What's wrong with our forum moderator staff?

[W1zzard]

I have recently gotten an increased number of reports from forum members that are unhappy with the way our forums are run.

I hear of mods being out of line, double standards, censoring, unfair infractions etc.

Because I do not follow the forums closely enough to really see what's going on in every thread I have to rely on the moderators to do a good job. With the recent complaints I am wondering if this is the case, and if not what could be changed to make this a better place.

Please post all your _constructive_ comments here, no fighting/drama. Also ideas how to resolve such conflicts are welcome. I am taking this very seriously.

If you are afraid of posting publicly email me to w1zzard@techpowerup.com, I will then add your post here

[J0N]

I may of only been here for a month or so, but from what I have seen your Mods do a fantastic job. They all seem very friendly and do a fantastic job watching over us all. Allowing freedom of speech, whilst at the same time making sure nothing gets out of hand.

If only all forums had your Mods!

[Alec§taar]

BEST FORUMS THERE IS ONLINE THAT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO!



* That's NOT b.s. either...

APK

P.S.=> I think that for folks that go thru Winters (extreme cold) there is a thing called "cabin fever": Means you are 'shut in' more than usual (even for us nerdy types, lol)...

Supposedly, it tends to make folks 'cranky' & easily upset...

I know I am going thru it, & am NOT my usual self either lately! Maybe it's extending to more than just here in the US Northeast, but also other areas on the planet in this time of year too (winter)... apk

[technicks]

I will say no names in public, but i have seen a mod using language to a member that was not
appropriate. More then once.

But that is a person. Overall i think that this is a good forum. Many new members lately. So that gives more opinions.
And more reasons for another person to react on it.

But must keep moving forward to better communication with eachother.

[JC316]

I have had an issue or two with a couple of mods, but nothing serious. Mostly me being hot/hard headed.

I have no complaints with the forums at all. The mods do a good job of keeping it clean and fair at the same time.

[Sasqui]

Generally I've been happy (hell, I keep coming back). I had one post removed (I thought it was funny and not offensive) and one edited (used the "F" word), which left a sour taste in my mouth... but I keep coming back!

I take those actions with a grain of salt as the moderators all have thier particular MO and hot buttons.

One mod in particular is heavy handed and kind of an asshole, but I stear clear. They got a job to do and they do it.

I think there's a boatload of people who are extremely grateful for this site, and I'm one of them.

[zekrahminator]

Originally Posted by Sasqui

One mod in particular is heavy handed and kind of an asshole, but I stear clear. They got a job to do and they do it.

Do you mind saying who that abusive mod is?

[W1zzard]

Originally Posted by zekrahminator

Do you mind saying who that abusive mod is?

nope. i talked to him in private already

[Sasqui]

Originally Posted by zekrahminator

Do you mind saying who that abusive mod is?

ZeK - apologies, but yes I do mind... I don't think I'd use the word "abusive", heavy handed is more like it.

[JC316]

Originally Posted by zekrahminator

Do you mind saying who that abusive mod is?

Danthebanjoman can be a tad abrasive at times, but thats his style of moderating. He dosen't go overboard, but he is more blunt than the other mods. Kinda like good cop, bad cop I guess .

[DaMulta]

I think some people are mad because some mods are not taking crap for Vista bashing in threads.

[Alec§taar]

Originally Posted by DaMulta

I think some people are mad because some mods are not taking crap for Vista bashing in threads.

I am guilty of a BIT of that, & wrongfully imo... I was 'listening too much to the hype' out there now, from haters/complainers (but, don't hate these guys, because THEY make change 'happen' - squeaky wheel gets the grease & all that)

(& I was also a victim of "myself" on some misconceptions I had about OpenGL.DLL too & how MS has always been implementing it (they do call out DDRAW.DLL in it as one of its dependencies libs, that's DIRECT X!!!))

* Above all - I didn't try it myself, & when I did, guess what?

I LOVE IT!

APK

P.S.=> I'll end up buying it, because the drivers for video ARE "getting there"... per this EXCELLENT review that y eye posted here today:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=25900

Best one I have seen, & it pits NVidia vs. ATI in several of each of their cards on MANY a synthetic test, game test, & resolutions + diff. boards from both + near absolutely current drivers:

100.64 from NVidia (they mention 100.65 came out AFTER the review too)

7.1 from ATI (even though 7.2 came out today)

THEY ARE WORKING ON IT, & imo, doing pretty well for a NEW OS, w/ 7,000 new API's in it & a diff. version of DirectX (hell to work w/ imo!)

It's what I have been waiting for in the way of reviews!

DO CHECK IT! apk

[SK-1]

I have been a member for some time now and I WOULD NOT CHANGE A THING.
The way this web site is laid out is fantastic.The "look" of the forum boards are inviting and I really like the colors.They make me want to read/post!
Other forums do not COME CLOSE!We are the best.
Do not fix it if it isn't broken.

[Lazzer408]

There running slow today I can say that much. Other then that TPU forums are great.

[Jadawin]

I'm Admin of a board with 1700+ members and a board just needs Mods that know when to "play it rough". As long as most members are happy, the job is well done. And it seems that's how it is here

[magibeg]

Well if there was any complaint i could muster it would be that while i'm at work it doesn't let me view the forums . But thats the firewall at work really so its not the forums fault at all. TPU 4 Lyfe :P

[AshenSugar]

i wont post my "issues" in public but i will say there is 1 mod who has been in my mind abusive/heavy handed/out of line a few times, the rest, well i have infractions, i wont denie that, some i have addmitidly earned, others....well thats the past.

i will say that mods should be firm with people who are breaking rules and def out of line, but they shouldnt go overboard, they shouldnt bring their feelings of oppenions of that persons oppenions into it.

i have been a mod or admin of sevral forums over the years, use to run UO servers, guilds and game groups.

mods should also not be hypocritical, if they are going to yell at or infract somebody for something then they shouldnt do it themselves, just like a cop shouldnt arrest somebody for smoking pot then turn around and smoke up himself.

as a mod you need to be fair and balanced, weather you like somebody or not, like their oppenions or not, you should treat them the same eather way, i have seen a tendancy by a certen mod to not do that, to bring his oppeions and feelings into play and if you dont agree he then thretens you.

a mod for example should not infract or threten somebody for stating oppenions as fact if he himself does so(hyporacy bothers me)

as stated above, most of the people here mods and normal loaly members i like or respect, i just think a few need an attatude check.

my last point woud also be that mods shouldnt edit seirous posts simply because they dont like whats said, if its something thats attacking or thretning or illegal then yeah i can see editing or deleting the post, but editing a post to remove something they dont agree with is WAY OUT OF LINE.

i will leave you with this thought.

Whats the point of a forum, tech or otherwise if people arent free to express their oppenion without beind subject to censorship because somebody dosnt like their oppenion?

[Jimmy 2004]

One thing I have personally noticed is that the number of people visiting these forums over recent months is quite high, so they become more difficult to moderate. Because of that, there are quite a lot of mods, and although they're quick to react to problems, I have to admit that the "doube standards" is a very believable problem. Although I can't think of any instances where it has happened, having so many mods does mean there are a few different styles, but these are still the only forums I visit.

Generally speaking there are no problems, but TBH, there have been a few "hostile" members recently, although most (if not all) of them have stopped posting.

The biggest problem I have with the forums at the moment are the number of RPG style posts (the mods should know what I mean) where people are just posting something quite pointless which doesn't in any way help anyone else, and I think that's just pointless. Not going to name names on that, but I think some of them are quite obvious at times. Not saying I'm never guilty of pointless posts, but my first priority is to solve other people's problem (even if that is as simple as asking one question to find out more information about their problems).

[pt]

Originally Posted by Jimmy 2004

The biggest problem I have with the forums at the moment are the number of RPG style posts (the mods should know what I mean) where people are just posting something quite pointless which doesn't in any way help anyone else, and I think that's just pointless. Not going to name names on that,

not me
i don't go to many forums, but so far this is the best i ever wen't, never had a problem with a mod/super mod so far

[Completely Bonkers]

I will keep my compliments short: It's a great forum!

I will keep my complaints short: 99% of the time it's great!

SUGGESTIONS:

1./ A points system OTHER than number of posts would be a better idea:

a) there is too much post whoring going on to get the post count up... this dilutes the quality of the average post
b) if there was a voting or points system, then VALUEABLE posters would score a few points... and would be appreciated for their CONSTRUCTIVE contribution
c) this would encourage a better quality post and discourage bs
d) the mods would have a better insight on who-is-who. There are now so many members... I'm sure that the mods dont know which members are, on average, making a positive contribution, and those who are not. The information is important
e) with d) implemented, then I think moderation would be easier to do AND more accurate. I've seen cases of mods picking up the wrong end of the stick. If they are trying to moderate a highly valued forum member... maybe they would double check their understanding first. Second... they would act more quickly on the non-contributing members

2./ There seems to be an increase in the number of dishonest people sharing their escapades on the forum. It is "downing" the tone and diluting the culture of what this forum is all about. These posts should be moderated fast... and these posters should be banned.

3./ I would appreaciate a little more structure in the forum. While I came here originally for a GPU BIOS... the forum has grown and the type of discussion has grown. If the forum wants to be a more generalist technical forum... then more categories are now needed to structure content. The wiki is great... but it cannot replace the forum as a platform for communication.

4./ I think PM should be used for "chat" and forum postings should be about sharing information. Perhaps we can clean that up somehow?

[Alec§taar]

CB - that's GOOD stuff!



* I agree in many ways, on many points (& I am guilty of a couple of things in your list too lol, imo @ least - can't help it sometimes, I skim & it KILLS me!)

E.G.-> The other day, I saw someone couldn't get into their laptop... so, I showed him several ways to bypass Windows 2000 security (MsGina.dll/WinLogon)!

Heck - turns out, he "found" the laptop!

APK

P.S.=> Man, I felt like a real fool after YOU pointed it out to me in fact!

HEY... I meant well, but my skim of his post made me miss a point - I SHOULD NOT HAVE TOLD HIM A THING! apk

[AshenSugar]

bonkers, part of what makes this a fun place is the "chat" as long as its on topic or somewhat on topic.

and "karma" systems where people get points from other members have their down side, i have ran a few forums with such systems, it alwase ends up with people who dont like somebody voting against them every chance possable even if that person spent alot fo time posting something to help that same person get thru/fix a problem.

i agree a system like that would be intresting IF it was done properly, 1 vote per person per post, allow members to see how diffrent people voted(like apoll here)

in my exp most of the nonsence threds(some call them RPG threds or pointless spam/post whore threds) have their place, and its the genral nonsence section of the forum.

and you may say i post whore, but if you read most of my posts they are on topic and have a point, ask around, those who dont like me are im sure around but i bet most of them would even agree that i maay post ALOT but i post good info most of the time

if u want to get ur post count up, start a topic about something your intrested in, be it in games, tech or in genral nonscence, part of the fun and charm of this place is that you can just talk to people and have fun, and give/receve help when needed, if it was a dry tech only forums with no "chatting" that would be BORING to most of us.

i do think an IRC server would be GREAT and allow us to talk about stuff in real time, also move alot of the BS off the forums and to the irc chats, could even have an IRC logs section

just a thought

[DanTheBanjoman]

Originally Posted by AshenSugar

i do think an IRC server would be GREAT and allow us to talk about stuff in real time, also move alot of the BS off the forums and to the irc chats, could even have an IRC logs section

just a thought

http://www.techpowerup.com/chat/

[Completely Bonkers]

I stand by every point I raised.

Think out-of-the-box about how a voting system COULD work... don't assume there is only ONE WAY of implementing a voting system. If you've got a constructive ideas about how to implement a good/managed voting system, then suggest them!

[AshenSugar]

Originally Posted by DanTheBanjoman

http://www.techpowerup.com/chat/

dosnt let me join with my irc client, just says dissconnected from chat, and i dont use java (its not installed and would take HOURS to get because my connections SLOW AS HELL)

if somebody can tell me exect addy to server+room name to join to reg an account that would be nice.

also making it easyer to find the chat would be kool

if it could be somehow intagrated into the forums like gtalk is with gmail that would ROCK, i know other forums i have used did stuff like that to cut down on the bsing in threds

thanks for any info u can give me on dirrectly connecting to the IRC server