[Assembler]

I'm getting SICK of the rudeness on some of the boards. And MODS are taking part. It is NOT ok to attack posters for their opinions. And yes, I consider saying "All I gotta say is, personally I have better things to do then" doing/saying something that another poster has said/done adds to the attacks on posters. It is fostering an attitude of "it's ok to attack posters for their opinions, as long as the MOD of the board agrees with me". I see lots of "that's a silly thing to say", "you must have anger issues", "you must be jealous and insecure" etc. and having mods defend and even take part in that behaviour.

Is anyone going to stop this? How does one even complain about this, since reporting a MODs post is likely just going to target oneself as a troublemaker.

The "this is a happy, safe environment for posters" is a myth.

A lot of these issues have come up in the weight discussion board (the thread about changing the rules) and I have yet to see a MOD post about what any decisions are being made to make changes, or to take into account what people have been saying there.

[TheGlassAngel]

I can see your point but really, to be honest comparatively to other forums, TFS is relatively clean....

[Assembler]

Even sadder, i catch myself starting to throw attitude around on the boards, and I'm not at all like that in real life. I know that I got frustrated on a board in another forum and started being snarky with posters and I was immediately reprimanded for that, and I didn't do it again. Here just seeing stuff being thrown back and forth, and casual insults being allowed is affecting even the way I post.

I'm not happy with this, and I hope someone has ideas on how this can be stopped. I don't like coming to these boards if I say something about someone's dress or styling and then be accused of being jealous, or insecure or a basher etc.

Bullying exists on the forums. What can we do about it?

[Assembler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGlassAngel I can see your point but really, to be honest comparatively to other forums, TFS is relatively clean....

I've mentioned this in that weight discussion board. Televisionwithoutpity has great rules concerning not throwing rudeness and attitude around on the board. If they can do it (and it makes for much better posts) then I think TFS can do it too.

[PrinceOfCats]

Quote:

I don't like coming to these boards if I say something about someone's dress or styling and then be accused of being jealous, or insecure or a basher etc.

I express my (negative) opinions on a wide variety of famous people on a regular basis and nobody takes me up on it. I don't often post in Star Style though as it's the most boring part of the forum, so maybe what you describe is more common in certain types of threads.

[Meg]

I understand what you are saying and I will have a think about it and maybe post a longer response. The initial thing that strikes me though is that it's a very difficult balance to achieve. Some people would prefer no censorship at all while others would perhaps prefer more. To delete a post that someone may find insulting another (perhaps the OP) then feels insulted and is upset at the censorship. It is a fine line we try and walk daily. TWOP is a good forum but it rely's on people following the rules to a tee and it is not perfect either. It also deals with a different medium and has different aims.

[Assembler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrinceOfCats I express my (negative) opinions on a wide variety of famous people on a regular basis and nobody takes me up on it. I don't often post in Star Style though as it's the most boring part of the forum, so maybe what you describe is more common in certain types of threads.

Most (though not all) of the comments I was talking about were in the Golden Globes thread. Which perhaps IS in star style.

I don't like the strategy that says post elsewhere if you don't like the comments. Though perhaps that is the answer.

[Assembler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meg I understand what you are saying and I will have a think about it and maybe post a longer response. The initial thing that strikes me though is that it's a very difficult balance to achieve. Some people would prefer no censorship at all while others would perhaps prefer more. To delete a post that someone may find insulting another (perhaps the OP) then feels insulted and is upset at the censorship. It is a fine line we try and walk daily. TWOP is a good forum but it rely's on people following the rules to a tee and it is not perfect either. It also deals with a different medium and has different aims.

Don't delete posts then. What I have seen on TWoP is that the post gets left up, the poster gets warned, and the mod posts specifically about the behaviour that isn't allowed. It's not censorship, but it does force people to rethink how to word themselves. A person can disagree without commenting on the sanity, ethics, morality, taste, personality etc. of the other person.

Sorry Meg, read through your post too quick, and didn't pick up on the TWoP comment. I post there on America's Next TOp Model, so it has quite a bit of similar topics as I post on here with respect to the industry. I guess I'm too sensitive, I just don't see how some people can get away with post after post of comments back at people they disagree with making personal remarks at them if they're getting warned about that. I wish i could see who was getting warned and who wasn't. Anyway, perhaps the problem is that posters on TWoP are a bit older, and I think they might have more staff to moderate and so can give warnings more effectively. So maybe there isn't much that can be done here, because of how large TFS forums are and how quickly threads proceed.

Sigh. Well, atleast I feel better for bringing it up.

[mint condish]

I think you brought up a lot of great points Assembler.

[ChrissyM]

^^i think another issue here, is that your focus is pretty much on the golden globes thread if i'm not mistaken...

that thread was moving at warp speed--which makes it nearly impossible to moderate. it's tough to keep up with--especially when many of the comments have to do with what ppl are seeing on tv, and not what they are seeing within the actual thread. The whole thread tends to be a confusing mess to be honest..

[softgrey]

meg is right-
the balance is almost impossible to strike...
we recently had some members ranting that this is a fascist community with too many rules..
so we have relaxed to see what would happen...
and of course...people will then take advantage and it starts to swing the other way...
it is true that the immaturity of some members does not help the situation either way...
ranting about censorship or attacking other members...
neither is desirable...

but we are doing our very best to find and keep that balance...
the sniping does seem to happen most often with celeb obsessed members...so starstyle and supporting cast always seem to give the mods a headache...

*the reason we delete posts rather than warn people publicly is that we got too many members who would then get into confrontations and bickering contests with the mods/each other...
so we decided to take warnings and discussions of that nature off the boards...
it was just taking up room in the threads and making us look like the amateur hour...


***if anyone ever has a problem with a moderator...
they should report it to the mod squad team leaders...

[Assembler]

Ok, so I guess that's my answer then.

I will wait a little longer to see if the situation improves on some of the boards I frequent in terms of mods favouring/allowing posters to be attacked frequently, with the harassment often coming from the same few people, as long as that person agrees with the mod. If not, I will report it, but the answers here pretty much indicate that nothing can be done. And I have a strong feeling that I'm going to get flack for doing it.

[kanita]

I never noticed any real rudeness, to be honest. Some slightly insulting things, but I find them rather amusing. There's got to be a little humor.

[brokenenglish]

Quote:

but we are doing our very best to find and keep that balance... the sniping does seem to happen most often with celeb obsessed members...so starstyle and supporting cast always seem to give the mods a headache...

Agreed, the only rudeness I ever see in this forum seems to be on behalf of a celeb.

[kimair]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assembler Ok, so I guess that's my answer then. I will wait a little longer to see if the situation improves on some of the boards I frequent in terms of mods favouring/allowing posters to be attacked frequently, with the harassment often coming from the same few people, as long as that person agrees with the mod. If not, I will report it, but the answers here pretty much indicate that nothing can be done. And I have a strong feeling that I'm going to get flack for doing it.

i have to disagree with you here...
we have a policy of warnings, suspensions and bans for members that continually do not follow the rules...
as softgrey said, we take issues with members off the boards and all potential action against a member is discussed among all moderators beforehand...
in the meantime, we delete posts so that threads can get back on track...
i tried to do that in the golden globes thread, but as chrissym stated, it's hard to keep up...
it helps immensely when members report posts, because the email gets sent to all mods in that section...
it bugs me when members complain, but then they don't report posts...