The Constructive Ideas Thread

[Key]

I'm all for a member of the week sort of thing, just as long as it doesn't make the chosen person feel all high and mighty. If anything, there could be a thread for compiling the member of the week's and showing the persons name and avatar with the date that they were awarded such a thing.

As for ideas? I don't see a whole lot wrong with this place to be quite honest. If people don't want drama, than don't get involved with already existing drama, not much more to it than that.

In regards to moderation, I think the current system is just fine. It's very relaxed and easy going, doesn't feel like we're being watched by a hierarchy or something. I even tend to forget who is a mod and who isn't because of the subtlety.

As far as something to work on, honestly I can't think of anything. Everyone seems to know where they are comfortable and they know who to go to for questions, and everyone seems to get along with most people for the most part. I see no reason to get in the way of something that is already working. Even though some bickering does take place, it's only human nature to want to correct someone of an opinion that they share about you, which I think should be an ok thing to do. Defending oneself doesn't seem like it should really cause too much trouble.

[djchameleon]

Originally Posted by Ki

I'm all for a member of the week sort of thing, just as long as it doesn't make the chosen person feel all high and mighty. If anything, there could be a thread for compiling the member of the week's and showing the persons name and avatar with the date that they were awarded such a thing.

Ummm I think that's the point of member of the week to make the member feel special so what if they feel all high and mighty? that's how they choose to express their appreciation for being chosen as member of the week.

honestly I don't think it's a great idea personally but I have no negatives against it. It just feels like a bad idea. Also even if it does get started up. If it begins to turn sour quickly it can just be nipped in the bud by the mods.

[Key]

Originally Posted by djchameleon

Ummm I think that's the point of member of the week to make the member feel special so what if they feel all high and mighty? that's how they choose to express their appreciation for being chosen as member of the week.

I meant for them not to go into every thread and chatbox shouting "IM AWESOME BECAUSE IM MEMBER OF THE WEEK", of course they can feel special at the appropriate time. But there's a time and place for everything.

[Arya Stark]

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Calling someone "wrong" to invalidate their response is also different than saying they're wrong at a point in time. Should mods start infracting people for using the word "wrong" too? Seems pretty over the top to me.

"troll" is different than "wrong" DONT USE SLIPPERY SLOPE AGAINST ME.

Edit: I'm just joking, I know what you mean. I'm thinking she means "troll" specifically, not any word that's hurtful. But you know Erica, she prefers not to be offensive at all.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

Here is our community's first rule, for reference:

• While debating and discussion is fine, we will not tolerate rudeness, insulting posts, personal attacks, trolling, purposeless inflammatory posts or members deliberately provoking another member into committing any of these acts.

^ This is the one sentence that is supposed to prevent escalating hostilities on the site. It's open to a lot of different interpretations and can be context-specific and subjective. I recommend that mods and the community decide roughly what they feel constitutes "rudeness, insulting posts, personal attacks, trolling, purposeless inflammatory posts, or members deliberately provoking another member into committing any of these acts," because at present it isn't clear where the lines are.

For example, currently we don't have any rule specifically against name-calling. Usually I see mods calling people out for using name-calling.

Is calling someone a troll an example of name-calling? If not, why not?

There is no rule that we like each other here, but I interpret the intention of the first rule at MB as meaning that we should be civil with each other when we disagree. For me, that means criticize ideas but don't call people derogatory names because of their ideas.

You can always still say them in your mind even if you don't say them to the person directly. That's what I do!

We do act on blatant name calling, as soon as someone does it they're either warned to tone it down or given an infraction.

The problem isn't that we're not acting on this, the problem is people are exploiting grey areas to get away with it.

Let's say for example you post something and I reply 'I don't think you know what you're talking about' then gone of to say why and then ended the post saying 'LOL Vegans' I've not actually done any namecalling, I've also gone on to say why I disagree with you in the proper way, some might say the post is hostile in nature but others might say I'm just giving my opinion and that the little thing at the end is a harmless joke.

We're not psychic we don't know if people are going to respond well or badly to a joke and to eliminate any doubt we'd have to ban the whole forum from doing it.

[Janszoon]

Originally Posted by Arya Stark

"troll" is different than "wrong" DONT USE SLIPPERY SLOPE AGAINST ME.

Edit: I'm just joking, I know what you mean. I'm thinking she means "troll" specifically, not any word that's hurtful. But you know Erica, she prefers not to be offensive at all.

I know. That's my point really. What's the point of focusing on some certain word or words?

[Black Francis]

Originally Posted by Ki

I meant for them not to go into every thread and chatbox shouting "IM AWESOME BECAUSE IM MEMBER OF THE WEEK", of course they can feel special at the appropriate time. But there's a time and place for everything.

that would literally be me if i win member of the week

lol jk, im actually with dj on this one i don't like the idea would rather have a rep system like tore suggested..

but apparently ppl here hated that idea.

"its no good" they said.. >_>

"ppl will abuse it" they said... <_<

"its a cheap gimmick" they said. U_U

well you know what? this member of the week idea is also a gimmick! at least with a thanks system the rep would be spread around so everybody gets a piece of the action, BUT NOOOO~ apparently thanking ppl is for idiots that will thank others idiots cause cool ppl don't need to thank other cool ppl they are too cool for that.

[Janszoon]

Originally Posted by Black Francis

that would literally be me if i win member of the week

lol jk, im actually with dj on this one i don't like the idea would rather have a rep system like tore suggested..

but apparently ppl here hated that idea.

"its no good" they said.. >_>

"ppl will abuse it" they said... <_<

"its a cheap gimmick" they said. U_U

well you know what? this member of the week idea is also a gimmick! at least with a thanks system the rep would be spread around so everybody gets a piece of the action, BUT NOOOO~ apparently thanking ppl is for idiots that will thank others idiots cause cool ppl don't need to thank other cool ppl they are too cool for that.

I think the real issue with the rep system is that it would be difficult to implement because the site owners, who would be the only ones with the power to activate it, have virtually no direct involvement with the site.

[sopsych]

I like this thread's parameters. However, one pattern is repeating itself: suggestions in this sub-forum turning into arguments.

Re "troll" accusations, forget about infractions for now, in most situations. Just delete the comments, and moderators need to refrain from calling people trolls. Exceptions - when "troll" is repeated at someone so often it's virtually harassment and when a person keeps posting pictures of trolls (generally more distracting than just the word, in my opinion). And here's an alternative to calling someone a "troll" - tell that person to "stop derailing" a thread, if that's the situation.

I have an uncontroversial proposal to make later, on a less busy day.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

The moderators aren't calling people trolls, not only that I seem to recall deleting posts from members that called yourself one as well.

Asking someone not to troll a thread or talking about trolling posts isn't the same thing as calling someone a troll.

This is a non issue.