Well I think people that are civil in there get treated civilly, for the most part. i know I’m sensitive to a poster’s tone, if they play rough then chocks away.
Anyway, I think too much is made of being civil. It’s seriously over-rated.
HG
I really have no problems either way. However, I find the ability to update the sobriquet of distinction a somewhat unfair privilege the moderators have.
Since the common poster has no privilege to update anyone’s sobriquet.
If the moderator wishes to participate in the forums with the rest of the unwashed masses, they really shouldn’t resort to this technique when they are unable to prevail in an honest discussion.
[quote=“ac_dropout”]I really have no problems either way. However, I find the ability to update the sobriquet of distinction a somewhat unfair privilege the moderators have.
[/quote]
You’re just sore because we’ve labeled you village idiot, eh? 
Seriously though, ac, mods don’t have this ability. I wish I did! The names come from a pre-arranged list, and are assigned to you automatically based on your post count (unless administrators step in to change them, which they very very rarely do).
oh, so this is just part of the normal leveling process at f.com. Okay, carry on.
Because I remember a few years back the label was impressed upon me… 
The “Village Idiot” label was retired so the administration would be within their own “no personal attacks” rule, so what’s it doing back ? If we can’t call a troll a troll, then they shouldn’t be able to call a village idiot a village idiot.
What the hell is a sobriquet ? I can’t be bothered to look it up . And why would anyone use this register/lexis on this forum? discuss :roflmao:
register
lexis
look it up
What other taboo sobriquets besides “troll” and “village idiot” are there in this forum?
But real life in Taiwan (or should I say Taipei) would be like this…
What did you do last night?
“oh… I came home and watched The Rock again on T.V… its still shit.”
OR
“I went to the pub and saw Dennis, he’s still got a high salary, hates his wife and kids and just pisses his salary up the wall.”
repeat ad nauseam.
The only real reason I come here really is for crap banter. I could give political opinion if I wanted ( I actually have an MA in globalisation) but the way I always see it, nothing breaks up a good friendship faster than discussing politics and religion. I do read the politics forums a lot but never contribute and I can see why new members would never join in mostly due to the fact it has become a hostile den of hate.
This thread is moot.
The IP thread is dead. Where are the great clashes with ColdFront, Stalin/Dr.Evil, etc. All we have now is a repetitive, trolling, bored Fredbot clamouring for attention.
Did censorship in the IP thread do that? It had to be a partial reason.
I think the politics forums are better as they are, without moderators. I do actually read them when I’m bored sometimes, and the general tone is much more civil than it used to be.
Anyway, the nature of political debate is that if you have an opinion on anything, it’s going to arouse some hostile reactions. At the moment, the hostility still comes through, as it always did, but it’s kept to a reasonable level (remember there’s still the “squeal” option). The general tone on the politics forums certainly wouldn’t stop me from posting anything I wanted to post.
And there are still a few witty exchanges, without the need for talking about kneepads.
I don’t see how having these forums moderated would improve anything.
I know you’re asking about quality, but how about some other numbers on this.
Can you give a reasonable average for the number of posters, and number of posts, in IP during the week before the end of moderating, and the same for this last week?
That’s quantity, but sheer volume of posts, and number of posters active must surely speak to the state of the forum.
Then poll is weird. The question asks if the politics forums are better unmoderated, and the first option says “Yes.” One would think that “yes” as an answer to the question would mean that “yes” forums are better without mods. But no, the poll option says “Yes-moderated politics forums are better.”
The question was clear anyways, and one would know what to vote for regardless. Just saying, knowing that “some” administrators are getting old and quite susceptible to random senility.
I just voted “no” as in unmoderated politics forums are better.
No, it doesn’t. :s
I think I read this all wrong… It was late, sorry. 
The point remains that for the most part, opinion forums are exceedingly difficult to moderate. Especially in a sand-box kind of environment wherein a few priveledged brats get to whinge on regardless of their so-called numerous hat juggling opinions.
Who’s to mod the sods?
I’d still like a few numbers. How many posts and posters in IP during the last week, and a typical week before de-modding?
Thought I’d like to share this quote. It perfectly sums up why I consider myself post-political and don’t post in the political forums.
Or as Bob Dylan put it more succintly:
[quote]Good and bad, I defined these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I’m younger than that now[/quote]
Nothing to see, move along, I said something stupid and now its gone.