How a moderator can ruin a good site for users

[WhiteBlue]

If we would not be interested, we would not take the time to post here, explain where there's a delete or advise you when something is inappropriate.

I expected a discussion about the original issue, the deletion of my posts which were not violating posting rules. I have no intention to provide further input to a site or forum where I can expect to have my contributions deleted. The discussion about that has not necessarily to be public. Unless it takes place I will not come back.

What I take from this thread is that more users are concerned with the nanny style editing which goes along with a certain non cooperative attitude. I have to say that I'm hugely surprised that it is happening on this site because I had complete trust in the way Steven has run it in the past.

Needless to say that I'm also disappointed and going to miss many of the good folks I have met here and had the honour to learn from. This is not only about the technical aspects but also about ways to communicate more efficient in a debate. I wish you all a good time and that you may enjoy the racing.

[myurr]

WhiteBlue you really need to get over yourself. Most users do not necessarily agree with you as you've asked a contrived question that doesn't address whether the users think that your personal posts were within the rules or not. Why didn't you ask the question "Do you think that posts on betting odds should be allowed in technical threads?". I would put money on the answer being a resounding no. Overall I haven't seen many users embrace the wisdom of the betting crowds with most posts on the subject trying to point out that they're reactive and a poor indication of future performance. How did Red Bull / Vettel live up to their betting odds in the last race, for example?

The mods on this site have an impossibly difficult task and they are never going to keep everyone happy. I've had posts deleted or censored or moved to other threads and can think of only one occasion where I felt I was being unfairly singled out in a noisy and argumentative thread. But I didn't lose any sleep over it. After all this is a public forum being run by others at their own time and expense for the benefit of all not just for me.

So I hope you come to your senses and realise that there is still good discussion to be had and that you learn to be grateful that this forum is here at all, understanding that your 'right' to post is actually a privilege that someone else has granted you. If you don't like it why not start your own forum where you can run things as you see fit.

[strad]

I get it...It should read:How a moderator can ruin a good site for me.
WB..All I can say is

[strad]

While WB and myself are usually at odds over many different sites over many years,, in this case , I believe I know which Mod he has the problem with and concur completely, and that cat has no biz being a moderator of anything. in of course my opinion which whether he likes it or not, I am entitled to.

[turbof1]

Going one page back, I see the 2 of you making roughly the same complaints - only by then me and flyboy weren't mods back then. Infact I wasn't even a member at that point.

Yes some specific topics are strictly regulated, with a good reason - we are known to be a technical site, which means that for instance team talk, bickering or otherwise jibber jabber does not belong in car threads. This always was the case, before and after we took the role of mods. Infact we were asked to be mods because the situation became unhandable.

The jobs asks us to do unpopular things from time to time. Yes: because we hold a bit of power, one can see us as dictators, reasonable and most persons look at us as simple persons who took responsibility to help out their forum.

[strad]

I've been a mod and I've run my own site but I have never had the need to be like flyboy and he is the only one I have seen here be abusive of his power. Acts like Barney Fife imo

[aleks_ader]

Going one page back, I see the 2 of you making roughly the same complaints - only by then me and flyboy weren't mods back then. Infact I wasn't even a member at that point.

Yes some specific topics are strictly regulated, with a good reason - we are known to be a technical site, which means that for instance team talk, bickering or otherwise jibber jabber does not belong in car threads. This always was the case, before and after we took the role of mods. Infact we were asked to be mods because the situation became unhandable.

The jobs asks us to do unpopular things from time to time. Yes: because we hold a bit of power, one can see us as dictators, reasonable and most persons look at us as simple persons who took responsibility to help out their forum.

I agree! Car hardware thread is clear now. THX.

[turbof1]

I've been a mod and I've run my own site but I have never had the need to be like flyboy and he is the only one I have seen here be abusive of his power. Acts like Barney Fife imo

One forum isn't the same as an other. I don't know what kind of topics you had at your forums and how you handled it, but here we need to have that quality check. The quality of our content is what us differentiate from other networks like f1fanatic or autosport.

Hence why we need to act this stringent. Flyboy deserve in reality nothing but appreciation. There goes a lot of time into scamming through the topics, constantly checking if the messages comply. And often it's very ungrateful work. You know in order to keep up the quality and relevance of discussion, you'll need to adress some people, stepping on their toes.

Again, what flyboy is absolutely nothing different from what I, Steven or Richard. This is f1technical forum policy, has been for years.

[Moxie]

I don't taken F1technical so seriously that I get emotionally wrapped up in side drama. However, since the topic is being discussed I will mention that I have had my own issues with the moderators. I don't know or care which individuals were responsible, I just wish to point out the behavior that I find frustrating.

I too have had posts deleted simply because someone disagreed. I have also had a post deleted because the moderator failed to understand that a post of all emoticons may carry more meaning in a more subtle way than words.

To censor someone in this way in an open forum is extremely rude and insulting. Imagine sitting at a table having a discussion, and when you try to speak someone hits a buzzer. Imagine rolling your eyes because someone made an extraordinarily stupid argument, and the buzzer keeper lets the stupid argument stand, but throws a towel over your face for communicating without using words. If this happens enough I will just get up from the table and leave.

@WB. Don't get to emotionally involved with this crap, you are only hurting yourself. Just walk away and leave them behind.

@moderators. Manners mean a lot!!! If a post is offensive or disrespectful, of course you should use your power to delete. If the post is in the wrong forum or off topic, try making a friendly suggestion before using the delete button. Otherwise, let the conversation flow.

[hollus]

May I point out that the absence of moderation tends to ruin a good site for most users?

IMO, if mods aren't at least a bit irritating to 1% of the users, they aren't doing their work well enough for the other 99%.
If we expect not one post to be unfairly moved/removed, we are letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Moderation must happen for the site to keep its personality / standards, and many of the best posters have left because the standard is too low and they have publicly said so in the past.
So if the mods (two and a half persons, really, outnumbered 100 to 1) need to moderate a lot, some posts might not get feedback and even be randomly/unfairly removed. It's the noise in the system. I had some posts removed (puff, it is no more), with technical content in them and which took a while to build, and up to today I think they should have not been removed. But the mods thought otherwise, and it is fine like that and the world did not end there.
Do we really want no mods, or mods with their hands tied in their backs? Do we really want no direction at all?
I find it telling that the current active crop of moderators is accused of exactly the same things as the three that were active two years ago, and as the ones that were active 5 years ago.

Do you want to have a world cup? Well, live with whichever calls the referees make, even the wrong offside and the red card that shouldn't be. Because otherwise, there is no world cup.

[Pierce89]

If we would not be interested, we would not take the time to post here, explain where there's a delete or advise you when something is inappropriate.

I expected a discussion about the original issue, the deletion of my posts which were not violating posting rules. I have no intention to provide further input to a site or forum where I can expect to have my contributions deleted. The discussion about that has not necessarily to be public. Unless it takes place I will not come back.

What I take from this thread is that more users are concerned with the nanny style editing which goes along with a certain non cooperative attitude. I have to say that I'm hugely surprised that it is happening on this site because I had complete trust in the way Steven has run it in the past.

Needless to say that I'm also disappointed and going to miss many of the good folks I have met here and had the honour to learn from. This is not only about the technical aspects but also about ways to communicate more efficient in a debate. I wish you all a good time and that you may enjoy the racing.

A bunch of empty threats, as per usual.

[wesley123]

You're a bit late there, Pierce. It's a 2 year old thread that recently got bumped for some reason.

[strad]

It evidently got bumped because a number of people have been put off by one moderators heavy handedness.

[Pierce89]

You're a bit late there, Pierce. It's a 2 year old thread that recently got bumped for some reason.

Umm... That was sort of my point. In retrospect, it was just the typical BS.

[turbof1]

It evidently got bumped because a number of people have been put off by one moderators heavy handedness.

Maybe we should write a letter to the English Dictionary, telling them "a number of" now means "one" (well perhaps 2, but WB isn't around for that).

You bumped the thread, more then 2 years after the last post which was yours too. Not that I really have issues with the bumping, but I don't think it is appropiate to generalise your feelings over others while they don't necessarily share that view. It's your opinion, and your opinion gets the proper respect, but you should also acknowledge on your behalf that others will have to make up their own minds, whether they agree or disagree with you.