Moderation Issues (5)

Please use this thread for (and only for) alerting admins to moderation issues and for raising complaints arising from particular decisions. We remind participants that TSZ is a benign dictatorship, the property of Dr. Elizabeth Liddle. All decisions regarding policy and implementation are hers alone.

2,097 thoughts on “Moderation Issues (5)

  1. Let me just ask you this. Is a comment on a thread here that everybody who disagrees with its author is a despicable moron per se guano material or is it not?

    FWIW, it seems to me that either “despicable” or “moron” would be sufficient for carding on its own. And if comments like the one containing both that actually appears on that thread aren’t actionable under TSZ rules, I’m not sure what would be.

  2. I’ll go further and say that J-Mac has been getting away with a lot of personal attacks on a number of threads recently. Either implement the rules or get rid of them.

  3. walto: What the hell is your bar, exactly?

    Calling people stupid is ok and it’s ok to accuse people of being mentally ill.

    I no longer expect anything from the mods.

  4. walto: Let me just ask you this. Is a comment on a thread here that everybody who disagrees with its author is a despicable moron per se guano material or is it not?

    To me, it is borderline. If it were explicit as to whom it applied to, then I would guano it. When it is vague and not repeated very often, I’m inclined to allow it as part of the give-and-take of debating. If it becomes too common, then I clamp down as a reminder to everybody.

    If you really want strict enforcement of rules in a totally consistent manner, then you need paid moderators. That kind of strict enforcement is really tedious work that you cannot expect from unpaid volunteers.

  5. Mung: I did that and no action was taken. Twice.

    Then perhaps start being a better person and perhaps people might start giving a shit about your grievances.

  6. walto: Let me just ask you this. Is a comment on a thread here that everybody who disagrees with its author is a despicable moron per se guano material or is it not?

    Like writing that all IDiots are liars?

  7. Mung: Calling people stupid is ok and it’s ok to accuse people of being mentally ill.

    I did not accuse you of being mentally ill, I proffered it as an explanation for your behaviour.

    If you were to ask me if I think you are mentally ill, I’ll be happy to opine.

  8. Mung: Like writing that all IDiots are liars?

    Not all of them are. Just the more intelligent ones. The dumber ones just repeat the lies without knowing they are lies.

  9. OMagain: Then perhaps start being a better person and perhaps people might start giving a shit about your grievances.

    LoL. So that’s a new rule is it, or is it just yet another of the unwritten ones?

    So I should come over to your side of the aisle and act like you, Glen, and Adapa.

    No thanks.

  10. OMagain: I did not accuse you of being mentally ill, I proffered it as an explanation for your behaviour.

    As if that helps your case.

    As is implying that other posters are mentally ill or demented.

    But you don’t care about the rules. So why are we even having his discussion?

  11. Mung: LoL. So that’s a new rule is it, or is it just yet another of the unwritten ones?

    It’s a rule of life, which it appears you have yet to understand.

    You’ll get treated the way you treat others. Suck it up.

    Mung: So I should come over to your side of the aisle and act like you, Glen, and Adapa.

    One wonders why you spend so much time around people whose behaviour you cannot countenance. You could hit the ignore button, you could go for a walk.

    But no, you prefer to whine. It’s almost as if you have a, well, syndrome. Can’t stay away, can’t stay.

  12. Mung: As if that helps your case.

    What case? I’m not defending myself. I know whatever I say you’ll twist. And that’s fine. I don’t care!

    Mung: As is implying that other posters are mentally ill or demented.

    Wah wah.

    Mung: But you don’t care about the rules. So why are we even having his discussion?

    You pretend to care about the rules so you can pretend to care when others break them. You are just a concern troll.

  13. Mung: Calling people stupid is ok and it’s ok to accuse people of being mentally ill.

    Mung: As is implying that other posters are mentally ill or demented.

    So which is it? It can’t be an accusation and an implication at the same time, can it?

    And this is what I’m talking about. We went from an accusation to an implication, but for you it’s just about what tool you can use to make your point. That you were wrong about me accusing you (by your own admission I’ll note) seems to matter not.

    You are simply what we call a “snake” in my neck of the woods. Someone who will twist and turn to get whatever they want at any price.

  14. Neil Rickert: If you really want strict enforcement of rules in a totally consistent manner, then you need paid moderators.

    The current set of moderators are consistent. They consistently let pass comments that clearly violate the rules. That includes you Neil.

    If you can’t handle the responsibility, or don’t want it, then step down.

  15. OMagain: You could hit the ignore button, you could go for a walk.

    You are on Ignore, but Ignore is disabled for the Moderation Issues thread. Adapa is likewise on Ignore. So I don’t need advice from you.

  16. OMagain: You’ll get treated the way you treat others.

    That’s laughable. That’s not the way life works. And it’s certainly not the way things work here.

    The golden rule according to OMagain.

  17. DNA_Jock: You appeared to be trolling.

    I appeared to be trolling by pointing out rule violations in the moderation issues thread? Who was I trolling?

    It’s not a rule violation if you appear to be trolling. Yet another new and unwritten rule courtesy of DNA_Jock.

  18. How moderation works at TSZ:

    You are too stupid to notice

    ok, that might to violate the rules, but we need to look at the context.

    ok, we looked at the context, and it still appears to violate the rules, but no one has mentioned it in moderation issues.

    ok, so Mung mentioned it in moderation issues, but he just appears to be trolling.

  19. Mung,

    You were concern trolling when pointing out what you claimed were violations on the moderation issues thread. The comment from OMAgain, speculating as to your mental health, came after you had indulged in a prolonged bout of blatant trolling, and deliberately mischaracterizing other commenters’ positions regarding spliceosome evolution. Don’t think I didn’t notice.

  20. Neil Rickert: To me, it is borderline.If it were explicit as to whom it applied to, then I would guano it.When it is vague and not repeated very often, I’m inclined to allow it as part of the give-and-take of debating.If it becomes too common, then I clamp down as a reminder to everybody.

    If you really want strict enforcement of rules in a totally consistent manner, then you need paid moderators.That kind of strict enforcement is really tedious work that you cannot expect from unpaid volunteers.

    If the rules can’t be enforced unless the moderators are paid, and the moderators will not be paid, then the rules should be repealed. Otherwise they’re simply a tax on conscience. That is, decent people will obey them and assholes will not. That is worse than having no rules IMO.

  21. DNA_Jock: The comment from OMAgain, speculating as to your mental health, came after you had indulged in a prolonged bout of blatant trolling, and deliberately mischaracterizing other commenters’ positions regarding spliceosome evolution.

    Liar. And pathetic response. And irrelevant.

    Another DNA_Jock rule. If you think someone is trolling go ahead and break the rules, the mods will give you a pass.

    I wasn’t deliberately trolling Rumraket. I honestly thought he offered up that paper as an example of how the spliceosome evolved. Once he explained how I misunderstood him I shut up about it. You’re just wrong and showing your bias.

    What’s more, it’s utterly irrelevant to wither someone else is breaking the rules. There’s no rule against trolling someone. And it doesn’t even begin to address dazz’z comment.

    So lame.

    But I expect no less.

  22. walto: If the rules can’t be enforced unless the moderators are paid, and the moderators will not be paid, then the rules should be repealed. Otherwise they’re simply a tax on conscience. That is, decent people will obey them and assholes will not. That is worse than having no rules IMO.

    Agree with walto. Bring back StephenB! Now there was a real mod.

  23. Mung,
    The problem seems to be with your attempts to try to “stay high” on the comments you make…You are like a stand up comedian that wears out after few shows…

  24. Mods, please see my remarks on the new ‘what is the purpose of life’ thread.

  25. walto,
    IMHO Original Posts should have to pass a higher bar than mere comments do. I suspect this would go a long way towards solving the particular issue you refer to, but at the risk of Balkanizing the site somewhat.
    Until the Long-Awaited Return, I am bound by precedent, however.

  26. Who does someone contact here about a proposed topic post awaiting approval?

  27. Neil Rickert,

    Does the system automatically remove iframe tags or something? It should be ready to go now – I put a more conventional link in. Thanks!

  28. Since it looks like my next project is going to be delayed until at least September, I was thinking of devoting more time to TSZ and possibly my own blog…
    I have several ideas for OPs the would involve the experts here:

    1. I would like bloggers’ participation with setting up some experiments. I’m well aware that Harshman and the rest of the Darwinian Trinity could protest, but this time I have some money I could use toward the projects that could be adequately documented … It is not a lot of money, but if the experiments look legit, and the donors are happy with how their money is spent, they may even continue to contribute…
    This is just one idea out of few that I could do here or on my own blog…I have more…

    What do blogger think?

    BTW: What would it take to get my publishing rights back? I was thinking of contacting Lizzy since her return is not due until November… I believe…

  29. J-Mac: Since it looks like my next project is going to be delayed until at least September, I was thinking of devoting more time to TSZ and possibly my own blog…

    I again beg the moderators to give J-mac his own area here. When he last “devoted more time” to his blogging (before leaving forever two or three times), he posted OPs every day, completely befouling the place. It’s bad enough now.

    BTW, here’s a recent gem of a response to someone who had the audacity to ask him a question about one of his (nonsensical) posts:

    Whoever raises the initial question, hopefully after reading the OP, doesn’t deserve an answer…What makes you think you deserve a clarification?
    Just because you have not read both? Or didn’t understand both?

  30. walto, you are appealing to the wrong parties.

    I say let J-Mac do his thing and pray that Elizabeth returns soon to put her house in order.

    Please visit the thread that has been cluttering up the front page for months now, which the mods are too frightened to change given that Lizzie herself put it up, and pray for her speedy return. Perhaps she will hear you.

  31. Due to the great success of Grupcio 500 OP, I got jealous and submitted a new OP.
    I hope it does just as well…
    Admins, please post.

  32. I can’t stand the grupcio 500 nonsense, so I submitted a new OP…
    I hope everyone hates it…
    Admins, pls post!

  33. I would like to express my appreciation for the current admins…

    I think they do a much better job of “not overreacting” at least until the blog savior, Lizzy arrives…

    When that happens, the world of Random Creation vs Intelligent Design issue will be solved…

    BTW: I was not being disrespectful! I personally think that TSZ, when it come to administration issues, got much, much better lately… Much better… And I don’t think Alan Fox was a bad admin either…
    The credit must go to DNA_jock, VJtorley and Neil Rickert for the recent improvements…

  34. My kids just told me that I have a mute effect on this blog… possibly…
    Why???
    What am I doing wrong?

  35. my dad has a tendency to shut up blogs by his radical comments I disagree with it
    blogs are for exchange of thoughts and ideas and my dad has a way of discouraging it

  36. I THINK I get this.

    J-mac wants to know why so few people respond to his OPs–especially when compared to another currently quite active thread. I believe that’s the “mute effect” he is concerned about. In addition, J-mac is asking the mods here what he might do to generate more comments. He notes, however, that his son thinks this muteness (dumbness?) is a result of his father’s “radical ideas.” But either J-mac or J-mac Jr. (it’s not clear which) also opines that since blogs like TSZ are specifically for the exchange of ideas and it makes sens to “disagree” with the aforementioned “mute-ation” or “dumbifying” effect.

    I hope this is helpful and also that if my interpretation of the above remarks is incorrect, the moderators–who J-mac thinks are doing a much better job than they did at some undisclosed former time when Neil and Alan either were or were not involved–will be disposed to forgive me for my failure.

  37. walto: I THINK I get this.

    Interesting. You could be right.

    Maybe that “mute” effect is really a “moot” effect — nobody much cares about those topics.

  38. Neil Rickert,

    Since almost everyone on this blog seem to know what I’m thinking, my further OPs or comments are pointless, as they can already be anticipated…

    I suspect the mechanism of this phenomenon must be quantum entanglement… 😉

  39. Admins: please do not publish my last OP. I accidently submitted it for a review.

    Thanks,
    J-mac

  40. It’s ‘everyone seems’; no one ever has any idea what you’re thinking; and yes, your OPs and comments are pointless.

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