Canadian TV, Computing and Home Theatre Forums banner

Comment Moderator, the Dirtiest Job on the Internet

4K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  TorontoColin 
#1 ·
At npr.org, one comment is directed specifically at Dueck. “GO F- -K YOUR SELF A- -HOLE, You are making me hate this site!!! F-G!”

Wow, this article really struck a chord with me.

One by one, Dueck, a professional online moderator, deletes these comments, scolds the people behind them (either on the forum or over e-mail), and, if things really get out of hand—say, in the case of repeat offenders—bans their accounts. Over the course of each day he chips away at the cussing and swearing, the spammers, haters, and trolls, temporarily restoring civility to his corner of the Internet.
 
#3 ·
I just took a peek at another forum this morning and left with a bad taste in my mouth. If it is not the "swearing, spam, haters and trolls" it is the total lack of compassion or understanding. It is reported a guy commits suicide and people post all sort of tasteless jokes and "LOLs"! That is so sad.
 
#4 ·
Yes, I can certainly imagine the job of Moderator difficult.

Thank you Moderators for your efforts.

Generally, I find society at large is degrading.

Give people anonimity on an internet Forum, and free and easy access to post all they like - and that spells trouble.

But there is hope - people can learn and adjust. Some can.

But Forums are great.

I remember the old days - when the internet was just text only - and used mainly only by computer people who knew about it and had access to it.
(BBS's ? Bulletin Boards? Newsgroups. And email mostly? Dial up to servers. Mainframes etc etc. that sort of thing.)

Now look what we have.

Instant information, photos, images, videos, world wide publishing, entertainment.

So everyone should just try and behave and appreciate all that we do have now.

Used properly it is very powerful.
 
#9 ·
Moderation is only good in moderation

Most forums are often flavoured one way. If you like the taste of vanilla, that's fine, but if you want the chance to be offended (by anybody but the moderators themselves), you will be out of luck ... unless perhaps you're willing to attack the way things are done.

If you don't get a bad taste in your mouth from reading forums, you're not reading the "right" forums.

Moderators are just regular people who happen to make many mistakes. Rules are made to be broken (I still can't believe you can't type the "s" word in this forum -- even with a well-placed asterisk, or as part of another word).

I find most moderators to be more annoying than any troll I come across. Trolls tend to be passionate posters (even when they don't contribute anything important), and can occasionally add things to the conversation that nobody else would dare say. A troll or flamer doesn't really care if he/she gets banned from the forums and that's why I treasure them. Many of them get the flaming out of their system and then occasionally become good posters. The only downside is that they tend to drive some other great posters away. Hopefully, most of those great posters will eventually return, but if not, others will eventually take their place.

The best thing that moderators do is simply moving posts to the appropriate threads (or mentioning related threads). Anything else is often just overkill and an abuse of power. Off-topic comments are often dissed, but even they often add extra flavours to a thread that help to widen the scope of it and help to make it more enjoyable to read as well as keeping the thread alive and flourishing. A "dead" thread often becomes a closed thread, but often only because the moderators work too hard to keep threads on topic.

The masses seem to love order and common decency, but too much of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. That's why I like these forums -- almost pure vanilla in taste, but every once in a while somebody breaks the forum rules and I get to read the posts that contain other flavours (as long as I currently subscribe to a thread that contains the edited or dumped comments).

Freedom of speech seems to be tolerated if you're one of the "chosen" ones, but if you're not, you better sprinkle your posts with plenty of vanilla, or else your posts might be spit out and then be vilified as being in bad taste. A simple post can be interpreted in many different ways, but it's a moderator's interpretation that seems to matter most -- that is clearly unfair, but since life itself is unfair, I just grin and bear it.

If moderators continue to burn bridges, there will be fewer trolls like me willing to participate. I don't think that's a good thing. Trolls are people too. Vanilla is a tasty flavour, but I like mixing in some cinnamon to keep things more interesting (at least for me). Bending the forum rules is always a risky thing, but once you've done it a few times, you'll be able to see how silly some of the rules actually are (that goes for all website forums).

I used to LOVE reading the Hacking Netflix forum, not necessarily for the Netflix news (much of it could be found through simple Google searches), but for the crazy and often well-written comments by many of its readers (hello, B.P.). However, as soon as that site started to heavily moderate the comments made by some of its more interesting posters, it became too vanilla, and thus I now only visit it once or twice a month.

This website is filled with interesting news, comments and educated writers, but I miss the crazies. Perhaps they all left to become moderators of other websites or have joined Occupy Forums.
 
#10 · (Edited)
But when does go to far?

The entire issue of moderating a forum is hard, I did one myself and found it hard.

True swearing, trolling flaming some other member for some stupid reason isn't right.

True forums have rules, but thats the issue.

Forum rules are meant to be like laws, but to what point?

If you post something are you not intiled to freedom of speech?(as guaranteed under the Constitution) Forum rules are like laws but when those forum rules violate your constitutional rights for freedom of expression or speech, why do you get censored or "scold" by the moderator?

I dought you'd see anyone take a forum owners to court for violating their personal constitutional rights.

True by reading a Forum rules you "supposedly" suppose to follow them. Some do some don't to a certain point.
 
#12 ·
If you post something are you not intiled to freedom of speech?(as gaurented ounder the Constution) Forum rules are like laws but when those forum rules violate your constutional rights for fredom of epression or speech, why do you get censored or "scolled" by the modirator?
You have no freedom of expression on online forums, or constitutional rights. You follow the rules the owner of the forum setup. If a person doesn't like the rules, then they don't have to sign up to that particular forum. There are hundreds of forums out there that would be better suited to an individual's tastes.

Sorry off-topic. In future posts can you use a spell checker. Your post was very hard to read with all of the spelling mistakes. sorry.

Society has proved they can't communicate with respect or tolerance or sensitivity so it's about time the comments section disappears.
I totally agree with this statement. I find these comments sections totally useless. If I do decide to read some comments, my blood is usually boiling by the time I get through a few of them.
 
#11 ·
What is the point of the comments section? If the vast majority is profanity-laded insensitive remarks or often downright hate speech, why do websites feel the need to include it? Are they not just giving these scum a platform to spread hate?

If I read a newspaper and want to comment, I write/email it to the editor and it's published in the comments section. It can't be anonymous and it must be approved before it's published. Why should it be any different on the Internet? Just because it's instant communcation doesn't mean it's worthy of publishing.

Society has proved they can't communicate with respect or tolerance or sensitivity so it's about time the comments section disappears.
 
#15 ·
True

Freedom of Speech goes to a point.

True you had to agree "rules Of the forum"

True the owners/moderators of this forum have the right to censor posts if deemed inappropriate or not in context with the thread.
\
I'm not denning that.

What I'm saying is where/when do the forum rules "violate" your constitutional rights"? As far as I know Digital Home is public Forum(I think :confused: )

Like stated before I dough anyone while challenge the Forum rules in court,you'd probably be laugh at by the judge and case thrown out of court.

As well I been asked to moderate other forums but I declined, don't need the headaches or stress or nervous break down.
 
#18 ·
If its private, then explain why other "private" establishments have been charged under the constitution for violation of
Sex discrimination
age Discrimination
etc?

If its private then those establishments shouldn't of been charged under the Constitution?And if Freedom Of Speech doesn't apply here, where does it tate that in the Forum Rules?

All I'm saying where do you rights begin and end? I don't want this to start into some flaming or war?
 
#20 ·
Private Mens clubs
Golf clubs(the one in the US where African Americans or other non Caucasian weren't allowed to join) Has since been changed.

Look I don't want this to drag on and on or get out hand.

All I wanted to know is where does someones rights begin and where do they end. I'm not tring to start some type of "war",I'm not going to discuss it any further as it appears we can't agree on this certain subject. I'll leave at the we agree to disagree. And I'll leave it at that.
 
#21 ·
There's an easy solution to this. Read our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
Affirmative action programs

(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.(84)
You are referring to:

Fundamental freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
You are free to make your opinion known via press or other media - the government cannot stop you. However, the owners of the press or other media have no obligation to allow you to express yourself. That is, you need to "buy your own press".
 
#24 ·
Exactly. Futureshop can't tell you that you can't come in to their stores because you're a woman, but they can ban you for singing loudly every time you come in. We allow everyone to come in, but if you break the rules regularly, we might ask you to leave. Whether you disagree with our rules is irrelevant, because you agreed when you registered.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top