Mod Probs: Foot on the Ball Moment. Advice on Direction Needed

Sign me up! Do we get free tissues?

 

Such modesty! I was responding to this Uber:

"We do sometimes take on the characteristics of the lynch mob hammering on the side of the Black Maria long before the suspect inside has been formally charged with anything. It is a worrying pre-occupation."

 

Ah, right. The intended context for that was the way in which some contributors will shoot first and ask questions afterwards when they read the comments of others. Sometimes it is advisable to simply ask "what did you mean by that?" rather than "how dare you, that's the most offensive thing I ever read, you Nazi, you should be banned for life!" etc. etc.

Don't listen to me though, I can't spell Moria.

 

Almost word for word what I was going to post. I got very fed up on here in the Summer. There was no football to talk about so it got silly. So I took a break and since I've come back read these childish thread with amused detatchment and don't get involved in them (much!)

BR: Very wise.

Hope time has helped in your ability to start to come to terms with your recent bereavement mate. Good to see you posting. 'Illegitimus non tatum carborundum' eh?!!

 

Ah, OK, I get you. You intended that the "suspect" is a board member who is jumped on by others before any ambiguity is cleared up. Agree with that.

As for the spelling of Black Maria, I expect that's because you've never been in one - and therefore have not had to add to your CV "I have no previous convictions, but have been carted off down the Uxbridge Road in a Black Maria etc..." All to the good!

 

Insufficent evidence, thankfully.

 

I don't have issues Imaz I have opinions and mime are correct and yours are mainly wrong ... get the concept?. You yourself should look in the mirror before you attempt to write anything.
You are just a poster same as any one else except you take things a little further by threatening people and some could be worried by this. No me as if you did your real homework correctly you would find out I am in real life a truly proven psychologically disturbed **** ... I believe by the very comments above you may have scored highly on your very own trolling **** stirring agenda.

BR: It's almost like Shakespeare anticipated the characters on the Rs Board! Here we see 'Poor Tom' providing the dramatic irony in offering more than a grain of truth and wisdom. Well said mate and if Imy's reading, he'll no doubt realise that inhaling less in the way of provocation would really save us mods a bit of time and unnecessary agg.

As many have pointed out, self-moderation is key to a great forum.

 

Yes however there is a recycling policy in place

 

I'm all for our own GC section, I occasionally post of the main GC site And its a. Good craic. In saying that there are lots of tits (sweatys) who make it very clique, small doses no probs, set it up and make me the
super mod, deal?

BR: Not sure atm re. a password secure QPR board GC - but not totally out of the question if there's a market for it.

As for you being its mod... do poachers make good gamekeepers then?!!

Is the old porn cushty to post?

BR: No - from the points raised re. kids and others who'd simply rather not. Hasten to add though that the current rules don't specifically support that view - unless directly challenged...

Looking forward to your response

Miles

BR: Miles J? Miles Cerny, CB, SR, Phil, Sku??!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha!

 

The usual intellectual posters have it right.

I like the engaging OT threads - general ones rather than specific stories. I love the film and music threads too.

There are cameraderies formed on here and the sharing of a wider range of thoughts and opinions is a natural extension to this. This, if reasonably executed, could be as much of a draw to new members as football related threads.

BR: Personally agree. There should be a corner for us hair splitting musers. (Was gonna add in the word 'old' but suddenly realised that would immediately exclude the likes of you, Swords and others!)

I don't really bother with sexist threads because I have a lovely lady and wouldn't touch the Sun or Sport with someone else's. It's predominantly a lads board and there's little I could or would change by ranting on there.

BR: So good to find a real gent in amongst us pervs!!

The other "ism" type threads have more capacity to discuss topics in a bid to educate (or indeed be educated) and I have no problems wading in.

Keep it decent and stay above the belt basically.

BR: Which is why, despite their propensity to go pear-shaped, we tend to give them a chance of an airing and even participate ourselves.

Brix, you yourself know the answers and if you want confirmation then the ever eloquent likes of SB, Uber, Roller and Beth will have done this.

I guess you've just put this up more as a gentle reminder about forum etiquette than anything else.

BR: Sort of - but this ain't the Brixton Board is it? Okay so it's 'only the internet' but we've done well in building up a bit of a reasonably respectful community and we've all got a part to play in deciding when and how we move on. The fact that people have been changing the nature of contributions lately, is an indication that now's as good a time as any.

Cheers Matty.

 

What's an ism or is that a spelling mistake

BR: Uber explains below.

 

Maybe we could just our own Del Boy Cerny section ... In fact maybe look into Drupal you could build your own forum in a few days

 

As in racialism, sexism and so forth.

 

Maybe a virtual arena where opponents could fight out their differences?

BR: Not such a silly idea but how to set it up and police it.

I would vote for a losers sick bag area where posters could vent there anger after a QPR defeat?

BR: No, that's definitely mainframe stuff. Whole point of a football forum, agony, ecstacy, reactions to results etc.!

 

So if i tell swords he's a cross dresser (fact) is that an ism ?

BR: Again, not such a silly point.

Nature of a 24 hour site is minute by minute exchanges that lead to familiarity, banter etc.. Deciding what's a joke between mates and what's a serious insult is very much part of the modding lines we're looking to improve upon.

To those who rarely visit our apparent failure to intervene in what looks like abject abuse can be open to misinterpretation.

 

This is a very good thread and I commend Brix for opening it up to the floor. It shows his (and Nuts') democratic credentials in wanting the Board to be run by the members and for the members. I thank him (and Nuts) for this consultation with all of us.

My position is a fairly simple one. I believe there should be freedom of speech on this Forum and if someone doesn't like or agree with what is posted, they should either challenge it or ignore it. We're all adults and surely we have enough self control to allow others to post their contributions without wanting them silenced. We're all big boys here (and big girls - Beth) and if anyone proffers strong opinions they should be able to receive them also. Obviously there is always a line and that would be racist abuse. Other than that, most subjects should be fair game barring the most outrageous comments.

BR: Agreed in the main. As I said earlier, 'freedom' of speech must be limited in view of the rules on respect for others. As for where the line is drawn, that's the purpose of the exercise. Racist abuse is too simple. All the 'isms' are subheads of ignorance or willful maliciousness.

That extension is also over simplistic to the kind of borderline decisions we mods have to consider. Stuff like are girlie pictures sexist; is soft porn acceptable to the general user on here; if so, what's the agreed borderline between soft and hard porn? And that's just the some of the issues under sex related posts.

Disability throws up numerous considerations too - as shown in the Pistorius thread.

Having said that, I understand the Moderators problems. I don't envy them one bit. They have to preside over a vast array of opinions and as this thread has proved thus far, there's quite a disparity between a number of members as to what way the Board should be run. From almost totally unfettered freedom of speech to only the subject of QPR being eligible for debate. Its a bit of a conundrum for the Mods in that respect and I have nothing but admiration for what they do here in trying to find that balance in order to keep everyone happy.

BR: You've got that right. Thanks.

The system we have isn't perfect in that all it takes is a small bunch of busy bodies to organise behind the scenes and apply pressure on the Mods to carry out their wishes. You could have 100 views on a thread and 95 people wouldn't have a problem with it but 5 might decide to become offended, kick up a fuss and barrack the Mods to do something about it. The Mods in turn have to act under this duress even though a silent majority of 95% have no problem with the discussion whatsoever. I wouldn't blame the Mods for a second for this. Its the system that's in place that is imperfect. Still, its probably the best one there is so we'll just have to make do.

BR: If you understand that mods default on the word 'lazy', it follows that spurious and/or serial complainants would get the itchy toe treatment as quick as serial offenders against our rules. Therefore, I wouldn't worry about a complainants' clique too much.

Whilst you've been very generous in apportioning blame for your (and others') bans on those mysterious complainants, I've always pointed out that, beyond your own proven and admitted misdemeanors, the reason for bans is us mods making the call when WE think it's right and just at the time of our involvement.

To date we've had just 4 mods on here: Norf, Goldie, NUTS and me. Not one of us has shown the kind of weakness or lethargy that even remotely suggests any of us are likely to let others pull our strings.

I do take issue with one part of the OP:

I couldn't disagree more with that statement. There's rarely, if ever, any Islamophobia on this Board IMO. Other than a comment made last night (which was actually in response to a slightly anti-Jewish comment), I can't remember any anti-Muslim references on this Board. In fact, only a few days ago the Pope was called everything from a kiddy-fiddler to a homosexual to a cross-dresser yet no-one batted an eyelid (except for Dens). One of the people having a go at him would no doubt be up in arms if something similar was said about an Islamic figure. The thing that is "all too often palpable and wholly disproportionate" is actually the reaction to a perceived slight on Islam rather than any actual aggression towards it. Why do we feel we can slag the sh*t out of the Catholic church or any other religion but Islam is untouchable? The answer is simple:The bullies will threaten to run amok if they're criticised and everyone is then afraid to say anything against them. Personally I find all religions contemptible. They are fascist in principle and oppressive in nature. But I won't accept that one is above criticism while the rest are fair game. Its hypocritical.

BR: Like you I'm firmly a-religious. Whilst I've studied the main religions to varying levels and am privately critical of their inclination to rule the faithful according to standards so far out of date it would be funny if it weren't so evidently pathetic and damaging, my words were off the top of my head, more culturally and politically driven, and with hindsight may well have been ill-considered. With particular reference to His Eminence (which I didn't see) I do apologise.

Seeing as this thread has been generously opened by Brix and all comments welcome, I'm going to presume that there's a kind of "Parliamentary privilege" in this discussion and we're allowed name names without risk of censure. With that in mind, I have to say that I have found Imaz' behaviour recently to be very petty and regressive. For a good number of weeks, he and I quietly co-existed without any trouble and I thought (erroneously as it turns out) we had put our silly little squabble behind us. But then all of a sudden from out of nowhere he started slinging insults again. They were totally unprovoked and uncalled for. Yes I did the same last year to him and I was out of order and apologised and I believed we had moved on from that. More fool me. I've resigned myself to the fact that he will never let it go and these unsavoury exchanges will continue to break out for perpetuity.

BR: I have taken time to leave Imaz in no doubt of the issues we'd like him to attend to. However, there's and equal grain of truth in suggesting that had you not baited him in the place, he may have been a bit easier on you since his return from voluntary exile. From an outsider's point of view, seems it's a case of once bitten never forgotten or forgiven with Imy. Like you, he's a helplessly explosive character and it seems the red mist obscures the screen as he types out his retributions for what's upset him.

Frankly prefer the board with you both with us than without - but since you neither of you are the most diligent of self-moderators, you ain't the easiest for us to mod either. Pot, kettle, black etc..

Lastly I want to reiterate my support for the Mods in doing what's a tough job for little or no reward. If they banned me for life in the morning there'd not be any hard feelings because they've gotta do what they've gotta do and they have my utmost respect.

BR: There's plenty of reward in modding a board that's as large as this and has developed in the way it has. Huge fulfillment at times, made even more acutely so by the equally huge dips that hit us periodically.

I do have to thank you for your many positive contributions though. You can be exceedingly great entertainment and your magnanimity in accepting that our motives in keeping you on the straight and narrow are NEVER personal. Just business. That take's a lot of weight off.

Cheers mate.

 

Dear Mods, please lock this thread and take the necessary measures.

Thank you.

BR: Ha!

 

Religion is the route of all evil and it should be BANNED!

 

Agreed.

Oh grow up.

 

I wish I could put up videos on here.
'Religous Vomit' by the Dead Kennedys' would just about sum it all nicely.....