Who would make for good moderators in the D&D forum?

D&D is a sewage overflow reservoir for the Hangout. Block it up and the sewage will all just back up in the Hangout again, and then everybody's swimming in poop.

 

There is already a sentiment out there that Clutch should just shut this site down. You can look up this thread or go to the apology thread.

I would hate for that to happen. Can we all make an effort not to further irritate him while he is deciding how to deal with the D&D? I know some folks don't enjoy this site, but I have gotten to know some posters (or at least their internet personalities) and getting to know others from interaction on this site in a way that I don't think I would have in the GARM or the other sites on here (which I also enjoy). I really don't want to lose this place (which seems pretty silly for an internet site, but it is what it is.)

 

I know some members here also visit Texanstalk.com.

There is a political section there and I think it’s run and maintained pretty well by the mods there. A lot of that also has to do with the community.

The mods there have their political leanings and they participate heavily in discussion. They call out posters and posters call them out but people generally have their voice without it getting “too” ugly.

There is a post stickied in that forum which talks about the sensitive nature of the subjects there and behavioral expectations. Basically to not attack posters but rather the subject matter of the posts.

I mention Texanstalk as just an example of what I believe to be a pretty well moderated place and maybe whoever is chosen might want to just hang out there sometimes to see what they like and don’t like and use that to be a good mod here.

Just a suggestion.

 

Hey @Clutch ...

...do whatever it is you gotta do, brother.

For all of these people arbitrarily classifying "personal attacks" and the like...

...my very first post here was met inside of 30 minutes with what kind of a brainwashed-liberal-troll-Negro-on-payroll-for-Al Sharpton I was.

I've been called worse things by better people, honestly. And I'd like to think that I've made quite the name for myself in these parts making a mockery of "unbiased counterpoints" like that against me.

Look, I think it's fairly obvious to all concerned that I've got an IQ only ever-so-slightly below that of a kumquat. And as coddled a Negro as I am, I haven't once held the notion that somebody had the right not to be told that shouting "FIRE" in a crowded theater over and over again—just because you can—isn't going to be tolerated is somehow biased or unfair.

But as I've said once or twice before, I appreciate nothing between people's social interactions like I do candor. You want an honest look into what somebody thinks is important or relevant or matters? You want to know what they're really thinking and why? Get them talking about their politics.

Maybe this isn't the place for that discussion. Can't answer that, myself.

But if it's not worth the headache to you to keep this part of the site open...don't bother.

We'd manage. And survive. Or not.

I could always go back to my first love...defending a hapless and worthless Houston Rocket du jour who managed to get into the Basketball Hall of Fame through no effort of his own...

 

First of all, nobody here uses the term Republican rightists. Please.

Factually, your kind invents and creates terms to use as pejoratives and dog whistles. Leftist is one term, Democrat Party is another, so is SJW. Terms that are used here regularly. The idea that using terms like these in reference to people here isn't a personal attack because you're referring to more than one person here is absurd and an insult to everyone's intelligence,

Right, your average Breitbart, Gateway Pundit, and fake non-partisan think tank article is quite on par with reporting on a federal investigation authorized by a Republican, conducted by a Republican into factual interference, confirmed by every government intelligence agency, and possible collusion.

Facts aren't partisan. Russians interfered, climate change is real, and Clinton did not run a sex operation out of a pizzeria.

Anyway. it's unfortunate we've spent so much time on this simply because of one poster.

 

Priority on Clutchfans should be this

1.Rockets
2.Rockets
3.Rockets
4.Rockets
5.Rockets
6.Other Sports
7.Hangout

 

...yes.

...and that IS art.

 

I literally lol'ed at this.

 

This is kind of my feeling. I think Clutch created the D&D solely to make his life easier, and in case that sounds shitty, please let me be clear: making ones life less difficult is a very worthy endeavor. I think all of these forums were created to keep his first love.....discussions of the Rockets unsullied. The Hangout was a natural creation because too many people were having random, can't be categorized discussions, and the D&D was created to clean out the poo flinging from the Hangout. I just don't see how a sub-forum designed as a "sewage overflow reservoir" can be moderated, and I don't see how anyone could successfully perform such a thankless job even if it could be moderated. I see the "problem" as Clutch is being bothered by people who've had their feathers ruffled, and he's being forced to jack with something he created solely to isolate himself (and others) from the type of behavior that exists in the D&D. If I were in his position, I'm not sure who would bother me more.......those who some feel are misbehaving, or those who are reporting them.

So I'd probably approach this whole thing a bit differently. Instead of searching for moderators (unicorns, some say), I'd leave things as they are, but with a few changes:

1) Make the D&D hidden--you can't even see it unless you are logged in, AND
2) Make the D&D subject to special access rights--members have to read and sign off on a waiver of some sort that makes them aware that it is highly likely they will read something they will find offensive, and if that happens, they need to put on their adult panties and deal with it themselves--unless some law is being broken, or it's a matter of national security. The waiver could also be drafted in such a manner as to reinforce the notion that the other forums require a higher sense of decorum and civility. I would also consider requiring that D&D access rights be restricted to contributing members.
3) Make the D&D subject to special "reporting requirements" for bad behavior--unless someone breaks some type of law or breaks some specified rule as mandated within the waiver, anyone who reports another poster's D&D behavior to an Admin, should be subject to the same minimum punishment as the person they are reporting. For instance, a 5 or 10 day "ban".....call it a cooling off period. If the Admin determines that the infraction did indeed break some law (Clutchfans or otherwise), they can let the reporting person off without a ban, and in turn, they can make the banning period for the reported person more lengthy or permanent. Otherwise, both the reporter and the reported get a cooling off period. To me, this does three things: a) It shows those with a tendency towards poor behavior, that it's a lot easier to get banned (albeit, with the possibility of a quick return), b) it makes those doing the reporting stop and reflect on whether or not reporting someone is REALLY that important. If it is, they may need to pay a bit of a price for reporting someone's behavior in a forum designed for people to let off a bit of steam, and MOST IMPORTANTLY c) this should reduce the amount of time and effort that admins need to spend managing this sewer because (hopefully), it helps people better police their own behavior (whether it be a tendency towards being offensive.....or being offended).

 

It should probably go to a relatively unknown. The more well known the worse it would probably go, shouts of bias and whatnot would be all over the place. Better yet, maybe don't even tell the forum who the mod is, if they can be trusted.

 

I used to frequent the D&D years ago, but only lurk these days. From my memory back then, durvasa and rocketsjudoka seem like eminently reasonable people that I think would make great candidates.

 

Clutch vs. D&D

 

There's use for this forum, and that's why this topic is stretched to 15 pages. Some people have dumped on it even if they're active, as if disassociating yourself from the stink makes you come out smelling like roses.

When I was wide eyed and more tolerant in the earlier days of these forums, I'd read all the conversations and consider both sides. There was genuine disagreement and discourse. Now is a shadow of then, but that's because we're more jaded with behavioral patterns of newbies and familiar with what the regulars think and say. It's not Putin or Trump's fault either. The drama then got just as nasty now.

It's just that it was more moderated, the spillover grudges were resolved quicker, and the alcohol fueled shitstorms were cleaned up by early morning.

I still get most of my political news on here and google news. I might check things out a week later to avoid the emotional back and forth. Ignore helps me see original views better. I didn't like the idea of ignoring people, but I read this forum a lot more when I did.

I'll also admit that I'm part of the problem when I get impatient or irritated with Dump's theatrics. That's why I don't post here as much and when I do, it's half serious snark. That stuff doesn't change the world. It just lets some steam and frustration loose, much like a lot of other people on here are doing.

So active mods are important to keep this place grounded. We could try out anonymous mods and rotate them around until Clutch gets a handle on what people work and don't. If anything, that's a benefit for the mods because a lot a people genuinely care about this site and remember more than they should.

 

I think you're a terrible poster - god awful - and I think you're pigheaded and irrational. Is that a personal attack or just an observation of what I see?

Trying to police personal attack isn't going to work. There is no standard really, it's a judgement call where that line is. We need to grow up and stop being childish to one another and stop being snowflakes at every perceived personal insult.

What we need is a mod to come in and stop a personal attack battle that derails a thread from the topic. And we need a mod to keep people from posting things that go past that line obviously, but it's always going to be a judgment call. It has to be - because there are too many things that someone can see both ways.

By the way, you're right there are a lot of leftists on the board. That's why I joined and saw the leftist circle jerk (I am a moderate who leans to the left), I figured WTF I'll join the conservative side and have some fun. I actually learned a lot from that, and despite being left of center I started getting pissed at guys like Sam Fischer and Batman Jones as often times they would refute my points by insulting me instead. I actually came to empathize with a lot of conservatives and can see why you view liberals as the "ivy league know-it-alls" that condescend to you and think they are better. I insulted back no doubt, and took it to extreme levels, because it was all a juvenile farce to me. Until I crossed the line in a BIG way and rightfully was banned and I was ok with that.

Ironically, @rocketsjudoka convinced me to come back and post more honestly. So now I insult the right mostly instead of the left.

So here's what I will say, people get emotional and things escalate to a point where someone may slip and cross the line. I don't think @Bobbythegreat meant to say what he did about @Granville - I think he was just angry and pushed past that line, and probably regrets it. We don't need a mob job to stop people from having a few skirmishes personally attacking one another, that would be a full-time daycare job. We just need a mod to step in an stop it from escalating into nuclear war.

 

If you get rid of D/D you will get posts you don't want in other places on the site. Freedom has a price but also a purpose. Free expression of opinions prevents people from going more extreme. I am afraid by cutting D/D... you will only invite posters to be more clever in the other sections of the forums. Especially hang out.

 

I think you are right here. Even your "attack" on MojoMan is not something I would consider personal slander. There is a fine line and we need a moderator who can recognize that. When both @Bobbythegreat and @Granville started going at each other in that thread, it was obvious that it was escalating to a point where someone needed to step in and a few of us did to no avail. A mod with authority could have shut that down and saved a lot of trouble and much of the hard feelings we have going on right now. That is the first time I have seen something devolve like that here since I started frequenting the D&D. There is banter back and forth between the left and the right here that sometimes pushes toward the boundary but it is good natured for the most part and comes from a point of honesty because we do sometimes have a hard time seeing how someone from the other side can actually believe the way they believe.

Not much needs to change here. People should enter at their own risk and make sure they are thick skinned before they dive in. A mod does not need to police the regular banter we have here. They only need to step in when things start devolving out of hand like they did with Bobby and Granville. I am quite sure a warning way before they get too pissed off would be sufficient to stop something like that most of the time. We do not need a mod to police thread content, to call out every single "attack", or to be heavy handed in any way. We just need someone to step in when things are obviously getting out of hand.

I hope @Clutch comes to a decision that we need a moderator here but one that will rarely step in but will keep things from getting out of hand. There is no reason that thread should have escalated to where it did. A good light handed moderator would have recognized it and put a stop to it. There is no reason why Clutch should have received all of the vicious attacks he has received because of this incident.

 

Things like doxxing which I heard happened...

 

Doxxing is despicable and of course that should be stopped and whoever does it should probably be banned IMHO. Anyone who takes these debates so seriously they feel they need to attack someone in the real world has crossed the line in a big unforgivable way.

 

FIFY

Rocket River

 

Nice lead in to the Paronto interview, kudos.