Moderators - You are not gods

[Knestis]

As one of the people given moderator power on this site, it really pisses me off when someone else with those same powers (aka rights and responsibilities) chooses to lock a topic seemingly because it offends their sensibilities.

Bill asked us to please police this community to delete autobot posts advertising porn, prescription drug, and the rest of that crap - not to be content police.

You have an obligation to exercise your controls over content based on the dominant values of the community, and NOT to avoid upsetting any individual or group. That the MazdaSpeed thread was locked strongly suggests that it was about keeping a corporate interest happy, which is particularly troubling. That precise kind of action quite literally killed the real motorsport community at hondatech.com.

K

[Andy Bettencourt]

Kirk,

What topic are you referring to?

[erlrich]

Well said - thank you Kirk. I believe you express the sentiment of 99% of the moderators here; unfortunately it doesn't appear to be 100%.

[lateapex911]

Yes, I was quite surprised to see the "Whats up with Mazdaspeed and the SCCA" thread locked. It hadn't gotten into any name calling, and I felt that all the responses were rather respectful and responsible, as is the norm around here 95% of the time.

But...while I was going to immediately unlock it, I thought I'd be conservative, and see if someone fessed up with a perfectly good explanation that I just didn't think of.

Interestingly, while Kirk thought it might appear that a corporate interest was being protected by the locking, I thought the opposite...that the clubs interest might be seen as being threatened.

In any case, I hope we can control such actions and limit locks to threads that are obviously off subject, clearly advertising, or those that have turned into abusive typing matches.

[JeffYoung]

Hey! I don't know about you guys, but I definitely a god. I personally am a gnocchi with marinara sauce, one of the lesser deities and a third cousin (twice removed) of the almighty Flying Spaghetti Monster.

But I still didn't lock that thread.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Jake tald us what theread above. Must have been unlocked before I saw it. NOT COOL. There has to be a way to find out who is locking stuff down lately.

[Greg Amy]

I was at the shop working on cars all day. For realz... - GA

[Knestis]

Yup - it was the "What is up...???" thread that was locked. I started this one and in my original post asked the responsible party to unlock it. Then I went looking, discovered that the unlock control was active on my control panel, so screw it - I unlocked it myself and amended my request out of my original message.

K

[JeffYoung]

Kirk, where is the unlock function? I tried to unlock earlier in the day and could not. Like I said, I am just a minor deity.

[tnord]

Bill asked us to please police this community to delete autobot posts advertising porn, prescription drug, and the rest of that crap - not to be content police.

K
[/b]

one of you locked down my jim daniels thrashing content! :114:

just messing with you guys of course. glad to see the mazda one was unlocked.

[Knestis]

Kirk, where is the unlock function? I tried to unlock earlier in the day and could not. Like I said, I am just a minor deity.
[/b]

If you are in a locked thread and go to the "Moderation Options" pulldown at the bottom of the page, an "Open thread" choice is activated.

K

[RSTPerformance]

who are the moderators?

[lateapex911]

who are the moderators? [/b]

Thats a secret, although you should have a good idea if you pay attention....

[mbuskuhl]

Thats a secret
[/b]


Why? Secret Car Club of Amercia?

[erlrich]

Thats a secret, although you should have a good idea if you pay attention....
[/b] What Jake really meant to say was "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" :D

[lateapex911]

Hey, it's not my site...I don't know who all the mods are. I've kept track though, so I know a bunch of them, but only the site owner knows them all...I think. And I know him too, but I'm not sure he wants to be revealed. Or not revealed. He probably doesn't really care, but I'll keep my mouth shut....for once...anyway. ;)

[tom_sprecher]

Speaking of moderation someone needs to terminate the screen name "JohnTheLazy". He is without a doubt the most prolific porn spammer I've seen to date on this forum.

[Greg Amy]

Speaking of moderation someone needs to terminate the screen name "JohnTheLazy". He is without a doubt the most prolific porn spammer I've seen to date on this forum.[/b]
Agreed. Problem is, none of the "pseudo-gods" have the rights to delete users (probably a good thing, in light of the current discussion.)

I delete around 8-10 spam posts a day, and I know the other guys do similar. The other option was to manually approve new subscribers, but "Webmaster" tried that some time back and it didn't go over too well... - GA

[gran racing]

Sooooooo, who has been locking the various threads? It almost seems like it is being done by someone not active on this forum. Don't know.

How many moderators are on this site?

[tom_sprecher]

Agreed. Problem is, none of the "pseudo-gods" have the rights to delete users (probably a good thing, in light of the current discussion.)

I delete around 8-10 spam posts a day, and I know the other guys do similar. The other option was to manually approve new subscribers, but "Webmaster" tried that some time back and it didn't go over too well... - GA
[/b]

Whenever I delete a porn post I send a PM to Webmaster stating the screen name. Maybe he should give at least one of us the ability to also terminate screen names otherwise it can take a while.

[Greg Amy]

Whenever I delete a porn post I send a PM to Webmaster stating the screen name.[/b]
We used to do that, but he' asked us to stop. So, I just delete them and move on.

Notice the current user count? Pretty astounding. The number of spammers now far exceeds legitimate users. - GA

[Knestis]

Like Greg, I chuck probably a half dozen or so junk posts a day - after I go visit the sites and download free porn, that is.

J/K

I don't know for sure how many have moderator functions. I'd like to propose that all moderators check in here and announce themselves. I can't see any harm in this community knowing who has the power to keep them from getting all those helpful drugs without any prescription.

Kirk is a moderator but won't delete your post unless you actually threaten someone. You can even be off topic and I won't care. Unless your name rhymes with Slim Spaniels.

K

[Andy Bettencourt]

Moderator, I be.



http://home.houston.rr.com/djoverclocked/yoda.jpg

[ScotMac]

Hey, it's not my site...I don't know who all the mods are. I've kept track though, so I know a bunch of them, but only the site owner knows them all...I think. And I know him too, but I'm not sure he wants to be revealed. Or not revealed. He probably doesn't really care, but I'll keep my mouth shut....for once...anyway. ;)
[/b]

Interesting. Yes, the moderators are "mostly" fairly obvious. I had not thought about the origin/owner of this site....just thought of it as "being". ;) Now that you bring it up, it actually makes it an interesting mystery to solve...and my geekiness takes over.

Wasn't too hard to find, but the results are kinda surprising. He doesn't advertise here much. Guess he does get advertising fees from other people that do (PhilsTire, C2 Motorsports, ...). Seems like he has setup a good thing for the community, and doesnt screw w/ it. Keep up the good work (moderators and owner).

[ddewhurst]

***Kirk is a moderator but won't delete your post unless you actually threaten someone. You can even be off topic and I won't care.

Unless your name rhymes with Slim Spaniels.***

K, you not only made my day, I'm set for the week. :023:

Seeing that about every Tom, Dick & Harry I do rule tech arguements with is a moderator maybe I'll need to watch my step. :o Does that moderator thing make you moderator guys think your points on tech arguement is always right. :unsure:

[gran racing]

Me being a moderator isn't what makes me always right. :P

[Ron Earp]

I'm a moderator but I typically only delete spam or move topics into a correct forum if mis-posted initially.

R

[x-ring]

I'm a moderator but I typically only delete spam or move topics into a correct forum if mis-posted initially.

R
[/b]

+1

[Knestis]

I was chosen to be a moderator BECAUSE I'm always right. :026:

K

[Tom Donnelly]

I'm not a moderator, but I do play one on TV.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nasc...reveals_winning (http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nascar_coach_reveals_winning)

[gsbaker]

I was chosen to be a moderator BECAUSE I'm always right. :026:

K
[/b]
So why the white flag in the avatar? ;)

[Knestis]

I'm always right but I've grown weary of trying to help everyone else find the Truth. :P

K

[erlrich]

Does that moderator thing make you moderator guys think your points on tech arguement is always right. :unsure: [/b] Naw, if being right all the time were a requirement, I surely wouldn't be a moderator. Must be something else - maybe our extraordinary sense of goodness and right and fairness and...hell, who am I kidding - I haven't a clue.

[ddewhurst]

***I'm always right but I've grown weary of trying to help everyone else find the Truth.***

Greg, don't believe everything you see written ^. Some people cross the fence because it's easier than continueing to put up a good fight, er arguement while sticking with what the written word of the rules mean. I could care less about shifting paradigm.

Have Fun ;)
David

[lateapex911]

I'm a mod, I wasn't chosen because I can help people find the truth, I was chosen because I actually work during the day, am on the interenet late at nights, and can man the ship when real folks are sleeping, getting ready to go to work, where they surf the net..and discuss shifting paradyms and shifting knobs...which really aren''t shift knobs, even though that's what the guy who made it calls it. I love run on sentences!)

And I won't ban anyone, or even edit or delete a post, even if they call me a internet sufing attention whore! (Unless it's Tim Manuels, cuz, he didn't like it when I called a spad a spade on HIS site, and banned me for life...LOL)

OK, in all seriousness I delete the pharmacy crap, (Always let the porn go...) and I moved the mazda thread and combined it in the General section. This site needs little real moderating, thankfully.

[JIgou]

And I won't ban anyone, or even edit or delete a post, even if they call me a internet sufing attention whore! (Unless it's Tim Manuels, cuz, he didn't like it when I called a spad a spade on HIS site, and banned me for life...LOL) [/b]

Dang, Jake - according to a post over there, he says there are only six people banned for life from the site. I can name two......

Jarrod

[gsbaker]

Unless it's Tim Manuels, cuz, he didn't like it when I called a spad a spade on HIS site, and banned me for life...LOL
[/b]
Geez Jake, if the HANS salesman won't ban me, you must be really bad. :) I gotta find that thread...

[Bill Miller]

So, who DID lock it? Wasn't me.

[lateapex911]

Well boys, you won't find that thread because Mr. big gut ego man edited and sensored it. Which was precisely the subject of my posts. He's a control freak, no doubt about it.

[Greg Amy]

The Mazda v SCCA thread was locked again this AM; I unlocked it. Until this moment I suspected it was an accident; after all, all you have to do to lock a thread is single-click on the envelope icon, an easy mistake to make. However, if someone is actually editing and deleting posts, then I no longer believe that...

The forum owner "should" have rights to see who's doing what. Problem is, said owner is AWOL...

Personally, I'm finding the M v S thread to be pure entertainment, and it's all I can do to keep from taunting its participants on a daily basis... ;)

[philstireservice]

Seems like everyone I know on here is a moderator.......guess that is why I don't say too much.

[ddewhurst]

Not only do we have a fun/normal rule arguement :D the moderators do the same between themselves except they don't know who's playing in the game. :o

[JeffYoung]

Rather simple. This is a very informal site. The unknown person who hosts it, doesn't have the time or desire to be an active moderator. A bunch of folks were given "moderator" powers mostly to be able to open small discussions groups, and to delete spam. I'm not saying we had an informal agreement not to lock threads that didn't involve purely personal attacks, but that is in essence the way it worked and I can remember only one or two times it was necessary.

None of us know who all the moderators are, and frankly I don't care to, until now I guess. Locking a legitimate thread about a legitimate issue is just wrong, and was done by one person -- that's all it is.

[gran racing]

Actually, we did have an agreement not to mess much with threads. When the moderator idea was brought up, the web owner told us that it was primarily for deleting spam and said he trusted us not to overuse the rights. This is one of the very few forums where people don't cross the lines and we can discuss issues like adults. While we often have disagreements and may call each other on various items, it seldom is done in an offensive manner. That's one reason I like this forum so much and moderators should primarily be delegated to spam deletion duty.

[Andy Bettencourt]

The Mazda v SCCA thread was locked again this AM; I unlocked it. Until this moment I suspected it was an accident; after all, all you have to do to lock a thread is single-click on the envelope icon, an easy mistake to make.
[/b]

That was me this morning. Just trying to see if I still 'had that power'. Locked it, unlocked it, locked it, all in 2 seconds - must have left it locked by accident. I don't lock threads as a rule. This ain't your mothers website.

[thedemoguy]

Soooo...your the one that locked the mazda/scca thread...

[lateapex911]

Andy...you locked it and unlocked it TWICE??? man, you ARE a power hungry God!

[ddewhurst]

Ok you power hungry gods "JohntheLazy" sliped a porn in on ya in the for parts sale forum. Get that rat bastard.

[Greg Amy]

Done. Wish I had the powers to nuke the bastich.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Andy...you locked it and unlocked it TWICE??? man, you ARE a power hungry God! [/b]

No, no...this morning I clicked on it a couple times to see if I could even DO it...this thread had me thinking, and I had never locked one before so I wanted to see if I could.

So it was NOT me who locked it the first time, just teh second by accident - and Greg grabbed that quick!

[lateapex911]

I know, I know, I was just busting your stones.....I clicked on it too after I read how to do it, just to see if it was that easy. Weird, you wouldn't think it would be, but it is.

The mystery remains...

[Knestis]

No, no...this morning I clicked on it a couple times to see if I could even DO it...this thread had me thinking, and I had never locked one before so I wanted to see if I could.

So it was NOT me who locked it the first time, just teh second by accident - and Greg grabbed that quick!
[/b]
Hmm. Squire B doth protest too much, methinks. Drives a Mazda, after all.

;)

K

[thedemoguy]

: )