New Policy Regarding Inappropriate Posts

[Dave Ambrose]

I get it. It's fun to push the rules sometimes. We've had a spate of incidents where we've needed to remove posts that were inappropriate. They were either personal attacks, or they contained inappropriate subject matter; frequently veiled political references, or sexual innuendos. It would be nice if people would take the hint, but they don't. 

We are instituting a new standard procedure for these instances. If we have to remove your post, we will put you on moderation for 30 days. Please don't misbehave a second time. 

Thanks,
Dave Ambrose

[Bills72sj]

Thank you for your efforts to keep this forum clean. I for one, greatly appreciate it.

[Misha]

👍 i agree! Our hobby is a refuge right now, let’s be “model citizens”!

[89AKurt]

Once upon a time, a Freudian slip turned into _________.  🤭

[misterNNL]

My personal thanks for having and enforcing the behavior rules. Nice to be able to enjoy our shared hobby without dealing with the hassles of negativity.

[Bugatti Fan]

Dave, does being moderated for 30 days constitute being barred for that time or being closely monitored?     

Does this replace or supplement the current moderation practice of penalty points that are never 'spent' after a certain period and always stay in place?

Maybe the new policy needs spelling out to people line by line as a notification post so that there can be no mis interpretation about what constitutes 'stepping over the line'.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Bugatti Fan
Typo error

[David G.]

Thanks for being where you are and doing what you do Dave!

There, now it's no longer a "Thankless Job"!

Regards,

David G.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Thanks Dave. The rules are pretty well defined and it is unfortunate that some want to clearly bend the rules. For me the site is an oasis from the craziness of the world.

I enjoy viewing the masterful artwork of others and learning some new techniques. Thanks to all the mods for making this site an enjoyable place to come to.

[Xingu]

11 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Dave, does being moderated for 30 days constitute being barred for that time or being closely monitored?     

Does this replace or supplement the current moderation practice of penalty points that are never 'spent' after a certain period and always stay in place?

Maybe the new policy needs spelling out to people line by line as a notification post so that there can be no mis interpretation about what constitutes 'stepping over the line'.

Moderated means that a moderator must approve anything you post before it is seen by the other members. You can still access, view and post to the site.

Rules are still in place. The only change is that if you post something that a moderator feels obligated to remove, you will automatically be assessed a warning point and placed on 30 day moderation. In the past, we would often give warnings and not assign warning points. That had little to no impact on what some folks continued to post.

If you post something purposely offensive, abusive or inappropriate, you can still be banned from the site. If you continue to accumulate warning points, you can be banned from the site.

People just need to stop and think before they post. This new rule will not impact the majority of the folks who visit this site in any way.

[Olskoolrodder]

Thanks to all admins for all the work y'all put in to make sure we have a great place to hang out and see/show our builds, you're appreciated! 😊🙏

[StevenGuthmiller]

11 hours ago, Xingu said:

Moderated means that a moderator must approve anything you post before it is seen by the other members. You can still access, view and post to the site.

Rules are still in place. The only change is that if you post something that a moderator feels obligated to remove, you will automatically be assessed a warning point and placed on 30 day moderation. In the past, we would often give warnings and not assign warning points. That had little to no impact on what some folks continued to post.

If you post something purposely offensive, abusive or inappropriate, you can still be banned from the site. If you continue to accumulate warning points, you can be banned from the site.

People just need to stop and think before they post. This new rule will not impact the majority of the folks who visit this site in any way.

And precisely how long can we expect a moderator to take notice of a post and "approve" it if you have been relegated to the "naughty list".

I submitted a post for "approval" more than 13 hours ago with no action whatsoever.

 

I suspect that it's either being ignored, or maybe it contains some content that the mods might not like, but I don't believe that it would be considered "offensive".

But then again, who's to say.

I'm still not entirely certain what was so offensive about the post that put me on the "list" in the first place.

I've certainly seen worse, and personally, I thought it was fairly humorous.......and still do!

 

It doesn't do much good to still be able to "post to the site" if there is not going to be any action taken for 13 hours, (or who knows how long) once the post has been submitted.

Try carrying on a conversation that way.

 

 

 

Steve

 

[1930fordpickup]

Thank You to all of the people that are keeping us in check. 

[Bugatti Fan]

Michael, thanks for explaining about the 30 day moderation. How I read this is that once a person is being moderated for that period, any posts they make get diverted to a moderator for approval before they can be viewed by other users?

It goes without saying that anything offensive or abusive has to be dealt with a ban.

As far as something being inappropriate goes, yes there are comments that would absolutely be inappropriate to make. But there could be times when someone might fall foul of this without realising it by making a comment or criticism. Sometimes there is a fine line between an opinion that is ok to make or one that could be deemed contentious, provided this sort of situation is not dealt with too heavy handed, and therefore a judgment call has to be made in those circumstances.

You moderators must have a bit of a job on your hands at times as this site is always quite busy, and probably more so now that the Scale Auto site has closed. People should realise that you guys are doing a good job and giving of your own free time to monitor this website and ensure that users and viewers can go on to it with confidence about what they read and see

Edited December 19, 2021 by Bugatti Fan

[Xingu]

6 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

And precisely how long can we expect a moderator to take notice of a post and "approve" it if you have been relegated to the "naughty list".

I submitted a post for "approval" more than 13 hours ago with no action whatsoever.

 

I suspect that it's either being ignored, or maybe it contains some content that the mods might not like, but I don't believe that it would be considered "offensive".

But then again, who's to say.

I'm still not entirely certain what was so offensive about the post that put me on the "list" in the first place.

I've certainly seen worse, and personally, I thought it was fairly humorous.......and still do!

 

It doesn't do much good to still be able to "post to the site" if there is not going to be any action taken for 13 hours, (or who knows how long) once the post has been submitted.

Try carrying on a conversation that way.

 

 

 

Steve

 

Sometimes posts are approved in several minutes and sometimes it takes several days.

It depends on when a moderator sees it, there are only 4 of us, and if what you posted contains language that all the mods should review before it is approved. Generally, the first post someone makes after being placed on moderation doesn't thank the moderators for doing their job and usually doesn't mention that they understand they broke a rule and will be more mindful going forward. They usually say they didn't do anything wrong and how the moderators are out to get them. They also usually try to rally support from other like minded members here, who will post offhanded comments and take swipes at the forum for a week or so.

All your post should now be approved.

[StevenGuthmiller]

3 hours ago, Xingu said:

They usually say they didn't do anything wrong

Well, if the shoe fits......

 

The comment that I was dinged for wasn't an attack on anyone and it wasn't a "swear word" per say, it was a joke, and I'm pretty sure that most people would take it as such.

I suppose that it could be perceived as an offensive word if taken out of context and in it's literal sense, but I guess that my mistake was that I assumed that other people would get the drift.

It's a pretty common phrase used in other parts of the world that's basically the same thing as saying someone is a "freakin' idiot" here in the states.

I would have thought that the meaning behind the post would have been pretty self explanatory, but apparently not

It's only "sexual innuendo", as Dave puts it, if that's where your head is!

In any case, I'm not going to apologize for anything because I was under the assumption that most of us here were intelligent adults with a semblance of a sense of humor.

 

Now that I have said my piece, I'm most likely going to make it easy on you to moderate my posts for a while as I don't see much point in trying to carry on any sort of meaningful communications with anyone when it might take "several days" to have a post approved.

 

 

See ya.

 

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

 

[Classicgas]

Hope we don't lose you Steve.  You're one of the good guys.  Check your pm sir.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Oh, by the way, here is the Urban Dictionary definition of the word that I was admonished for.

Of course, I can't use the word, so.....

 

W_ _ _ _ _.

British slang for an idiot or fool.

 

1. Someone excessively and annoyingly pretentious and/or false, with a strong likelihood of working in the creative industries, especially "new media".

2. Someone with a faintly sociopathic lack of regard for other people. See also a_ _ _ _ _ _.

3. Someone useless, inefficient or time wasting, especially in a place of work and/or position of responsibility.

4. A general term of abuse.

5......... Finally! now we get to the definition of the word that brought the hammer down on me!

 

 

I guess you can all decide if this was worth "moderating" someone over.

 

 

 

Steve

[SfanGoch]

On 12/16/2021 at 9:49 PM, Dave Ambrose said:

I get it. It's fun to push the rules sometimes. We've had a spate of incidents where we've needed to remove posts that were inappropriate. They were either personal attacks, or they contained inappropriate subject matter; frequently veiled political references, or sexual innuendos. It would be nice if people would take the hint, but they don't. 

We are instituting a new standard procedure for these instances. If we have to remove your post, we will put you on moderation for 30 days. Please don't misbehave a second time.

It can't be a standard procedure, new or otherwise, unless it's evenly enforced across the board encompassing all subject matter which is prohibited, including religious references. Case in point, the "Off-Topic Lounge" has a warning/advisory which states:

"General discussions on anything EXCEPT politics or religion! Keep it clean... all forum rules apply!"

That's concise and needs no further explanation or clarification. It makes it very clear that neither of those subjects can be included in any post in any manner or form, not only in OTL, but in any other part of the board, no exceptions, period. However, this isn't the case, as I pointed out to you in a read but unanswered PM. If what I mentioned can be excused and continue to be overlooked by every member of the moderating staff, this shows a distinct and obvious bias in favor of the individuals who break this rule by flaunting this particular, longstanding, allegedly set-in-stone policy. You can't have it both ways. Either the policies are equally enforced to the letter; or, the policy itself is flawed and unenforceable because of selective and unequal enforcement. If enforced as intended, there will be numerous complaints and cases of butt hurt from the members who are affected. Well, that's too bad. As the saying goes, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Like anyone using "inappropriate" language and the like, members who openly violate other conditions of the "new" and previous policies should also be held accountable and face the same consequences and heavy-handed scrutiny for violations.

I would also suggest that the moderating staff keep up-to-date on slang terminology to be better informed on present day colloquial usage and not to jump to ill-informed and incorrect conclusions as to what they thought was implied. What you might consider as "inappropriate" by the strictest definition of a particular word doesn't mean it was intended as such when used. These words have many other, less vulgar definitions which are used in the context of those other definitions in everyday interactions by "nice" people from all walks of life and age groups. "Nice", for example, began as a negative term derived from the Latin nescius, meaning “unaware, ignorant.” This sense of “ignorant” was carried over into English when the word was first borrowed (via French) in the early 1300s. And for almost a century, nice was used to characterize a “stupid, ignorant, or foolish” person. Will those who use "nice" to describe someone's WIP or finished model be penalized based on an outdated definition because it could be construed as a personal attack and that someone was calling another member ignorant or foolish? Don't play word police unless you are knowledgeable of all the definitions and usage. Look up the word before making arbitrary decisions as to whether or not the word is actually "inappropriate".

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by SfanGoch

[stitchdup]

I'll have to be more careful when i use local to me terminology. For example if I was to write about building a wall plenty of people would probably get offended (or people in yorkshire might wonder how i'm building a stream)  and the same happens in reverse too with some american slang/dialect. I know theres one word a lot of you guys use to describe high output builders that would get you in trouble over here as it means child abuser in my area. But thats the way of language, terms have different meanings in different areas. Its like the stories about chevy cars that renamed for the spanish speaking countries

[Bugatti Fan]

Cut the moderators a bit of slack guys. There are only 4 of them. They are all human and give up quite a bit of their own modelling time to do this necessary job, and probably for no financial reward.

One poster suggested that they acquaint themselves with colloquial slang from around the world. Come on! That is asking the impossible. Slang varies from region to region within different countries and is so diverse.

Also, there are so many daily posts and responses on this site, they cannot always respond immediately as many would wish. Other much more important things they have to attend to like earning a living and attending to family needs will always take precedent over moderating a hobby website to get this into perspective.

[SfanGoch]

That one poster is me. Is it too inconvenient to refer to me by name?

Why should any poster get penalized due to someone's lack of knowledge concerning the definition of a word or the context in which it was used? If you're unsure of a word or term, google it. Takes a few seconds and doing so can prevent someone from receiving a possibly unjustified penalty. Perform your due diligence and get it right. Posters deserve the benefit of the doubt before being disciplined.

[landman]

On 12/18/2021 at 1:16 PM, bobthehobbyguy said:

Thanks Dave. The rules are pretty well defined and it is unfortunate that some want to clearly bend the rules. For me the site is an oasis from the craziness of the world.

I enjoy viewing the masterful artwork of others and learning some new techniques. Thanks to all the mods for making this site an enjoyable place to come to.

Me too.

 

[Xingu]

19 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

5......... Finally! now we get to the definition of the word that brought the hammer down on me!

I guess you can all decide if this was worth "moderating" someone over.

Steve

Yes, #5 is why you were placed on moderation, glad you realize your mistake. While some consider this a minor offense, there are those that feel it is quite inappropriate for a model car forum.

I am glad that you also proved me correct in that the posters rarely accept responsibility and continue to try and rally support to their cause.

You are not the first person to get hit with moderation over our new rule and unfortunately will probably not be the last. This rule does seem to be effective though, look how worked up everyone is getting.

As with all the points, we will look at when they were issued and what they were for. Making an honest mistake doesn't mean you need to worry about being banned. Showing a pattern of making the same mistake is another story though.

[afx]

I am the owner of a lifetime warning point.

I posted a YouTube video of a US TV commercial.

It is what it is.

Edited December 20, 2021 by afx

[StevenGuthmiller]

16 minutes ago, Xingu said:

I am glad that you also proved me correct in that the posters rarely accept responsibility and continue to try and rally support to their cause

I'm not trying to "rally" anything.

I'm trying to get you guys to use a little common sense!

 

Nobody in this part of the world uses this term basically AT ALL!

When was the last time you heard anybody use it, PERIOD, unless it was used in the British or Australian sense.

In those countries, and the intent of my post, the first definitions are applicable, and I would expect that anybody with a half of a brain would get that.

But I guess intentions are not applicable, huh.

 

As I've already told Dave, and he understands where I'm coming from, you can "moderate" this site how you choose, but if you really want to drive away your most loyal and prolific members, you're right on track with sort of stuff.

 

 

 

Steve