Ok I have been a member of this fine forum for a few years now and the journey has not been smooth. I am happy to admit I have made plenty (and I mean plenty) of mistakes and I have a reputation amongst many of being difficult and outspoken. Now I fully acknowledge that this has been the case and I have made concerted efforts to change after warnings, advice etc from moderators. I have had mods help and constructively advise me on my behaviour and I think I have become a better person for this help and advice (no I don't think I have I KNOW I have).
However here is the thing I have also had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of what can only be described as unreasonable behaviour from various Mods on this forum. Now I am talking about behaviour that would definitely have been censored as flaming, trolling or just plain unacceptable from normal everyday members of this forum.
Just recently I was subjected to what basically was a veiled attack from a Mod on this forum and I was going to take it further and complain, but here is the thing, I have no faith that anything would be done about it so I have just left it This is a sad state of affairs but I just feel a fair and unbiased device for reporting Mod behaviour does not exist on this forum.
After all we are all subject to moderation by individuals that on the whole do a bloody good job (and they do, I am not just saying that) But the fact of the matter is that if someone sets themselves up to accept the responsibility to judge another's behaviour and potentially has the power to censure, punish, ban or admonish a member for not meeting said laid down standards of behaviour of the forum, then that person has a duty to behave impeccably and meet if not exceed the same standards of behaviour (in fact it behoves them to exceed said standards by virtue of setting themselves as judges of said behaviour).
After all if they judge then they have to be able to say that they know what is expected and they MUST conform rigidly to that same high standard.
Now I am going to put my head on the block and say that this is not the case with certain un-named members of the mod team and it is not the case by a long way. So I ask what exactly is the procedure for reporting a moderators abuse of his powers or reporting a Moderators non conformation to the rules set out in this forum? Because all I can see is we have to report it to someone higher, oh but that someone higher is a part of the moderator team, is this not what is called a conflict of interest.
So at the risk of making myself more unpopular than I already am with the Mod team I ask these simple questions:
(1) Has anyone else been the recipient of unacceptable behaviour from Mods?
(2) Does anyone else think that the present system for reporting abuse of Mod powers (is there one) is ineffectual and ineffective?
(3) Can anyone actually tell me what the system for reporting a Mod is?
(4) Who moderated the Mods?
As it stands I think the mods on this forum have way to much freedom to just do as they please, I think a double standard applies in that we as the everyday members of the forum are bound by expectations of standards of behaviour, yet these same standards do not seem to apply to the mods and this is unacceptable. The Mods should be setting the example and while the majority do so there is a definite minority that do not and I think they let the forum down.
What do you the members think should be done about this? I think that we should have a system whereby we can provide evidence of any unacceptable Mod behaviour and the Mods should be answerable for their actions. This system I feel does simply not exist a the moment.
Now I know I am going to take flack for this post(what's new he asks wistfully), mostly people saying I am not one to talk for my past actions and that is fine, however if I do need to answer then that is fine, my argument is this though. If I need to answer for unacceptable behaviour that does not meet the forum rules then do not the Mods judging me need to meet this same criteria and if they do not meet said standards then they should not be Mods and we should have some definite means of reporting and enforcing these standards of moderation is that unreasonable?
However here is the thing I have also had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of what can only be described as unreasonable behaviour from various Mods on this forum. Now I am talking about behaviour that would definitely have been censored as flaming, trolling or just plain unacceptable from normal everyday members of this forum.
Just recently I was subjected to what basically was a veiled attack from a Mod on this forum and I was going to take it further and complain, but here is the thing, I have no faith that anything would be done about it so I have just left it This is a sad state of affairs but I just feel a fair and unbiased device for reporting Mod behaviour does not exist on this forum.
After all we are all subject to moderation by individuals that on the whole do a bloody good job (and they do, I am not just saying that) But the fact of the matter is that if someone sets themselves up to accept the responsibility to judge another's behaviour and potentially has the power to censure, punish, ban or admonish a member for not meeting said laid down standards of behaviour of the forum, then that person has a duty to behave impeccably and meet if not exceed the same standards of behaviour (in fact it behoves them to exceed said standards by virtue of setting themselves as judges of said behaviour).
After all if they judge then they have to be able to say that they know what is expected and they MUST conform rigidly to that same high standard.
Now I am going to put my head on the block and say that this is not the case with certain un-named members of the mod team and it is not the case by a long way. So I ask what exactly is the procedure for reporting a moderators abuse of his powers or reporting a Moderators non conformation to the rules set out in this forum? Because all I can see is we have to report it to someone higher, oh but that someone higher is a part of the moderator team, is this not what is called a conflict of interest.
So at the risk of making myself more unpopular than I already am with the Mod team I ask these simple questions:
(1) Has anyone else been the recipient of unacceptable behaviour from Mods?
(2) Does anyone else think that the present system for reporting abuse of Mod powers (is there one) is ineffectual and ineffective?
(3) Can anyone actually tell me what the system for reporting a Mod is?
(4) Who moderated the Mods?
As it stands I think the mods on this forum have way to much freedom to just do as they please, I think a double standard applies in that we as the everyday members of the forum are bound by expectations of standards of behaviour, yet these same standards do not seem to apply to the mods and this is unacceptable. The Mods should be setting the example and while the majority do so there is a definite minority that do not and I think they let the forum down.
What do you the members think should be done about this? I think that we should have a system whereby we can provide evidence of any unacceptable Mod behaviour and the Mods should be answerable for their actions. This system I feel does simply not exist a the moment.
Now I know I am going to take flack for this post(what's new he asks wistfully), mostly people saying I am not one to talk for my past actions and that is fine, however if I do need to answer then that is fine, my argument is this though. If I need to answer for unacceptable behaviour that does not meet the forum rules then do not the Mods judging me need to meet this same criteria and if they do not meet said standards then they should not be Mods and we should have some definite means of reporting and enforcing these standards of moderation is that unreasonable?