Request

[Cadence]

Right. And that’s the problem. I’m not interested in talking about this mod enforcing the rules. I am curious about this mod breaking the rules. Telling a poster to “go get a snickers” is not something anyone else would get away with. We all know that. That’s a problem. The mods should not be above the rules.

When I first read the post being discussed, I took the "snickers" line to be similar in spirt to dial it back and maybe take a break - but in a less formal way. And so that didn't feel inappropriate to me for a mod to say.

In the follow up, I went and googled it later and was surprised that "Have a snickers" was a lot stronger than that on the Urban Dictionary ("eat a snickers" was less strong).

 

[John R Davis]

It is one of the big issues.... What words actually mean nowadays, and how they translate across boundaries, cultures, countries, etc. I get very confused with a lot of turns of phrase

 

[Alzrius]

When I first read the post being discussed, I took the "snickers" line to be similar in spirt to dial it back and maybe take a break - but in a less formal way. And so that didn't feel inappropriate to me for a mod to say.

In the follow up, I went and googled it later and was surprised that "Have a snickers" was a lot stronger than that on the Urban Dictionary ("eat a snickers" was less strong).

Hence why I suggested a public apology, since as @overgeeked pointed out, that's the sort of thing that would get someone else slapped down by the mods, and as such it sends a rather poor message when the mods themselves break the rules they're supposed to be enforcing with impunity.

But apparently, a single instance of a mod saying "sorry, I went too far" in front of everyone is the same thing as having no mods at all.

 

[FrogReaver]

Right. And that’s the problem. I’m not interested in talking about this mod enforcing the rules. I am curious about this mod breaking the rules. Telling a poster to “go get a snickers” is not something anyone else would get away with. We all know that. That’s a problem. The mods should not be above the rules.

Go eat a snickers

IMO. There’s no perfect way to tell someone they are behaving badly. Often a bit of humor can make the correction more palatable, but it does risk coming across snarky. I think we should give the mods posts even more grace than we believe our own posts deserve.

 

[overgeeked]

Go eat a snickers

I look forward to this becoming the new mod-approved snark of the forum.

IMO. There’s no perfect way to tell someone they are behaving badly.

You just did. “You’re behaving badly. Stop.” It’s not rocket surgery.

Often a bit of humor can make the correction more palatable

I’ve only ever seen it escalate the situation and cause tension. Snark is snark. Red text or no.

I think we should give the mods posts even more grace than we believe our own posts deserve.

I’m the opposite. The mods set the example. They have the power to silence and boot people. If anything they should be held to a higher standard rather than a lower one.

 

[FrogReaver]

rocket surgery.

I will be using this all the time now!

 

[FrogReaver]

I’m the opposite. The mods set the example. They have the power to silence and boot people. If anything they should be held to a higher standard rather than a lower one.

I agree here but I think that they are held to a higher standard.

 

[Alzrius]

I agree here but I think that they are held to a higher standard.

Personally speaking, I haven't seen anything to suggest this, versus several examples that suggest the opposite, of which Snarf's leaving is only the latest.

Now, it's possible that there are internal conversations going on among the mods about this, but that's not exactly helpful for the wider community. If improvements are made completely out of the public eye, then as far as everyone else is concerned they might as well not exist. The appearance of propriety (and impropriety) is quite often just as important as propriety itself.

 

[Umbran]

Right. And that’s the problem.

Sorry. But we still won't be discussing individual moderator actions in public.

 

[Umbran]

You just did. “You’re behaving badly. Stop.” It’s not rocket surgery.

No, it isn't rocket surgery. It is human behavior which is even more complicated.

When we are blunt and direct, people complain that we have no sense of humor. When we display a sense of humor, people complain like you are doing now.

There is no one perfect approach to moderation that won't cheese anyone off, ever.