×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
Excessively violent moderation




Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> ANN Feedback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Jesse5.1



Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:46 am Reply with quote
Im not sure if this is the right place for feedback relative to the ANN forums, but there seems to be no other place for it and ther are other forum-related posts in this subforum so...

As the title might suggest, the topic i would like to talk about today is the excessivly violent manner in which some some moderators/ ANN staff are responding to peoples posts on these boards, which is so utterly unnecessary.

As an example, i recently witnessed a post made by a person concerning the impressions they had received from a specific anime. The first response was person who shall remain unnamed, berating the poster for not reaching the same conclusions as him/herself and not having the same span of knowledge. This person then proceeded to threaten to lock the thread for, as it appears to me, no valid reason, while effectivly calling the OP ignorant.

I can understand responding to a person who is being a twat on purpose in such a manner, but it seems to me that some of the people controlling this forum have forgotten that some people make mistakes, some people dont have the same degree of knowledge, some people dont notice the more unusual rules the first time, and some people arent quite as mature.

In closing, this is one of the reasons i feel that the ANN boards are a somewhat unpleasant place to discuss anime, and i hope that ANN's staff will consider a re-evaluating the current practices of their moderation staff.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Teriyaki Terrier



Joined: 26 Mar 2008
Posts: 5689
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 10:56 am Reply with quote
ANN moderators being violent? Highly doubtful unless you have solid proof. Sure they sometimes get slightly angry, but I've never seen them really go over board.

ANN is a great fourm with great staff.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jesse5.1



Joined: 16 Aug 2010
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:04 am Reply with quote
Well, the proof is still sitting in the anime forum if your interested in taking a look.

Sure, its not swearing and hating and flinging insults about the posters kin, but the response was still excessive in light of the opening post.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor


Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 9902
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 11:37 am Reply with quote
Jesse5.1 wrote:
In closing, this is one of the reasons i feel that the ANN boards are a somewhat unpleasant place to discuss anime

I know you're talking about the thread about something we breath. So you signed up just to say that?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger ICQ Number My Anime My Manga
ikillchicken



Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Posts: 7272
Location: Vancouver
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 1:55 pm Reply with quote
I don't know how you reach the conclusion that it's 'excessively violent'. I agree it's really nasty and pretty unnecessary. Violent though? Not at all.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime
abunai
Old Regular


Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 5463
Location: 露命
PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:32 pm Reply with quote
Let me just get my nail-studded bat out....

I agree with dormcat, it is interesting to see that you signed up to say this. Especially since I can see from your IP address that you already have another user account here... Ringking.

So, what exactly is your point? Apart from not getting your facts right (the thread was never locked), did you have a question, or did you just make an alt account to whine?

- abunai
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Skylark



Joined: 15 Mar 2007
Posts: 827
Location: ORE NO TSHIRT
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:01 am Reply with quote
I had a particular grind about this ages back but it isn't necessarily that moderators are being any different about expressing their opinions than other people, it's just that people tend to notice it when a moderator does it. Since then I've just looked at what any forum staff say as if any other member had said it (which should be any person's attitude to it from the get-go) and the fact is moderators are just people with personalities, inclinations, speech traits and attitudes like everyone else (I know, crazy idea right? Razz )

I know both who and what you're talking about but really I was thinking the same thing because it was apparent that the person who referred to the source material hadn't actually read/played the source material. Even without knowing this though I'd probably say the same thing now: you aren't always going to agree with what moderators say, and they aren't always going to sugar coat their words for people to know that the keeper of the keys is a nice, friendly angel sprinkling glitter and liquid happiness about the place.

I agree in that in this particular instance, said moderator didn't really give the user a chance to adjust his opinion based on presented information before throwing in "so change your views or I'll lock the thread" as if the user was a soapboxer lying in wait. But I don't see that as excessive or violent moderation, but just that it was a prickish thing to say. You don't have to like any of the staff, and they do a good job in general keeping the quality of discussion around here at a high level.

You can't really get it both ways; either you have strict moderation and the remaining conversations are more interesting to read and full of content and discussion goodness, or you have lax moderation where you can end up chat in threads or have fluffy nothing conversations and arguments that descend into people flinging their opinions at each other mindlessly. It's a payoff - stricter moderations = more interesting content.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Redbeard 101
Oscar the Grouch
Forums Superstar


Joined: 14 Aug 2006
Posts: 16935
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 1:09 am Reply with quote
If you don't want to have to post with a semblance of intelligence go to 4chan or AOD/Mania/whatever the hell they want to be called now. The rules are quite clear on what is and is not allowed here. Yes the rules are tighter and more importantly definitely enforced much more adamantly than 4chan, AOD, or other forums/sites. ANN is a business first and foremost. Not some fan run forum. That's just how it is and since it is that way there is a higher level of intelligence required in posts. Although requiring complete sentences and actual thoughts is hardly asking for a high level of intelligence.

Saying they were excessively violent is just utter nonsense. Did they threaten to physically come to the person's house and beat them or their family? Did they curse excessively at the poster? I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're a somewhat intelligent person. Therefore you should know what the definition of violence is and thus violent behavior. Making a second account (which I am sure you know is also a no no here and breaks the rules) simply to accuse the moderators of such a ridiculous notion is just trolling. Especially since you don't even have the facts completely right and have made no real point other then complaining. I suggest reading through other threads in this very section to see how well your thread is going to do, and what response you'll get from the staff. If you think a moderator was so wrong in their words then PM one of the admins about it. As long as you write with some intelligence they will actually listen. Simply making a thread however, with a second account no less, solely to complain is not going to get you anywhere.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Keonyn
Subscriber



Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 5567
Location: Coon Rapids, MN
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 2:17 am Reply with quote
Well, I'm not sure I would consider the moderation in this instance as "violent", but I believe I understand what you meant.

I think one thing you have to remember is that while moderators serve in an official capacity on the forums, we are still just posters. In this event it would seem abunai was operating as a forum patron rather than a mod aside from that one final comment which never actually came to pass anyways.

None the less, if you have a concern this is the place to air it out since the admins do monitor this forum.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Ringking



Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 338
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 9:53 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Let me just get my nail-studded bat out....

I agree with dormcat, it is interesting to see that you signed up to say this. Especially since I can see from your IP address that you already have another user account here... Ringking.

So, what exactly is your point? Apart from not getting your facts right (the thread was never locked), did you have a question, or did you just make an alt account to whine?



To be honest, i has expected that using my normal account would make me be a target in the future, or that i would be banned because i disagree with a moderators course of action, or something . My facts are straight, because nowhere in the opening post did i state that the thread was locked, only that the threat to do so was made for a reason which has escaped my notice.



Quote:
If you don't want to have to post with a semblance of intelligence go to 4chan or AOD/Mania/whatever the hell they want to be called now. The rules are quite clear on what is and is not allowed here. Yes the rules are tighter and more importantly definitely enforced much more adamantly than 4chan, AOD, or other forums/sites. ANN is a business first and foremost. Not some fan run forum. That's just how it is and since it is that way there is a higher level of intelligence required in posts. Although requiring complete sentences and actual thoughts is hardly asking for a high level of intelligence.


Such was present in the post. There are, however, differences between requiring relevant posts with proper english and attempting to enforce people to have cosidered every scrap of information. My gripe in some respects is that i can find nothng within the rules about being confused as to the content of an anime.

I would have PMed one of the admins as you say, but i didn't know that at the time.

NOTE ON THE TERM 'VIOLENT'
In this case, im using violent in the same context as rude or forceful. Probally wasnt the better choice of words but it was late at night.


Quote:
I had a particular grind about this ages back but it isn't necessarily that moderators are being any different about expressing their opinions than other people, it's just that people tend to notice it when a moderator does it.


To express an opinion is fine, but there are ways to do it, just like in normal society. I had actually thought to myself 'what a rude post..." before noticing the mod status (the lock thing tipped me off). This may just be me, but i beleive that a person put in a position of trust also has a higher duty of care, of which an element is to at least attempt to remain civil.

The moderation of the forums isnt the issue, it does a fine job even if i think its a little excessive, i can live with that. My issue here is really just the tone used.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
abunai
Old Regular


Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 5463
Location: 露命
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 10:13 am Reply with quote
Ringking wrote:
The alternate account was actually because i was under the impression that my view on the subject would make me a target in the future, because that was the impression i gained.

The fact that you claim this attitude speaks volumes about your preceding bias, and total igorance of my character -- and of the general ethical standard of the moderators and admins at ANN.

Since you call into question my "tone", implying that it shows a taint in my character, let me ask you a question that speaks to your own character: Did you take the time to PM me with your concerns, before creating an alt account to berate me?

Of course you didn't.

Had you had basic honesty enough to do so, you would have received an honest response: that the topic of that particular thread is one of the hot-button issues that attracts monumentally stupid and inflammatory posts all the time in these forums, and that, consequently, moderator tolerance for that sort of thing has the same duration as a mayfly's lifespan, or shorter.

But you never did do the honest thing, here, did you?

Never mind the "who shall remain unnamed", you knew very well that you were attacking me personally while hiding behind a shield of anonymity -- a shield that you only dropped when, to your surprise, it proved untenable.

I may be rude and overbearing at times, when I feel that it is called for. I may even be harsher than necessary, when I've had a rough week -- I'm only human. But I doubt that anyone here can call into question my honesty.

The same, I would venture, cannot be said of you.

- abunai
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Ringking



Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 338
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:17 am Reply with quote
To be honest with you, i didn't actually think that far ahead. That would have been the logical response however i didn't think of that at the time, and for that i will apologise.

I just thought that all you had to do was inform the guy that the characters where actually older than they appeared. I know you did that as well, but i just felt that he had made a mistake and the harsh response wanst necessary.

I've voiced my concerns now, and i realise that i went about it the wong way. I hope though that you'll at least consider my view on the subject.

You can lock this up now or whatever, i dont really need it anymore and i dont think anything productive will come of it remaining open.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
abunai
Old Regular


Joined: 05 Mar 2004
Posts: 5463
Location: 露命
PostPosted: Tue Aug 17, 2010 11:29 am Reply with quote
I agree.

I accept your apology, and withdraw my remarks about your honesty -- it takes a lot to admit that you messed up.

And, in that spirit, I will admit that I probably was a bit too harsh towards the OP in that thread -- I misinterpreted the thrust of his post to be more deliberately inflammatory than merely ignorant, and reacted accordingly.

It has been a rough week...

- abunai
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
Display posts from previous:   
This topic is locked: you cannot edit posts or make replies.    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> ANN Feedback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group