(Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself?) Any update?

Witcher

There should be one US Politics/Presidential Election megathread in CA to concentrate discussion and then should any poster act the bollocks they're gone for good from the discussion, not just off to the next thread down.

One ban for the mods not five. Threadbans in general need to be looked at imo, they don't achieve what they set out to, problem posters will just move to the next thread, regardless of topic and start shitposting.

If someone is crossing the line in the forum, put them off the forum in its entirety t'fúck, nevermind half arsed thread bans.

nachouser

At this point, CA is probably a necessary evil. It keeps traffic going so that other forums exist to answer genuine questions, like how to fix a derailleur on a bike or where to find a decent barber in Sligo on a Monday morning before a wedding. Look, it is what it is.

tohaltuwi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437499#Comment_122437499

it doesn’t work well with iOS either. Plenty of incompatibilities.

tohaltuwi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438029#Comment_122438029

2 or 3 years earlier it was easier to locate threads on a given subject. I know this doesn’t apply to the US presidential scenario here, but I find before starting a new thread I tend to google the term+Boards.ie to check if there is a pre-existing thread that is very similar.

Musicrules

Boards.ie is kind of a sad looking site. Also, lots of the posters on it seem quite sad. That or angry. It's not a very healthy place. But maybe that's just the threads I'm reading.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437700#Comment_122437700

I appreciate the volunteer nature of it. But there are small forums with stock forum software with none of these functional problems. They needed to shrink the boards appropriately to the resources available to it. But they insisted on migrating all all the old obsolete data and customisations. But that ship sailed long ago. I no longer think any of it will be fixed.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438495#Comment_122438495

At one point they expanded the sub forums for some unknown reason, which caused many to become ghost towns. Compounded by the search being broken pretty much since they migrated.

nachouser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438588#Comment_122438588

Chuck your CV at boards.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438617#Comment_122438617

Needs someone younger and far less grumpy.

nachouser

Describes us both.

Ezeoul

I have seen no difference, in fact, if anything I think the situation has deteriorated, instead of improved.

It's actually even less possible to navigate now, so I no longer expend any energy concerning myself with staying on this side or that side of rules that mods make up as they go along, and then issue warnings and threadbans for supposedly breaking them. It's exhausting.

Just my two cents worth.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438502#Comment_122438502

I'd, honestly, say it's has to be the particular threads you're reading. People seem to forget that there are hundreds of threads on the go at any one time and they're not all CA or AH

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438495#Comment_122438495

I do the same as search on here not everything shows up

Musicrules

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438874#Comment_122438874

I've read threads from many different forums on boards.ie and that's where I'm getting my opinion from. Many posters seem to want to drag others down. That's a sure sign that something is lacking in their lives.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438874#Comment_122438874

I agree if you ignore people and thus certain forums and subjects you avoid most of the negativity and certain personality types.

nachouser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438153#Comment_122438153

Having said that, the current Southport thread is the flipside. You couldn't pay me to post on that thread.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122441987#Comment_122441987

It has been closed like many other threads in CA forum which is a shame, too many threads get closed especially in CA, it is maybe a forum with many posters, opinionated posters with all views which can get heated but also interesting topics covered, current topics hence the forum title current affairs 😄 but not sure if "imho" part is really allowed as also sort of anecdotal

Baseball72

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437356#Comment_122437356

Something I have asked on several occasions over the past 2 years is for the re-introduction of "how many users are logged in" and how many "Guests" are currently visiting the site - why can't that be done?

It would give a better sense of interaction/activity.

flyer_query

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122432906#Comment_122432906

Is it not as simple as setting up secondary independent and unconnected accounts with "mod powers" where the sole purpose is to mod?

I stand by my earlier comment that the above wont work as most mods want the mod label on their regular posting account and this label is their reward for dedicating so much of their personal time for free to a private company (albeit providing a public service). You risk losing on the double as you will lose mod volunteers and also possibly the posters themselves as they need to have the mod label.

Ezeoul

Is there any supervision or evaluation of mod decisions made?

I recently reported a flagrant breach of a site wide rule. The mod of the forum was actively posting on the thread, so must have seen it, but didn't act on it until it was reported.

When they did act on it, they put a half-assed warning on thread, but qualified in such a way that they let it be known they agreed with the comments made, but had to put their mod hat on, following a report.

Not the first time I've seen this happen.

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122452319#Comment_122452319

There isn't even the people or the time available for regular mod interventions, having people and time available for assessing those interventions is probably something that won't happen unless there's a new pandemic and the whole country is stuck at home in front of their computers again.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122452434#Comment_122452434

I agree, you're probably right about that.

But it goes to show that mod bias does exist, and some of them do pick and choose when it suits them.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122451016#Comment_122451016

Unfortunately, that isn't possible either on Vanilla. It was mentioned a lot when the new platform was foisted upon us, I remember saying that it feels like you're shouting into an abyss because it seemed like you were the only one about when you couldn't see that list.

I'm sure it encouraged new posters too when they could see how many other posters were active.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122452556#Comment_122452556

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438666#Comment_122438666

Absolutely. It’s beyond frustrating how blatant it is.

EmmetSpiceland

It’s only, really, the users who, continually, get on the “wrong side” of the mods, and admins, who complain about this, fictional, mod bias.

As has been stated many times, previously, it’s not hard to post within “the rules” and not get sanctioned.

A mod, or admin, can’t warn anyone who is posting normally. Having a terrible opinion isn’t an offence, it’s how it’s “expressed” that seems to be the issue. Posting in anger rarely works out well but some users still persist.

suvigirl

Ahh dunno lads, some of the reasons, such as 'off topic posting' being used to ban a poster, when they are literally trying to stick up for themselves, isn't very fair. Ever been the subject of bullying or a pile on?

if someone is the victim of this on a thread, then the 'off topic posting ' needs to be read as part of a wider issue. It's happened to me and I've seen it happen to other posters. Mods looking at one reported post but not the others leading up to it can feel very unfair.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122465679#Comment_122465679

It’s difficult to stick to rules if the enforcer can reinterpret them at their leisure.
Opinions most certainly get actioned, even if they are expressed properly. Then they get interpreted as “trolling”.

Until people acknowledge that most bans are based upon specific breaches of the forum rules - such as advocating illegal behaviour or abusing another poster, these threads are simply bitching by people who are incapable of restraint or self reflection.

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Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122465679#Comment_122465679

I don't know if it's as simple as that.

I've seen a lot of what other people are referring to here. I wouldn't call it biased modding per se, but it is definitely heavily subjective and often seems to be enforced for no other reason than someone has reported a post and then the mod comes in and makes a snap decisions and uses 'the rules' as justification for that when the same 'rules' could be used to ban several posts on the same thread within the last couple pages only no one reported them.

It's a long time since I've seen what I would describe as modding with context. Some of the mods do attempt to do so, but it seems there aren't enough left who actively participate that this could be viewed as such.

And it is a problem. The UK is in the midst of one of the most sensitive societal environments for at least 20 years and it is not being actively discussed on here because the site doesn't possess the capacity to moderate such a discussion appropriately.

And I say that as someone very much on the left of such discussions when it comes to ideological leaning which is the supposed favoured bias as claimed by some, including on this thread. I started the 'Dangers coming from the Right Thread' until I was banned for asking someone to defend their position. See paragraph B here for an explanation of how that came about.

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odyssey06

And here on the thread we see a textboox example of a problem affecfing the site. Obvious rereg account showing obvious knowledge of forums enough to comment on them here

And feedback is only supposed to be open to accounts with certain number of posts…

You need to have a minimum postcount of 100 and your account must be at least 3 months old before you can post in this forum

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Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122465987#Comment_122465987

You don't have to purge your old account in order to do this.

You can just step away if you need time to cleanse.

The example of someone coming in to a topic with a minimal post count but clear knowledge of the conversation does come across as someone attempting to hide their previous identity. For whatever reason.

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Someone with very low comment numbers who instantly launches into a contentious thread with comments likely to lead to a ban - is suspect.

Most new commentators join to ask questions about DIY/gardening/etc and draw no suspicion of been rereg trolls at all.

warned

Neverwrong55 was warned for this.

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Furze99

From what I have observed the only change following that discussion about the site a few months ago was that the moderator called Raichu ceased moderating.

And that's it. Certainly as regards AH/CA the same ad hoc biased, incompetent moderation continues - it's a lottery. And that's not just my opinion but shared widely. It should be possible for people to hold mildly differing views on this site provided they address the points raised in posts, are civil and don't attack other posters. But that's not how it is.

flyer_query

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469166#Comment_122469166

I don't think that mod stepping down was anything to do with that thread, it was inevitable that this was going to happen one way or another.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469166#Comment_122469166

That not what happens though is it, people insult each other and throw their toys out of the pram - and not surprisingly get banned.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469261#Comment_122469261

Some of the worst behaviour, including persistent insults and goading, comes from posters who do not get banned. This has been consistently mentioned in feedback threads just to be dismissed or ignored.

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469261#Comment_122469261

There are numerous cases where posters are civil, who address the points raised and who get warned or banned. For holding a different opinion. Simply at the moderators whim or possibly where another poster is offended by their opinion.

No insults, no toys thrown out of the pram - just plain intolerance and censorship.

Sudden Valley

Simply stating mods are biased is unfortunately like claiming a referee in football is biased. Easy to claim, much harder to prove. And those who run foul of the ref or mod or more than likley to complain they have been treated unfairly. At least on boards you can publicly challenge your bans and the mods have to explain their reasoning. Every form of social media has censorship even the right wing ones.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469775#Comment_122469775

Except on Boards, if you publically challenge your ban in the DR forum, there is a circling of the wagons.

It's actually stated somewhere (in Dispute Resolution?) that complaints about mods are not tolerated.

The biggest problem that i see is that there are cliques within some areas of these boards, and unfortunately some of the mods (and in at least one case, a cmod) are active members of those cliques themselves. They will allow their like-minded clique members to pile on, bully, and deride any poster who does not run with the clique, with impunity.

And then, at the first opportunity, they will warn or ban the poster who dares to stand up for themselves, or complain about it, for the slightest - and in some cases, for a made-up on the spot reason.

Sudden Valley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469877#Comment_122469877

There is an explanation given in dispute resolution cases. I'm not sure how else they could run dispute resolution.

Regarding cliques again that is your opinion. I have no way of knowing if it is true or you are just unhappy because of how you have been treated by a mod. I see some threads here dominated by right wing posters, others by left wing ones. I dont believe one group has been treated worse than the other.

I dont think modding has lead to the decline of Boards. You just dont see many forums like boards being set up now, i just think the concept is no longer that popular.

Ive personally never seen a threadban that wasn't well deserved - including my own.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469973#Comment_122469973

I have. Including my own!

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122469946#Comment_122469946

I dont think modding has lead to the decline of Boards. You just dont see many forums like boards being set up now, i just think the concept is no longer that popular.

There's been thread after thread talking about the impact users feel moderation has had on the site. Particularly since the move to Vanilla. And thread after thread we've had people saying simply that that isn't a problem. You go at least some way in explaining what is maybe the problem in alluding to declining interest in platforms such as this but too often I'm seeing here 'Modding is fine' and no suggestions as to what are the issues and how to fix them.

I think there's zero chance of a positive turnaround if a massive problem for a lot of people continues to be ignored. Aside from the individual interpretations of modding actions, what has the site done to tighten up, improve, communicate the process? Very little, if anything as far as I can see.