This case was clear cut. I flagged it and waited -- no moderator was online, so I deleted it myself.

Now feel free to whine about this huge injustice. It's clear you have a grudge and I'm really not interested.

I checked the change log for this. The context of it, though please correct me if I am wrong @Tate @Xtrix @Tzeentch is that you were all involved in a highly inflamed discussion about climate change.

I can see from some of @Xtrix's posts that they have been condescending in part. In context, to me it read like a passive aggressive retort to Xtrix's claim, rather than a factual one. You missed the emoji ":snicker" from "I have a hard time believing that :snicker:". That made the post just an insult, rather than an insult in context.

In political discussions, we have a much lighter touch on vitriol and inflamed tempers - so long as the post isn't just vitriol and inflamed tempers, and seeks to contextualise those things, we tend not to judge it as harshly. Please see the exchange between @god must be atheista and Xtrix in thread for an example. If the exchange of tirades was taken out of context, it may be deleted.

Posts which consist just of insults generally get deleted, flagged etc.

The first sentence was good, the second not so much. I suggest going AFK for a bit to cool off.

The context of it, though please correct me if I am wrong Tate @Xtrix @Tzeentch is that you were all involved in a highly inflamed discussion about climate change. — fdrake

Just to be clear: Tzeentch wasn't involved in any of the discussions. It was just done in response to another discussion about politics, apparently.

Just to be clear: Tzeentch wasn't involved in any of the discussions. It was just done in response to another discussion about politics, apparently. — Xtrix

Was that the only remark by @Tzeentch up until that point, engaged with you, in thread?

Yeah it looks like that from the change log. Even more reason for deletion, it was joining in a discussion to make a snide comment about another poster. @Tate - if I were online at the time of the deletion, I would've made the same call. I hope this clears it up.

Yes. I can't remember the last time Tzeentch commented on that thread.

Makes sense. Cheers.

I wasn't involved in the discussion. My concern is that this is becoming a habit on Xtrix's part: to delete comments in a discussion he's taking part in.

It's ridiculous that someone as insulting as Xtrix would delete a joking response to the deluge of insult Xtrix lays out.

Is this really ok with you folks?

In political discussions, we have a much lighter touch on vitriol and inflamed tempers — fdrake

This is just a general comment, not related to the current dispute of which I know nothing.

However, when complaints were made concerning the Ukraine Crisis thread.
The response was similar.
Political threads are not so heavily moderated due to their passionate nature.

I argued that it was all the more needed.
To nip in the bud and to stop any escalation.
I still think that way...

Is this really ok with you folks? — Tate

Deleting a joke may have been okay, depending on the context. This was clearly participating largelt to make a snide remark.

Ideally a mod doesn't moderate people they're currently chatting with, but in that case I think it's permissible. It was a clear call.

I will bring this up with other mods.

Thank you.

There's a double standard then. Moderators can be as insulting as they like, but any response is deleted.

Is that really the kind of site you want to run?.

Thanks for sticking up for me . :up:

And I agree with you fully - to launch an angry, highly disrespectful rant on another poster and then to delete messages that confront you with your behavior is clearly applying a double standard, and unfair.


I don't see why my participation in that thread has anything to do with calling moderators out on disrespectful behavior. I do follow that thread and have posted on it more than once, but I'd call out this type of behavior even if I hadn't.

And my remark was pretty tame. A little tongue-in-check holding up a mirror at our friend here.

Perhaps his inability to fathom @god must be an atheist's ego goes a long way in explaining his massive blind spot for his own. :snicker:


I'm just trying to do my part to stop this forum from degenerating into a new adaption of Lord of the Flies.

:up:

I'd like to see the intervention in discussions he's participating in stop.

I don't see why my participation in that thread has anything to do with calling moderators out on disrespectful behavior. — Tzeentch

This is the place to do that, constructively. Not with an insult in thread. You will notice that your comment calling @Xtrix disrespectful in feedback will not be deleted and is fair game, whereas your comment in the Climate Change thread I believe was permissible to delete.

Feedback is the place to confront mods with criticism of their conduct, not in thread.

And it's ok for Xtrix to insult people, but no one may respond?

That is a concrete suggestion, and is a rule we try to follow. We don't always follow it as we don't always have more than one person online. If I was online, I would've yeeted @Tzeentch's comment too. While that doesn't make the conflict of interest go away, the only choices you have when you're in such a position are:

( 1 ) Leaving a post up that could clearly be deleted on grounds for just being insulting and not contributing anything to the thread. This is neglectful.
( 2 ) Deleting the post. This is a conflict of interest.

You will notice that either way you will disappoint someone.

And it's ok for Xtrix to insult people, but no one may respond? — Tate

If that was what actually happened, it would not be okay. But this is a leading question. Please see the rest of the thread for an appraisal of why the actions taken were taken and more detail on the context.

yeeted — fdrake

"Yeet" is American slang for "throw."

that was what actually happened, it would not be okay. — fdrake

Xtrix was condescending and insulting for pages to another poster named "God must be an atheist',then Tzeentch interjected one joke.

I really think you're diminishing your own site by allowing this.

Xtrix was condescending and insulting for pages to another poster named "God must be an atheist',then Tzeentch interjected one joke. — Tate

We've gone through why it was modded before. Do you have anything else to add?

Xtrix was condescending and insulting for pages to another poster named "God must be an atheist',then Tzeentch interjected one joke. — Tate

As of now, getting shirty and frustrated with each other with political discussions is treated lightly, so long as there's also content in the posts. I have explained that this conduct is generally seen as okay here.

I hear what you are saying, but I believe such behavior should be called out and challenged publicly, not in some forgotten and invisible corner of this forum.

Moderators should be expected to act with a degree of impartiality and proper conduct.

Additionally, I find it hard to see how you characterize my (well-deserved) poke at Xtrix as a 'clear insult', and see no issue with a page-long beatdown he launched at another poster.

Anyhow, that's all I have to say about it. No need to spend pages discussing a single removed post, I'm sure you'll agree.

However, it's the implications I find worrying.

Anyhow, that's all I have to say about it. No need to spend pages discussing a single removed post, I'm sure you'll agree.

However, it's the implications I find worrying. — Tzeentch

Fine.

hear what you are saying, but I believe such behavior should be called out and challenged publicly, not in some forgotten and invisible corner of this forum. — Tzeentch

You can also PM other staff to get us to raise things. That tends to work too.

Moderators should be expected to act with a degree of impartiality and proper conduct. — Tzeentch

Yes.

Additionally, I find it hard to see how you characterize my (well-deserved) poke at Xtrix as a 'clear insult', and see no issue with a page-long beatdown he launched at another poster. — Tzeentch

I had the pleasure of reading the exchanges and saw little beyond two articulate people having an inflamed discussion about a sensitive topic. I think the only consistent way of dealing with the aggressive exchanges in political discussions is something like what @Amity suggested, but that comes with its own issues.

You mischaracterized the exchange. I wasn't involved. My interest is that Xtrix has done this before and Jamal said at that time that there is an unspoken rule that mods don't delete comments in discussions they're participating in.

Your view is apparently different.

Your view is apparently different. — Tate

My view isn't different. See here for an explanation. I'm closing the thread now.