Get Yer Ya-Yas Out [FR Moderating Gripe Thread]

[I Am Not A Mod]

LM here.

It's been a while since we had a thread along these lines.

I can tell from comments I am seeing in threads, on abuse reports, and in Freepmail that some people are unhappy with various policies and their implementations by the staff here.

I've seen allegations that certain factions are picked on. I've seen allegations that the moderators have killed activism. I've heard rumors that we killed Kenny, and even that we killed the radio star. I see certain personality conflicts acting up, and know that one (or both) sides in it feel that we aren't doing what we should.

So let's open this can of worms.

This thread is for making your grievances heard. If you think something stinks or is wrong, make your case here. Back it up with facts. Let the audience at large weigh in on your evidence.

I'll read the thread. Jim will too in all likelihood. So will the other moderators. Depending upon how well you make your point, and depending on if you can convince Jim, me, the other moderators, and/or the world, maybe you can change things. And if you don't, then it might make you feel better to have vented, so it won't make this thread a total loss.

I'm not going to reply to this thread for quite a while. Rather, I am going to sit back and watch to try and get a feel for the general tenor. I encourage those who are both happy and unhappy with things to particpate in this thread.

Let's rock.

[Texas2step]

One more "complaint", while you're still taking them. ;-)

The wholesale moving of "Passion" threads to chat is not right. I'm not talking about vanity posts or non-sourced posts, but actual articles, written by "media", included in mainstream publications should not be moved to chat.

They don't belong in Chat. They may not be being posted in the forum they should be posted in, but they don't belong in chat. If you have to move them, what is wrong with moving them to the Religion forum instead of chat?

There for a little while, at least one of the Mods agreed that this was a legitimate request and moved the "Passion" related threads to the Religion forum instead of the Chat forum. Now, they are being wholesale moved to "Chat" again.

Please, please, please don't move legitimate sources "Passion" threads to chat. If you must move it, and I'm sure that there are some that need to be moved, please place it in the appropriate forum, which for the "Passion" related threads I would think would be Religion.

Thanks.

[TheSpottedOwl]

His typically him response was:

Yeah! They are delicious!

Bwahahaha! Spotted Owl....not just for breakfast anymore :-)

[mupcat]

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll try your suggestions--just seems there'd be a more inclusive way to search similar to "Google". Since I know zip about how these things work, I'm sure my request falls under "easier said than done". Thanks again.

[AppyPappy]

I thought Religion was in General which is basically Chat.

[Lead Moderator]

"The wholesale moving of "Passion" threads to chat is not right."

Yes, agreed.

We have been trying to strike the right balance between letting the news play while not having the forum be swamped with all Passion, all the time. The pendulum swung too far, and we have since readjusted.

[Quix]

AHHHHHHH

SADLY,

your position SOUNDS like, feels like, looks like

the typical

LIBERAL, PC, RABIDLY ATHEISTIC, ACLU

SORT

of perspective, sensibility one might expect to find DU awash in.

Surprises me . . . sort of.

--a little.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Why?

You can ask mhking to remove you from his ping lists, and he will do so.

[Texas2step]

I thought Religion was in General which is basically Chat.

Moving Passion threads to the Religion forum is not my preference, but it's a whole lot better than moving the directly into "Chat".

If I had my personal preference, they'd stay in a "News" related section as long as they were posted as a sourced article. But, I realize that my preferences are not the preferences of all, and some don't like the huge frequency of Passion postings.

I just want it to be easy to find "Passion" threads without having to wade into "chat". The search works OK, but many of these threads don't have "Passion" in the title.

[AppyPappy]

The problem is not the threads; it's the software. We should be able to choose which areas show up in Latest Posts. I would like to have religion added. Then I wouldn't care if it was in General. The same is true with prayer threads. It would be nice to have them all in one place but you could choose to have them show up in Latest Posts.

Passion threads really don't belong in News.

[AppyPappy]

"Well, of course, this is just the sort of blinkered philistine pig ignorance I've come to expect from you non-creative garbage. You sit there on your loathsome, spotty behinds squeezing blackheads, not caring a tinker's cuss for the struggling artist. You excrement! You lousy hypocritical whining toadies with your lousy colour TV sets and your Tony Jacklin golf clubs and your bleeding masonic handshakes. You wouldn't let me join, would you, you blackballing bastards! Well I wouldn't become a Freemason now if you went down on your lousy, stinking, purulent knees and begged me."

[Quix]

Either your satire exceedingly escapes me

or

you have exceedingly flipped out terminally

or

???

strannnnnnnnnnnnnnngggge.

Masonic?

Not this kid!!!!

Not by a trillion distant galactic clusters worth or distance!

[TheSpottedOwl]

Dude, he's quoting Monty Python! Heehee ;-)

[mhking]

mhking's ping business should be permanently suspended!

Why?

You are not on either of my lists.

Do they offend you that much?

[Kay Soze]

Amen!

And its not a “pack” or “circle” but rather as Navy Vet aptly named it: a coven.

As Mr Robinosn said earlier it’s a free market!

Businesses that adapt to their constantly changing environs do well. You know the rest.

We shall see what the free market place of ideas brings to Free republic in its current configuration.

[Kay Soze]

ShadowDancer,

Would like numerous exmaples of vile and putrid posts?

Or pure hate filled posts made by nopardons?

I can even give ones from the pulled Mason thread if you need them.

Or pick a topic any topic.

From topics debated to the rules of posting thru to stalking.

[Willie Green]

I suggested that your comment on that post had nothing to do with the content of the post, which was a call to action.

Claiming that there's no relevant connection between "activism" and the issue that the activists seek to address is an adolescently specious argument that blemishes your credibility.

[Cagey]

Rebelbase,

I just read the posts you archived on your page. Saying nopardons' comments were vile is an understatement. For someone to use this forum to belittle a poster's children is beyond vile. It amazes me that so many have been banned for saying so much less. I've read many of your posts over the years and have to say I've enjoyed them all.

Nopardons, I remember when you had a sense of humor and posted coherent comments. What's become of you? I can't imagine how an internet forum with political discussion at it's core can possibly make one so bitter.

This place has changed in the last year or so, and not for the better.

[nopardons]

Anything,taken out of context,can look different from what it is. You would have to read that entire thread, to see what's what.

[nopardons]

Funnily enough,I've gotten quite a number of FREEPmails,about YOU! It was interesting reading and your" circle" is quite something. LOL