I want to respond to what you said C00kie, but this also goes to everyone who's interested in this discussion. Any criticism on my points is welcome.
On threads going off topic (derailment):
There seems to be confusion around the issue. That's either because of a lack of clear line between what counts as derailment and what doesnt, or that line is poorly placed. The latter seems more likely acording to my experience. There have been instances where people percieve a clarification question (and the conversation that comes out of it) as a derailment. That should certainly not happen.
The purpose of moderation is simple: to ensure that site rules are followed so that everyone can enjoy a safe and positive space. These rules aren’t complex but are designed to maintain respect and safety for all members.
This is perhaps the most importand thing to talk about. You (the mods) are honestly doing an excelent job here, and i mean this sincerely. The cases in which a mistake happens from your side (and acording to the objectives you have as moderators) are too rare to account for the frustration people have.
To cut a long story short, i think the very goals of the rules, which you enforce, are not great. There is a lot of nuance that is not taken into account by them. I see that this domain (of community management) has been investigated on a very surface level only. Thats not specific to FF thought. The majority of online communities of all kinds seems to suffer from this. Its just that usually the problem doesnt manifest since conversations on issues that demand a more developed ability to think and communicate, dont really happen. But this also means that when such a conversation does take place, the reaction is usually to shut it down.
Recently, several threads have been closed due to veering off-topic. Our moderators are doing their job by enforcing the guidelines we’ve set. The goal isn’t to stifle discussion, but to prevent unproductive exchanges that can lead to frustration or arguments. When conversations stray from the topic, they often devolve into back-and-forth disagreements that derail genuine discussion. In these cases, closing the thread is sometimes necessary to prevent escalation and ensure the forums remain constructive.
Again, thats the right uproach acording to the rules, but often the participands may end up going in the other direction, which is to settle the matter they disagree on!
And there is something else to be said here. Even if the argument escalates, shutting it down is nothing more than a symptomatic treatement. It doesnt solve any problems, and in fact makes them worse by making them more unoticeable (because the way to notice a problem is through the symptoms it causes) and thus reducing the likelyhood of them being fixed.
(I dont have something to add/say about the next paragrpah, i skip it here. The one after it contains multiple points which i will have to break down a little bit!)
Finally, I want to remind everyone of the importance in online communication. Without the benefit of facial expressions or tone of voice, written words can sometimes come across more harshly than intended.[quote/]
People decide (usually uncocniously) how to interpret words. In enviroments where people are not concious of how they decide this, it is often the case that some thing will necesarily have to be said, that will innevitably make someone react in an unproductive way.
Also, tone policing (which is something that happens in most online communities) is really bad for a couple reasons. The one in best aware of, is that it encourages people who behave abuively to mask their behavior. That innevidably makes moderation more difficult.
[quote]While I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, I understand how sensitive topics can lead to passionate discussions. Let’s all be mindful of how we communicate with one another. If you think someone or something is inappropriate or breaking site rules, please highlight it with a moderator through the various tools.[quote/]
Well... lets call things by their names; there is no such thing as a sensitive topic, it is a very common misconception. The very phrase doesnt even make sense, if you notice. You can say that some people are less able to discuss these, which immedientaly opens up an other, and i think better, way of handling this issue.
[quote]We do monitor the site daily, but with thousands of members and just a few of us, it can be a challenge to catch everything right away. Your help in self-moderating the community is incredibly valuable. Reporting issues when you see them allows us to respond more effectively, and working together is the best way to ensure this space remains enjoyable for everyone.
Last point, any kind of self-moderation would be *massively* helped with a code of conduct that will go in adequate depth. We do not have tha
