Moderators

[Netserk]

I'm waiting...

According to this (I'm just quoting it, it was not my first thought!)

Wipe your bloody c0ck on his teddy bear.

 

[Afrank]

Is it really such a travesty to not discuss Hitler and the like? FFS people, let one go for once.

Yes, I'd like to highlight this as a mod. Let's just move on.

And lets stay on the topic of moderators as well. Enough with the off topic, if you want to make jokes take it to the lame joke thread.

 

[Cyivel]

According to this (I'm just quoting it, it was not my first thought!)

My word. ..

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Yes, I'd like to highlight this as a mod. Let's just move on.

And lets stay on the topic of moderators as well. Enough with the off topic, if you want to make jokes take it to the lame joke thread.

Fair enough.

 

[hrotha]

I would, but then they would be deleted. I wouldn't even be able to post one of my favourite Monty Python clips, since those monsters made fun of you-know-who.

 

[Race Radio]

Is it really such a travesty to not discuss Hitler and the like? FFS people, let one go for once.

Yeah, it is odd.....Something is fishy

 

[sittingbison]

I would, but then they would be deleted. I wouldn't even be able to post one of my favourite Monty Python clips, since those monsters made fun of you-know-who.

Don't mention the war

10characters

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Thought this might shed some light

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/23/germany-finally-poke-fun-hitler-fuhrer


Seems it is now officially ok to giggle at Hitler!

That is an excellent book, but it is far more a satirical look at contemporary Germany than about Hitler.

 

[Benotti69]

That is an excellent book, but it is far more a satirical look at contemporary Germany than about Hitler.

Satire is comedy

But Germans do not get offended by comedy (inc Satire) or jokes about Hitler and the Nazis do they?

Henning Weihn is a very funny guy from Germany.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

But Germans do not get offended by comedy (inc Satire) or jokes about Hitler and the Nazis do they?

Nazis and Hitler are certainly not frequently mentioned in jokes or comedy and that would probably not be publicly accepted. And the book is a satire about modern-day Germany, rather than about Hitler.

 

[Benotti69]

Nazis and Hitler are certainly not frequently mentioned in jokes or comedy and that would probably not be publicly accepted. And the book is a satire about modern-day Germany, rather than about Hitler.

Ok, cheers for clarifying.

 

[Cyivel]

So we are encouraged to report posts we think break the rules to help the moderators for two reasons, 1) To help notify them instead of expecting them to be across every thread in every section and 2) It's better to do so rather take up the issue in the thread i.e calling someone a troll.

Can't say I'm encouraged to do this if mods are going to point out that I have done so publicly.

 

[King Boonen]

So we are encouraged to report posts we think break the rules to help the moderators for two reasons, 1) To help notify them instead of expecting them to be across every thread in every section and 2) It's better to do so rather take up the issue in the thread i.e calling someone a troll.

Can't say I'm encouraged to do this if mods are going to point out that I have done so publicly.

Yes, this is a pretty massive breach of trust.

 

[del1962]

Yes, this is a pretty massive breach of trust.

I agree with this, if the mods have an issue with someone over reporting or silly reporting, they should use PM not put it out publically.

 

[martinvickers]

Satire is comedy

But Germans do not get offended by comedy (inc Satire) or jokes about Hitler and the Nazis do they?

Henning Weihn is a very funny guy from Germany.

Henning Weihn is a moderately funny guy from Germany who operates almost entirely as an 'exotic' on the UK comedy circuit for UK audiences. (He was quite good in Murray era Fighting Talk, though.)

He may be a Geman cracking jokes; he's not broadly cracking jokes for Germans, so he's no indicator of what 'Germans' are finding funny.

He's an indicator of what the British find funny about Germans -

i.e. stereotypes around wars, bombing fish shops, german efficiency esp re: beachtowels, and the assumption that Germans don't have much of a sense of humour.

And if you're on the border of being offended, don't bother. I'm Irish. We're very well used to it. The trick, as Henning knows, is to subvert it for significant financial reward.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Henning Weihn is a moderately funny guy from Germany who operates almost entirely as an 'exotic' on the UK comedy circuit for UK audiences. (He was quite good in Murray era Fighting Talk, though.)

He may be a Geman cracking jokes; he's not broadly cracking jokes for Germans, so he's no indicator of what 'Germans' are finding funny.

I wondered, as I have never heard of him.

 

[peloton]

So we are encouraged to report posts we think break the rules to help the moderators for two reasons, 1) To help notify them instead of expecting them to be across every thread in every section and 2) It's better to do so rather take up the issue in the thread i.e calling someone a troll.

Can't say I'm encouraged to do this if mods are going to point out that I have done so publicly.

This.
I have never seen a poster being outed before for reporting, very uncool.

 

[Benotti69]

I wondered, as I have never heard of him.

MV is a professional Liar (aka a lawyer) so be wary

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Henning Weihn is a moderately funny guy from Germany who operates almost entirely as an 'exotic' on the UK comedy circuit for UK audiences. (He was quite good in Murray era Fighting Talk, though.)

He may be a Geman cracking jokes; he's not broadly cracking jokes for Germans, so he's no indicator of what 'Germans' are finding funny.

He's an indicator of what the British find funny about Germans -

i.e. stereotypes around wars, bombing fish shops, german efficiency esp re: beachtowels, and the assumption that Germans don't have much of a sense of humour.

And if you're on the border of being offended, don't bother. I'm Irish. We're very well used to it. The trick, as Henning knows, is to subvert it for significant financial reward.

The best part of the routine is where he tells a terrible joke, it doesn't get a laugh, and then he spends ten minutes dissecting why it is a joke to explain why you should have found it funny. That's where he's at his best.

 

[King Boonen]

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Netserk - There are no prizes for reporting the most posts. When you make so many reports that are quite trivial in nature, there's a risk that your reports of posts that genuinely should be reported will be overlooked.

This should have been done via PM

Justinr - It might be prudent to stop your posts about weight loss, if only to save the Cycling News server from collapsing under the weight of Netserk's complaints. Whilst it's an interesting subject, it just upsets the feisty "regulars" in the context of Wiggo and when they get upset, all sorts of unpleasant stuff ends up getting posted. Thanks.

As it's specific to the thread, I see value in posting this admonition in the thread, but
1. outing Netserk (again) specifically as a reporter of Justinr's posts is wrong, imo
2. the denigration of regulars, and application of "feisty" is personal, imo, playing the (WO)MEN. A normal poster would potentially get a warning, or a banning for this, depending on the thread to that point.

Would be interested in a mod's POV on this. Or are mods allowed to post whilst ignoring the rules of the forum?

 

[sittingbison]

My POV is that Wallace and Gromit has only been a mod for a week or so, is learning the trade while on the job, is bound to make a few mistakes along the way doing so, and will learn from them.

Unfortunate, but not the end of the world. No doubt he has read the various comments in that thread and here, and taken it all on board.

My other POV is that he was using a gentle admonish style rather than threats and sinking the boot, trying to get that thread back on track, which is to be applauded. Hopefully he will retain that aspect and not become like.... moi

 

[red_flanders]

I think it's worth noting some of the user experience around the report button. As a member, I hate doing it. It feels like tattling, and my personal preference would be to address reportable comments in a thread. It feels more direct, more transparent, and less chicken-****. I think a lot of people are just socialized not to want to "rat out" others, and prefer a more direct approach.

As a mod, it was clear to me that the above approach inevitably resulted in off-topic flame wars, egoism, and general breakdown of the forum due to bickering and fighting in threads. As such, I (and other mods) always encouraged or even admonished users to stop fighting and report inappropriate remarks.

As a user I've found the reporting method to be much more effective than addressing things in a thread. Still don't love it, but clearly it's the right choice.

All this to say that I think the mods have to be very unified and clear in encouraging reporting instead of discouraging it. Not wanting to pile on, but just add the context and the reason why reporting is encouraged. I don't think it's something a mod should learn or have leeway on, I think encouraging reporting should be either consistently encouraged or abandoned by all the mods.

However, I can relate to W&G's comments wholeheartedly. When I was a mod there were a few users who sucked up 90% of my mod time with reports and the subsequent back and forth when I moderated (or didn't moderate) the posts in question. I gave them this feedback back-channel with limited success, but refrained from outing this behavior to the general forum.

Reporting sucks, but it's the lesser of two evils.

The new mods are doing well and I'm glad they're on board. Keep it up guys and gals!

 

[Cyivel]

Just don't post 'privileged' information ffs, it's not difficult, yer boring waffle doesn't change that fact, pretty simple stuff.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

I've been told that my posts are reported more frequently than any other member of this forum. I was kind of surprised by the percentage quoted by the mod that PM'd me.

To those of you who love to report posts, you're welcome. Just know when you hit that little triangle with the exclamation point on one of my posts, I get stronger. I'm sure there is some character in some World of Warcraft or other game that gets stronger when you attack it, that's me.

I reserve reporting posts to times when BPC posts, and times when someone tries to get a free ad. I hate BPC, and I used to sell advertising, so I detest someone trying to get one over on a site whose existence is tied to advertising...but I hate BPC more.