Moderation: Too much or too little?

[ScubaSteve]

I wasn't raised in a bubble honest, I took it to be a light hearted joke, like 'tomfoolery" or being silly but in a harmless way or something, is it nasty?

Guess I need to get out more or start wearing some slightly more cynical/critical glasses. Seems the mods may be saving me and I didn't even know I was being drowned.

OK back to my happy place

I think the point is, that telling someone they are performing shenanigans (when in fact they are just trying to get through someone's thick headed skull) constantly is far more offensive than a popcorn smilie. This is just another example of.........

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

As for the shenanigans smiley, that's my little creation! You'll only find it here unless someone has copied it for elsewhere. It's fun, it's cheeky and it was inspired by my daughter who uses the word quite often. If you don't pull them, you won't get called for

:gans:

​

I've often found it to be demeaning ... particularly when used against an honestly-expressed opposing viewpoint. In the context it's usually used it's a statement that the person you're responding to lacks sincerity ... or more often, lacks intelligence ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[buddhasummer]

My head hurts.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

An analogy can only go so far... a point lost on most so far. Somehow, I don't feel that I'm the one "slamming" others with a sledge hammer at this point. As has been pointed out, people will often take offense when none was intended.

Exactly, Pete ... and I'll ask a question you asked me earlier ... where do you draw the line?

Is it your intent to wipe out everything that someone on ScubaBoard finds offensive? Because if that's the case, there won't be anything left ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ScubaSteve]

Now, if you look at who's been using the popcorn smiley in a way that you have decided is unfriendly, you'll discover that it's basically those same people.

I have to call BS on this. First of all, the THANKS button "abusers" abused the button simply by clicking THANKS on every post in a specific thread. That is what got El's panties in a bunch and subsequently Pete panties. Our supposed abuse had nothing to do with thanking for dogpiling because everybody often thanked a post when they agreed with it. Not just us. And when that post happened to be in a heated thread, others still thanked posts they agreed with. It was not just us. To say it was is complete BS.

The popcorn smilie was used in the manner that Pete described by many members and anybody that can only see the people that you reference (I am on of those) has their eyes closed to the world. Pete has an agenda so this coming from him makes sense.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

That was indeed the spirit in which it was created. Not to repeat myself but:

Taking offense should be listed as an All American past time. It seems to be ingrained in every facet of our society. A few smilies were removed and now I am bludgeoning flies with a sledge hammer, depriving good honest crooks of their screw drivers and fomenting shenanigans outside of Ireland. It gives way to my continuous observation that no good deed will go unpunished.

... making a decision to treat everyone a certain way because of the misbehavior of a few isn't my idea of a good deed ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added at 08:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:00 AM ----------

I have to call BS on this. First of all, the THANKS button "abusers" abused the button simply by clicking THANKS on every post in a specific thread. That is what got El's panties in a bunch and subsequently Pete panties. Our supposed abuse had nothing to do with thanking for dogpiling because everybody often thanked a post when they agreed with it. Not just us. And when that post happened to be in a heated thread, others still thanked posts they agreed with. It was not just us. To say it was is complete BS.

If you go back a read the thread ... very similar to this one, in fact ... where the removal of the Thanks feature was discussed, you'll discover that the reason given for its removal was exactly the same as the reason given to remove the popcorn smiley.

The reality may have been otherwise ... but the reason given was exactly the same.

The popcorn smilie was used in the manner that Pete described by many members and anybody that can only see the people that you reference (I am on of those) has their eyes closed to the world. Pete has an agenda so this coming from him makes sense.

Every time I ever saw the popcorn smiley used in the manner Pete described, it was one or more of the same dozen or so people doing it. And, in fact, you were one of them ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ScubaSteve]

Every time I ever saw the popcorn smiley used in the manner Pete described, it was one or more of the same dozen or so people doing it. And, in fact, you were one of them ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I do not take exception to me being one of them......I used the popcorn smilie all the time and to convey many different thoughts or emotions. I call BS on the statement that we are the only group that used any smilie that way. I started a search but i will settle for calling BS because I refuse to sift through 10's of thousands of posts to prove my point.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I do not take exception to me being one of them......I used the popcorn smilie all the time and to convey many different thoughts or emotions. I call BS on the statement that we are the only group that used any smilie that way. I started a search but i will settle for calling BS because I refuse to sift through 10's of thousands of posts to prove my point.

... and in taking offense at what I wrote, you kind've demonstrated my point ... because I didn't say you were the only people who used it that way ... I said the same group did both things. You even admit that much.

Are you suggesting that a larger than tiny minority of users ever abused this smiley? Or the Thanks button? Are you suggesting that the same people didn't do both? Or are you inferring that I applied some sort of exclusivity to those comparisons? I said that's what I noticed ... but I only visit maybe a half-dozen forums on this board ... and rarely the same ones you do.

Are you also suggesting that without a popcorn smiley, you will not find some other way to convey the same thoughts you were conveying with the use of those two features?

I think nobody changes their behavior because of the available tools ... more like they use the available tools to express their inclination toward a specific type of behavior.

And that, really, was the point. Removing a smiley will achieve exactly nothing ... because it doesn't address the problem Pete described ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ScubaSteve]

Are you suggesting that a larger than tiny minority of users ever abused this smiley? Or the Thanks button?

I am saying there has been no abuse. Unless Pete wants to either learn how to read minds so he knows what is intended by a smilie face OR he expands the TOS to include the do's and dont's of smilie posting, then it is impossible to misuse them. I do however support his right to add or delete them as he sees fit. I have never argued that it never should have been removed. Pete made the claim that posting the popcorn smilie was the equivalent to yelling "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!". Well that may be the case when he posts it, but speaking for myself, it was often intended more in line of

which says "Wow...did you see that coming?" As is proven every day, people jump to conclusions to interpret what someone posts. Often times that is incorrectly interpreted leading to issues. That is life.

Personally, I hope that Pete learns to read minds because I really think this whole situation is stupid. This much time being wasted over a .5" x .5" gif? If he would just know what the intended message was by the posting of a smilie rather than assuming, then this whole situation might have played out very differently. Maybe not.

 

[Buoyant1]

Personally I think Pete and a bunch (not all) of the moderators continue to get their panties in a bunch about the little emoticons because THEY are the problem! Not the emoticons!

From the site that I pulled the from, the "descriptions" are as follows:

"Smiley eating popcorn and drinking cola, waiting for the show to start. Great for forums where a topic is getting started."

and

"Popcorn Eating - Waiting to See what happens next"

and

"Popcorn has arrived and this smiley is gonna kick back and watch the entertainment, trolls anyone?"



I think it's just a "we're in control" kind of issue.... your "perfect forum world" doesn't exist, kinder gentler posting will never happen...Some people need a kick in the butt to get something through to them, and being kinder and gentler could get you dead and rather quickly!

In the social forums...who cares....