This is becoming a FAQ, I know, but especially in WE&P, there's nowhere near the level of moderation that's needed. Ad hominem attacks, foul language, personal attacks and insults, and other such charming practises are now the standard bill of fare in WE&P. The signal to noise ratio is so low as to be at the bottom end of the range of useful, and that's usually only for the first page or so of new threads. So what's the offical site moderator's plan to fix this? Or is there none? Porfiry?
sparks , remember : if you don´t like what somebody says - just don´t read his posts anymore ! ( yes , i know , you have a nice theory about the mess in the kitchen ..... but it seems most people in we&p like it without moderation )
That works to an extent SP, but consider this - eventually the less rabid posters just get sick of it and move to boards with more, well, grown-up posters. Which loses Porfiry subscriptions and make the whole setup more expensive until eventually it has to close down or curtail services. A better moderatorship policy would have the effect of raising the S/N ratio and not only making the forum more interesting, but attracting more posters and thus increasing subscriptions.
What would you suggest? Increased moderation would be a response to the problem, not a solution to that problem. Ideally, members ought to be encouraged, some way or another, to not act as animals. Perhaps WE&P is too large and unfocused a forum? Perhaps it should be broken up into two or three more specific forums? Make the stage/soapbox smaller and perhaps people will feel less inclined to be dramatic.
Perhaps it should be broken up into two or three more specific forums? hmmm ... maybe something like "newsflash" and "discussions" !? of course , that wouldn´t solve sparks´ problem Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Given the average age of the poster on this forum, and the topics, I quite frankly cannot envision a WE&P subforum where there wouldn't be a "soap opera". The main problem with that subforum is that certain members deliberately attempt to be controversial, antagonistic, etc. Outside that, I see mostly peoples whose ideas are in direct conflict with each other.
That section has been on the downhill decline for a year and half. It's not going to get fixed over night. A lot grown up, civilized posters do not want to get involved in pissing contest and therefore are staying away from it. I have no idea how you fix it. I would probably close down that section for 6 months and reopen it with a more strict rule. Personally if I want to discuss politics, I go to another site.
Well then, we shall have to do something about that. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Since the problem is the failure of many posters to observe rules of basic civility and debate, I don't see how. I'm not asking that you raise the average poster's intelligence, experience and articulation - just that there be a penalty for wandering into a thread, posting personal insults or statements that would constitute incitement to racial hatred in the real world, or other such behaviour. I mean really - what's the point of going into a thread to discuss the current proposed space programme if you're going to get someone like Undecided posting as he does? Observe the Moon, asteroids, and Mars are GO! thread to see what I mean. And this isn't just Undecided, and it isn't just that thread. We see crap posted in threads that wouldn't be allowed to be spoken in a public place in the real world all the time. Frankly I'm with Joeman on this - I'm about at the stage where I just decide it's not worth it any longer and abandon sciforums.
Propose that the member be banned (temporarily or permanently): http://sciforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=87
*looks at WE&P* What's the maximum number of threads in a forum again? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Okay, let's give it a try.
Okay, that's done. Poll closing on Saturday? I didn't see any policy on how long the poll has to be open so I figured give it to the weekend. Is there any policy on the number of votes needed to make it valid? And should the poll be announced in the WE&P forum in the thread where the complaint originated from or in a seperate thread or sticky?
well i must admit that there does seem to be a certain over abundence in teenage testosterone/...estrogen or prostogen .. (what ever is apropriate) in some of the postings .. which is one reason why i have not realy bothered to go into the threads like WE&P for the last year.. as it seems there are many young ones just screeming about things that make absolutely no sence what so ever if thats the way the area moves .. then so be it... (i would rather see them spouting in free thoughts,, if they feel the need to as some seem to manage finding an apropriate area) although discussing things in ways that show obviouse lack of understanding and temperment is maybe the key to define the calibration factor of the thread structure in moderation,of it! the main issue i think is more that there is allot of work involved in editing out the amount of silly comments rather than lack of desire to do so .. but this is also a very difficult concept as the idea of the forum its self is to have open debate and no fault of someone who is unaware of a certain thing to ask what some may consider a silly question.. good manners should rule in such a situation maybe a thread or area in some where like site feedback could be used to paste - posts that are completely out of nature for the thread by the moderators so an easy example can be illistrated to show what is unwanted .. as it seems the bounderies are not adheared to .. so they must be defined .. inclusive of posters name and the entire post the "this is offensive and unwanted in this thread" thread that would also allow the moderators to have a running list of who is being deliberately disruptive to a thread or area or in genral ... offensive posting is what i am specificly talking of as some threads seem to wonder off by no fault of the thread starter and maybe where the idea of the chat thread started,.. but not the way it seems to go .. such as it is Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! and allow others to get an idea of what level of absurdity and offensive ness is where the line will be drawn... too many times in the thread and you get a 1 month ip ban.. would be an easy guide thats my 5 cents worth Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
