Moderation

[Netserk]

Looks like there's nicknames discussion here and I probably contributed in this regard (inventing some of them i.e. Teddy or Skeletor). The latter was initially Skeleton (due to our hero being very light and skinny) but it sounded better with r (only later I recalled it's from He-man actually). Even some Vingo fans use it (and I don't overuse it now). Vingemort can be withdrawn, as far as I'm concerned.

You're right, 9 days before @Ripper's Skeletor:

"Look at Pogi's chubby face: he's fat cause he's stolen your dinner. Chase him!".

So the skeleton is chasing. No "escape from Pogi" option found though!

 

[Monte Serra]

This is a shame, this forum is losing a lot of long standing great members because of these crazy bans, usually because of some small nonsense.

Calling them "crazy bans" is a bit rich, if you don't know the exact cause. It's obvious that forum rules regularly get broken. Some users get quite fired up in debates and easily resort to personal attacks. So that mods have to step in from time to time is only natural, in my opinion.

 

[Lequack]

Calling them "crazy bans" is a bit rich, if you don't know the exact cause. It's obvious that forum rules regularly get broken. Some users get quite fired up in debates and easily resort to personal attacks. So that mods have to step in from time to time is only natural, in my opinion.

I may not know the cause, but I've never seen so much bans on other forums. It's still my opinion that it should be the last resort for spammer, bots, people who try to harm the community, etc. But it seems like here it's the first resort sometimes. Everyday moderating to me means something like warnings, or deleting offending posts if needed.

 

[red_flanders]

Armchair, my sincere thanks for your efforts. I appreciate ya, you take this seriously and do a great job. Thank you.

My 2 cents is that we gotta let some offense be made. I assume we're mostly adults? We know who's trying to wind people up. For example, Netserk and his Bambi avatar. Funny in a way, and obvious light trolling. Creative. Also easily ignored. If a person can't take that, maybe the internet isn't for you.

I know you can't have a wild west, but there's no line on nicknames that's going to make defensible sense. Someone repeatedly using nicknames and successfully winding people up? That's covered under trolling. People going on and on and on with personal attacks? Covered. Warn then ban. The occasional use of a derogatory nickname? The repeated use of a derogatory nickname in the context of a reasonable, intelligent post? Let's be grownups and let it pass.

I ask we err on the side of free expression, and stick with the rules we have against trolling and personal attacks. The current rules cover all the problems IMO. We have to allow offense, let's not make this place a safe space. GenX and previous generations had this one right. Sticks and stones and all that. We don't have the right not to be offended, and you'll kill yourself trying to define and justify what speech is allowed.

That said, you're doing the work. Your call. I'm just suggesting it'll be less work and more fun if we can all grow a bit thicker skin and let the current rules cover the truly disruptive behavior.

 

[Ripper]

Armchair, my sincere thanks for your efforts. I appreciate ya, you take this seriously and do a great job. Thank you.

My 2 cents is that we gotta let some offense be made. I assume we're mostly adults? We know who's trying to wind people up. For example, Netserk and his Bambi avatar. Funny in a way, and obvious light trolling. Creative. Also easily ignored. If a person can't take that, maybe the internet isn't for you.

I know you can't have a wild west, but there's no line on nicknames that's going to make defensible sense. Someone repeatedly using nicknames and successfully winding people up? That's covered under trolling. People going on and on and on with personal attacks? Covered. Warn then ban. The occasional use of a derogatory nickname? The repeated use of a derogatory nickname in the context of a reasonable, intelligent post? Let's be grownups and let it pass.

I ask we err on the side of free expression, and stick with the rules we have against trolling and personal attacks. The current rules cover all the problems IMO. We have to allow offense, let's not make this place a safe space. GenX and previous generations had this one right. Sticks and stones and all that. We don't have the right not to be offended, and you'll kill yourself trying to define and justify what speech is allowed.

That said, you're doing the work. Your call. I'm just suggesting it'll be less work and more fun if we can all grow a bit thicker skin and let the current rules cover the truly disruptive behavior.

This post cover is about everything I could say, including thank you for your excellent moderation and time and effort.

The only thing I would add is I find borrowing or coming up with ridiculous names entertaining. I don't think I wind too many people up, perhaps no one. Then again, perhaps they don't tell me when they get wound up!

 

[Ripper]

Looks like there's nicknames discussion here and I probably contributed in this regard (inventing some of them i.e. Teddy or Skeletor). The latter was initially Skeleton (due to our hero being very light and skinny) but it sounded better with r (only later I recalled it's from He-man actually). Even some Vingo fans use it (and I don't overuse it now). Vingemort can be withdrawn, as far as I'm concerned.

I knew I wasn't smart enough to have come up with that and had seen it before!

 

[Ripper]

I have done some research and come to the conclusion,
Vingemört
, is the best name.

Isn't that like a combo from The Witcher?

 

[AmRacer]

Isn't that like a combo from The Witcher?

I don't know, Jack. I don't know.

 

[Ripper]

I don't know, Jack. I don't know.

The handle refers to something entirely different 😆

 

[RedheadDane]

Calling them "crazy bans" is a bit rich, if you don't know the exact cause.

I think it's the other way around; it's not knowing the case (doesn't even have to be exact) that's crazy.
Especially if the supposedly offensive post also gets completely nuked, so the latest posts available from a banned user are all something completely fine.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Due to an incident in today's stage thread, I need clarification on whether calling someone Jens Voigt count as an insult.

 

[Jagartrott]

So given that @Elos Anjos profile is not available anymore, it seems like they were ether permabanned, or have decided to delete the profile.

This is a shame, this forum is losing a lot of long standing great members because of these crazy bans, usually because of some small nonsense. It's really getting quite demotivating, but maybe that is what the admins want? To drive away their non-profitable forums. Or make them as advertisement friendly, punishing each small indiscretion.

Banning is something quite drastic, so I think moderators could actually give a short clarification why (and how long) here. Probably this has been asked (and I guess rejected) in the past, but I think this would be something quite Logic-al to do.

 

[RedheadDane]

Banning is something quite drastic, so I think moderators could actually give a short clarification why (and how long) here. Probably this has been asked (and I guess rejected) in the past, but I think this would be something quite Logic-al to do.

Surely, you remember the "ban announcement thread"...

 

[jmdirt]

A small group of easily offended posters shouldn’t get to dictate what everyone else is allowed to say.

What about a large group of not easily offended posters?

Instead of making a new post, I'll just edit this one:

I've never reported anyone for 'nicknames', even though I find most of them silly, and some offensive. That being said, I find two things interesting: assuming that a small group of people are too easily offended, and the 'who cares' attitude about offending people. Maybe Armchair is bringing this up because enough people are reporting it to make it an issue?

 

[Nick2413]

What about a large group of not easily offended posters?

I’m not a fan of dictating what anyone says but if there must be rules then majority consensus makes most sense, which seems to be for more relaxed rules.

 

[jmdirt]

Due to an incident in today's stage thread, I need clarification on whether calling someone Jens Voigt count as an insult.

Clinic thread...

 

[Tricycle Rider]

I find it easy--in context--to interpret that as without malice. To call competitors names of comic book characters is to cast the duel as out of a comic book. It's fun. Someone will be cast as the protagonist, the other as antagonist. Skeletor is the thin one.

Afaik, @Ripper was the first to call Vingegaard Skeletor (https://forum.cyclingnews.com/search/364168/?q=skeletor&c[older_than]=2022-12-31&o=date)


Since then, it has rather caught on as an endearing term. If you search for how it's been used this year, I think that's easy to see. When both supporters and non-supporters take turns in using the term, it's unlikely to be of negative valence.

We had a politician in a US state I lived in decades ago who had been nicknamed Skeletor because he was very gaunt and kind of looked dead-like because of it, so now when someone calls Vingo Skeletor I find it humorous because it brings back memories. But obviously everyone's experience with the term Skeletor is individual.

 

[Jagartrott]

Surely, you remember the "ban announcement thread"...

No

 

[Netserk]

No

There was a locked and sticky thread in this section where bans were announced together with reason for it and duration.

 

[Berniece]

There was a locked and sticky thread in this section where bans were announced together with reason for it and duration.

Why was it removed? I would think that's a positive

 

[Netserk]

Why was it removed? I would think that's a positive

Against the owner's policy. See the discussion this answer was a part of:

To be as absolutely clear as possible, there are no circumstances in which we'll be publicly tracking actions taken against any user.

 

[Jagartrott]

Poor policy

 

[RedheadDane]

Why was it removed?

There are many mysteries in life... 🤷‍♀️

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Damn he is banned again? This is getting ridiculous. The man can't even enjoy Remco in his best form again the top riders.

It was nearly half a year i believe since my previous ban. In the meanwhile Froome has about taken over on total ban-count i think. I believe i've been banned for about 6 or 7 times in total now over the years, first time in 2021. And while i will never be the moderator's best friend, i will give him/her some credit for finally after many years starting to repeatedly ban the actual biggest troll on the forum (not Froome).

 

[Nick2413]

It was nearly half a year i believe since my previous ban. In the meanwhile Froome has about taken over on total ban-count i think. I believe i've been banned for about 6 or 7 times in total now over the years, first time in 2021. And while i will never be the moderator's best friend, i will give him/her some credit for finally after many years starting to repeatedly ban the actual biggest troll on the forum (not Froome).

I think it says a lot if you’ve been active for 13 years but all your bans have been in the last 3 years. I don’t blame the mod(s) but it seems there’s been a big change from the powers that be. In the few years I’ve been here things have gotten much more strict and it definitely kills the vibe for me.