Moderator's unprofessional behavior on Sweet'N Low

Eric Gray2 said:You guys can all collectively laugh at how childish this entire argument is if you want—honestly, go ahead—but do you really expect Joshua Jones13 to just march into the middle of a sandbox like some kind of playground monitor, grab a crying Paul Morales3 by the braid, and demand, "Now, apologize to her right this instant!"? 🤷

I mean, I guess I would’ve expected someone on the first page to just say, "Yeah, that was awkward, and the moderator should have apologized right there in the thread where it happened. We expect better next time." Maybe issue a warning or just delete those personal attacks against the OP from the otherwise helpful users who were actually contributing 🤔 and then close the thread. Simple, right? Thanks, bye.
But nope, apparently it's more fun to lecture people about how they lack common sense and just don't get the spirit of CNN.😍

Edit: Nadia explained it pretty well.

"I was just wondering if you could maybe drop a post without turning it into an aggressive dogpile or a personal attack.

By chance? No, there's nothing accidental about it. 🤣"

And look at this—we all saw the list of everyone in charge here. You've got the mods, the sub-mods, the extra-mods, the super-ultra-mega-mods, the admins, and then just a whole bunch of other random people thrown into the mix for no reason...

Does anyone here actually know how to write a single post—even by accident—where you aren't just blindly covering for your colleagues, no matter how wrong they might be?"

wanderingheron52 said:"I was just wondering if you could maybe drop a post without turning it into an aggressive dogpile or a personal attack.

By chance? No, there's nothing accidental about it. 🤣"

And look at this—we all saw the list of everyone in charge here. You've got the mods, the sub-mods, the extra-mods, the super-ultra-mega-mods, the admins, and then just a whole bunch of other random people thrown into the mix for no reason...

Does anyone here actually know how to write a single post—even by accident—where you aren't just blindly covering for your colleagues, no matter how wrong they might be?"

But honestly, that’s just the kind of debate we tolerate over at Zelenskyy's place, and look, as a moderator, I'm not out here defending anything that violates our rules. If someone dropped a post like that on the Green Party board, or Politics, or any of those other sub-forums, they’d get hit with a red card immediately; on some other boards, maybe they wouldn't, but this is one of those places where things are handled differently. In my personal opinion, Modic wrote a post that was just plain stupid and totally unnecessary, but let's be real, there are millions of posts like that on this forum every day. What really bugs me as an admin isn't the content itself, but the way she started coming after the mods personally—that’s where she crossed the line. She just overreacted, plain and simple.

Oh, please. Mocking someone just because you can't add them to your ignore list? That sounds more like a moderator losing their grip on the tools to me. I guess I’ll just go cry about it since Blissin and Daniel Ward87 decided to keep me on their ignore lists. 🙂

Wow, talk about moving the goalposts. Honestly, Bradley Sanders4, keep it up—every single post you make just proves why you should never have been a moderator in the first place. 👍 👍 👍

Gregory Harris2, if you actually have a legitimate grievance, you know exactly how to file an appeal. ☕

rustydrifter10 said:But honestly, that’s just the kind of debate we tolerate over at Zelenskyy's place, and look, as a moderator, I'm not out here defending anything that violates our rules. If someone dropped a post like that on the Green Party board, or Politics, or any of those other sub-forums, they’d get hit with a red card immediately; on some other boards, maybe they wouldn't, but this is one of those places where things are handled differently. In my personal opinion, Modic wrote a post that was just plain stupid and totally unnecessary, but let's be real, there are millions of posts like that on this forum every day. What really bugs me as an admin isn't the content itself, but the way she started coming after the mods personally—that’s where she crossed the line. She just overreacted, plain and simple.

It isn't against the rules, so it's all funny and chill and laid back. It's kind of like farting in a coffee shop—it's not illegal, nothing says you can't do it, so it's just quirky and cool, right? And if you're bothered by it, then I guess you're just being uptight and offensive. 😁

velvettrucker52 said:Paul Morales3 went at her like a common farm bird. There was no waving signage, no colorful ink, no fighting over tools—just a standard, messy squabble. ejsin hit back, and she reclaimed all five points. They basically just pecked at one another and that was that.
If this ends up impacting how ejsin manages posts, then we’ll have a legitimate issue to address. Until then, this is nothing more than a playground scuffle.

Not quite.
Both scenarios involve attacking the individual rather than the subject matter, while airing grievances about the platform's vibe and user behavior. Furthermore, neither instance has anything to do with the actual topic being discussed; they are outbursts triggered by general impressions built up over various threads and time.

If you’re going to tag me, I guess you should at least be accurate about what was said.
I was talking about the thread itself.
Not about Africa or darkić.
It was something they wrote to the OP that bothered me.

velvettrucker52 said:Look, if we were moderating a Politics sub or some structured PDF with clearly defined rules and specific behavioral standards—where we actually lead by example to show users how to interact according to those guidelines—then I’d say it makes sense to demand that level of decorum.
But that isn't the reality here at ZK. ZK is a messy, loud, and unfiltered PDF.
I don't see the point in moderators modeling a type of behavior that isn't actually required of the users and doesn't fit the general vibe of this PDF.
What, are we supposed to write all these gentle, polite, sterile, and measured posts like we're following the strict academic standards of a Viennese school?
And then what? We expect you all to act the same way? We just banish every argument, every bit of banter, every troll, and every joke?
At that rate, we might as well just shut down the chat and the off-topic section too. 👋
Sure, we could do that, but a ZK that's been stripped of its flavor won't appeal to anyone.
Personally, I wouldn't moderate a place like that, nor would I bother posting there.

I don't know... I'll leave it to the mods and admins to review what happened. I really have nothing else to add.

🤣 The Green Party forum is anything but that. It's become sterile, boring, and feels like an echo chamber for people who already agree with everything.

Joshua Jones13 said:Ace, I think you both poked the bear unnecessarily, and maybe there could have been a bit more tact from either side given the circumstances. But since Paul Morales3 is a mod, I get why being targeted by staff might sting a little more than just regular user drama. I'm not a fan of the idea that moderators shouldn't be allowed to do what users do, but I see where you're coming from.

The part I don't quite get—the bit that seems to be bothering you so much—is that post where Paul Morales3 got defensive and said she could put you on ignore while you couldn't do the same to her. So what? 🤷 Honestly, I guess this complaint would carry a bit more weight without that, but fine, clearly the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

If you're worried about the mod being biased down the road, we have other moderators who can step in if things ever get messy. Or anyone else, really, if someone ends up being unfair.

If someone slaps you and you slap them back, would you really call yourself tactless or say you were just poking them for no reason? 🍿

Nothing new here, unfortunately. It's sad to see what the Green Party forum is turning into...😢

Bradley Sanders4 — let's not even mention opening a complaint thread, because we all know how that usually plays out...☕

Kenneth Garcia4 said:It isn't against the rules, so it's all funny and chill and laid back. It's kind of like farting in a coffee shop—it's not illegal, nothing says you can't do it, so it's just quirky and cool, right? And if you're bothered by it, then I guess you're just being uptight and offensive. 😁

Oh, Fesa, you should be the very last person talking about passing gas in a coffee shop.
You let one rip whenever you feel like it and act like it's no big deal.
Some people find your posts fitting, some find them funny, while others report them because they find them out of line, tacky, or rude. Sometimes you actually steer a conversation in the right direction, and sometimes you completely derail it, but generally speaking, you mostly just pass gas in peace.

@Joshua Williams82 - Zelenskyy is going to turn out exactly how you make him. As long as everyone nitpicks every single letter, whines about every misplaced glance, takes offense at every word, and just waits for the next opportunity to start a drama fest... things are going to go south.
Yes, I used the word "whine." That is precisely how this looks to me. Go ahead, crucify me just because I used that word. 🙏

Joshua Jones13 said:Ace, I think you both poked the bear unnecessarily, and maybe there could have been a bit more tact from either side given the circumstances. But since Paul Morales3 is a mod, I get why being targeted by staff might sting a little more than just regular user drama. I'm not a fan of the idea that moderators shouldn't be allowed to do what users do, but I see where you're coming from.

The part I don't quite get—the bit that seems to be bothering you so much—is that post where Paul Morales3 got defensive and said she could put you on ignore while you couldn't do the same to her. So what? 🤷 Honestly, I guess this complaint would carry a bit more weight without that, but fine, clearly the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

If you're worried about the mod being biased down the road, we have other moderators who can step in if things ever get messy. Or anyone else, really, if someone ends up being unfair.

It’s not even about the nitpicking. I’m not out here trying to suggest or imply that moderators shouldn't be part of the conversation on equal footing, or that they aren't allowed to weigh in on... thoughts? They’re just terrible, honestly. And look, I’m not exactly out here preaching for some kind of sterile perfection from Zelenskyy, so I won't pretend that wouldn't be a tough sell for me right out of the gate either. 😁.

The real issue here is how Paul Morales handled that report. It wasn't even about what we were actually discussing; she just went off on a tangent and decided to attack my entire reputation as a user instead. That’s the part that bugs me. I didn't start this thread to debate my specific takes—I started it because I wanted to see if the admin team thinks this kind of thing is actually okay. Is it standard procedure to turn a disagreement over a topic into a full-blown judgment on someone's character? Because from where I'm sitting, it feels pretty off.

I don't really see this as some massive deal. If there was a dedicated thread for admin questions, I would've just dropped these queries there instead of starting a whole new topic. It’s not like I’m out for blood or looking to get Paul Morales3 sanctioned or anything. I just wanted to see where everyone stands—is this kind of moderator behavior actually okay, or is it a problem? Specifically, I want to know if it’s going to mess with Paul Morales3's objectivity when it comes to my posts. Basically, I just need an answer to those three questions I asked in my first post.

I honestly don't get what part of that whole situation actually bothered you so much. You know, that one post where Paul Morales went totally white-faced and claimed she could just hit the ignore button on you whenever she felt like it, while you’re stuck being unable to do the same to her. Like, so what? What's the big deal? 🤷 Honestly, I feel like the complaint would carry a bit more weight if you dropped that part, but hey, fair enough. I get why the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but Kiss and rustydrifter10 already laid it all out pretty clearly. The real issue isn't even about her tone—though she wasn't exactly typing in "mod colors"—it's the power dynamic. She made it obvious she’s looking down on us from a higher position. It feels like she’s using her moderator privileges as a way to poke at people. Like, she can just hit the ignore button whenever she wants, whereas I'm just a regular guy on this forum with zero extra perks. It’s that little nudge of authority that gets under my skin.

If you're stressing about one moderator potentially playing favorites down the road, don't sweat it too much. We’ve got other moderators on the team who can step in if things ever get out of hand. Honestly, if anyone—regardless of their role—starts acting biased or losing their objectivity, there are plenty of ways to handle it. It's not like one person holds all the cards.

Alright, that works for me.

Bradley Sanders4 said:Oh, please. Mocking someone just because you can't add them to your ignore list? That sounds more like a moderator losing their grip on the tools to me. I guess I’ll just go cry about it since Blissin and Daniel Ward87 decided to keep me on their ignore lists. 🙂

Look, even if you don't agree with my complaint, you were polite enough when we talked, but this? This was unnecessary. It’s pretty low. That’s not what I’m claiming at all. I even went out of my way to mention that both you and velvettrucker52 have been perfectly fine to me, yet here you are, spinning it to make it look like I'm playing the victim.

Anyway, I'm actually pretty satisfied with how Blissin and nicin handled things. I really hope Paul Morales3 takes a look at their response and uses it to adjust her tone—not just with me, but with the other users she isn't quite as fond of.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their thoughts on the situation.

As far as I'm concerned, we can lock this thread.

rustydrifter10 said:But honestly, that’s just the kind of debate we tolerate over at Zelenskyy's place, and look, as a moderator, I'm not out here defending anything that violates our rules. If someone dropped a post like that on the Green Party board, or Politics, or any of those other sub-forums, they’d get hit with a red card immediately; on some other boards, maybe they wouldn't, but this is one of those places where things are handled differently. In my personal opinion, Modic wrote a post that was just plain stupid and totally unnecessary, but let's be real, there are millions of posts like that on this forum every day. What really bugs me as an admin isn't the content itself, but the way she started coming after the mods personally—that’s where she crossed the line. She just overreacted, plain and simple.

It’s a pretty nice post, I guess, but it’s basically just ink on paper.
Just look at how the mods on this subreddit can troll and throw shade whenever they feel like it without anyone blinking an eye.
Take you, for instance—you’ve racked up plenty of warnings for doing the exact same thing on this very same subreddit, except back then, the "winners" weren't the ones wearing certain colors...

Look, Jose Williams, my bad. I deleted that because I didn't want things to get weird. Seriously, I have zero interest in making you feel unwelcome here, and I'm definitely not trying to rub salt in the wound. I wasn't taking a shot at you personally; I was just being sarcastic about filing complaints in situations like this. My apologies.

Regarding the specifics of what happened, I already told you—I totally get why Paul Morales's post makes you uncomfortable. I’m not against calling out the possibility that personal biases might lead to subjective moderation, even if I don't know for sure if that's actually happening here. But I don't think that's what we're dealing with right now.

Jose Williams said:It’s not even about the nitpicking. I’m not out here trying to suggest or imply that moderators shouldn't be part of the conversation on equal footing, or that they aren't allowed to weigh in on... thoughts? They’re just terrible, honestly. And look, I’m not exactly out here preaching for some kind of sterile perfection from Zelenskyy, so I won't pretend that wouldn't be a tough sell for me right out of the gate either. 😁.

The real issue here is how Paul Morales handled that report. It wasn't even about what we were actually discussing; she just went off on a tangent and decided to attack my entire reputation as a user instead. That’s the part that bugs me. I didn't start this thread to debate my specific takes—I started it because I wanted to see if the admin team thinks this kind of thing is actually okay. Is it standard procedure to turn a disagreement over a topic into a full-blown judgment on someone's character? Because from where I'm sitting, it feels pretty off.

I don't really see this as some massive deal. If there was a dedicated thread for admin questions, I would've just dropped these queries there instead of starting a whole new topic. It’s not like I’m out for blood or looking to get Paul Morales3 sanctioned or anything. I just wanted to see where everyone stands—is this kind of moderator behavior actually okay, or is it a problem? Specifically, I want to know if it’s going to mess with Paul Morales3's objectivity when it comes to my posts. Basically, I just need an answer to those three questions I asked in my first post.

I honestly don't get what part of that whole situation actually bothered you so much. You know, that one post where Paul Morales went totally white-faced and claimed she could just hit the ignore button on you whenever she felt like it, while you’re stuck being unable to do the same to her. Like, so what? What's the big deal? 🤷 Honestly, I feel like the complaint would carry a bit more weight if you dropped that part, but hey, fair enough. I get why the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but Kiss and rustydrifter10 already laid it all out pretty clearly. The real issue isn't even about her tone—though she wasn't exactly typing in "mod colors"—it's the power dynamic. She made it obvious she’s looking down on us from a higher position. It feels like she’s using her moderator privileges as a way to poke at people. Like, she can just hit the ignore button whenever she wants, whereas I'm just a regular guy on this forum with zero extra perks. It’s that little nudge of authority that gets under my skin.

If you're stressing about one moderator potentially playing favorites down the road, don't sweat it too much. We’ve got other moderators on the team who can step in if things ever get out of hand. Honestly, if anyone—regardless of their role—starts acting biased or losing their objectivity, there are plenty of ways to handle it. It's not like one person holds all the cards.

Alright, that works for me.

Look, even if you don't agree with my complaint, you were polite enough when we talked, but this? This was unnecessary. It’s pretty low. That’s not what I’m claiming at all. I even went out of my way to mention that both you and velvettrucker52 have been perfectly fine to me, yet here you are, spinning it to make it look like I'm playing the victim.

Anyway, I'm actually pretty satisfied with how Blissin and nicin handled things. I really hope Paul Morales3 takes a look at their response and uses it to adjust her tone—not just with me, but with the other users she isn't quite as fond of.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their thoughts on the situation.

As far as I'm concerned, we can lock this thread.

It won't.

Bradley Sanders4 said:Oh, please. Mocking someone just because you can't add them to your ignore list? That sounds more like a moderator losing their grip on the tools to me. I guess I’ll just go cry about it since Blissin and Daniel Ward87 decided to keep me on their ignore lists. 🙂

It was an act of good faith, really. I made it clear to her that I’ll be adding her to my ignore list since she clearly can't do the same for me, ensuring she knows she can rest easy knowing I won't ever address her again. And honestly, looking at my posts versus her words—which she didn't even bother to quote here—all I see is pure frustration, so I don't see why anyone is getting worked up if there's no communication coming from my side either.🤷

The real question is whether a moderator is allowed to have someone on ignore. When we're talking about a long-term, generally low-maintenance user with only two (TWO?😁) warnings on their record, I don't think it poses any issue. After all, I haven't ignored the reports. ☕

Or is the actual problem that I openly told someone I have no desire to read their posts unless absolutely necessary? I don't feel the slightest urge to apologize for bruising someone's ego. Nor do I intend to offer a hollow apology just to play nice, even though I know it would dial down the tension.

Maybe it was those offensive emojis I used; I'll be more careful about what I post in the future, especially regarding 😵, so no one feels physically assaulted through their screen.

I'll leave this controversial post to Tyndall and Daniel Ward87 for a final ruling and will accept whatever sanctions they deem necessary.

velvettrucker52 said:Oh, Fesa, you should be the very last person talking about passing gas in a coffee shop.
You let one rip whenever you feel like it and act like it's no big deal.
Some people find your posts fitting, some find them funny, while others report them because they find them out of line, tacky, or rude. Sometimes you actually steer a conversation in the right direction, and sometimes you completely derail it, but generally speaking, you mostly just pass gas in peace.

@Joshua Williams82 - Zelenskyy is going to turn out exactly how you make him. As long as everyone nitpicks every single letter, whines about every misplaced glance, takes offense at every word, and just waits for the next opportunity to start a drama fest... things are going to go south.
Yes, I used the word "whine." That is precisely how this looks to me. Go ahead, crucify me just because I used that word. 🙏

So, what, the moderators here don't actually have any influence? I mean, I guess it's possible they just don't care, but it feels like there's zero oversight happening. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it seems like nobody is actually running the show around here. 🤣
And here I was under the impression that they were actually the ones tasked with weighing their words—you know, the people responsible for deciding what actually constitutes an insult and what doesn't. I guess I was mistaken about how much weight their specific roles carry in that regard.

They’re the ones pulling the strings and setting the whole tone of the room. They're the ones who aren't afraid to give you a sharp sting if you step out of line. I guess you could say they're the ones keeping the kids disciplined, making sure they stay quiet and don't make a scene.🤷

Jose Williams said:It’s not even about the nitpicking. I’m not out here trying to suggest or imply that moderators shouldn't be part of the conversation on equal footing, or that they aren't allowed to weigh in on... thoughts? They’re just terrible, honestly. And look, I’m not exactly out here preaching for some kind of sterile perfection from Zelenskyy, so I won't pretend that wouldn't be a tough sell for me right out of the gate either. 😁.

The real issue here is how Paul Morales handled that report. It wasn't even about what we were actually discussing; she just went off on a tangent and decided to attack my entire reputation as a user instead. That’s the part that bugs me. I didn't start this thread to debate my specific takes—I started it because I wanted to see if the admin team thinks this kind of thing is actually okay. Is it standard procedure to turn a disagreement over a topic into a full-blown judgment on someone's character? Because from where I'm sitting, it feels pretty off.

I don't really see this as some massive deal. If there was a dedicated thread for admin questions, I would've just dropped these queries there instead of starting a whole new topic. It’s not like I’m out for blood or looking to get Paul Morales3 sanctioned or anything. I just wanted to see where everyone stands—is this kind of moderator behavior actually okay, or is it a problem? Specifically, I want to know if it’s going to mess with Paul Morales3's objectivity when it comes to my posts. Basically, I just need an answer to those three questions I asked in my first post.

I honestly don't get what part of that whole situation actually bothered you so much. You know, that one post where Paul Morales went totally white-faced and claimed she could just hit the ignore button on you whenever she felt like it, while you’re stuck being unable to do the same to her. Like, so what? What's the big deal? 🤷 Honestly, I feel like the complaint would carry a bit more weight if you dropped that part, but hey, fair enough. I get why the whole thing rubbed you the wrong way.

I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but Kiss and rustydrifter10 already laid it all out pretty clearly. The real issue isn't even about her tone—though she wasn't exactly typing in "mod colors"—it's the power dynamic. She made it obvious she’s looking down on us from a higher position. It feels like she’s using her moderator privileges as a way to poke at people. Like, she can just hit the ignore button whenever she wants, whereas I'm just a regular guy on this forum with zero extra perks. It’s that little nudge of authority that gets under my skin.

If you're stressing about one moderator potentially playing favorites down the road, don't sweat it too much. We’ve got other moderators on the team who can step in if things ever get out of hand. Honestly, if anyone—regardless of their role—starts acting biased or losing their objectivity, there are plenty of ways to handle it. It's not like one person holds all the cards.

Alright, that works for me.

Look, even if you don't agree with my complaint, you were polite enough when we talked, but this? This was unnecessary. It’s pretty low. That’s not what I’m claiming at all. I even went out of my way to mention that both you and velvettrucker52 have been perfectly fine to me, yet here you are, spinning it to make it look like I'm playing the victim.

Anyway, I'm actually pretty satisfied with how Blissin and nicin handled things. I really hope Paul Morales3 takes a look at their response and uses it to adjust her tone—not just with me, but with the other users she isn't quite as fond of.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their thoughts on the situation.

As far as I'm concerned, we can lock this thread.

It seems like this has become a pretty common trend lately. I guess you see it happening more often than you used to. 🤷

@Paul Morales3
I mean, I guess you could have used pretty much any other medium—like radio, TV, or some other news site... just to announce that you aren't planning on reading this particular user and that you're putting her on ignore 🤷

Joshua Williams82 said:So, what, the moderators here don't actually have any influence? I mean, I guess it's possible they just don't care, but it feels like there's zero oversight happening. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it seems like nobody is actually running the show around here. 🤣
And here I was under the impression that they were actually the ones tasked with weighing their words—you know, the people responsible for deciding what actually constitutes an insult and what doesn't. I guess I was mistaken about how much weight their specific roles carry in that regard.

They’re the ones pulling the strings and setting the whole tone of the room. They're the ones who aren't afraid to give you a sharp sting if you step out of line. I guess you could say they're the ones keeping the kids disciplined, making sure they stay quiet and don't make a scene.🤷

It seems like this has become a pretty common trend lately. I guess you see it happening more often than you used to. 🤷

Honestly, I think we barely interfere at all. Especially when it comes to those "nudges." It’s pretty obvious if you look closely. I might as well put a massive disclaimer over the entrance to Zelenskyy's headquarters: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. 😁 😁 😁

Bradley Sanders4 said:Honestly, I think we barely interfere at all. Especially when it comes to those "nudges." It’s pretty obvious if you look closely. I might as well put a massive disclaimer over the entrance to Zelenskyy's headquarters: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. 😁 😁 😁

Abandon.
All hope.

To those who enter.

Dammit, I’m copy-pasting this thing, I swear I’m checking it, and yet somehow I still manage to screw it up. 🙈

Bradley Sanders4 said:Dammit, I’m copy-pasting this thing, I swear I’m checking it, and yet somehow I still manage to screw it up. 🙈

I think what you were actually trying to quote was that old folks' saying: "Give a woman a shovel, and she'll dig her own way through."

It isn't really about how many times someone jumps in; it’s more about this weird, tense, "us vs. them" vibe that seems to be brewing lately (at least, that's my impression).
I mean, people are becoming hesitant to actually say what they think because they're terrified of getting swarmed by some aggressive mob of forum users with, I don't know, questionable psychological profiles... 😁 Fine, now I'm playing the martyr. 🤣

I have a lot of respect for Paul Morales3; I've been following her posts here for years, but I honestly think she overreacted this time.

And I find it strange that you all don't see the pattern—it's pretty telling that so many of Zelenskyy's supporters seem to end up right here on this thread lately.