The Moderators • Page 9

I'm going to try harder to be more present as a moderator - although, admittedly, I rarely venture outside of articles and the politics forums.

The biggest thing I would like non-moderators to understand is this: my first step is ALWAYS issuing a warning. It is not helpful to be publicly accused of "doing nothing" simply because the action was initially kept private. That isn't to say there aren't areas where we need to improve and be more proactive - of course there are. Objectivity is a myth and we all have our issues we're more sensitive to/active in combating. There's always improvements to be made and work to be done.

But even as a mod, it is incredibly discouraging to be facing this "damned if I do, damned if I don't" vibe every time I try to "do my job", especially when so many users on here seem to consider themselves above reproach because they're part of the old guard.

That said, again, I acknowledge that I signed up for this. If anyone ever has an issue they don't feel is being addressed, especially in the politics forums, I completely encourage you to message me.

 

Now while I'm still sad that my thread was locked... I have no right to complain about people just doing their job, especially one they do for free. My apologies to @lightning13 . What I posted was petty and antagonistic, and I agree much of the flack you get does seem to have a layer of sexism too it. I am very glad to have such a dedicated moderator in these forums.

 

I'd like to add to the list of people who think lightning has been doing a good job moderating.

 

just wanted to say you rock and i appreciate the work you put into this site

 

Glad we have a space here that opens up room for a dialogue between the community and mods on more general issues. I think there's a benefit to addressing these things publicly in order to create a more inclusive environment, especially with things that @lightning13 addressed, i.e. the moderation being a boys club, in that it allows other users who are reading these things to be more cognizant of them moving forward. Some of the issues brought up here I never would have even considered until reading them, so this is a good thing.

 

I'm glad this dialogue has opened up because I've also been somewhat outspoken about the mods and the community. Like Jacob said above, some of these things I never even considered and I'm glad this is happening. The mods being a boys club definitely holds a lot of merit and should be rectified.

And to @lightning13 @Anna Acosta and @Dominick (even though you arent a mod Dom I still want to throw you in here) I appreciate all of your posts and thoughts and actions and I just appreciate what you all have done and I'm glad I've had the chance to get to know you all.

 

I actually love that these discussions are actively happening because at one point a few years ago, the General forum at AP was a club for a particular group of 'elite members' (or so they thought they were) who basically alienated anyone who wasn't in their circle. It's one of the reasons I stuck to Sports/Entertainment and stayed out of General. I've been a part of this community for 11 years and that was the first time I ever felt uncomfortable to post. The fact that this discussion is happening is proof that this is not how we want Chorus to be and that in itself is a step in the right direction.

I appreciate any and all feedback if someone has an issue with the way I handle anything as a moderator. You can PM me and let me know anytime, I welcome the discussion. I mostly stick to the Sports forum as an area of responsibility, but I browse the entire forum daily so I feel responsible for any and all things that go on, just like the other moderators.

And for anyone who doesn't know me, please get to know me. I'm sort of a nice guy.

 

Ditto. I really am trying to take in all of this information and make myself a better moderator. I genuinely do respond to as many reports as possible that appear while I'm online. I've reached out to @CoffeeEyes17 multiple times about Chorus and its moderators among accusations of racism and sexism. But there's still so much more that can be done, and so many ways to better handle it. I don't know if that means giving up this position to someone who can handle it better or not. It's late, and I need more time to think about this.

In the meantime, I guess I just want to reiterate that anyone who is having specific issues with the moderation or just needs someone to talk to is more than welcome to PM me here, email me, reach out on Facebook or Twitter, wherever works. As a member of the club, per say, I like to think I can handle mental health and LGBTQ+ issues delicately, butmy ears are open regardless of the issue. And I'm sorry if I've failed any of you in my current position as a moderator. Sincerely.

 

has it been long enough since this serious discussion to say that i still volunteer to be the dude that does nothing but change album titles? because there are still album titles out of format and it makes me sad

 

It's unfortunately just part of the sexism that comes with being a woman. Which is why male bosses are referred to as just being firm/stern in their decisions, whereas female bosses get called b*tches or "hormonal" for the same decisions. Obviously I'd like to think that the users here are above that kind of thinking, but we both know this place isn't a vacuum and is just as susceptible to assholes as anywhere else on the internet.

I don't really know what the solution is, but I just want you to be aware that this is the kind of thing that's going to happen to the women on the moderating team frequently. I think the best thing you can do until a better solution is found is to show direct support for decisions made by the women moderators when they're getting shit from users, like Lightning has been. It sucks that I have to suggest a man stepping in to help a woman be taken more seriously but like I said, I really have no idea how to make people not be sexist and shitty.

 

I mean... there are still women from AP.net who no longer use these forums because men (who are still here) have effectively bullied them off. Worth mentioning, people here are by no means above the fray.

 

"When a man gives his opinion, he's a man. When a woman gives her opinion, she's a bitch" - Bette Davis

 

Lightning and Anna are on point. Scott and the guy in the politics forum too. Can we do away with the other mods and get some new ones?

 

So, has anything new been put into place to address some of the criticisms issued in this thread?

 

Also, are y'all going to start handing out warnings and further repercussions for a lot of the passive aggressive and hostile posts and threads, or is nothing going to be done about those? I've done what I was told to do and report them, but nothing ever really happens?

And I very strongly agree with Dom and many others, the mods are a white boys club and we need more diversity.

 

As far as adding more moderators...I'm not sure. But we are all in better communication now and working together to determine the best plan of action in our Slack. lightening and I are working on some issues together. I can PM you after class today.

not all warnings are public, so you won't always see when someone is reprimanded or given points

 

Ahhhh ok, fair enough

 

@Dominick would be a dope mod. what happened to that idea.

 

Quicker Dom becomes a Mod the quicker I betray him.

He's obviously working on a plan to prevent that.

 

Too controversial. (People think I'm racist or something)

The Cask of Amontillado

 

no

@Aaron Mook is a nice person tho

 

imo he's a mook.

 

so is your usertitle

 

Now, now. Back to talking about Dom being a mod and banning Na..er....giving Nate his own section.

 

hmmph.

rude.