Alerting Moderators, Censorship, and ATS Warnings...

This might not be up for long. I am already on thin ice with the moderators.

I hate threads being derailed. But I hate seeing posts and replies removed. It seems like censorship.

However, this is what got me a serious warning when it seemed the moderators took a long time to respond to a few alerts. (And I really didn't want to see comments blacked out.)

Just flatly replying to an individual their post was off topic.

Pointing their post was rude with no supporting facts.

And then suggesting and providing a link to an ATS thread where their comment would not be off topic.

In short, are alerts being used as a tool for censorship?

Two, flatly pointing out when a post is off topic, rude, and linking to a more appropriate thread will get a person a serious warning as if they engage in character attacks and assassination. I think that is BS.

Dry ur eyes mate

a reply to: neutronflux

One time I complained on another site like this and they said, "create your own site if you don't like our policies"

One last thought. Why moderate if it takes 20 to 30 minutes, or sometimes longer, to have a post removed. If ATS is going to moderate, then be on the ball.

In short, are alerts being used as a tool for censorship?

No.

The most one can do is alert a post that for whatever reason another person has a problem with.

Having been on the receiving end of it.

Moderators are pretty fair and balanced here.

Let them do their job.

And don't try to mini moderate.

originally posted by: neutronflux
One last thought. Why moderate if it takes 20 to 30 minutes, or sometimes longer, to have a post removed. If ATS is going to moderate, then be on the ball.

I guess they are all or mostly volunteers so not there all of the time, they have lives.

Two, flatly pointing out when a post is off topic, rude, and linking to a more appropriate thread will get a person a serious warning as if they engage in character attacks and assassination. I think that is BS.

The problem as I see it is that this makes it hard if you come later to a thread to wade through the pages in order to comment and not repeat stuff already in the thread. It just gets too long with all the stupid off topic and bickering.

originally posted by: neutronflux
Just flatly replying to an individual their post was off topic.

Pointing their post was rude with no supporting facts.

And then suggesting and providing a link to an ATS thread where their comment would not be off topic.

That IS off topic. It's what the complaints function is for.

In short, are alerts being used as a tool for censorship?

No. It's a tool to point out a POSSIBLE T&C infraction. It's discussed.

Two, flatly pointing out when a post is off topic, rude, and linking to a more appropriate thread will get a person a serious warning as if they engage in character attacks and assassination. I think that is BS.

My best guess would be that you continued this argument on the board. Now we're looking for sympathy from the membership. I've seen this hundreds of times.

I find ATS a little restricted myself. I just had a good post removed, but I don't make the rules or potentially have to face lawyers for copyright nonsense so I just deal with the rules. It can be a little rule heavy at times.

Just report it and move on. If you indicate where and why their post is against the TOS or whatever, you yourself are off topic.

Once they remove the offending post, they would need to remove yours too. There's no need for you to post, just report it.

originally posted by: neutronflux
This might not be up for long. I am already on thin ice with the moderators.

I hate threads being derailed. But I hate seeing posts and replies removed. It seems like censorship.

However, this is what got me a serious warning when it seemed the moderators took a long time to respond to a few alerts. (And I really didn't want to see comments blacked out.)

Just flatly replying to an individual their post was off topic.

Pointing their post was rude with no supporting facts.

And then suggesting and providing a link to an ATS thread where their comment would not be off topic.

In short, are alerts being used as a tool for censorship?

Two, flatly pointing out when a post is off topic, rude, and linking to a more appropriate thread will get a person a serious warning as if they engage in character attacks and assassination. I think that is BS.

I think staff decisions is not up for discussion - and what a mess that would be anyway - so perhaps you should reword your post to be more general.

Anyway .. yeah, alerts are being used as (calls for) censorship after-the-fact, but that is the point though, that is part of what moderation is and should be.

Nothing wrong with that.

If there were no moderation ATS would be a terrible place - just look at how people behave *with* moderation. And think of how many posts you do not see, of how many alerts, that you do not know of, that the mods responds to.

The moderation *definitely* is needed - and I bet the amount of moderating makes it necessary to sometimes act swiftly to the point of hasty. I also bet that the work (time) involved in taking the time to correspond with a would be 'offender' before removing his or hers post makes that approach impossible.

I can totally see where you are coming from - I have been there myself - but, yeah, just remember it was for the good of the community and move on even though it is annoying when you simply do not feel you were in the wrong.

a reply to: neutronflux

As members of ATS we are sort of the front line eyes for the Mods.
Mods, like any other person in the world have lives, and need to attend to those lives at times and clearly cant read every thread, every comment, at all times.

If each of us members helped assist the mods anyway we could, like assisting in getting the thread back on topic, or like you said providing a link to a more appropriate thread for the derailment topic ( I think thats a great idea btw!) then we would be helping make our second home here, become the best site on the webs.

Of course there's things we cant do, such as close inappropriate content threads, but maybe the creation of those threads would decrease, if us members took it upon ourselves to help our every way we can.

Just a little something to think about.

Simple, do not push the bounds of what is tolerated, and don't get in a pi_ _ _ _ _ match with a Mod, it will not end well.. I have had enough posts ripped as 'off topic' and have been banned from posting once. On reflection, I pushed the boundaries. On one occasion I thought my comment went over their head in my megalomania,......... but seems it didn't lol and I scored another 'off topic'. I think my count is seven 'off topic'

People are getting too vitriolic, emboldened and hateful. Some are plain trolls or previously banned members who get caught, thus the OP removed, and we wonder What The....?

T&C and play by the rules.. that's all I have to say..

www.abovetopsecret.com...




Neutronflux, mind you I'm not scolding......

originally posted by: DupontDeux


If there were no moderation ATS would be a terrible place - just look at how people behave *with* moderation. And think of how many posts you do not see, of how many alerts, that you do not know of, that the mods responds to.

The moderation *definitely* is needed - and I bet the amount of moderating makes it necessary to sometimes act swiftly to the point of hasty. I also bet that the work (time) involved in taking the time to correspond with a would be 'offender' before removing his or hers post makes that approach impossible.

I can totally see where you are coming from - I have been there myself - but, yeah, just remember it was for the good of the community and move on even though it is annoying when you simply do not feel you were in the wrong.

Best post ever on this.

Mods are our shepherds herding us away from the ban hammer.
I wouldn't do it if they paid me.

a reply to: neutronflux

If you want to play on ATS you need to play by their rules. It's not a democracy.

Just a couple of weeks ago there was a long BBQ thread related to the undermoderation of ATS, with several members claiming Staff was asleep at the wheel and it was resulting in a wild west, lawless atmosphere. Now we have a thread claiming overmoderation...

When both extremes are dissatisfied, it can only mean things are being done right.

a reply to: intrepid

I didn't disagree that I violated the terms that are enforced at ATS.

Specifically replying to an individual they are off topic is a violation and reserved only for the moderators.

I just have issue that, I flatly made a statement with no personal attack in a thread that I had no other previous comments removed to be hit with a serious warning. I see how the off topic warning applies. And if the comment was removed with a off topic warning, I would not have made this little rant.

I just think the serious warning should be used for blantant personal attacks and true offensive behavior. So far I have only seen off topic, serious warning, and ATS Madness only once and few months back.

a reply to: neutronflux

The mods here are extremely tolerant and mostly fair in my experience.

I have always deserved the smack downs I have received.

You think that's bad.... I have had lengthy well thought out post deleted and warned and gotten a message almost emidiatly saying "my bad didnt mean to warn you" But alas the damage was done lol.

The mods around here do an amazing job with what they have to work with, small number of mods vs cripplingly large amount of post.

Chin up butter cup this to shall pass

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
Just a couple of weeks ago there was a long BBQ thread related to the undermoderation of ATS, with several members claiming Staff was asleep at the wheel and it was resulting in a wild west, lawless atmosphere. Now we have a thread claiming overmoderation...

When both extremes are dissatisfied, it can only mean things are being done right.

I partially agree in that an alert can have some serious lag time before a very nasty comment is removed. I appreciate the volunteers. But if you want people to respect the moderators, then removing of hateful comments must be a priority. Not have the comments removed when it seems convenient.