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It wouldn't bug me, unless I saw it being used by people as a way to ensure 'purity' on 'My Thread'... petitioning mods for a sub-thread the moment anyone posted something they felt was not strictly on topic, too irreverent, or too hostile toward their own sentiments. Trying to keep more outspoken posters away from their discussions.

I think my overall concern, in any forum, is that the mods will hear most often from daintier complainers, rather than folks who aren't as easily ruffled... and that the squeaky wheels will get their grease. Not that this place has become that, so far.
That's a two way street. Letting the undainty run the show is just as bad to me as letting the dainty. From my standpoint we have two alternate forums that can handle either extreme. If people have too much trouble with the middle road they know where to go.
 
That's a two way street. Letting the undainty run the show is just as bad to me as letting the dainty.
Agreed... and this place has stood pretty stable in the middle. My assumption, though, is that whatever PMs the Mods are getting are not from people who want looser moderation, or even compliments for maintaining the status quo.
My assumptions are often wrong though...
 
Just so everyone knows, we do get the occasional person who uses the report button for what I consider trivial reasons. Not every report is handled the same way. The squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the grease either. I think we have a good grasp of what to look for and I actually think we often step into hot spots before people let us know what they think about it. Not everyone likes to use the report button for whatever reasons: This week has been record breaking for reports (about 15 or so) but most weeks we only get one or two.
 
Agreed... and this place has stood pretty stable in the middle. My assumption, though, is that whatever PMs the Mods are getting are not from people who want looser moderation, or even compliments for maintaining the status quo.
My assumptions are often wrong though...
Obviously, I can't go into detail, but most reports are from one of the regulars giving us a heads up when things are getting rowdy. I don't think that the Pub attracts the kind of posters that revel in finding things to report. It's no fun if people aren't getting banned all the time.
 
It wouldn't bug me, unless I saw it being used by people as a way to ensure 'purity' on 'My Thread'... petitioning mods for a sub-thread the moment anyone posted something they felt was not strictly on topic, too irreverent, or too hostile toward their own sentiments. Trying to keep more outspoken posters away from their discussions.

I think my overall concern, in any forum, is that the mods will hear most often from daintier complainers, rather than folks who aren't as easily ruffled... and that the squeaky wheels will get their grease. Not that this place has become that, so far. So far the level of Mod tolerance has been pretty nice, IMO.

Honestly, reports rarely inform how we react to a thread. The most they really do is cause us to read a thread, from there it's totally a judgement call. I find most reports to be frivolous, TBH.
 
Let me address the concern in a diifferent way:


there are no protected opinions or in-groups here.I look at each situation through two metrics: how it applies to the No Politics rule, and how much something is interferring with good disscusion and friendly relations. The first is usually pretty cut and dry. The second is very much a case by case basis. I can usually tell when something is instigated or provoked - what some folks think is subtle, usually is not. It's really not hard to trace a flame to it's source. But we act on very little, because I still believe free speech includes the freedom to be an asshat. I think the natural consequence of that is one has to put up with people being an asshat back in return. If the cycle continues for too long, or devolves to viciousness, then I think it's time to put a stop to it.

When I say I find most reports "frivolous", I don't mean we don't want or don't care about reports. I mean that they don't in and of themselves inform how I evaluate a situation, especially from a participant.
 
I'll also add that tangents were early on embraced as part of or forum's culture, and I'm not going to do anything to dissuade that. When I talk about spinning things off into their own thread, I really only mean extreme cases when we have multiple pages of the same 2 or 3 posters going back and forth with all other conversation lost.

Despite that happening several times in short succession recently, I believe that's an outlier and that the vast majority of the time things should go very much the same. The Pub ain't broke, so I'm not looking to fix it.
 
In simplest terms, we just want to be the best mods we can be. We ask for feedback because we care what you guys and gals think. It’s not because we are looking to change the Pub; I love it the way it is. We as humans sometimes need different perspectives on how we might tackle things, and this is no exception.
 
Honestly, reports rarely inform how we react to a thread. The most they really do is cause us to read a thread, from there it's totally a judgement call. I find most reports to be frivolous, TBH.

As I've never used the report button on a forum, when used does it provide the reporter the ability to include a message with their issue or is it just a red flag activation to attract a mods attention to an issue?
 
It has come to our attention that certain people do not like our moderation style here at the Pub and would like us to be more hands-on. Meaning, that we should step in and stop thread tangents, or thread-crapping, as some people would call it, before they get carried away. That we should not let people drop memes in threads as they call it a form of passive-aggressive attack, and that we should "fact check" arguments to see who should be warned about crossing the line. That we are too nice with people and let too much slide around here.
I disagree with every single one of these ideas and would be really sorry to see them implemented. Seriously, there's no need to "go purple", many of us left a forum which claims to adhere to those rules, and everyone I've spoken to likes the moderator style here way better!

That is all I'm going to say, but I thought I should make my opinion crystal clear:shade:!
 
As I've never used the report button on a forum, when used does it provide the reporter the ability to include a message with their issue or is it just a red flag activation to attract a mods attention to an issue?
You get a text box to add clarification and anything else you think is important, like why you’ve reported something.
 
As I've never used the report button on a forum, when used does it provide the reporter the ability to include a message with their issue or is it just a red flag activation to attract a mods attention to an issue?

Yes it includes a link to the reported post.
 
In a pop-corn eating, schadenfreude sort of way I'm always eager to know what they did to get booted. Especially if i didn't like them (validation, I guess, of my opinions).
 
It has come to our attention that certain people do not like our moderation style here at the Pub and would like us to be more hands-on. Meaning, that we should step in and stop thread tangents, or thread-crapping, as some people would call it, before they get carried away. That we should not let people drop memes in threads as they call it a form of passive-aggressive attack, and that we should "fact check" arguments to see who should be warned about crossing the line. That we are too nice with people and let too much slide around here.

I want everyone who reads this thread to share your thoughts on what we do right, what we do wrong, how we could improve. As the owner, I am biased in that I think we take being moderators very seriously and have discussions about major issues before we decide to do anything about it. That we expect people here to act like adults and sort things out for yourselves before we have to get involved. That people can make mistakes from time to time and that we shouldn't jump all over you at the first sign of trouble. That if we warn people, we do so in general terms before being specific so that we don't single out and embarrass people. That we want this place to be as friendly and accommodating as possible. We don't want members to bring their baggage from other sites and we don't prejudge people based on their behavior elsewhere. I can go on, but I think we do a pretty damn good job and I think I have two great mods who share my views about how we do things here.

So I open the floor. What do you guys think?
I'm not a heavy user of these forums, so maybe take my comments with a grain of salt. (I typically miss the dust-ups, or I don't often read the threads where they occur. And if a thread gets annoying I'll typically stop reading it and focus my time on something that's more valuable to me).

  • My opinion of memes can depend on the nature of why they're posted. If they're used to flip shit at another poster I generally find them smarmy and obnoxious. If it's an attempt at inoffensive comedy then I don't have a problem with them, and don't feel that they should be moderated.
  • IMO, the definition of good forum moderation is when it's not noticeable and barely impacts your forum-experience. The moments when it seems heavy-handed or pervasive are the times when I start to question the moderation of a forum. I don't want "more hands-on" moderation. I want problems handled in a direct manner with the offending user. And if a banning occurs or some kind of disciplinary action, moderation should be transparent about why it's occurred. User should act like adults, and moderators/administrators should act like adults.
  • Forum-baggage is annoying, but it's not that difficult to ignore the thread, ignore the posters, or find other threads to read. What annoys me more is forum-baggage between a moderator and a user. I can't toss a moderator on ignore, so those are the times when I wish they'd take things to private message, or the moderator step back and not continue the conflict.
  • TristramEvans TristramEvans should be stripped of his moderator role if he doesn't start posting to his stickied Mini Painting Tutorial thread again soon. Leaving a good thread dormant for 4 months seems like a violation of something, and I expect more from moderators.
 
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Hah, well; one is on hold as I work on the other. Expect an update to the tutorial thread this week. Got just the main painting post(s), then a basing tutiorial. After that I was going to go into advanced techniques, but I do want to find a replacement for the Doodling D&D project as well. I was thinking about straight up just re-doing a medieval bestiary.

I also think this summer, when I have some time off, I'd do some step by step mini painting tutorials with pics. The biggest problem with that is I have a very frenetic painting style - I'll usually sit down and will do a whole mini or squad at once, and I forget to take breaks periodically ro photograph the steps.
 
Hah, well; one is on hold as I work on the other. Expect an update to the tutorial thread this week. Got just the main painting post(s), then a basing tutiorial. After that I was going to go into advanced techniques, but I do want to find a replacement for the Doodling D&D project as well. I was thinking about straight up just re-doing a medieval bestiary.

I also think this summer, when I have some time off, I'd do some step by step mini painting tutorials with pics. The biggest problem with that is I have a very frenetic painting style - I'll usually sit down and will do a whole mini or squad at once, and I forget to take breaks periodically ro photograph the steps.
Video?
 
Wouldn't even know where to begin, short of duct taping my cellphone to my forehead, lol

Selfies and amateur porn have resulted in a huge variety of cell phone holders. Have a look I'm sure there is something that would work for you. Just remember to wear pants when you are painting and the video is running. :shock:
 
Late to this thread!

For the most part, I want the pub to stay the way it is. There are a few tiny nits I have to pick, and at least one of them will be unpopular.

First, I think the meme posts are fine except when used in a flamewar. Then they just add fuel to fire. But flamewars are themselves bad, so...

Speaking of which, I would like to see some of the flamewars nipped a little earlier. Some conversations are very counterproductive and hurt the community. Especially when the same points are being repeated by all sides with escalating nastiness. That's obviously not a conversation but a fight, and I would like to see a gentle corrective before it gets that far. PMs are a good way to start, and a threadban for those who persist.

Third, I think the mods should avoid getting pulled into these arguments. I've seen it happen recently, and even when I agree with the mod (which is, so far, always), I think it hurts his ability (and perhaps that of other mods) to moderate with moderation. When you do that, everything you say will be read for bias even when it's perfectly reasonable. This is more of a recommendation than a request, because I think it's in the interest of the mods.

Finally - and here's the unpopular suggestion - when someone is at the heart of every single fucking nasty fight that goes down on the pub, it's no coincidence. Such a person has a net negative contribution and should be banned. Is there anyone like that on the pub? Yes, but I can only think of one. Everyone else here is swell (seriously; I love this place). I won't mention any names, but if you know who I'm talking about, then that really says it all.
 
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Third, I think the mods should avoid getting pulled into these arguments. I've seen it happen recently, and even when I agree with the mod, I think it hurts his ability (and perhaps that of other mods) to moderate with moderation. When you do that, everything you say will be read for bias even when it's perfectly reasonable. This is more of a recommendation than a request, because I think it's in the interest of the mods.

On the forums I run we had a general rule that if a moderator was involved in a thread, then moderation had to come from another moderator. Granted, that works a lot better when you have a double digit mod team.
 
Third, I think the mods should avoid getting pulled into these arguments. I've seen it happen recently, and even when I agree with the mod (which is, so far, always), I think it hurts his ability (and perhaps that of other mods) to moderate with moderation. When you do that, everything you say will be read for bias even when it's perfectly reasonable. This is more of a recommendation than a request, because I think it's in the interest of the mods.
True statement, if the mods engage in behavior they are going to mod people for, they lose the high ground, and congrats, you’ve started down the path to Purple or Enworld modding.

Finally - and here's the unpopular suggestion - when someone is at the heart of every single fucking nasty fight that goes down on the pub, it's no coincidence. Such a person has a net negative contribution and should be banned. Is there anyone like that on the pub? Yes, but I can only think of one. Everyone else here is swell (seriously; I love this place). I won't mention any names, but if you know who I'm talking about, then that really says it all.
Careful...pick a person in the last X flame wars, you’ll find the same person, if not people, that are fighting with them, and no one breaks the camel’s back in every thread. Then again, you might just be referring to the person whose arguments you don’t like, but that couldn’t be it, right?
 
Lot of good posts, just some more thoughts in random order.

Perfect frequently is the enemy of Good, but...there can be a more perfect Pub, as well as a less perfect Pub. Does this place have the best moderation of the RPG forums? Sure, but there are some pretty low bars out there, with a well-paved path to hell made of small decisions that seemed innocuous at the time. The mods may have to adjust from time to time, especially if people come with ways to get around their style.

Swotime is great, but...let’s Get Real. Going on about food, booze, geese, and competing Erik Estrada memes is just how things roll here, but...please let’s not pretend that all humor is gentle, friendly ribbing. As many other posters have said, modding only overt aggressive posting lets passive-aggressive posters dance the line, and brother, we have some line dancers here that could win a trophy at Gilley’s. There’s also the idea of the Heckler’s Veto and simply continually joking in a thread until everyone else picks up the joke, and the discussion gets lost. No one is forcing anyone to read a thread they don’t like, or for that matter, a poster they don’t like.

Factchecking...isn’t the right term, it implies research. Refereeing, as someone (I think tenbones put it), however, is kind of the Moderator’s job. Not everything is subjective. They’re not there just to break up fights but to call fouls and rules violations. It’s a fine line though, to be sure, which is why they get the big bucks...or at least get the final word when they want it.

SRSBSNS is, frankly, crap, always has been. There’s not a single one of us that hasn’t spent thousands of dollars and hours into this hobby if not several thousands. If you’re posting to show someone how little you care, you care. We’re not fooled, we went through grade school also. ”You’re being too serious about this”, 95% of the time actually means “you’re saying something I don’t like and I want to make you stop but I can’t argue with you, so I’ll just try to put you down and make myself look cooler”. No one makes you read a thread or poster you don’t like.
 
On the forums I run we had a general rule that if a moderator was involved in a thread, then moderation had to come from another moderator. Granted, that works a lot better when you have a double digit mod team.
Yep that’s an excellent suggestion, then a mod can get in the ring with a frenemy without wearing weighted gloves.
 
I have frequently asked the guys if they think we need another moderator and they have always told me that they aren’t overworked or burned out and enjoy doing it. I have recently considered adding another as the forum is getting busier but nothing past that stage. To me it’s at least one person having eyes on the forum all the time.
 
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