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Suggestion Get the Link Peddlers out of the Directories section

Discussion in 'Support & Feedback' started by CReed, Oct 25, 2009.

  1. robjones

    robjones Notable Member

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    #41
    LOL. Cant say yea or nea on web hosting, but in the first case you could probably implement bans using a dartboard as a method of selection and it'd *still* be an improvement.
     
    robjones, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  2. dcristo

    dcristo Illustrious Member

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    #42
    How is this different to the link sales section where scammers are selling links on high PR dropped domains? Moving the threads to BST doesn't fix the problem.

    At the end of the day, there will always be some who try and game the system.

    Always use due diligence.
     
    dcristo, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  3. alldaylinks

    alldaylinks Active Member

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    #43
    Haha that is unbelievable...

    I wonder if people realise how ridiculous what they are typing is...
     
    alldaylinks, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  4. YMC

    YMC Well-Known Member

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    #44
    Now I finally understand why the directories section seems to be the red-headed step-child around here. The other moderators at DP think that all directory owners are "biased" and will "go around slamming the competition and letting their friends off".

    Good to know how we are viewed around here.
     
    YMC, Oct 27, 2009 IP
    Brian1970 likes this.
  5. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #45
    I pointed out that it's not just the directory section, so don't twist my words. At the time we had a few people in mind as possibilities but when you look at past infractions, the types of things they report, and other behavior, pretty much no one showed they could be unbiased in how they act well enough to be put in charge of a specific section like those, where there are a crapload of heated debates going on.
     
    jhmattern, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  6. robjones

    robjones Notable Member

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    #46
    Honestly, you're vastly underestimating the members with that statement
    There are a lot of people here, and many of us have moderated in forums and know the difference between how you can act while in member status and the alteration required to moderate correctly. Mods cannot act in as partisan a fashion as a member.

    In my case (and I have a suspicion my name was mentioned in one troubled area) my own status has changed and my position as a partisan decreased dramatically as a result. Still that forum is a useless flamezone due to lack of attention. That isnt the mods fault, they simply cant be everywhere at the same time.

    Deciding existing mods are the only ones capable is the reason you have forums in wild west mode. Its a very common management issue. Failing to delegate adequately due to fear others cant do as well as ones self results in exacerbation of the problems due to management being spread too thin to do the job effectively. That answer can be verified in pretty much any management class ever taught, and moderation is nothiing but forum management.
     
    robjones, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  7. robjones

    robjones Notable Member

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    #47
    OK, that's still bothering me. I'll add this. That's a self-indulgent, short-sighted and frankly insulting thing to say about your members. It assumes that of the many thousands of members, many of whom are mods, mentors, or admins elsewhere... the current mods are so morally superior they are the ONLY ones capable of performing the role. Seriously, that isnt twisting your words... thats just reading them. Get a grip on the ego.

    Simple fact: IF the role was being performed adequately by those currently available we wouldnt be having the discussion at all. You want honesty... there it is.
     
    robjones, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  8. CReed

    CReed Prominent Member

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    #48
    You know what they say about assumptions. I'm sure there are more than a couple of members that would be fair candidates. I would have had some reservations about a few of the current mods, but it seems most of them are working out ok.

    As far as the crapload of heated debates, that's the result of past and current moderaton practices. Ignoring the problem is not going to result in change.
     
    CReed, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  9. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #49
    lol... You are still twisting words. Some people are capable at moderating (although I think those are the minority). The whole issue is regarding people who want to moderate just one section. And yes... people who adamantly want to moderate one specific section tend to have ulterior motives in most cases. :)
     
    digitalpoint, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  10. robjones

    robjones Notable Member

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    #50
    I stand corrected. I'll just stand here and warm myself in the toasty glow of these beings so full of moral superiority.
     
    robjones, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  11. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #51
    I'm not saying everyone... but the majority.

    Let's take the most recent example... Someone begging to the point they probably would have *paid* to be allowed to "moderate" the DMOZ forum. Except all they do is hang out in the forum and antagonize DMOZ editors that post in there. They've reported 40 or so posts in that forum, of which ONE needed to be acted on. Pretty much he just wants everyone silenced that has anything positive to say about DMOZ. lol

    Another recent example... someone who sells a lot of crap in the Link Sales section. Constantly complaining that he gets infractions for posting duplicate threads in there... But he very much wants to help "clean up" that one section for us. ...right.

    It's a catch 22, because people who truly are unbiased about an area generally don't frequent that area. And since they have no interest in the area, it's going to pretty much be impossible for them to want to clean it up.
     
    digitalpoint, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  12. YMC

    YMC Well-Known Member

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    #52
    You are not addressing the original point or the comments made by one of your moderators.

    Your moderator made a sweeping statement that there was no member in the directories section that the existing moderators thought could be impartial. She made a statement and was called on it. No parsing or twisting of words needed. Just repeating what was said.

    It's not about anyone wanting the ability to moderate just one section. Moderating the directory section properly would require quite an investment of time. Asking someone to moderate that section plus the rest of the forums at large is asking for what amounts to a full-time commitment.

    Don't you want moderators with more than general knowledge moderating the different sub-forums. It makes no sense to have someone who knows nothing about PPC and contextual advertising moderating that area just as it makes no sense to have someone who has no knowledge about directories moderating that section.

    No doubt that there are folks who have ulterior motives in asking to be a moderator. If I were running a forum, I would not entrust moderation to anyone asking to do so either.

    No one here was volunteering or even asking to BE a moderator. CReed and others of us are simply asking YOU to GET a moderator for a section of YOUR forum that has become overrun with spammers and scammers.

    It would appear we have our answer and that answer is a resounding no. Fine. So be it.
     
    YMC, Oct 27, 2009 IP
    robjones likes this.
  13. digitalpoint

    digitalpoint Overlord of no one Staff

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    #53
    As I said, it's a catch 22... the people who are willing to moderate tend to have some sort of vested interest in the area they want to moderate. There have been a few exceptions historically, but it's far more difficult to find someone who is able to moderate just one section without bias. It's far easier to find a good moderator that can moderate globally.
     
    digitalpoint, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  14. Love*

    Love* Well-Known Member

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    #54
    Need a moderator?

    ^ Make this guy one. His fingers were probably blood red by the time he was done. :) I mean, that's gotta be worth something right? :p
     
    Love*, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  15. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #55
    Actually that is not what I said. It's what you chose to hear. What I said is that we had considered several people (and NOT solely in the directories section, which I also already said twice) and that on further inspection not a single one who on the surface looked like they might be a good fit was impartial enough to take the reigns of a section like those mentioned -- that in every case we looked at people had ulterior (and obvious) motives for being interested, as was evident looking at their past posts and reports. Nowhere did I say that no member who happens to post there is capable. I specifically mentioned that we'd looked at several members, none of whom were.
     
    jhmattern, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  16. EveryQuery

    EveryQuery Well-Known Member

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    #56
    After some thought on this, I can definitely see how it would be hard to find unbiased mods dedicated to certain forums. For example, anyone that has ever hung out a bit in the DMOZ subforum would certainly agree that you could never have an unbiased mod in that place. It is a warzone in there, with half of the posters being nazi DMOZ editors and the other half anti-DMOZ trolls. Putting any of those people in a moderator position would be disastrous.

    BUT... I don't think it would be difficult to find unbiased and suitable mods for the "Directories" forum and especially for the "Solicitations & Announcements" forum. The problem in these two forums (unlike the DMOZ forum) is the huge amount of spam and misplaced threads, rather than heated debates that get out hand. Any monkey could be trained to delete reported spam threads.

    An obvious example of someone who is obviously up to unethical business practices is this guy: http://forums.digitalpoint.com/member.php?u=235016

    Every single thread he starts is either him wanting to buy domain with PR in the BST forum, or him announcing "new PR 3-5" directories in Solicitations. This is the kind of scandalous crap that needs to end.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2009
    EveryQuery, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  17. humm

    humm बहादुर बच्चा

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    #57
    Under estimating members at a section or assuming that members there are biased is ridicules. Its not that someone wants to moderate a particular section because he/she is biased, its because he/she understand the section really well and may feel that he wants to give his 100% attention there instead of looking at the entire forum.

    Again just making one dedicated moderator for a particular section is stupid, no one can really be 247. One must must enroll atleast 2-3 mods who can together revive a section.

    There a lot of old-times, serious and good people at the directory section, together a lot of people can help & contribute.
     
    humm, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  18. Mobile-Monster

    Mobile-Monster Well-Known Member

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    #58
    Mobile-Monster, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  19. EveryQuery

    EveryQuery Well-Known Member

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    #59
    EveryQuery, Oct 27, 2009 IP
  20. CReed

    CReed Prominent Member

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    #60
    CReed, Oct 27, 2009 IP