Ask the Mods questions about the Forums!

[Red Iron Crown]

5 minutes ago, diomedea said:

I certainly was pretty vocal about a number of subjects (and I still think to have been mostly right) but isn't something I will tell around. Not even to those who joined the team later.

It's OK, those of us who joined after you already know you're always right.  

[DarkOwl57]

To mods: If you've ever felt bad about something you did (i.e. Banning a player, closing a thread, etc.), what was it?

[Red Iron Crown]

I feel bad every time I have to warn or ban someone, no matter how much they've earned it. Some people seem to think that doing these things is somehow enjoyable but I assure you it is not.

[legoclone09]

We can ask anything here, right? Well, here goes.

You have a ninety kilogram projectile that needs to be launched 300 meters. What do you use to launch it?
look at the font name for the answer

[Red Iron Crown]

54 minutes ago, legoclone09 said:

We can ask anything here, right? Well, here goes.

You have a ninety kilogram projectile that needs to be launched 300 meters. What do you use to launch it?
look at the font name for the answer

Thread is supposed to be about the forums. Really we shouldn't have as much off topic stuff as we do. Eventually one of us has to post and bring it back on track. By "one of us" I mean @Vanamonde. Usually even he doesn't mind a few off topic posts, though. Can only become a problem if it goes on for too long. Half the time it's me driving it off topic anyway. Eventually it gets back, though. This answer makes more sense if you only read the first letter of each sentence.

[Mycroft]

T. R. E. B. I. U. C. H. E. T.

 

 

...i'm confused...

ohhhh you mean trebuchet. Took me a second.

[Dman979]

Just now, Mycroft said:

T. R. E. B. I. U. C. H. E. T.

 

 

...i'm confused...

I'm confused where you got the extra "I" from.

[Mycroft]

Just now, Dman979 said:

I'm confused where you got the extra "I" from.

Oh *facepalm* my bad.

Lemme just go hide in a corner...

@Red Iron Crown are you the only one who has above 10,000 rep?

[Red Iron Crown]

7 minutes ago, Mycroft said:

Oh *facepalm* my bad.

Lemme just go hide in a corner...

@Red Iron Crown are you the only one who has above 10,000 rep?

No. @Kuzzter has more, and there's a few official accounts with more as well.

[Mycroft]

3 minutes ago, Red Iron Crown said:

No. @Kuzzter has more, and there's a few official accounts with more as well.

Wow. That's a lot of rep. o.o  

I've always been curious. How did the old reputation system work, and does the current one mean anything?

[Vanamonde]

8 hours ago, DarkOwl57 said:

To mods: If you've ever felt bad about something you did (i.e. Banning a player, closing a thread, etc.), what was it?

I have closed threads in which I would have preferred to continue talking, because they had turned into personal arguments. We get accused of shutting things down cavalierly, but remember, this also means WE can't participate there anymore, which is just as frustrating for us as it is for you. I have also issued warns to nice people, because it wouldn't be fair if I didn't treat everybody the same way. 

[Gaarst]

3 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

this also means WE can't participate there anymore

I've always thought locking a thread would allow you to have the last word in a discussion.  I'd probably be a terrible mod

[adsii1970]

8 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

I have closed threads in which I would have preferred to continue talking, because they had turned into personal arguments. We get accused of shutting things down cavalierly, but remember, this also means WE can't participate there anymore, which is just as frustrating for us as it is for you. I have also issued warns to nice people, because it wouldn't be fair if I didn't treat everybody the same way. 

I do not want to be a back-seat moderator, but what can us common folk do to help with this? I've noticed it becoming more and more of an issue since about August... I know we are encouraged to report comments such as the ones being described, but is there a recommended way or something that can be done without using the forum nuclear option?

@Gaarst: Yeah, I probably would be too. I believe that it's why I haven't ever been approached yet! C'est la vie... not too worried about it. On another note, I miss the jumping jello you did use as your avatar!

Edited December 15, 2016 by adsii1970

[Gaarst]

@adsii1970 I've already been told about the jelly avatar. I just figured some change is good from time to time, I had had it for over a year.

55 minutes ago, Mycroft said:

I've always been curious. How did the old reputation system work, and does the current one mean anything?

The old reputation gave several points of rep at once (up to 5 depending on how long you had been on the forums) and you could write a message with it. I also don't recall people giving reputation being displayed on the post itself, you used to receive the message as a private message that only you could see, but I might be wrong.

The current one does mean anything, it's just vastly different from the previous one. Liking things has become more "common" (I personally give likes more often than I used to give rep, but that might just be me) which kinda makes for the decrease in rep points given.

Edited December 15, 2016 by Gaarst

[Vanamonde]

Quote

... without using the forum nuclear option?

Again, we are accused of over-reacting when we lock, but we only lock threads for two reasons. 1) It's a subject guaranteed to go bad, like religion or politics, or 2) we've warned it several times already. Keep in mind: you do not see the warns we issue to people who are not you, and you don't see posts we've removed, so it might not be evident to a non-moderator just how much we've have to intervene in a thread before locking it. 

[adsii1970]

 

3 minutes ago, Vanamonde said:

Again, we are accused of over-reacting when we lock, but we only lock threads for two reasons. 1) It's a subject guaranteed to go bad, like religion or politics, or 2) we've warned it several times already. Keep in mind: you do not see the warns we issue to people who are not you, and you don't see posts we've removed, so it might not be evident to a non-moderator just how much we've have to intervene in a thread before locking it. 

Not exactly the nuclear option I was referring to... I was talking about what we can do before reporting the thread or getting a moderator involved...

[Red Iron Crown]

5 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

I was talking about what we can do before reporting the thread or getting a moderator involved...

Don't answer flamebait. Don't retaliate if insulted. Hit the report button. Seriously, it is much better for us to be aware of a heated thread before it gets too heated, and gives better odds of us getting it back on track and keeping it open.

[Dman979]

7 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

 

Not exactly the nuclear option I was referring to... I was talking about what we can do before reporting the thread or getting a moderator involved...

I didn't think that was a nuclear option. It's kinda my go-to action, as any of the mods here will atest.

If it is the nuclear option than I've turned the world into a smoking hellhole.

[Frybert]

39 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

I do not want to be a back-seat moderator, but what can us common folk do to help with this? I've noticed it becoming more and more of an issue since about August... I know we are encouraged to report comments such as the ones being described, but is there a recommended way or something that can be done without using the forum nuclear option?

"Observe and report." If anyone has every been a security guard anywhere, they've heard this before. That's the best thing I can suggest. If you see something, report it and move on. Ignore it. Continue the discussion as if the post in question had never even happened. A lot of times, that is all that is needed in the first place and we don't even have to get involved.

[Superfluous J]

7 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

 

Not exactly the nuclear option I was referring to... I was talking about what we can do before reporting the thread or getting a moderator involved...

Maybe linking to the Positive Forum Movement thread could help, too

[diomedea]

1 hour ago, 5thHorseman said:

Maybe linking to the Positive Forum Movement thread could help, too

Yes. Or even to the Good Conduct Guide.

[Deddly]

View the Report Button as "Someone might want to have a look at this" rather than "I'm telling on you!"

In general, Frybert's comment above perfectly explains the best course of action for most situations.

Commend people for good posts, report bad ones, and try not to get offended when someone is rude. Problem solved :).

[Dman979]

2 hours ago, Mycroft said:

I've always been curious. How did the old reputation system work, and does the current one mean anything?

The formatting is broken, but this is the most complete guide you'll get.

[monstah]

6 hours ago, Vanamonde said:

it might not be evident to a non-moderator just how much we've have to intervene in a thread before locking it. 

This. And, as moderators, there's no way for us to read a thread and not know what has been deleted and/or warned. It's almost the opposite impression you guys have: to a normal user everything is roses, while to a moderator it's sometimes this:

On 24/11/2016 at 2:11 AM, 5thHorseman said:

(I kid, obviously. I mean, it's true what I said, but the last part is an exaggeration. This is a very good community and there's not that much bad behavior away from your sight)

6 hours ago, Dman979 said:

It's kinda my go-to action, as any of the mods here will atest.

Yes  your reports are very familiar to us.

4 hours ago, Deddly said:

View the Report Button as "Someone might want to have a look at this" rather than "I'm telling on you!"

Also, this. Remember, the only users who ever know a post was reported are the mods; we then discuss it and, if we think it's needed, we might warn the offending party, and again no other user apart from the moderators and the warned person will know that. So, have no fear of report-retaliation, have no heavy conscience that your friend might feel betrayed, and remember we try to be fair with our punishment. Just don't abuse it (such as reporting something just because you disagree). 

 

6 hours ago, 5thHorseman said:

Maybe linking to the Positive Forum Movement thread could help, too

Oh, that thread has very good advice! Among them: try to disarm the offending party by being polite to them. Sometimes a user is acting offensive and rude, but they've really just had a very bad day.

[Mycroft]

12 hours ago, Red Iron Crown said:

Don't answer flamebait. Don't retaliate if insulted. Hit the report button. Seriously, it is much better for us to be aware of a heated thread before it gets too heated, and gives better odds of us getting it back on track and keeping it open.

Very good to know. Also vastly different (in a good way) from just about every forum I've been on. For many, it seems like a fend for yourself world and so this forum has taken some getting used to as Van and Fry can attest. But that's good.

Now if only I could stop being such a hothead, everything would be peachy.

I'm making progress... sorta...