Contentious Forums - Reported Posts - Mod Intervention - The lowdown

[1still_waters]

There seems to be an increase in reported posts from the forum, and there seems to be an increase in perceived turmoil in the forums too.

Due to this, I want to take a bit to explain a few things.

1. What happens with reported posts.
2. How turmoil is handled.
3. Moderator involvement and intervention.

1. What happens when someone reports a post?

All moderators receive knowledge of the reported post. We are able to review it and make a decision.

2. How is turmoil handled?

If we notice turmoil or have it reported to us, we deal with it based on a certain standard, at least in most circumstances. Here's the criteria we apply most of the time when we have to delete a post or deal with a person.

A post/person is most likely to be dealt with if it has gross error or heresy. If it's simply someone expressing their view on some side issue or quirky doctrinal thing, we'll usually let it stand.

Also, if someone is making personal attacks, we'll most likely step in and deal with it.

We're not going to step in because someone isn't agreeing with you and you're upset with it. If that is the situation, just step away and calm down.

Also, if someone makes a statement such as, "Jews who don't believe in Jesus are not saved", we're not going to consider it anti-semitic hate speech. We get reports on this stuff ever so often.

3. Moderator involvement and intervention.

We've decided to limit moderator intervention to the things listed above, in most circumstances.

Some people, in the heat of the moment, will contact a moderator, and act like they want more moderator intervention in heated discussions in the forums. Although these calls for more intervention are said with good intentions, I can pretty much guarantee people would be upset if moderators intervened as much as some claim they want us to intervene.

I know in chat, when moderators have tried to be more aggressive in our intervention during discussion of Bible topics, often people will be annoyed and act as if they fear stating their opinion, due to a moderator stepping in. I can only imagine what would happen in the forums.

We're trying our best to balance freedom to discuss, with the reality that mods do need to intervene from time to time.

If someone is preaching gross error, or heresy, or if they are truly personally attacking you, then please report the post. But if someone is not agreeing with you and you're upset with it, then step away and cool your jets.

We could be more aggressive in fighting the perceived turmoil/contention in the forums, but that would result in tighter constraints on opinions expressed. I think the balance we have now is the preferable choice. Plus some people get upset when we do step in, I can only imagine what would happen if we had a heavier footprint than we do now.

Oh yeah, and all spam should be reported. Thanks!

(This post makes no claim to being 100% comprehensive on all the intricacies moderators face in making decisions. It's just to give you a general sense of how we deal with issues. In other words, there may be some stuff I left out.)

[1still_waters]

I'm closing the thread. Mostly because I don't have the time for a pedantic and never ending discourse and or copy and paste extravaganza some may want to engage in on the given topic. I think most can get the general sense at what I'm getting at.