Moderating Philosophy

mistybison said:I really enjoyed reading the executioner. Even though they post less frequently now and mostly stick to jokes, their serious contributions were a true pleasure to read. 🙂 Years ago, I would actually head down to the New York Times just to follow the executioner's participation in various debates. 😍 😁 Not only do they have a solid background in philosophy, but they are also an exceptional debater. 👍 I also believe they have a great vision for how the "Philosophy" subforum should function—specifically, ensuring it doesn't become almost entirely dominated by social and political topics like it does today.

Executioner really ought to go by James Bond—his avatar is straight out of that classic series, Seventeen Moments of Spring.

Morning, everyone! 🙂

When you look at all that Druid spam, are you truly certain there's anyone there who actually deserves their own subforum? 😁

mistybison said:When you look at all that Druid spam, are you truly certain there's anyone there who actually deserves their own subforum? 😁

Saying someone "deserves" a subforum is just plain stupid. Who's the dictator supposed to be making that call?

ruggedraven36 said:Saying someone "deserves" a subforum is just plain stupid. Who's the dictator supposed to be making that call?

Trolling isn't allowed unless you bring flowers for Mother's Day. 🙂

mistybison said:Trolling isn't allowed unless you bring flowers for Mother's Day. 🙂

Honestly, I didn't even realize it was March 8th.

Happy International Women's Day—here's hoping you get every single one of those hard-won rights you deserve!

Since the administration isn't getting back to me, it’s pretty clear that nobody actually cares. This means the subforum is just going to keep drifting along without any moderators—not that having them would magically fix everything, but things certainly wouldn't be this messy.

mistybison Asks:
When you take a look at all that constant Druid spam, I honestly have to wonder if there’s even a single real person lurking in there. It’s truly well-deserved. Is this the right subforum for this? 😁

I honestly see this more as a Druid’s way of protesting how things are being handled on that subforum, which really ought to be receiving some high-quality moderation; he actually went as far as asking for a ban himself for that very same reason—you can clearly see those spam threads are still hanging around there even now—so it isn't quite the situation you're making it out to be. : )

Melissa Stewart6 said:Quote : Weekend Warrior

Why not just merge two subforums into one? Let's combine Philosophy and Spirituality.

It’s happened before, way back in the day, when people tried to tether spirituality directly to philosophy, but that whole experiment eventually fell apart because the connection just wouldn't hold water. Honestly, I don't see it working again, and frankly, I don't think we should even try to force them back together.

Look, it might not be the perfect fix by any stretch of the imagination, but honestly, I’d take this over a subforum with zero moderation any day of the week. I’ll be the first to admit that I used to think we could pull it off without any oversight, but experience has a funny way of proving you wrong, and it turns out my initial assumption was just plain incorrect. The reality is that most people simply aren't mature enough to handle that kind of total freedom without things going sideways.

Some people have truly reached maturity, while others are still just ripening for... well, let’s just say they aren't quite ready for prime time yet.

I’m fully behind what James Lee77 is proposing here.
If we actually decided to appoint a moderator—and honestly, I think even if we did it right now, it would be the smartest move we could make—I really believe that bringing on the Executioner would be the absolute best solution, especially since he’s got years of experience running forums under his belt and holds a degree in philosophy to boot.

steelridge58 said:

mistybison Asks:
When you take a look at all that constant Druid spam, I honestly have to wonder if there’s even a single real person lurking in there. It’s truly well-deserved. Is this the right subforum for this? 😁

I honestly see this more as a Druid’s way of protesting how things are being handled on that subforum, which really ought to be receiving some high-quality moderation; he actually went as far as asking for a ban himself for that very same reason—you can clearly see those spam threads are still hanging around there even now—so it isn't quite the situation you're making it out to be. : )

It’s happened before, way back in the day, when people tried to tether spirituality directly to philosophy, but that whole experiment eventually fell apart because the connection just wouldn't hold water. Honestly, I don't see it working again, and frankly, I don't think we should even try to force them back together.

Look, it might not be the perfect fix by any stretch of the imagination, but honestly, I’d take this over a subforum with zero moderation any day of the week. I’ll be the first to admit that I used to think we could pull it off without any oversight, but experience has a funny way of proving you wrong, and it turns out my initial assumption was just plain incorrect. The reality is that most people simply aren't mature enough to handle that kind of total freedom without things going sideways.

Some people have truly reached maturity, while others are still just ripening for... well, let’s just say they aren't quite ready for prime time yet.

I’m fully behind what James Lee77 is proposing here.
If we actually decided to appoint a moderator—and honestly, I think even if we did it right now, it would be the smartest move we could make—I really believe that bringing on the Executioner would be the absolute best solution, especially since he’s got years of experience running forums under his belt and holds a degree in philosophy to boot.

I’m not saying it would definitely work; we can't know for sure. But then again, anything can work if you have the right people involved.

steelridge58 said:

mistybison Asks:
When you take a look at all that constant Druid spam, I honestly have to wonder if there’s even a single real person lurking in there. It’s truly well-deserved. Is this the right subforum for this? 😁

I honestly see this more as a Druid’s way of protesting how things are being handled on that subforum, which really ought to be receiving some high-quality moderation; he actually went as far as asking for a ban himself for that very same reason—you can clearly see those spam threads are still hanging around there even now—so it isn't quite the situation you're making it out to be. : )

It’s happened before, way back in the day, when people tried to tether spirituality directly to philosophy, but that whole experiment eventually fell apart because the connection just wouldn't hold water. Honestly, I don't see it working again, and frankly, I don't think we should even try to force them back together.

Look, it might not be the perfect fix by any stretch of the imagination, but honestly, I’d take this over a subforum with zero moderation any day of the week. I’ll be the first to admit that I used to think we could pull it off without any oversight, but experience has a funny way of proving you wrong, and it turns out my initial assumption was just plain incorrect. The reality is that most people simply aren't mature enough to handle that kind of total freedom without things going sideways.

Some people have truly reached maturity, while others are still just ripening for... well, let’s just say they aren't quite ready for prime time yet.

I’m fully behind what James Lee77 is proposing here.
If we actually decided to appoint a moderator—and honestly, I think even if we did it right now, it would be the smartest move we could make—I really believe that bringing on the Executioner would be the absolute best solution, especially since he’s got years of experience running forums under his belt and holds a degree in philosophy to boot.

He could have voiced his protest without resorting to insulting Ant8. Regardless of any disagreements, if someone truly wants a high-quality subforum, they should lead by example through their own behavior.

Actually, I believe the situation on "Philosophy" is the exact opposite. Most users behave in ways that violate the rules and create an unpleasant atmosphere. Then, once they grow tired of it—after spending days trolling or derailing every single thread—they suddenly get angry and complain about the lack of moderation. It’s the same pattern with insults: while they are the ones being offensive, everything is fine; but the moment they face pushback, they immediately cry about the low quality of the subforum.

Ultimately, subforums are a reflection of the people who inhabit them. A moderator can certainly help improve things to an extent, but I fear it might be too late here. Consequently, I am logging off the forum, just like Flying, and I hope the situation resolves itself to everyone else's satisfaction. 🙂

mistybison said:He could have voiced his protest without resorting to insulting Ant8. Regardless of any disagreements, if someone truly wants a high-quality subforum, they should lead by example through their own behavior.

Actually, I believe the situation on "Philosophy" is the exact opposite. Most users behave in ways that violate the rules and create an unpleasant atmosphere. Then, once they grow tired of it—after spending days trolling or derailing every single thread—they suddenly get angry and complain about the lack of moderation. It’s the same pattern with insults: while they are the ones being offensive, everything is fine; but the moment they face pushback, they immediately cry about the low quality of the subforum.

Ultimately, subforums are a reflection of the people who inhabit them. A moderator can certainly help improve things to an extent, but I fear it might be too late here. Consequently, I am logging off the forum, just like Flying, and I hope the situation resolves itself to everyone else's satisfaction. 🙂

Haha, sure, but let’s not forget that Ant8 actually cheered on the crude insults and swearing at Flipper’s kids—or whatever that troll called himself—as a "breath of fresh air" for the site. This whole mess isn't just the result of one troll acting out; it happened because a good chunk of the community welcomed that kind of behavior, whether directly or indirectly.

So, those who hailed the insults as a refreshing change for the subforum shouldn't complain about the current state of things or the Druid topics. They got exactly what they asked for... absolute freedom.

Melissa Stewart6 said:Haha, sure, but let’s not forget that Ant8 actually cheered on the crude insults and swearing at Flipper’s kids—or whatever that troll called himself—as a "breath of fresh air" for the site. This whole mess isn't just the result of one troll acting out; it happened because a good chunk of the community welcomed that kind of behavior, whether directly or indirectly.

So, those who hailed the insults as a refreshing change for the subforum shouldn't complain about the current state of things or the Druid topics. They got exactly what they asked for... absolute freedom.

Neither that isolated incident nor the individual responsible really matters. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last.

Regardless of the circumstances, forum members ought to follow the rules even without moderators present, especially those who advocate for moderation in the first place.

What would happen if everyone suddenly flooded an unmoderated subforum with nonsense, only to come back here complaining that we need a moderator to threaten us into behaving! 😁

Perhaps my view is naive, but I always assumed that subforums like "Philosophy" and "Literature" would attract educated, polite people looking to exchange ideas, rather than engage in petty bickering. 😁 Apparently, I was mistaken. 😁

I am going to step away from this discussion now, as I know debates with the "Philosophy" crowd can go on indefinitely and drain every bit of energy one has, leaving one exhausted for days. 😁

Best regards to all! 👋

mistybison Asks:
Neither that isolated incident nor the person behind it really matters. It’s not like this is the first time, and it won't be the last.

Not really, even if it might be the biggest disappointment. Besides, those "isolated incidents" are exactly when you see people's true colors.

mistybison said:Neither that isolated incident nor the individual responsible really matters. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last.

Regardless of the circumstances, forum members ought to follow the rules even without moderators present, especially those who advocate for moderation in the first place.

What would happen if everyone suddenly flooded an unmoderated subforum with nonsense, only to come back here complaining that we need a moderator to threaten us into behaving! 😁

Perhaps my view is naive, but I always assumed that subforums like "Philosophy" and "Literature" would attract educated, polite people looking to exchange ideas, rather than engage in petty bickering. 😁 Apparently, I was mistaken. 😁

I am going to step away from this discussion now, as I know debates with the "Philosophy" crowd can go on indefinitely and drain every bit of energy one has, leaving one exhausted for days. 😁

Best regards to all! 👋

As far as I'm concerned, I haven't broken any of the forum rules. If you look at my record, the small number of warnings I've received should speak for itself.

mistybison said:Neither that isolated incident nor the individual responsible really matters. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last.

Regardless of the circumstances, forum members ought to follow the rules even without moderators present, especially those who advocate for moderation in the first place.

What would happen if everyone suddenly flooded an unmoderated subforum with nonsense, only to come back here complaining that we need a moderator to threaten us into behaving! 😁

Perhaps my view is naive, but I always assumed that subforums like "Philosophy" and "Literature" would attract educated, polite people looking to exchange ideas, rather than engage in petty bickering. 😁 Apparently, I was mistaken. 😁

I am going to step away from this discussion now, as I know debates with the "Philosophy" crowd can go on indefinitely and drain every bit of energy one has, leaving one exhausted for days. 😁

Best regards to all! 👋

I’ve known for quite some time now that this is just how things stand.

mistybison said:Neither that isolated incident nor the individual responsible really matters. It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last.

Regardless of the circumstances, forum members ought to follow the rules even without moderators present, especially those who advocate for moderation in the first place.

What would happen if everyone suddenly flooded an unmoderated subforum with nonsense, only to come back here complaining that we need a moderator to threaten us into behaving! 😁

Perhaps my view is naive, but I always assumed that subforums like "Philosophy" and "Literature" would attract educated, polite people looking to exchange ideas, rather than engage in petty bickering. 😁 Apparently, I was mistaken. 😁

I am going to step away from this discussion now, as I know debates with the "Philosophy" crowd can go on indefinitely and drain every bit of energy one has, leaving one exhausted for days. 😁

Best regards to all! 👋

👋

On goes on a moderated subreddit calling another user an idiot.
Three times. On a single thread... three separate times.
And yet, he faces absolutely zero consequences.

Then, the nerve of this guy—he shows up here to start a thread because he wants someone to moderate his own personal subreddit.

The audacity is truly staggering. 🤦

Edward Fisher86 said:On goes on a moderated subreddit calling another user an idiot.
Three times. On a single thread... three separate times.
And yet, he faces absolutely zero consequences.

Then, the nerve of this guy—he shows up here to start a thread because he wants someone to moderate his own personal subreddit.

The audacity is truly staggering. 🤦

Sisyphus, is that you?

Melissa Stewart6 said:Sisyphus, is that you?

Is that really all you care about?
If so, then you all got exactly the PDF you deserved.

Edward Fisher86 said:Is that really all you care about?
If so, then you all got exactly the PDF you deserved.

I'm not interested in the math games being played by James Lee77 or Sisyphus. I actually agree with his point regarding the moderation, though.

Melissa Stewart6 said:I'm not interested in the math games being played by James Lee77 or Sisyphus. I actually agree with his point regarding the moderation, though.

I’m not interested in their little accounting sessions either. If you’ve walked away thinking otherwise, you've completely misread the situation.

What I'm actually getting at is this: sometimes, even the moderators don't feel like enforcing the rules on their own threads.

The person who started this thread can testify to that firsthand from their own experience.

Or... you can choose to deal with idiots by spreading them around to other users with moderator backing. And of course, leaving some people totally unsanctioned.

The whole thing is so absurdly ridiculous that I just had to drop my two cents. This isn't even about picking mods for the forum; I'm stepping away from that debate entirely.
Cheers,

Oh, looks like they wiped out those Druid threads. Is something actually happening behind the scenes, or what?

The way administration is handling this says enough. It feels like the moderator is drowning the philosophy of the Man Cave in pure stupidity, acting as if we don't have enough "local" nonsense to deal with already...