Would I be allowed to post a thread about boards.ie? and it's pro lisbon stance

Beruthiel

Captain Furball wrote: »

I don't think you grasp the concept of conspiracy theory very well.

I am an Admin on this site.
I can assure you, not once, ever, have we the Admins, as a collective, discussed politics.

There is no agenda here.

As Dudess said, you are free to state any opinion you wish.
However, it is how you express that opinion and the links you provide which will be taken into consideration by a mod if necessary.

6th

From the CT Charter:

• Respect other posters
Snide remarks and bitching will not be tolerated, nor will accusations thrown at other members of the Boards.ie community. Singling out a poster or posters, including stating things like "some posters on here" could land you in trouble.

We've had posters accusing other members of being paid to post etc. If there was any of that again harsh bans would be handed out.

Kinetic^

Dudess wrote: »

Boards also has a number of users who believe moderators reprimand them simply for their opinion

Only way to moderate around here. moar bans = paycheck++++ = mucho glug glug

bonkey

humanji wrote: »

To save time, the thread would go as follows:

The OP will be about Boards.ie having an agenda to push for a Yes vote in Lisbon. One or two users will agree, one or two users will disagree. Those against the conspiracy will demand proof. Those for it will reference the various anti-Lisbon users who have been banned/reprimanded. Those against the conspiracy will point out that those users were banned for other reasons. Those for the conspiracy will say that that is a smokescreen. The thread will then quickly turn into a thread about the merits/problems of Lisbon. The thread will be closed as it's no longer about a conspiracy, but just devolved into the usual pro/anti-Lisbon threads that are all over this site.

A new thread will then be started, citing the old thread as proof (rather than further evidence) that the conspiracy exists, and that the theory is bang on.

This, in turn, will be locked, with a warning that any sort of "feedback loop" of the same stuff will result in bannings.

The Conspiracy Of No Voters will then continue their discussion on a social network other than boards.ie, citing this oppression as proof-positive that they were right in the first place.

And if all of that...Smilies Will be overused somewhere, resulting in 6th going on a banning spree, hunting down every post since he became which contained more than two smilies beside each other, and banning the user for a "resaonable" period, such as one week per "extra" smiley.

<shudders>

Glad we can avoid all of that, really.

Alternately...do it while I'm on holiday, lads

(Thats only one smiley, 6th. Don't shout at me)

faceman

humanji wrote: »

To save time, the thread would go as follows:

The OP will be about Boards.ie having an agenda to push for a Yes vote in Lisbon. One or two users will agree, one or two users will disagree. Those against the conspiracy will demand proof. Those for it will reference the various anti-Lisbon users who have been banned/reprimanded. Those against the conspiracy will point out that those users were banned for other reasons. Those for the conspiracy will say that that is a smokescreen. The thread will then quickly turn into a thread about the merits/problems of Lisbon. The thread will be closed as it's no longer about a conspiracy, but just devolved into the usual pro/anti-Lisbon threads that are all over this site.

Sounds about right!

Roll on €1.84 p/h minimum wage for all! (apparantely) :pac:

Boston

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

How do you like them apples!

Wreck

I don't know about any conspiracy, all I know is I'm voting yes because Terry is voting yes.

Cantab.

oscarBravo wrote: »

boards.ie doesn't have a pro-Lisbon stance. The Politics forum, and specifically the EU subforum, doesn't have a pro-Lisbon stance.

What it does have is at least two moderators who believe that the treaty should be ratified, and express that opinion on a regular basis.

It also has a number of users who apparently believe that moderators shouldn't hold (or at least shouldn't express) a view on the topic. More problematically, it has a number of users who don't believe the rules apply to them, and would rather believe that they have been sanctioned because the moderators disagree with them than accept the possibility that it was because they broke the rules.

Hope that clears things up.

The politics forum is distinctly pro-Lisbon.

orestes

Cantab. wrote: »

The politics forum is distinctly pro-Lisbon.

How do you mean? That the mods are pro-Lisbon? Some are, some aren't. They are entitled to their opinions and to voice them the same as everybody else. The idea that mods shouldn't be allowed to voice their opinions just because they are mods is ridiculous considering that they were originally made mods because they were good posters in the forum in question. Their opinions don't relate to their mod duties. If you mean that most of the posters in the forum are pro-Lisbon, what on Earth do you want boards or the politics mods to do about it? Make sure there is an exactly even amount of pro-Lisbon and anti-Lisbon posts in the forum or something?

Red Sleeping Beauty

oscarBravo wrote: »

boards.ie doesn't have a pro-Lisbon stance. The Politics forum, and specifically the EU subforum, doesn't have a pro-Lisbon stance.

What it does have is at least two moderators who believe that the treaty should be ratified, and express that opinion on a regular basis.

It also has a number of users who apparently believe that moderators shouldn't hold (or at least shouldn't express) a view on the topic. More problematically, it has a number of users who don't believe the rules apply to them, and would rather believe that they have been sanctioned because the moderators disagree with them than accept the possibility that it was because they broke the rules.

Hope that clears things up.

I don't think the moderators should abstain from expressing their views and I don't think anyone would want them to do so. That'd be daft. Fair implementation of the charter is all anyone can really request.

Dustaz

Since when do people need permission to post threads?

Just post your thread. If its something thats against the rules (im not sure how it is) then it might get locked. no big deal. I guess theres an outside chance you might get banned but thats hardly likely is it?

Its a conspiracy theory for gods sake, why are there people saying that "OMG DERE IZ NO BASIS 4 DIS IN FACT". You cute little CT kids have knocked yourselves out on far less before.

bonkey

Cantab. wrote: »

The politics forum is distinctly pro-Lisbon.

A forum is a virtual message board, about a single topic. As such, the forum itself has no political leanings.

That leaves either the posters or the moderators

If the posters are prediminantly pro- or anti- something....so what? More importantly...what should anyone on boards.ie be expected to do about it?

That leaves the moderators.

If the moderators are moderating in a biased manner, then there is a problem.
If someone had evidence of this, then they should bring it to the attention of the Admins in Help Desk.

The reality is that when faced with this option, most people make noise about there not being a problem they feel they should take to Help Desk (just one they feel they should complain about elsewhere), or they fudge reasons as to why they don't actually have clear evidence of bias.

Which leaves us where, exactly? We have people making allegations that they don't support with evidence, and don't take to the only authorities who are in a position to do something about it.

To my eyes, that suggests that the allegations whether true or not have more value to the people making them then resolution of the issue would. In other words, its a convenient sympathy-card to play, rather than a problem that is worth putting effort into getting fixed.

This, of course, is ironic, given that its effectively the same nature of thing being complained about...underhanded tactics to prop up a position, rather than arguing it on its own merits.

bonkey

Dustaz wrote: »

I guess theres an outside chance you might get banned but thats hardly likely is it?

I'd say that its pretty damned likely, having asked the mods and being told it would be against the charter...and being shown what part of the charter its against.

Hobbes

I think you should be fine as long as you word the thread in the way of a question.

For example:

Boards.ie, a pro-lisbon website?
Devore, drinks baby seals blood?

I am an Admin on this site.
I can assure you, not once, ever, have we the Admins, as a collective, discussed politics.

OMGZ! If Bru doesn't know then how deep does this conspiracy go!

... tbh, I don't see an issue with it. Surprised CT doesn't have a post yet on how all the boards.ie admins are lizard people... I've said too much.

bonkey

Hobbes wrote: »

I think you should be fine as long as you word the thread in the way of a question.

I disagree.

Anyone who answers "yes" to the question, or argues in favour of that position is infringing the charter.

This creates a difficult situation.

Either the mods have to sanction anyone who takes one side of the issue, or we have to set a precedent that we ignore the charter for anyone who is ansewring a question....in effect creating the perfect "run around" for people to bypass any part fo the charter that takes their fancy.

CT already has problems with cries of favouritism and bias coming fairly regularly. permitting a thread that requires us to either ignore the charter for one side of the argument, or sanction all people on said side of the argument isn't going to help that.

We drew the line where it is because we've had allegations about specuific psoters, allegations about groups of posters, attacks on groups of posters carrying certain opinions, and so forth....all of which only has added to the constant tension in the forum.

I'd be open to a discussion about redrawing that line somewhere else, but such a discussion should be - IMHO - in the Feedback sticky we have for just such discussions, and until the charter is changed, we should be expected as mods to enforce the charter we have.

Under that charter, the requested thread is not acceptable.

Hobbes

bonkey wrote: »

Anyone who answers "yes" to the question, or argues in favour of that position is infringing the charter.

Bonkey, doesn't know a joke when he sees one?

I'm not saying you don't know how to spot humour, just that reasonable lizard-hating people want to know.

<serious mode>

Mods are biased. Heck everyone is to some extent. However the mod role requires you to take a step back from that. It also requires the person posting actually follow the forum guidelines.

Once your within that I don't see the problem. Lisbon posts in CT that I have seen don't fall under the CT guidelines (not enough tinfoil).

If it is a case that your complaining with how mod locked your thread the helpdesk forum is a better place then CT.

DeVore

mmmmm baby seals....


Dev.