I agree with you Gworld you can't have a real good arguement about anything whether politics or programming or anything without being treated like you 5 were all adults here..calling someone a few words and stating your point about a subject should not draw an infraction unless you make it personal.
We tried to use the user notes system, but it ends up being so much more time that not everyone used it (in fact, I probably was the worst about not using it).
While I agree that cupcakes might help, as well as the "ADMIN" writing better infraction notes -- Oh, and how many repeat offenders do you need to track? I suppose I would put it this way. I have received 2 infractions so far. I have learned nothing. And honestly, I would have responded much differently had I recived a PM. But, I never would have received a PM. Why? The "infractions" were too petty to have made the giver waste his time writing a PM. (One was for posting a Duplicate Thread, the other was for bumping a thread.) Instead, they have clicked the little button. Now, I know as well as Shawn about how the system works. They are basically meaningless, like REP. (unless you get alot of them in a short period of time) However, both times, I was really quite insulted, and really wanted to tell the person who gave me the rep to go fuck themselves. Now, those of you who know me, know that Im not generally the type of person to think that way. I laugh off red rep, maybe make a little comment in the thread to let the person know I could care less. But, I expect there to be the occasional user who is an idiot and likes to give red rep. I expect the Admins and Moderators to have more intelligence and not be petty. I hold you to a higher standard, as the members on my forums hold me. Now, I will be honest here. As long as I see those in my UserCP, the moderators of this forum will lose just a little credibility with me. Those little remarks in my UserCP will server as a reminder to me that a forum that I have considered to be very respectable, has begun to slip into pettiness. Once more, its too much of a bother for the moderators to send me a PM. After my being here 2 years, and thousands of posts, it's too much trouble for a mod to pm me. After all, it might take 3 minutes out of your busy day. Yeah, Im a little pissy about it. And Im even more upset at myself because I am dedicating any time to this. I'll get over it, of course. But for now, it actually pissed me off. Fortunately, I am turning that emotion into a nice article on vBulletin FAQ. I am doing so simply because if it has had this effect on me, I can only imagine how the 20 year olds on my Mitsubishi Forum, or any similar forum, will respond. Quite negatively I would imagine. And in this competitive world of forums, you dont want to be seen as petty when it comes to moderation. It only leads to more moderation and less members as they leave to enjoy a forum where they can feel less irritated over petty things.. OK - my rant is over. Thanks for tuning in.
A LOT. Trust me, moderation on this forum is not a part time job. You've received one infraction and one warning. You're right in saying that your infraction was petty, because it was no big deal, just like the infraction. I just don't think that many people realize the real scope of how much moderation goes on here. In addition to monitoring the forum and catching all the threads that need to be moved, spam that needs to be erased and fights that need to be babysat, there are about 50 reported posts a day that need to be "investigated" and dealt with. It's not that we don't care enough to send you a PM, but the cupcake (infraction) system is a more accurate way to deal with it. Moderating this forum is a full time job for more then one person, but we don't get paid . I just wish people didn't take cupcakes so personally. I get speeding tickets every so often but I don't get pissed at the police department for it. I was speeding, I got caught, I try not to speed for 18 months or else it goes on my record.
The fact that they do, should tell you something. Are the people who are giving negative feedback about it the troublemakers of DP? I dont think so. I see some long time members not happy with it. -
If it was no big deal...... then why give it? People realize the scope of it. But I can also say that if its so hard to moderate, then get more moderators. There are many would be willing to help, myself included. but really, dont complain about how tough it is. When moderation on one of my forums becoms a challenge, I get a few more moderators and lighten the load. The infractions are overused IMO. If its no big deal, reserve it's use for the more serious offenses. Dont give me a slap for bumping a thread. Especially such an impersonal one. Fact of the matter is that, in my case, a moderator went to the extra trouble of giving me an infraction. I learned nothing, and in fact, it pissed me off. I say he (or she) went to the extra trouble, because before, nothing would have been said, because it would have been too petty to bother with a PM. How is that positive for DP?
The only thing i don't agree about is receiving infractions for creating a duplicate thread. Sometimes a thread was created about a particular topic say around 2 months ago, and a new user (or maybe an old user who was not active at the time when thread was created) creates a thread about that subject without knowing that there already is a thread about that topic. I don't think he is at fault. This is a very busy forum and to find out if there was already a thread about the subject is very difficult. Creating duplicate thread the same day or within 3-4 days deserves an infraction though. But i think they should be just merged with the old thread rather than giving user an infraction.
I dont see it as whining. Its a discussion, kinda what this place is for. This is important to me because one of the forums I run is for forum admins, and they have to deal with this issue, so others input is important to me.
Thats true, but you can always use advanced search with search only in thread titles. But its too much work, i guess!!!
I'm also assuming that quite a few people will report your post when you're getting into an argument with them. Now that rep costs, it's probably becoming the new form of "getting back at someone".
Well I sure as hell hope you were given an infraction for such neglect! I did a self-report yesterday Before having enough coffee, I started a thread that someone else had addressed a few hours prior, to have it deleted or merged with the one that was first which I have to say someone did within seconds ... but alas, I didn't get a spanking despite asking for one in the bad post report. As far a "Cost of Neg Rep" I'm an equal opportunity prick and probably have more red in my CP right now than green, but I agree that many probably shy from it now and abuse other ways of being juvenille as a result
I agree, there are to many ways "to get back" at someone. I seriously just laugh at it now most of them have such big egos and rep that when your in a discussion they will red rep you and think they have the upper hand on you. What are we all kids here? I got 3 infractions then decided not to argue in general chat or underground becuase thats where the mods who dont like me are. But then I receive another one for attacking someone and they make the thread private. WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO HIDE?! Then another for starting a thread in wrong place. Infraction system is starting to be another rep system for the mods.
Thats bullshit. I am registerd since sep 2005, made 4k+ posts and have 1000+ rep. When I made a post violating rules (I know I was mad out of anger....). I got an infraction straight away no warning no PM.. What do you think a yellow card is, actually?? Its a warning. and the whole Infraction system is a Warning indeed. you dont lose anything. and If people dont start whining about it noone will even know that they got any infraction. Ego?? I never saw a respected member with lots of rep whining about infractions... eveb yfs1 has got infraction, he never made a thread saying why he got any?? I'd rather say its not the mods or memeber with lots of rep, who has big ego but the members whining about reps and Infractions.