Feedback on Moderation and Flaming

[kaminiwa]

We run a much tighter ship when it comes to flaming than many other places you might post. We have tried to create a place where people can have discussions about gaming and other topics without the rampant personal attacks prevalent at other RPG boards.


I'm a newbie in the playground, and I'm getting flamed by one of the existing playgorund members. This poster has repeatedly degenerated my reading skills, making it very clear that the only possible way I could disagree with him is if there's some sort of reading comprehension issue on my part. He's also insulted other posters for behaving childishly. He's very explicitly crossed the line from debating content, to making it about me as a person.

The lack of communication from the moderators is amplifying this: When I was reported for vigilante moderation, the response time was 2 hours, the thread was locked, and numerous posts were scrubbed. (Fair is fair, and I got a quick response, so I don't object to that warning.)

Here, however, I've been waiting more than 2 DAYS, and there's still no response. It makes me feel like my complaint is being ignored. I've tried to request clarification on what a reasonable time frame was, but didn't get an answer.

I have no guidelines to determine whether moderator response time is much slower than expected, or I've somehow stumbled on to something that required extra discussion/escalation, or whether this is totally acceptable behavior and I've just interpreted the rules wrong. Since there's not any feedback or timeframe, I have no way of learning which of these is the case, either - which means I have no way to become a "better citizen" of the playground.

It's a really uncomfortable situation, and it seems like it could be easily solved by a bit of transparency. An approximate time frame to expect for moderator action at least gives us an intuitive sense that, if the post wasn't {scrubbed} 3 days later, it's probably acceptable.

Actual feedback saying "no, that's within the rules" would be ideal, but I realize that can take some extra time. A time frame plus the ability to raise the issue to a moderator and confirm "yes, that's within the rules" would also be a nice compromise.

[Douglas]

Just to be clear: You have actually reported the posts in question, correct?

[Rawhide]

The moderators are not omnipotent and omnipresent. We are not working on these forums every minute of every single day. We cannot react to every report within minutes of it being reported. We are a volunteer moderation staff doing this in our spare time. Please allow the moderators time to perform their duties.

In addition, due to a major growth in the board we are currently understaffed. This is something we have already recognised and have advertised a call for new moderator applicants (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=298595) - something we would not normally do (preferring to identify and select new moderators in our own timeframe).

Thank you.

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: I'm sorry, but what you request is just not feasible. We have a volunteer moderator force, and the workflow ebbs and flows with reported post count, moderator time to give, severity and number of problem posts, and countless other factors. There is no way we could provide individual feedback on each moderator action. Nor could we give you a standard response time.

The most helpful thing you can do in the circumstance you describe is to re-report the alleged violation. Maybe the report glitched or got overlooked. Or maybe the whole thread is under review.

If the problem is severe and ongoing, you can try to PM one or more moderators for the revelant subforum or PM me directly. Provide them links to the posts/threads at issue, and be respectful. Try not to use this except for serious or emergency situations. It's far less efficient and adds another thing to the moderators' workload.

Finally, don't use what others do as your gauge for proper conduct here. Read the Forum Rules and follow them with care and caution such that you feel confident that you aren't violating them. Don't worry about exactly where the line is, because you won't be anywhere near it. Report anything you suspect violates them, and go on about your business as the best Playgrounder you can be.