Can we add to the mod team?

[Eleven]

Sabrespace currently has two mods and one owner.  One of the mods has a clear bias (freeman, I like you, I really do, but this is not something you are good at); the other is really busy with her life.  I'd like to propose that the board adds two more.  And my candidates would be:

@Thorny

and

@MattPie

 

These are posters who have proven themselves (1) to be knowledgeable about hockey, (2) Sabres fans, (3) politically neutral, and, most importantly, (4) temperate in their responses to others,

I don't know if they'd want the job, but I would welcome them if they did.

[Andrew Amerk]

This should probably get moved to the politics area. 

[PerreaultForever]

I wondered why there was only 1 mod getting on my case, now I know. One biased active moderator is a bad idea. I'd personally like the thing to moderate itself. Generally in these kind of places things take care of themselves and good moderators really only need to step in if a LOT of people get upset about something or someone. 

[inkman]

12 hours ago, Eleven said:

Sabrespace currently has two mods and one owner.  One of the mods has a clear bias (freeman, I like you, I really do, but this is not something you are good at)

@Thorny

@MattPie

Oh got dam!  11 with the knockout blow 

 

[SwampD]

As someone who has had issues with the moderating in the past, the issues were mine, not the moderators. Nfreeman has been nothing if not consistent.

In this case, I was actually surprised stuff wasn’t moved sooner.

If you haven’t figured out how the refs are calling the game by now, time to chose a different sport.

[IKnowPhysics]

[Weave]

Pfft.  Big government liberals.. ?

Edited August 29, 2020 by Weave

[Eleven]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

Oh got dam!  11 with the knockout blow 

 

Not what this is about though.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I'm not sure what to think about this.  Mods with biases are not good, but the place seems to work pretty well.

I like @MattPie a lot, but if one of your reasons for adding 2 mods is that one is very busy, then Matt may not be a good choice for that reason alone.  He is good, but I don't think he is active here that much these days.

[freester]

How much money are these mods raking in?  It must be a ton to put up with this nonsense. 

[Zamboni]

I agree, this forum needs at least two more mods. The problem is, you are gonna have slim “quality” pickings when you want people to volunteer their time. ThIs website obviously doesn’t take in enough revenue to pay moderators. If it did, the webmaster could attract higher quality experienced moderators. And those moderators would have quarterly reviews by the webmaster to make sure their money is being well spent. You get what you pay for. Other higher volume forums have paid moderators. I’m one on a non-sporting website. It’s nice pocket change.
 

That being said .... I’ve seen this request many times in various forums under various topics.... 

And usually (not always) it boils down to the complaining poster(s) kinda saying (without saying) .. “I want to post what I want, where I want, how I want”. And pro-tip ... if a post gets moved to another thread  (not deleted) It’s not censorship and no ones 1st amendment right is being trampled on in a privately owned website. As much as one wants to clutch their fists and shake them to the heavens, and create several posts about it ... It’s not censorship if it gets moved to another thread on the website. From the direction of all webmasters(who care) of all forums... the mods aren’t going to allow a poster to type what they want, where they want, how they want. It’s not how it works, and any halfway decent forum doesn’t allow that chaos.
And if one wants “self-moderating”, go to a forum that embraces that. Like the cesspool that the Sabres and Bills Facebook pages are. 
Lastly, the moderating here is subpar, biased, and lacking compared to some other forums sporting and non sporting alike. And yet, better than some too. You know whose shoulders the experience on this forum falls on. Just my O.

[Zamboni]

I’m sure 99% of posters like the structured topic limiting parameters of each thread. I’ve seen worse and I’ve seen better forums who limit how much “off topic” a thread gets before moving or deleting posts.

This forum at times is the Wild West with a sheriff who is too busy most days to see what his Volunteer deputies are or are not doing. If a poster doesn’t like that, try changing that or move to another “town”.
?‍♂️

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I wondered why there was only 1 mod getting on my case, now I know. One biased active moderator is a bad idea. I'd personally like the thing to moderate itself. Generally in these kind of places things take care of themselves and good moderators really only need to step in if a LOT of people get upset about something or someone. 

The last thing you need is not to have any moderating of a forum.  Problems don't take care of themselves. On the contrary they escalate into personal feuds and a breakdown in civil discourse. Factions develop and silos become more impenetrable. 

Can moderators be biased? Yes they can. But even when there is an observable leaning that doesn't mean that a moderator can't reasonable carry out his/her function. I'm relatively new here. Overall, I have no major complaints how this place is moderated. It is a thankless job that is more likely to attract criticisms than expressions of appreciation.  

If someone feels that the moderator is not treating him/her fairly then express your complaint and then move on. As far as posters leaving for whatever reason/s--- that is their prerogative. If one gets so aggravated over a discussion in which they have the ability to not participate in then their choosing to leave the site is their decision and right. 

[spndnchz]

2 hours ago, freester said:

How much money are these mods raking in?  It must be a ton to put up with this nonsense. 

O

 

zero

 

I'm on here At least 12 times a day. 

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, spndnchz said:

O

 

zero

 

I'm on here At least 12 times a day. 

I so feel for you, SDS, and nfreeman.

[Huckleberry]

20 hours ago, Eleven said:

Sabrespace currently has two mods and one owner.  One of the mods has a clear bias (freeman, I like you, I really do, but this is not something you are good at); the other is really busy with her life.  I'd like to propose that the board adds two more.  And my candidates would be:

@Thorny

and

@MattPie

 

These are posters who have proven themselves (1) to be knowledgeable about hockey, (2) Sabres fans, (3) politically neutral, and, most importantly, (4) temperate in their responses to others,

I don't know if they'd want the job, but I would welcome them if they did.

Might just be me, but I don't consider @nfreeman to be biased much.   There once was an issue members had with me, he PM'd me about it and I removed the issue.  

He didn't take it out to public, he approached me on a very civil way and I understood the issue.  Really don't need much more from a mod.   Its not easy to cater to an entire forum and everyone's wishes.   That being said I don't mind an extra mod ore the ones you put forward, but in the end this is SDS' show and he needs to pick moderators he can trust.

[PerreaultForever]

52 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

Might just be me, but I don't consider @nfreeman to be biased much.   

But you can't judge what you don't get to see. If the moderator (any moderator) removes stuff they feel doesn't belong and mutes that person for their views nobody knows it was ever there unless they are on all day and read everything. 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

The last thing you need is not to have any moderating of a forum.  Problems don't take care of themselves. On the contrary they escalate into personal feuds and a breakdown in civil discourse. Factions develop and silos become more impenetrable. 

I'm not saying zero moderation. What I'm saying is not so quick and no so judgemental. Most, stress MOST, arguments or drifts to politics or whatever will play themselves out in a handful of posts if left alone. Mostly on boards like this that are left alone more a small argument ensues, then somebody gives up and exits that discussion in a huff and it's scrolled by and forgotten with the next bit of hockey news. 

imo people only really need to be muted if they spam when lots of people tell them to stop or if they get personal and start calling each other names/insults etc. Off topic drifts are not so important and usually don't last long. 

[Huckleberry]

24 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

But you can't judge what you don't get to see. If the moderator (any moderator) removes stuff they feel doesn't belong and mutes that person for their views nobody knows it was ever there unless they are on all day and read everything. 

I don't mind, I seen him and our other mod mute topics or posts that were out of line and had nothing to do with was being discussed, always thought they were pretty fair in this.

[JohnC]

42 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'm not saying zero moderation. What I'm saying is not so quick and no so judgemental. Most, stress MOST, arguments or drifts to politics or whatever will play themselves out in a handful of posts if left alone. Mostly on boards like this that are left alone more a small argument ensues, then somebody gives up and exits that discussion in a huff and it's scrolled by and forgotten with the next bit of hockey news. 

imo people only really need to be muted if they spam when lots of people tell them to stop or if they get personal and start calling each other names/insults etc. Off topic drifts are not so important and usually don't last long. 

Each moderator is going to exercise their own judgment. While you would prefer to allow the discussions to play out on their own, others might prefer a quicker cessation or movement of the disputed topic so that it doesn't spill over to constant rancorous exchanges. Again, it is an exercise in making judgments. That's what moderators do.   

No one is going to completely agree with a moderator's judgment. Some moderator's prefer a looser format while others prefer a tighter format. However, if one is to give more allowance to someone I'm going to give it to the person who volunteers to do that thankless task. In addition, if you believe a  particular moderator is repeatedly exhibiting a judgment/behavior that you find troubling, then PM the person and express those concerns. 

[shrader]

2 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'm not saying zero moderation. What I'm saying is not so quick and no so judgemental. Most, stress MOST, arguments or drifts to politics or whatever will play themselves out in a handful of posts if left alone. Mostly on boards like this that are left alone more a small argument ensues, then somebody gives up and exits that discussion in a huff and it's scrolled by and forgotten with the next bit of hockey news. 

imo people only really need to be muted if they spam when lots of people tell them to stop or if they get personal and start calling each other names/insults etc. Off topic drifts are not so important and usually don't last long. 

So spamming when they’re told to stop. So you mean topics just like this thread or everything you’re ranting about now? Seriously folk, it a hockey message board. Let’s continue to whine like it’s North Korea. Bitch bitch bitch. This place is so much better when we get over ourselves. With each passing day I keep expecting the plug to be pulled   Fortunately others can handle a lot more whining than I can.  
 

keep looking for that works without bias. It exists in the same place as that world without a sun. 

[PerreaultForever]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

Each moderator is going to exercise their own judgment.

which is exactly why it's better to have more than one. 

[SABRES 0311]

Defund the moderators. J/k. This is what you call first world problems right here. 

[JohnC]

7 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

which is exactly why it's better to have more than one. 

Who is volunteering to do that unappealing chore? 

[Pimlach]

I don’t notice the moderators doing anything biased or wrong.  No one is perfect or needs to be.   Then again I do not put much emphasis on internet sports forums and how they operate.  
 

This place provides lots of hockey information and that’s what I like about it.