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Site is a graveyard - How can boards save itself? [Threadbanned users in 1st post]

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  • Administrators Posts: 13,975 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Big Bag of Chips


    And that's where Cat-Mods and Admins can step in. Decisions get overturned. I think going 'zero tolerance on muppetry' as we like to call it will absolutely increase DRPs. Some will be upheld, some will be overturned.

    But people are calling for change. This is something that will help. We did it for a while in some areas and it worked. Trolling dropped. Serial trollers were sitebanned. Others copped themselves on.



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,597 ✭✭✭Ezeoul


    A bit of both.

    I'm basing it on experiences that have been shared with me by others and also from the many dispute threads I have read in the Helpdesk, and on the Dispute Resolution Archive.

    Whatever those statistics actually are, they don't include the number of posters who won't even open a dispute because they feel it's not worth it, or if they do it will put a target on their back. Posters do talk to each other by pm about these things.





  • Ideally one would nearly need a time staggered debate on controversial topics, where you join a queue to make a better-argued post, without immediate reflex reactions. I know this is not practicable on Boards.



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,022 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    OK but what is 'muppetry' and who defines it?

    I reckon you should explain it in detail with good examples across the various forums.

    Then put it to a poll?





  • 10-20 examples of “muppetry”would be useful to cover most scenarios but would take time for mod team to compile as it would take a bit of research as to the commonest recurrent scenarios. I think Roy Keane may have popularised the term.



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  • Administrators Posts: 13,975 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Big Bag of Chips


    "Don't be a dick" is a good start. If you're being a dick then expect to be pulled up on it. Continue to be a dick and you'll be sitebanned.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,600 ✭✭✭rock22


    Inconsistant moderating is a real problem now.

    i am on Boards for as long as i can remember, maybe 15 years. never had a heated exchange or any post removed by a mod. Then about 6 months ago , i was attacked by another poster. I had posted on a Politics thread which i regularly read and on which I often posted. When I responded, I was thenattacked by a mod you told me he was considering giving me a warning. Not surprising , that the first poster who attacked me was also a mod but not apparently moderating. My crime, my post was too short. This in a thread where i had posted regularly and with considerable length but on this occasion my post was considered too short.

    I have no doubt that the mod was joining in the 'bullying' ( am I allowed call it that) because the first poster also happened to be an off duty moderator.

    I haven't posted on the forum since. I am not too sure what the requirements here are anymore.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,104 ✭✭✭yagan


    All the drama seems to be in a couple of forums instigated by the same few people.

    I've always appreciated the practical community information sharing and the time mods give to keeping this service alive.

    I always avoided afterhours and most CA affairs as they just seemed full of people lashing out at everyone from behind a vail of anonymity. I don't know what the answer is to this pointless behaviour.

    Perhaps we're still in the juvenile phase of the internet with the initial fun playschool days behind us.



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,471 ✭✭✭✭Arghus


    I think we all know a few posters - some on this very thread - who persistently fail to make a point or a post without throwing a sly - not even sly most of the time - dig at the posters on the site or the site itself. I think that's low hanging fruit that could easily be dealt with.

    Opinions are one thing, but just blatantly insulting people for the wind up is another. Posters who resort consistently to baiting people - often if its not directed at one individual most of the time - should be IMO given a lot less indulgence and rope than they currently are.

    Post edited by Arghus on




  • You raise a good point. I’m active on another forum and they restructured so that the mods had to use a 3rd party non mod flagged account to post outside of their mod duties. It seems to have improved things.


    I think being a mod creates a stigma (which works both ways). Their views are just as important in topics outside their area of moderation but I feel their mod status either attracts unneeded attention or they like to wave their mod status around even if it’s not on that forum. In a recent interaction one of the mods most active on this thread actually posted in another forum that if they modded that forum they would have banned a poster they were in a full scale posting war with. You couldn’t find a clearer case of back seat modding yet no action because of who it was.


    I also think former mods should be banned from proclaiming that they were mods and giving their input into how they would run things if they were still a mod. They have moved on so they should leave it to the admins to figure things out. (Obviously this thread is fine as it’s useful input but some ex mods seem to use it as some kind of glory war medal non stop).



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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,775 ✭✭✭Backstreet Moyes


    Just look at an immigration thread and when a new poster arrives and has anything negative to say.

    A handful of posters pile in with rereg and racist etc.

    Now some may be re-regs,but it's not great user experience for a new poster.

    Whether those posters are breaking a rule or whatever, it takes a bit of common sense to get rid of them.



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,104 ✭✭✭yagan


    That's really interesting.

    I was getting very frustrated with one poster who was idiotically spamming a thread, throwing digs at everyone, usual nonsense behaviour we've been talking about. Yet when I looked at their contributions to forums where they were a mod there was none of the awful behaviour.

    There must some power tripping thing where some they think that being a mod in one forum means they can shyte endlessly elaswhere.

    I think that 3rd party non mod account could work well if it kept everyone feeling they're on an equal footing.

    Thanks for that.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,597 ✭✭✭Ezeoul


    And we've come full circle, back to where we started.

    🙇‍♀️



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,022 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    I'm not trying to be difficult I can assure you, but how do you even define 'Don't be a dick'. You might say it's something you recognise when you see it, but doesn't everyone see things differently (hopefully)? Is there any guidance around the idea or does it come down to each moderator and how they feel at any given time as what is 'Don't be a dick'.

    For that matter am I engaging in 'being a dick' or 'muppetry' here?? Honest answer.

    My user name is carefully chosen as I'm probably a bit of a contrarian in some peoples eyes. But contrarians are useful in that they will question assumptions & group think etc. My observation is that we have quite a few sheeple here - yes people and we also have a good sprinkling of contrarians.



  • Subscribers Posts: 41,487 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    100%

    there is WAY too much leeway given to muppetry here. Posters know where the line is and those that consistently are stepping over the mark are just making work for everyone.

    A huge issue with the forum is the fact that ordinary posters cannot see when a post has been moderated, without the moderator having to put an in-post not in. That equates in a lot of cases to it looking like certain posters get away with stuff, while they actually be given an infraction for it.

    it would be so much better if a clearly rule breaking post was met with a one week immediate thread ban. The poster gets a slap on the wrists, the posters arguing opposite can see that muppetry is dealt with, and any casual viewers can clearly see where the line is drawn. its literally win-win-win in my eyes.

    it will only work however if forum rules are tight, not wishy washy, and all form mods are in agreement with the actions and how to implement the actions. I assume that most fora that have multiple mods have private chat thread where they discuss posters and actions between them



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭BailMeOut


    the biggest issue is that boards.ie needs a mobile app. The site is currently only useful from a PC so this will be the main reason it is losing users.



  • Registered Users Posts: 18,126 ✭✭✭✭RobbingBandit


    Reinstate the THUNDERDOME.



  • Registered Users Posts: 959 ✭✭✭Green Peter






  • well I did declare my former nodding in this thread because it would be disingenuous not to admit it whilst commenting.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on




  • absolutely. I post whilst doing other things around the place, or stopping off for coffee during shopping out, it’s always on the iPhone which has scrolling issues on the site and on various “news” sites as ads load up and it all spins up and down so much you couldn’t even focus on the ads these sites are waving about.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 25,892 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    I wouldn't agree.

    I find it easier to use in Chrome on the phone, than on the desktop. (Apart from my earlier point about keyboard size.)



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,985 ✭✭✭BailMeOut


    you are the minority here. Boards will disappear unless they make a good app and it may already be too late to do this.





  • I use an iPhone, if you search dispute resolution it shows up immediately

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Paul on


  • Administrators Posts: 13,975 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Big Bag of Chips


    For that matter am I engaging in 'being a dick' or 'muppetry' here?? Honest answer.

    No!

    I had to re-read the sentence a few times to understand what you even meant.

    There have been 2 warnings handed out on this thread. 1 poster acknowledge their inappropriate choice of words another didn't question one way or other. There's been a few little digs (that I'm ignoring for now - maybe I should start the zero tolerance here 🤔) but on the whole everyone is having a reasonable discussion, suggestions are being made, arguments are being put forward, clarity is being sought and I hope provided. Not everyone is agreeing. Some people are sceptical but for the most part people are engaging in constructive discussion.





  • ah we had an app before but it was absolutely crap and the touch site was better.
    I imagine that might be partly why the powers that be haven’t made a new one but also it may not be possible to integrate with vanilla and/or cost more money than the site can afford at the min



  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 4,334 Mod ✭✭✭✭TherapyBoy


    Nothing “integrates” with Vanilla, it’s a primary school computer class project gone wrong. Whoever sold this piece of software to Boards is a freaking genius.



  • Administrators Posts: 13,975 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Big Bag of Chips


    I use through chrome on mobile site too. Find it much more convenient than desktop. And funnily enough some mod/Admin tools are better on mobile version than desktop.



  • Registered Users Posts: 14,471 ✭✭✭✭Arghus


    I can't speak for everyone but it's never bothered me that boards doesn't have an app. I thought the touch site/mobile site was fine before the changeover.

    I'd love to know what the consensus on this. Personally, I don't care if boards doesn't have an app - as long as the mobile site is useful

    Can't see it happening in any case. The resources aren't there.



  • Registered Users Posts: 281 ✭✭Ted222


    If you think this site is a graveyard, check out askaboutmoney. I returned to it recently after years away. It’s living off a handful of people.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 14,273 ✭✭✭✭Cienciano


    I've been using boards regularly since 2006. People have always moaned about the mods. The linear format is outdated, but kept the older users happy. The redesign then pissed off the older users and lots of them left or stopped using it as much.



This discussion has been closed.
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