Just a quick question

So, I’ve been hanging around this forum for years now, watching all sorts of stuff go down, from deep personal confessions to wild reactions, seeing people jump in and out, some becoming mods or admins, others just sticking to being regular users, getting mad, then making up, and honestly, it's just one big cycle... but there's something actually eating at me here..

Okay, look, when it comes to the community, we’ve got absolutely everyone represented, which is awesome, but regarding how much influence folks have through moderation—or even overseeing the mods themselves—does anyone actually check if some of these moderators are totally wasted while they're on duty, and how much of that is actually tolerated?

Has there ever been a situation where, say, these drunken moderation sessions were happening way more often than... you know, what would be considered acceptable?

..or is it maybe just impossible to tell the difference between someone moderating sober versus someone who's had a few too many, so they just let it slide, especially if the mod has some high-ranking status or an official title, and it happens, but nobody wants to admit the mistake?
I mean, wouldn't you rather deal with a drunk moderator than a sober user making excuses about being stressed... is that just how the hierarchy works? Just small slip-ups for a massive site like this?

Seriously though, has anyone ever heard any rumors or gossip, like some kind of joke in the moderator lounge, where an admin or a mod tells their buddies... "Sorry guys, I was trashed for three days straight, handed out five thousand spam points, but I can't say that on the public board, so what's the plan, huh?"
Like, man, that's just life, right, the users probably won't care about a little thing like that... and then you get this huge official moderator announcement... ha, ha, ha! Like, "Don't worry about it, it happened to me once... don't sweat it, we've got your back, we're a team... it's not exactly right, but we'll stick together and figure out how to cover for each other."

I'm wondering, what are the actual experiences here? It feels to me... I mean, I think... that there used to be at least some warnings, like a mod showing up and saying... "My bad, people, I lost my cool, so now I'm gonna ban you all."

Honestly, I’d even find that kind of thing kind of funny, but at least there's a heads-up, so you know what to expect.

I mean, is there some kind of breathalyzer test required when logging in, or is there a real possibility that we're all relying on someone who might be going through a total withdrawal crisis right now? 🤷

I would love it if the site started a specific thread where the admins and mods could just post immediately after logging in to let their subordinates know what kind of state they're in—whether they've just had two beers, a whole six-pack, or maybe just that one morning shot of bourbon to get moving—you know, just so we all know what we're dealing with.

If there were some kind of breathalyzer test required at login, this whole thread wouldn't even exist in the first place. 😁 Seriously—go get some sleep...

It’d be pretty damn interesting to hear what the mods actually think before the admin goes and nukes another juicy thread prematurely.
Since we all know how many drunk texts fly around here, maybe we could get some actual info on those permanent bans handed out while people are clearly wasted.

There are plenty of us who never touch a drop of alcohol. 😬
Don't judge based on your own habits. 😁

shadowpilot8 said:There’s plenty of us who don't touch the stuff at all.😬
Don't judge everyone by your own standards.😁

That's great and all, but let's be real—not every single one of you is some hardcore teetotaler.🙂

Of course we aren't, but this is pure generalization. If Jacob Allen (by the way, if this were a Facebook game, I’d be the one asking 'Who are you?' 😁) thinks someone was drunk when they got red-carded, or if anyone else claims a penalty can just be erased because it was unfair

I usually show up to moderate while I'm a little tipsy, which explains why I’m frequently found on a bender. People tend to assume I’m just some bitter, high-strung old hag, when in reality, I simply spent my college years studying philosophy. 😕

There are moments when the entire moderator-supermod-admin crew decides to throw a little party; they all huddle over their computers in their respective dark, secluded corners, playing some sort of digital game of Rock-Paper-Scissors via Skype to see which forum member responds first to a specific thread—and if you're the unlucky soul who replies first, you get banned.

And then there are the times when users complain about being issued warnings, prompting the admins to wipe them out, or even instances where we moderators step in ourselves to request that those assigned penalties be rescinded. Honestly, it’s quite the spectacle.

shadowpilot8 said:There are quite a few of us who don't drink anything at all 😬
So please, don't judge others by your own standards.😁

He’s just speaking for himself here.😛 😛 😛

Well, look who finally decided to show up and take responsibility 😍

Chloe Green61 said:I always show up to moderate while tipsy—that’s why I’m on the forum so much. People assume I’m just some angry, drunk old lady, when really, I was just a philosophy major. 😕

Sometimes there's this whole moderator-supermod-admin party going on. Everyone involved sits huddled in front of their computers in dark corners, playing games over Skype to see which user responds first to a specific thread—and if you're the first one, you get banned.

Other times, people complain about warnings, so the admins delete them, or the moderators themselves just decide to clear out those issued penalties. So, there you have it.

I bet you picked up your degree while drunk too. 🤣
I love the part about the parties. Do you all still coordinate via DM while wasted? 😬

What a topic. 🙏

Lisa Alvarez25 said:So, is this how everyone still does it—just coordinating through encrypted chats while completely wasted? 😬

Personally, I haven't had the opportunity to participate yet since I'm still a total rookie and haven't even finished my probationary period. I heard about it from some of the more seasoned colleagues, and frankly, I wouldn't dream of discussing those... shall we say, "unconventional" information-gathering methods here, but there certainly were some specific encrypted chat contacts involved.

Chloe Green61 said:I haven't had the chance to get involved personally—still a rookie and haven't cleared my probationary period yet. I heard about it from some of the senior colleagues, and honestly, I’m not really the type to go digging for dirt or talking about interrogation tactics here, but there were definitely some shady connections involved.

I wish I could just be a fly on the wall once the Democrats start their rally.😂
And who actually knows what’s coming during initiation? Not exactly something to be fearless about—are you nervous? 😲

You can't stay sober while reading this garbage from the moderator. 😬

shadowpilot8 said:Oh, we definitely aren't, but this is just such a massive generalization! Like, if Jacob Allen (by the way, whether it was some Facebook game or that "Who Are You?" quiz where I totally failed 😁) thinks someone was drunk when they got banned, or if anyone else claims a ban should always be overturned if it feels unfair

Are there actually people here who never drink anything at all? 😕

...honestly, if someone only drinks water, they're definitely hiding something from us. 🧐

Where even was that game located? If it doesn't exist, we seriously need to invent it right now.

It’s not about whether you got banned or who did it, it's about the principle of the thing! Maybe some mods can't handle moderating without grabbing a little something to take the edge off—kind of like how some journalists probably write better articles while buzzed than they do sober—but man, I’d love to know what kind of wild ride I'm signing up for before I post anything with certain moderators.
Seriously, give me a break, at this rate we'll all need a legal disclaimer for every single post or we'll have to start forming little forum task forces just to strategize our writing tactics.
You know how it goes... she usually handles moderation from 9 PM to midnight. She has her coffee at 9, then once things start getting shaky, she knocks back three shots of Baileys around 10 PM to chill out, and honestly, your best bet is to just post something like... "Hey guys, let's all just be happy, satisfied, and spread the love!" Just keep it breezy and smooth.

Let’s just assume all the heavy drinkers decided to show up at once to confront the mods

You see why I stood out to you? We both share this habit of writing these long, winding sentences. 😁
Anyway, here is the rundown on how the Economy works around here: people rarely drink, they hardly ever post, and they seldom jump into debates. Just one decent PDF. There, now you know when you visit next.

fadedorca13 said:assuming all those drunkards showed up because of the mods

You've got that completely wrong... 😁

Okay, now you're getting warm. 😁

shadowpilot8 said:There are quite a few of us here who never touch a drop... 😬
Don't judge others based on your own yardstick... 😁

Some of these recent moderator moves—if you look at them objectively—lead one to conclude that we might be dealing with a case of temporary confusion caused by, say, a few too many cocktails... However, if those decisions from the higher-ups aren't just the result of someone being intoxicated, then there's something else going on... 😁

Of course, I’m certainly not referring to the moderators over at the Economy... 🙂

Lisa Alvarez25 said:I’d honestly rather be a fly on the wall once the party really starts.😂
But who can say what kind of initiation lies ahead? Aren't you even slightly terrified? 😲

Terrified doesn't even begin to cover it. If all else fails, I'll just have to bribe one of the admins with a couple of shots of bourbon and a plate of loaded nachos; surely that'll buy my way in.

cosmicskipper39 said:That’s great and all, but let’s be real—not everyone here is some hardcore teetotaler. 🙂

I wouldn't go that far. 😳
But two glasses of wine? That’s my limit. 😳

Chloe Green61 said:I haven't really had the chance to get involved yet since I'm still a rookie and haven't finished my orientation. I heard about it from some of the senior staff, and while I won't go into details about how they squeeze info out of people around here, there were definitely some certain... connections made.

Fair enough. After reading your first post, I actually started thinking I was the only one who hadn't jumped in yet. ☕

fadedorca13 said:assuming all the mods turned up wasted

I am not a drunk.
🙂