FAQ clarification request

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Keep it civil: Don't engage in personal attacks, name-calling, or blanket generalizations in your discussions. Say how you feel or what you think, but be careful about ascribing motives to the actions of others or telling others how they "should" think. People seeking to engage and discuss will find themselves asking questions, seeking clarifications, and describing their own opinion. People seeking to "win an argument" sometimes end up taking cheap shots, calling people names, and generally trying to indimidate others. My advice: don't try to win.

Keep it clean: Don't use obscenities, don't use clever tricks to run around the profanity filters, and don't link to sites with inappropriate content. The "acid test" we use is the "Grandmother Rule" -- if it would be inappropriate to say to or show to our grandmothers, don't do it. I want a typical 13 year old kid to be able to come here and participate if they want to without feeling uncomfortable. This should be a minor-friendly place. Think about it this way: how do you act around strangers or work acquaintances? You watch your language and you're on your best behavior. That's the ideal we're shooting for here.

Is the spirit or the letter of the above the most important part here? There's been quite a few instances in the last few months of people saying someone is "acting like a ______" and a moderator saying it's fine, whereas when someone else says that someone "is a ______" (the same term, typically) gets slapped down.

If it was just once or twice, I'd think it was the very-human moderators just making a (IMO iffy) judgement call, but it's become something of a pattern, suggesting to me that maybe the above is meant to be taken literally.

I've been a moderator for a large community in the past (ComicBookResources.com), so I appreciate the hassle of trying to be the parent to a whole community, so this isn't a moderator complaint so much as it is me wondering if I'm misunderstanding the FAQ.

 

[Henry]

Spirit is more important than the letter to us; it's difficult enough trying to decide if a community of thousands of daily active members are being civil without a solid-line acid test, much less enforcing a letter of the law, which is where mod judgment calls come in. I don't know if a mod has ever said it's perfectly OK to say, "act like a (child, fool, Burger King)" instead of to BE that thing, but I'd find it more likely if they saw a particular remark and didn't comment on it (because it wasn't very strong in context, or because it was five pages back and the heat of the moment had passed by hours or days, etc.) rather than saying, "ONE's OK, the other's not."

However, I will say that in grammar at high school, I did learn that in writing and speech, it's not considered incorrect to say someone behaved "-ishly" (foolishly, childishly, etc.) as opposed to saying they were "like a fool," or "were a fool." The latter is a lot stronger language than the former.

In final analysis, the spirit is more important, but spirit sometimes gets lost as the community gets larger, leading to mod judgment calls. Letter of the law, however, is more problematic to mods, or to me at least; personally I'm not about to tear my hear out over literal interpreations over something I'm not gettin' paid for, and am doing out of love for the community.

I know that personally, I'll "smack down" more readily over stuff like "you're a fool," or "you're stupid" than stuff like "I find that statement a bit silly" or "that's a foolish premise."

 

[Rel]

Henry, is it okay if I describe a fellow poster as behaving "assishly"?

 

[Henry]

Henry, is it okay if I describe a fellow poster as behaving "assishly"?

Sure, feel free to describe yourself any way you choose!

*rimshot*

 

[Umbran]

It is also important to note that context matters.

We act in the hops of keeping the peace, and making the overall tenor and experience of this place positive. So, where a thread has been, is now, and may be going can all influence moderator decisions. Sometimes a statement can be seen as pretty innocuous, when elsewhere a similar statement may seem pretty nasty.

 

[Morrus]

In all serious, it breaks down to "Rule 0" - whatever the mods feel is necessary to keep the peace and ensure the site is fun for the majority of people. The "letter" of any rules fall a long, long way below that in priority.

I think sometimes people mistake the mods' jobs for one which involves "justice" or somesuch; while they'll try to be fair, that's not their first consideration. The greater good and all that.

 

[BOZ]

We act in the hops of keeping the peace

hop - in the name of peace!

 

[Umbran]

hop - in the name of peace!

Now, let's be careful there. I said "hops". Clearly, I mean that we mods always have a couple beers and are in a mellow mood before we approach the task. Figuratively, I assure you.

 

[EricNoah]

we mods always have a couple beers ...before we approach the task.

That explains a LOT! *hic*

 

[Steverooo]

In all serious, it breaks down to "Rule 0" - whatever the mods feel is necessary to keep the peace and ensure the site is fun for the majority of people.

Yep, that's about the best, most honest summation, right there. That's also the problem. ENWorld is basically a "free" service, provided by volunteers, and they're going to do what they feel like doing, and if someone else thinks it should be done differently, it really doesn't matter. You can like it, or lump it, but complaining about it will just get you a three-day ban from Henry (right, oh many-wived one?)

It's like being invited to a dinner, and then complaining about the food, or the presentation, or whatever. It's probably not going to help change anything for the better. If you really dislike it, you don't have to stay, you can leave.

ENWorld's the same way. You can like it and stay, or lump it and stay, or dislike it and stay, or dislike it and go, or maybe even like it and go, anyway (although why you'd do that I dunno), but you can't really do much to change it. Like anything else, "The Powers That Be" are going to do what they want.