Those in Charge

[Gotien]

Decs....


How can you think that the Moderators should be obeyed? they are there to regulate not to dictate! The way you put things sometimes just pisses me off.. I ask you to please reword that in a more subtile manner.

[decswxaqz]

Not obeying mods = why are the mods there?

Every forum has mods.
These mods have to make sure no spam, flames etc.
People don't follow the rules, mods give warnings, tell them to get back on topic.
People don't do as the mod says.

In a world where the mods are not obeyed nothing happens. The post gets more spam and is locked until the next thread. In the real world, people get warned if they keep doing it and if they have sense they stop doing it.
Do you know how annoying it is to look through every topic (I did this when I was admin. Yes I looked through every topic at least once) and see the same people posting spam? And we have told them in numerous threads to get back on topic?
Regulation starts to become dictating if you are a regular poster and see the same mod posting "On topic please" (I used to do this I know). But it's the only way. I tried doing a gently bringing the thread into topic (as suggested by people), but it was just too tiring thinking up an excuse to post, just to get the topic going properly again in lots of threads.

And as you know, the internet isn't the best place to express yourself through words.

[Kashima]

Not obeying mods = why are the mods there?

Every forum has mods.
These mods have to make sure no spam, flames etc.
People don't follow the rules, mods give warnings, tell them to get back on topic.
People don't do as the mod says.

In a world where the mods are not obeyed nothing happens. The post gets more spam and is locked until the next thread. In the real world, people get warned if they keep doing it and if they have sense they stop doing it.
Do you know how annoying it is to look through every topic (I did this when I was admin. Yes I looked through every topic at least once) and see the same people posting spam? And we have told them in numerous threads to get back on topic?
Regulation starts to become dictating if you are a regular poster and see the same mod posting "On topic please" (I used to do this I know). But it's the only way. I tried doing a gently bringing the thread into topic (as suggested by people), but it was just too tiring thinking up an excuse to post, just to get the topic going properly again in lots of threads.

And as you know, the internet isn't the best place to express yourself through words.

this is meant with no offense whatsoever but it sounds like its a very good thing you stepped down as admin then you didnt need or want the stress apparently it can be done through our methods of gentle persuasion it will take someone or a group willing to put in hard work

[Gotien]

Ok Decs, that's all good and well till you decide to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. A warning is a warning, if someone is off topic that doesnt warrent a warning. You may as well tell them to go to McDonald's and look at the food, tell everyone to stay on topic is just asking for everyone involved to just say "F*** OFF" becuase if you want to ban everyone that is eventually going to say that then you wont have a site. The fact remains that everything that needs to be essentially talked about and all the information that needs to be listed is already listed. The problem arises when people decided to be lazy and make a topic that is already buried under 16 pages of threads just to find out "What do the red weapons spell...". After the utterly obvious answer is revealed there is nothing more to say but just leaving the topic with 2 or 3 posts is a waste so the topic immediately drifts, it will happen every time. IT'S BEEN PROVEN! And yet you still hold this hope that if every thinks that "obeying" the mods will keep them out of trouble and yet time and time again when you post "Topic Please" everyone is starting to notice that...

"well we've talked about everything else in this topic so I'll just leave the thread"
then stupid spammers post the one or two critical posts and everyone jumps back in the thread that has NOTHING left to talk about and add to the spam cuz they are utterly bored.

You make it sound like this site is here just for people to lay down questions and answers and discuss possiblities; but people come back because they want to know whether Double Edge knows about the new Zelda game coming out this summer and if whiteninja is going to get a new computer instead of getting it fixed. The members are people and if you try and restrict them like you do, then start banning the ones who drift off topic too much instead(like Im sure you did to DM) that way you can see just how quickly people go from being without an opinion, to just not caring.

Lionheart said that when he returned there was an uproar and that was disturbing cuz so many people ran to him for help with problems they had with the site. Obviously your "Obey the Moderators" theory only separates you from the memebers not allows you to lead and GUIDE them, instead of just forcing them to stay in line...



f*** that was a long one... but it was all on topic and totally my OPINION so a point of view not Decs personally (though I worded it as if I were talking to him face to face)

[Double Edge]

Gotien, by now I'd think you'd know that the moderators do not hand out warnings by the dozens. ie. just because someone is off-topic. And dare I ask why you've even returned if you think that the moderation here is such bull? I'm sorry, but your posts beg the question. Allow me to ask one question, Gotien: What forum, that you've either visited or are a member of, doesn't have moderators? You appear to be so strongly against the concept of moderators that I have to wonder what's spurring you to say such things? Would Ragol.co.uk really be better moderator-free? Or is that now what you're saying...

[Gotien]

Never once did those words come from my mouth(figuratively speaking) I am trying to forward the fact that Decs ideal that the Moderators most be "Obeyed" is wrong. I am not saying what they have is pointless, but the Moderators set the example and enforce when rules are broken, not force a system.
Enforcing the rules doesnt mean that a decent amount of off topicness is to be disapproved of, the whole off topic rule was made when people had questions about the topic that was now off topic and their questions were not being answered, however I see little of that now. Moderators didnt create the forum rules(even though on many forums it may seem that way) members that were pissed off refered the rules to the moderators to enforce for them. However what may be necessary there may not be here, quite frankly, it isn't.

[Double Edge]

Moderators exist to enforce the rules in which the administrators have set out for the forums. The members do not obey moderators under a dictatorship, but they do obey moderators to en extent. That's what they're for! It's not as complicated as you make it seem. If I, for example, asked Billy to reduce his siggy size because it spanned the whole page, Billy should listen to me because I am a moderator. A dictatorship (totalitarian rule, whatever you think this is), is when I tell Billy to go to Starbucks and run me over a cup of coffee. See?

[Gotien]

you know that that last analogy had nothing to do with this right?

yes in a way you are correct they are there to tell what is right and wrong, but once again, not even the admins and what not made the rules on their own, they borrowed what worked for other sites, and the first forums out there didnt have rules that needed to be enforced till the MEMBERS asked for rules to be enforced that would improve the site for THEIR situation. this site is big but not unruley, the strictness that some Moderators take sometimes is unacceptable. The offtopic issue is old and over worked because it isnt needed 95% of the time, topics drift but all the members are happy with the result, thus the moderators coming bye and telling them to stop is doing nothing but killing their reason to be here; which is to talk with thier friends. This isnt a chat room but it is a place ment for conversations, if you only talked about what you had to talk about all the time you would be a robot with no curiosity or imagination at all.

(pauses to let Double Edge retaliate)

[Double Edge]

My last analogy was actually a great example. *pats self on back* But...even it wasn't, I don't want to be a robot.

This issue's dried up now. Next?

[Gotien]

*hold champion belt over his head*
what?

oh.. i dont know that's my biggest problem with the site right now... it has been since I left.