Discussion on Moderator impartiality

[Cinisajoy]

Hello,
Yes, telling someone "they should be more careful about their comments about others" could easily be considered a threat.
I did not appreciate it and it scared me.
Now I have to worry about my safety because I don't know what he meant.
Is your friend going to come after me because I dared to say something to you?

Oh and PS, you got the apology you said I wouldn't give.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

. They didn't delete the thread when it became obvious that the original post was nothing more than a guy promoting his own video.

Self promotion normally is not allowed in anywhere but the Self Promotion forum. In this case a member's blogs, vlogs or reviews other than ones written on the forum are not allowed to be promoted but in the thread below.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=130364

If you see any self promotion outside of the appropriate area please report it. Thanks.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I read the thread in question and none of the moderators ever said anything that could be remotely moderated.

<snip>

Oh, you misunderstood me there! I wasn't talking about any replies that were made in a specific thread, I was talking in general. It was a response to:

What moderators should not be, is people who abuse a trusted status and act like angry deities. They have a duty and a ressponsibility to try their very best to remain in the neutral state and not be too for or too against anyone...just fair. A user should not feel bullied or like they are prejudiced against and powerless to speak up for fear of retribution.

We all act like children at times, but a moderator always has to be the responsible adult

[Dr. Drib]

Looks like you're outnumbred, Orange Gelato, on your opinion (which you have a right to own.)

All of Mobileread's members are allowed to express their opinions, as are the Moderators, even when those opinions differ from yours as they so demonstrably do on this occasion.

We call it as we see it - Members AND Moderators - as long as their are NO personal attacks.

I call it as I see it. And I see plenty right now!

[darryl]

I think the Mods on Mobileread do an excellent job. I think the sometimes precarious balance between an outright abusive free for all as on some other forums and a "Nanny" forum where real discussion is almost impossible is kept very well. I see nothing in the thread concerned which calls into question the behaviour of any moderator. Harry was quite within his rights to express his opinion of the music in one of the OP's previous videos. Dr Drib likewise expressed his opinion, which he is entitled to do. As I recall the major criticism (apart from the music) was that the post originally purported to cover a much wider range of ereaders and screen sizes than it in fact did. A fair comment and easily remedied. I did feel a little sorry for the OP who had invested his time in making a Video for the Mobileread Community which is to be encouraged. I appreciate him doing this, although I am not personally that interested in the subject. However, the criticism was, as I've said above, accurate and fair, if sometimes not phrased very diplomatically. I think had the OP simply acknowledged this and changed the description concerned the focus would likely have returned to the Video itself.

Posting guidelines exist for a reason. If these guidelines are breached then this should be reported. If you think a particular guideline should be changed or introduced, it can be discussed generally on the forums or if more specific privately with the Mods. With respect you seem to have taken offence here where no guidelines have been breached. This can lead to guidelines which are too restrictive or are interpreted too strictly with the result that open discussion is stifled.

Let's not change something which I submit is working very well overall.

[Blossom]

The only guideline breached was self promotion as the OP has done this in the past with his videos without it coming to our attention. We are now aware and watching to be sure it doesn't happen again.

Sent from my XT1528

[Zelandi]

Just for the sake of fairness...

I'm very new to this forum. I don't know the history of people, and frankly I don't even know who's moderator or not (I'm guessing the green name indicates moderator?).

My first impression of the thread was similiar to what the OP in this thread stated. Then I realized some posters were moderators, and while it shouldn't make a lot of difference (we should all try to play nice, right?) it did make me feel a bit worse about it all.

I would probably not have posted there at all, if it wasn't because I felt that the video was getting more negativity than it deserved and already from start... Or maybe I would have, I don't know. I wrote my honest opinion in either way.
I do understand the critisism, but I feel uneasy with the way it was delivered and especially the sense - as I felt it - of ''ganging up''.

Just saying I understand Orange Gelatos reasoning behind this post.

Now, I havn't been here long. I havn't seen spam or mean behaviour or anything else that would make me question how this site is moderated, except the example in this thread. I've managed to have my own post moderated already, but that was completely fair since I should have paid more attention to rules.
(Quite unlike me actually... I run a group of 5000 members and realize how much extra work it is just because people don't read the rules... I feel pretty stupid about that mistake. *facepalm*)

My thoughts on this, after this thread and after what little experience I have on the forum, is that the attitude is probably good natured between people who know each other fairly well. For a new member who isn't used to it, it can look worse than it is.

I'm just gonna crawl back to the hole I came from now

[The Inktelligent]

Originally Posted by Blossom

The only guideline breached was self promotion as the OP has done this in the past with his videos without it coming to our attention. We are now aware and watching to be sure it doesn't happen again.

Sent from my XT1528

Hello Blossom,

The intention behind posting my video reviews on here was never self-promotion. I saw a gap that existed in the video record and thought my video reviews could help people get a better idea of the capabilities of these devices as compared to one another. Several users have already commented that the reviews have been helpful to them and I'm glad that is the case.

My logic behind posting my reviews in the Onyx Boox forum and the Which One Should I choose forum was that people either using those devices or in that situation (ex. deciding on a particular e-reader) would most readily be able to find the review video in that location.

I apologize if I have run afoul of your forum guidelines. If you feel that the posts with my video reviews belong in another more appropriate area of the mobile read forums, please move them with my permission and blessing.

Thank you for bringing this perception to my attention and, again, I apologize for any misunderstanding caused.

[eschwartz]

From my knowledge of previous instances where the Self-Promotion rules were enforced, I got the impression it is only a problem when you are selling something.

And that merely posting about something you have created or written (which is freely available) is okay.

...

Someone created a paid program (for using the Kindle DXG as an E-Ink screen without VNC) and a free, open-source version. (After mention of the self-promotion rules, as well as the members' feedback regarding open-source preferences.)
A blogger who posted about his offsite review of the Voyage.

Both were okayed, IIRC.

...

@Blossom or @Dr. Drib,

Can you confirm whether that was a problem, or whether this isn't a problem, or whether there is a distinction I haven't noticed?

[Blossom]

The problem can only be discussed in private but no it wasn't only the video content that was considered self promotion.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Kumabjorn]

Originally Posted by Zelandi

Just for the sake of fairness...

I'm very new to this forum. I don't know the history of people, and frankly I don't even know who's moderator or not (I'm guessing the green name indicates moderator?).


I do understand the critisism, but I feel uneasy with the way it was delivered and especially the sense - as I felt it - of ''ganging up''.



I'm just gonna crawl back to the hole I came from now

No need to crawl back. Once in a moon, new members feel "ganged up on". Those of us who have hung around here for longer than is good for our real relationships has learned by trial and error how to stay within the posting limits. A reason we stay for so long is that we like the atmosphere (lots of postings not related to e-books) and congeniality of the place. This probably makes us more susceptible to the presence of disruptions than on most other forums.
This is mostly out of concern for new members, trying to nudge them in the right direction (i.e. staying within posting limits) before moderators step in. Not knowing that moderators post in green when they act in that role and regular black when they act as members, is an indication that the rules weren't read, at least not satisfactory. Moderators here work for free and carry a heavy burden, those off us who know that sometimes try to alleviate that. Unfortunately that may create the impression of ganging up. However, if the alternative is free reign for the trolls it is an impression most of us can live with.

Twitter is to communications as haiku is to literature.

[CRussel]

Moderators are people, people! They are welcome to their opinions and there is never any doubt when they are posting as moderator. And while we sometimes call them the Green Meanies, I, at least, don't think they are at all. They do a superb job of keeping folks here free from spam and able to enjoy a relaxed place to discuss life, work, and reading. That's priceless. And has my unreserved thanks and appreciation.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Moderators are people, people! They are welcome to their opinions and there is never any doubt when they are posting as moderator. And while we sometimes call them the Green Meanies, I, at least, don't think they are at all. They do a superb job of keeping folks here free from spam and able to enjoy a relaxed place to discuss life, work, and reading. That's priceless. And has my unreserved thanks and appreciation.

I misread a word in your post and am totally blaming one of the green for that.
I appreciate them too.
Oh the word I misread was meanies.

[Zelandi]

Of course moderators are people, and doing a job without pay. That also means that there can be things they're not aware of, and sometimes a different perspective can be helpful. If I'm stepping on peoples toes without intending to, I hope I'm told so, whatever position I may have in a group. Doesn't neccessarily mean I will agree or change anything, but maybe it actually is something I don't want to stand for when I see it from a different point of view?

I don't see anyone saying the mods here are doing a bad job in any other aspect.. or doing a bad job when acting in the role of moderator. As I see it, this thread was about an incident (about moderators behaviour when being off-duty so to speak) and more or less a question if what happened that time has happened before, and that then it might be a problem. (I don't think it is, for the record. At least not in the way the OP wrote, or the way I worried when it first happened). But maybe I got it all wrong.

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

Not knowing that moderators post in green when they act in that role and regular black when they act as members, is an indication that the rules weren't read, at least not satisfactory.

Oh, THAT I understood perfectly. But the name of a member is in black or green, you know, next to every post our usernames show up? That's a detail I didn't think about, so at first I didn't even realize that some posters were mods. I personally never interpreted any comment on that thread as a moderating post. But I were surprised to see that some people were moderators since I personally and in general expect a different tone from anyone in that position. Even when it's all about non-mod posts - kind of how I don't expect a police to spend his spare time as a shoplifter. (not completely perfect metafor, but I think you can see the gist of it if you use a bit of good will?)

In either case, I'm just saying that I can see what the OP is referring to. I'm not going to complain about it, it seems to just be the tone of this forum and good naturedly so. I didn't come here to change anything, especially not how it's run. It obviously works fine - but you might want to be aware that it can seem strange or intimidating to new members.

You people have a history here (I suppose anyway), and I figure it's likely that maybe you'd be more careful with how you write if, for example, it had been my post. (Since you don't know me at all). Inktelligent handeled it much differently than I would have, in a way which to me suggests that he/her is more comfortable with it all and gets the tone for what it is. As long as that's the case, I can't see any problem whatsoever. Which is the reason I'm not the one starting this thread, and I havn't reported any posts or tried in any other way to step in about the incident, it's just not in my place because I don't know enough.

I basically just wanted to say that the OP is not alone in the first impression. Especially after someone pointed out that he/she seems to be the only one to have interpreted the posts that way.

I have nothing more to add. Have a good day, and keep the good work.

[pdurrant]

Thanks for your thoughts, Zelandi.

Editors/Moderators do, of course, mostly post in a personal capacity. And it's even possible for moderators to break the posting guidelines sometimes.

Every member should feel free to report any post, by an Editor or not, if they feel that it's against the guidelines.