General > General Technical Chat

IMPORTANT POLL: Should there be an off-topic section?

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pcprogrammer:

--- Quote from: Zeyneb on September 10, 2022, 05:07:28 pm ---Ok, I understand now Dave and others would prefer to keep this titled General Technical Chat. And that is also the section where social, political, economic and humorous charged posts will go.

--- End quote ---

Well I guess you understood wrong. The General Technical Chat is being misused for "social, political, economic and humorous charged posts". As long as no one complaints about a thread or one of the moderates spots it and feels the need to lock or delete it, they are more or less allowed.


--- Quote from: Zeyneb on September 10, 2022, 05:07:28 pm ---I think it is important to start the new Off Topic Projects section in a good way. And make it very clear to members to distinguish if their post should be in Off Topic Projects or General Technical Chat. You know, if Off Topic Projects doesn't really catch on the posts will end up in General Technical Chat.

So how about this: Invite members to prepare some appealing/interesting posts for the new Off Topic Projects section, show them to Dave to determine Yes, this is what I meant for the new section. And when the new section is created launch those posts all at once.

Maybe Dave can already share the intended description text for Off Topic Projects. You know, the text below the section headers.

Also maybe Dave could recruit some more moderators, maybe to start only with the authority to move posts in the right sections.

From the point of view of a forum member, when you open a forum section you skim through the post titles and judge if your intended post will match the relevance/tone/culture of the section, if that is the case and the section has recent activity you'll get the confidence your post will be received well and get responses.

--- End quote ---

In itself a reasonable idea, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. The poll still leans to no, and it is up to Dave to think it through first.

PlainName:

--- Quote ---Say it out loud or be silent but stop mumbling
--- End quote ---

I think that's the wrong approach. Sure, for trivial stuff it might be fine, but for stuff that needs moderating there are problems:

1. Perhaps the complaint isn't valid (misunderstood rules or something). If that had been brought up in public there would be arguments, probably pedantic and leading off on tangents to other arguments). Afterwards, the complainer would have his card marked by some subset of participants. On the other hand, a non-public complaint can be settled by a quiet word from the mod setting out why it's not a valid complaint.

2. Perhaps the complaint is valid. Bring it up in public and... well, repeat of 1. I am sure. A non-public complaint can see the mod have a quiet word with the transgressor, and it's more likely to be settled then because there would be no big ego losing face as there would be in public.

We used to get pop-up single-post vendors flogging stuff, and a following trail of posts telling them to push off or questioning what they're about, etc. But we don't get that now because instead of whining people hit the compaint button and a mod just goes and deals with it, no fuss. Sometimes it's a pukka post and the mod leaves it, and the difference is there isn't a long thread of complaints to go with it.

tggzzz:

--- Quote from: dunkemhigh on September 10, 2022, 09:35:16 pm ---
--- Quote ---Say it out loud or be silent but stop mumbling
--- End quote ---

I think that's the wrong approach. Sure, for trivial stuff it might be fine, but for stuff that needs moderating there are problems:

1. Perhaps the complaint isn't valid (misunderstood rules or something). If that had been brought up in public there would be arguments, probably pedantic and leading off on tangents to other arguments). Afterwards, the complainer would have his card marked by some subset of participants. On the other hand, a non-public complaint can be settled by a quiet word from the mod setting out why it's not a valid complaint.

--- End quote ---

That doesn't stand up to scruitiny. If it isn't valid then an open discussion will clear that up. If it is valid, then an open discussion can give the perp an early warning that peers are applying pressure.


--- Quote ---2. Perhaps the complaint is valid. Bring it up in public and... well, repeat of 1. I am sure. A non-public complaint can see the mod have a quiet word with the transgressor, and it's more likely to be settled then because there would be no big ego losing face as there would be in public.

--- End quote ---

That doesn't stand up to scruitiny.  If a transgressor realises other people think they are transgressing, then they may speedily modify their behaviour due to peer pressure. If they aren't warned until "later", then the behaviour might have become more entrenched and so there's more face to be lost.


--- Quote ---We used to get pop-up single-post vendors flogging stuff, and a following trail of posts telling them to push off or questioning what they're about, etc. But we don't get that now because instead of whining people hit the compaint button and a mod just goes and deals with it, no fuss. Sometimes it's a pukka post and the mod leaves it, and the difference is there isn't a long thread of complaints to go with it.

--- End quote ---

That isn't the case under discussion. When there is a clear cut case forum rules deliberately being broken for commercial gain (or equivalent) then I warn the mods so they stop on such perps.

Basically I think it cowardly and deceitful to "go behind someone's" back, and "complain to mummy" that "I don't like what Bobby Droptables is saying". Or, as in too many states, tell the Authorities "I suspect Mary Jo is a communist/capitalist enemy of the people" (delete as appropriate). When that happens, Mary Jo isn't told of the details of the accusations, so they can't set the record straight and can't discredit the evidence amd/or accuser.

There were echoes of that in the recent debacle, and they have left a bad taste in some people's mouths. That's partly why some of the departed aren't keen to return.

PlainName:

--- Quote from:  tggzzz ---...
--- End quote ---

You're essentially saying to get rid of the report button.

PlainName:

--- Quote ---deceitful to "go behind someone's" back, and "complain to mummy"
--- End quote ---

It can be disrespectful to call out someone in public. Perhaps if they sent a PM all this fuss wouldn't be necessary, but people don't. They just mouth off (for a good example, your derogatory comment designed to stir up emotion, and we're not even arguing about a complaint) and then it will progress to name calling and the like.

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