Poll on moderation in vendor experiences forum

[Greg Hiller]

This has been a very difficult forum to moderate. We try to be as fair as possible, and we remind folks again and again to please read the rules about this forum. We really are not trying to stop the information flow, but are only trying to make sure that the information is factual, and coming from first hand accounts. We also have found it necessary in all fairness to NOT allow sponsors, or other vendors to post in this forum Unless it is in direct response to a question/remark about their shop/business.

[Moe_K]

Just a note: this ain't a vote on the rules, right? The rules aren't really made by the mods. I mean, we offer opinions, but we enforce what the Officers/BoD say. So vote on how the rules are enforcemed, but not on whether or not you like the rules.

[stevenp]

I find it 'just right'. And, I would bet a simliar converasation took place duing the inception of the classifieds forum, which is now informally moderated by average members who are wicked eager to reinforce the "please post price" and "please post location" rules. I feel this will follow suite.

Steve

[CaseyH]

I know I'm new to the board and may not have earned the right if you will, to post negative feedback about something, but I have been "ghosting" the board for a long time and have enjoyed reading the posts.

Regarding the Tropic Isle thread, I don't find it fair that you edited so many of the patrons posts but allowed an employee of the store complete freedom to ramble on for 5 paragraphs, insult customers by referring to some as "complete idiots" and share numerous negative stories about customers (who I presume did not leave him feeback on this board).

If we cannot share experiences about other vendors, we should not have to listen to experiences about other customers. If we can't put down employees, vendors should not put down customers. If my post is deleted because it's a rant, so should a vendor's exhaustive account of irrelevant customer experiences.

Excuse me if this sounds rude, but I'm just presenting something that might be useful since it is a new board and you took a poll to get this kind of information.

~Casey

[APISTOBORELLI]

I know I'm new to the board and may not have earned the right if you will, to post negative feedback about something, but I have been "ghosting" the board for a long time and have enjoyed reading the posts.

Regarding the Tropic Isle thread, I don't find it fair that you edited so many of the patrons posts but allowed an employee of the store complete freedom to ramble on for 5 paragraphs, insult customers by referring to some as "complete idiots" and share numerous negative stories about customers (who I presume did not leave him feeback on this board).

If we cannot share experiences about other vendors, we should not have to listen to experiences about other customers. If we can't put down employees, vendors should not put down customers. If my post is deleted because it's a rant, so should a vendor's exhaustive account of irrelevant customer experiences.

Excuse me if this sounds rude, but I'm just presenting something that might be useful since it is a new board and you took a poll to get this kind of information.

~Casey

In my opinion, you hit the nail on the head.

[NateHanson]

Your input is as welcome as any other member's Casey. Thanks for posting. I think it would be useful, however, for you to review the rules of the VE forum so you understand why posts are edited in the VE forum. I assure you that Vendors posts are held to all the same standards in that forum. Neither vendors or members are permitted to make generalized or second-hand remarks. Nor can anyone post personally insulting comments.

If you look through the TI thread or other threads in the VE forum, you'll see that we have not deleted negative comments about vendors made by members, as long as they are first-hand accounts. Only posts such as "I heard that once the owner told a customer he could . . ." or "Next time I go in there I'm going to punch someone" get removed. I think the rules at the top of the VE forum make these distinctions clear, and I encourage everyone to take a look at them if you have not already, or if you are confused about why your posts are getting moderated.

To say that we edit posts because they are negative towards a store is just dead wrong. Perhaps it feels like that's our motive when you write something that doesn't follow our rules, and we edit it. But please try to look at an edited post objectively and see the simple reason it was removed. 9 out of 10 times it was because it was not a specific account of first-hand experiences. Whether or not those experiences were positive or negative is irrelavant. (yes, we've removed positive posts as well)

Thanks,
Nate

[One Eye]

When putting this forum together was first discussed the response of the people involved was, "train wreck". We wanted a forum where peoples personal experience with vendors could be reported. We could share info about which vendors were selling quality equipment and healthy livestock and which vendors were not. We saw the potential for a useful forum and we also saw the potential for the "train wrecks".

The vast majority of the editing is because people using this forum don't read the rules before posting. We OBVIOUSLY can't have club members making direct inflammatory remarks towards owners and employees, club members have no business telling a shop how to conduct their business. The forum is to share your own personal experience, not to insult and give opinions of how a store should operate.
Post edited have almost all without a doubt been inflammatory.
People....can't you simply say the woman at the cash register was rude? Do you really need to say, the evil voodoo b*tch has the attitude of a viper and should be burned at the stake? Telling people she is rude will suffice. Telling people she's an evil voodoo b*tch is you just venting your frustration on the boards....and it will get edited.

This forum is NOT designed for a frustration venting grounds...sorry, venting your frustrations needs to be taken elsewhere...go kick your dog or something. :)

[NateHanson]

This forum is NOT designed for a frustration venting grounds...sorry, venting your frustrations needs to be taken elsewhere...go kick your dog or something. :)
Better yet, send Darren a lengthy Private Message. ;)

[One Eye]

You'd get the same result from kicking your dog :)

[lactrain]

My vote is in ... Im really feeling for you Mods. Just like law enforement you all will experience the same ... there will always be people that feel that rules are made to be broken.

Hopefully you all will come to terms that there will always be 10% that you all will deal with 90% of the time.

Thats just the way its gonna go.

Len

[Moe_K]

I know I'm new to the board and may not have earned the right if you will, to post negative feedback about something, but I have been "ghosting" the board for a long time and have enjoyed reading the posts.

Regarding the Tropic Isle thread, I don't find it fair that you edited so many of the patrons posts but allowed an employee of the store complete freedom to ramble on for 5 paragraphs, insult customers by referring to some as "complete idiots" and share numerous negative stories about customers (who I presume did not leave him feeback on this board).

If we cannot share experiences about other vendors, we should not have to listen to experiences about other customers. If we can't put down employees, vendors should not put down customers. If my post is deleted because it's a rant, so should a vendor's exhaustive account of irrelevant customer experiences.

Excuse me if this sounds rude, but I'm just presenting something that might be useful since it is a new board and you took a poll to get this kind of information.

~Casey
You really don't see the difference?!?
You insulted an identifiable person at the store. There was no gray area, you singled her out and let fly with an insult.
The staff member who posted did not identify anyone at all. He said he has his share of dumb customers.
If you had been general with your comment, and not sigled out a person, then your comment would have been left alone.

[ReeferMedic]

I voted just right. I think the mods are doing a great job with a very difficult forum to moderate. Darren, I own a Great Dane, so kicking the dog is not an option for me.;) I do take pleasure in giving the cat a flying lesson here and there though.

[merk1_99]

Moderated just right. Good luck. I was against the forum. Seems to have cleaned up. I wish the poll attached a name to everyone's vote. IMO all the heavy handed votes will be those with posts removed, or are the club hotheads who always seem to be looking to pick a fight.

[Nikkoli110]

I'm not a hot head or had a post removed, and I voted that. I've read the rules and posted here, but I don't like alot of the rules. I think the mods do a great job, and are moderating the way the rules state they should be. These forums and the club just seem to be leaning towards the business based side of the hobby, and away from helping the reefers out. Just my opinion.

[NateHanson]

I've read the rules and posted here, but I don't like alot of the rules. I think the mods do a great job, and are moderating the way the rules state they should be. These forums and the club just seem to be leaning towards the business based side of the hobby, and away from helping the reefers out. Just my opinion.

Just a note: this ain't a vote on the rules, right? The rules aren't really made by the mods. I mean, we offer opinions, but we enforce what the Officers/BoD say. So vote on how the rules are enforced, but not on whether or not you like the rules.

I think the purpose of this poll is to determine whether members feel that the moderators are fairly enforcing the rules of the forum. It's not a debate of whether the rules are too restrictive/lax, or whether they favor business/members more.

[One Eye]

I'm not a hot head or had a post removed, and I voted that. I've read the rules and posted here, but I don't like alot of the rules. I think the mods do a great job, and are moderating the way the rules state they should be. These forums and the club just seem to be leaning towards the business based side of the hobby, and away from helping the reefers out. Just my opinion.

I guess I could see the rules being interpreted that way.

The rules are really set up to avoid slander and inaccuracy.

If it didn't happen to you personaly then you really don't know the facts and would therefore have an innacurate view or comment.

Name calling and threats on a public forum are not only childish, but also slanderous.

[NateHanson]

Since this poll is intended to be about moderation, let's take the discussion of the rules elsewhere.

I've started another thread right here (http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?p=220601#post220601)

[RichConley]

Ugh, seems like some people are voting "I dont like the rules" not "I dont like how the mods are enforcing the rules"

[NateHanson]

I commented on that (actually a couple times now) and now I've started another thread in VE forum for people to bitch about the rules. Hoping to bleed it off of the poll thread to a centralized location (where we can ignore it ;))

[smcnally]

You'd get the same result from kicking your dog :)
What would that be? A bitch wimpering? ;) That was such a good one I couldn't pass it up!

[Nikkoli110]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikkoli110
I'm not a hot head or had a post removed, and I voted that. I've read the rules and posted here, but I don't like alot of the rules. I think the mods do a great job, and are moderating the way the rules state they should be. These forums and the club just seem to be leaning towards the business based side of the hobby, and away from helping the reefers out. Just my opinion.


I guess I could see the rules being interpreted that way.

The rules are really set up to avoid slander and inaccuracy.

If it didn't happen to you personaly then you really don't know the facts and would therefore have an innacurate view or comment.

Name calling and threats on a public forum are not only childish, but also slanderous.

??

Was that directed towards me? I haven't called anyone names or made any threats :confused:

[CaseyH]

"You really don't see the difference?!?
You insulted an identifiable person at the store. There was no gray area, you singled her out and let fly with an insult.
The staff member who posted did not identify anyone at all. He said he has his share of dumb customers.
If you had been general with your comment, and not sigled out a person, then your comment would have been left alone."

No, I don't see a difference at all. Many other people posted identifying information about employees, and in fact, others used the same phrase as I did , and they were not edited. This is about moderation, not about the rules. You said you try to be fair, I am telling you it is not. That's all.

[JGard]

As a moderator for another site, I know how difficult this can be. I do think you're being too heavy-handed in your editing of people's comments.

There is a line to be drawn on people's posts/rants about any given vendor, especially if they are supporters of the board, however, you need to let customers get their views expressed. It's important that the customers are protected.

Vendors have been able to screw customers too often in this and many other industries. I think you should be more lax on customer reviews and more heavy-handed on the vendor's postings.

[Moe_K]

"You really don't see the difference?!?
You insulted an identifiable person at the store. There was no gray area, you singled her out and let fly with an insult.
The staff member who posted did not identify anyone at all. He said he has his share of dumb customers.
If you had been general with your comment, and not sigled out a person, then your comment would have been left alone."

No, I don't see a difference at all. Many other people posted identifying information about employees, and in fact, others used the same phrase as I did , and they were not edited. This is about moderation, not about the rules. You said you try to be fair, I am telling you it is not. That's all.
Other's posts insulting the staff should have been edited too. I happened to notice your post, and did not notice theirs.
I just looked and didn't see where somebody else used the same insult. What post number?

[One Eye]

No Nikkoli, it wasn't directed toward you. Just a general statement.

[redpaulhus]

The mods have been doing an outstanding job.

Keep in mind that this is ALOT of headache for no pay !

[Scuba_Dave]

Ah Geez...another poll?
You guys (and girls) are getting needy
How many pats on the back do you need in one week?
(or are we aiming too high? :))

High Maintence yer gettin to be :p

[Moe_K]

That's Greg for you. Damn PhD's, they always want metrics. ;) :p

[besl]

I commend BRS for including this forum and applaud the mods for taking on this challenging role. Of course if this is done right this has the opportunity to be a win-win situation. This forum can help steer the hobbiest to the better merchants (and away from the less than desireable merchants), but it also gives key insight to the merchants on what satisfies/disatisfies customers and what they need to do to grow their business and retain loyal customers. I posted 1 input of repeated bad experience on a vendor feedback thread, in part to forewarn other hobbiest and in part to give the merchant the opportunity to know why he lost me as a customer and have the opportunity to learn from it for his other customers. Only the foolish hobbiest and merchant will turn a deaf ear to this forum and be the worse for it. Once again kudos to BRS for being bold enough to host this and to the mods for managing it.

[merk1_99]

I have changed my mind on this forum....looks like the MODS were right it leveled out and now seems less of a LFS beat down.