Censorship and SB..how far are we going to take this???

[MXGratefulDiver]

Just think what an easy job the mods would have if we all behaved like adults ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[merxlin]

I do not doubt, in any case Net Doc said so pages ago and I’ve no reason to doubt his word. I’m not attacking, no need to get defensive. My use of ignored is akin to; if we ignore them long enough they will go away.

The more people that speak up with their opinions the better informed a decision will be as what the members want. At this point there are roughly 4 days of this thread in existence.

I wasn't being defensive, I seriously didn't know what your point was. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Zieg]

Just think what an easy job the mods would have if we all behaved like adults ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

But that is just the problem, we don't behave like adults. Oh, there are some who display a great deal of restraint, but the majority of us (and I do include myself in this catagory) tend to have lapses in control and decorum. But then sometimes it's just fun to throw out proper decorum.

But many on these types of forums people put on a false face in a fashion. Not all, not intensionaly. It's just that I have meet people from the board who have one type of personality online, but when you meet them face to face they are someone else entirely.

 

[JeffG]

Just think what an easy job the mods would have if we all behaved like adults ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

true and on the flip side of the coin...treat us like adults.

I'm not 100% sure if this "opt-in" forum will work.

I think it would be hard to have two levels of moderation within the same mod group. So, you could set it up to have a mini rec.scuba within Scubaboard (no rules, no mods). But would it get used? and do the powers that be want this forum in their backyard (so to speak).

I do know that I find the fact that pulling pictures of chicks in bikini's to be a bit on the silly side.

and IMO I think that threads get closed (and disappear) to quickly.

So other than canning the entire mod squad and starting fresh, what really can be done?

(Thats why I recommended a forum that is opt-in where the only moderation is to close threads for a day when they get overheated.)

 

[merxlin]

This is what I truly don´t get...I might agree that an eloquent insult can almost be a work of art but for the purposes of this board and moderation?

Calling someone an idiot or saying that "someone has their head stuck so far up their rectum that neither gps nor caveline will be enough for them to find their way out"...are both about equally rude to my mind, the fact that one is allowed and the other isn´t just seems silly...if anything, the former has the advantage of being brief and wasting less space (which is what some seemed very concerned about)...if you dislike insults you should be just as incensed about the use of the latter as of the former...otherwise you´re mostly being a stuckup snob, IMO (no offence).......

My question would be why you have to call someone an idiot or use any other insult? I think that is the point many have tried to make. Here is why personal insults are a detriment to good discussion:

The insulted will probably retaliate, starting a downward spiral away from the point of discussion and toward defensiveness.

By association, you have also insulted anyone who shares the insulted posters opinion, and they too will defend the position or reply in kind, inviting those relating to the insulter to do likewise, again accelerating the spiral away from the topic.

I'm just not sure how insulting someone helps make your point. BTW, I agree that overt (Idiot) or disguised (someone has their head stuck......) insults should both be equally treated. Words only have the power we assign them.

 

[JeffG]

My question would be why you have to call someone an idiot or use any other insult? I think that is the point many have tried to make. Here is why personal insults are a detriment to good discussion:

Because some people are just dumb and have to be reminded of that fact.

Why keep bringing up this issue?

Its not going to change...ever.

 

[SparticleBrane]

If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's that....most people are stupid.

 

[piikki]

It's often way easier to deal with dumbness than rudeness. If it wasn't so threatening to some it could be easily ignored on a place like discussion board, way easier than rudeness which is way more disruptive by nature. Rude and stupid is a different beast altogether.

 

[Ana]

true and on the flip side of the coin...treat us like adults.

I'm not 100% sure if this "opt-in" forum will work.

I think it would be hard to have two levels of moderation within the same mod group. So, you could set it up to have a mini rec.scuba within Scubaboard (no rules, no mods). But would it get used? and do the powers that be want this forum in their backyard (so to speak).

I do know that I find the fact that pulling pictures of chicks in bikini's to be a bit on the silly side.

and IMO I think that threads get closed (and disappear) to quickly.

So other than canning the entire mod squad and starting fresh, what really can be done?

(Thats why I recommended a forum that is opt-in where the only moderation is to close threads for a day when they get overheated.)

Now there is a thought. What is wrong with having an opt-in place where there is no moderation, like others said, something that won't show in google searches and such. No detriment to potential profits froms advertising and no reporting that so and so was a meany.

is it a dream?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

true and on the flip side of the coin...treat us like adults.

I'm not 100% sure if this "opt-in" forum will work.

I think it would be hard to have two levels of moderation within the same mod group. So, you could set it up to have a mini rec.scuba within Scubaboard (no rules, no mods). But would it get used? and do the powers that be want this forum in their backyard (so to speak).

I do know that I find the fact that pulling pictures of chicks in bikini's to be a bit on the silly side.

and IMO I think that threads get closed (and disappear) to quickly.

So other than canning the entire mod squad and starting fresh, what really can be done?

(Thats why I recommended a forum that is opt-in where the only moderation is to close threads for a day when they get overheated.)

I think sometimes we expect too much of the mods ... they're only human, after all.

If you take any random group of people and give them a gun, some will never use it, some will use it judiciously, and some will look for reasons to use it.

Mods aren't any different. Of course, they are not randomly chosen ... mods are selected based on the "personality" they project through their postings. But as we all know, Internet personalities don't always show the true person behind the keyboard.

Rules ... no matter how well-written ... are always subject to interpretation. And the actions of any given mod will be based on their interpretation of what they believe their job to be, based on those rules. Whatever the outward appearance, I think that all of the mods act in what they believe to be the best interest of ScubaBoard ... as they interpret those interests to be. I also think that Pete, and the admins, try to give mods as much latitude as possible ... as a statement of trust.

Where there are more than one human doing any given job, there will never be complete consistency. Put 50 or so of them doing the same job ... on a forum where the job involves dealing with a large number of other humans ... and expecting consistency is unreasonable. The only way to achieve that would be a complete absense of moderation.

And I'd be careful to wish for that ... it only works (to a degree) on forums that are small, close-knit, and where for the most part the participants know that sooner or later they'll be spending "face-time" with the other folks on the forum.

ScubaBoard simply doesn't have that dynamic.

The Anonymous Poster example we've seen right here in this thread should be a clue what would happen if the mods lightened up as you ask ... there would be a segment of users who would quickly find ways to use that freedom to be as disruptive as they possibly could be ... up to the point where the freedom would have to either be removed or the results would overwhelm the ability of everyone else to have any reasonable conversation.

Hence my comment above ... if we all behaved like adults, the mods job would be easy ... they'd be able to treat us like adults.

What you're asking for has been tried, to one degree or another ... it always ends up in a train wreck.

The inconsistency and tight moderation aggravates me sometimes too ... but, to be honest, I think it beats the alternative ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)