your whole post is a total train wreck, so naturally—and I really hope you catch this vibe—my response is gonna be just as messy. 🙂

Hey, Mark Torres14—did you seriously miss that suggestion from Jeremy Diaz9? Because honestly, it’s actually pretty solid.
Seriously? You're kidding me, right?
So, how does that even work, Mark Torres14? Seriously, man, how is that even possible? 🤷😁

Hell yeah! Long live the Chinese Revolution. 🤣🤣

Look, if we're following that logic, we should probably both report each other to some government agency or something—because by claiming to stand for free speech and tolerance while basically trying to cancel everyone else, aren't we just asking for freedom of speech and tolerance for our own little circle while tossing everyone else under the bus? 😲😁
We can't do it like that, Alexis—we just can't (and yeah, I know, I'm repeating myself, but hey, I've lived long enough to know how this goes 😢).

That being said, I totally get why you're so pissed off about the constant disrespect shown toward our fellow user ja_sanje (you know, the one who's always knocking on the door...) and others by the "esteemed" hiddenhound3. So, I decided to just double down on the most important part of what you were saying—the stuff we've both been trying to point out to this whole online community, or rather, the administration, who could actually do something about it if they actually gave a damn.

I looked at it again. I thought maybe I missed something. The proposal is lovely, wonderful, and ...............technically impossible.
Adding a joker just makes everything way too complicated.

Kenneth Peterson5 said:I’ve been scrolling through the last seven posts trying to find even one single constructive suggestion to actually make this Reddit better, but honestly? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Maybe I’m just losing my mind. 🤷

Look, I’m telling you, crimsonhound80 would seriously level up the whole quality of the Teens subforum, and honestly, I don't even get why you're struggling to wrap your head around that. It's pretty straightforward. 🤷