thegreekdog wrote:(1) Someone being "intentionally annoying" is subjective. Some posters may find a user to be intentionally annoying, while others may not.
Certainly true, and I believe that this particular "guideline" would only apply to the most egregious of circumstances for exactly that reason. For instance, pimpdave's incessant "Tea Party Death Squad" threads...is there really ANY question he wasn't just trying to be intentionally annoying?
thegreekdog wrote:(2) Bigotry should not be subjective and there should be concrete rules on what is not acceptable. However, bigotry is subjective. Someone said this in another thread: an American may not find the word "Paki" to be objectionable. But it is to a whole lot of people. I also don't want to chill any speech on race, religion, etc. So, bigotry is going to be subjective.
What you say is true. And yet, intent and context do explain most instances where real bigotry is being displayed. If there is a question about it, then it shouldn't be handled as a punishment...but far too often, there really isn't a question about it but the term used "just wasn't on the list"...that kind of crap really has to stop.
thegreekdog wrote:(3) Flaming is also very subjective. I believe that flaming happens when someone is truly bothered by what someone else posts about them. For example, you might tell me to f*ck off. That doesn't bother me. If it truly bothers someone else, I think that's flaming. Total subjectivity.
I tend to think that flaming ISN'T particularly subjective, to be honest. Being insulting isn't flaming. What I engaged in toward pimpdave in the thread about my cadets...that was flaming. The real problem on this subject is the massive lack of consistency involved...when someone has a target on their backs, simple insults are marked as flaming whereas far worse statements being made about someone by a moderator-friendly individual are completely overlooked.
thegreekdog wrote:I think that people complain about moderation because it's easy to complain about.
Perhaps in many cases what you say is true, but it is not with me. I used to be a hardened supporter of the moderators on this site. I am now amongst the most critical. I'm far from the only one, as I could point to a number of high-ranked and high-visibility users who feel the same way I do about the moderation on this site. If many of the vocal and ardent supporters have been turned against the moderation team, then I would suggest to you that there is more fire than smoke involved.
thegreekdog wrote:For example (and as I've argued before), if I were to make a very strict interpretation of trolling as being intentionally annoying and applied it with consistency to all users, we would have little participation in the forum because everyone would be on three months bans.
I disagree completely. I am absolutely of the opinion that such a thing wouldn't happen at all and I believe you are completely off-base. I have BECOME a sarcastic, biting annoying bitch of a poster BECAUSE I am so frustrated at the lack of action taken against those who troll so blatantly. Look at the first two years of my posts...see the difference. I was CREATED by the lack of action. (Note that I am not meaning to blame the site and not myself for my inflammatory statements, trolling, or otherwise over-the-borderline statements, merely making a point of some culpability by the site.)
Frankly, I am and have been on other fora who do take that strong stance and they manage quite well.
thegreekdog wrote:That's my interpretation of things and I am only speaking for myself, not all the other moderators. I'm sure they have their own, differing, interpretations.
I appreciate that you're giving your view of things, and I am at least not taking it as a "moderator stance" but only as a "thegreekdog stance".