The moderation records show that prior to your temporary suspension, you were warned twice for insults.
Which I have never disputed (and you can verify this) because those warnings were deserved. However, it's been quite some time since both of them occurred (and ages since they "expired"), because I have made it a point to take my frustration out with logic and reason in PRSI. Again, I've never questioned those warnings. They were fair, and honestly, worth it at the time, especially the DL insult.
annk said:
The records also note an insulting comment you posted on the same day you made the comment that caused the temporary suspension, but no further action was taken because your account was already suspended, and because the suspension was longer than what would've been usual in another situation.
You're correct, no record of this was made clear to me - and yes, I'd like to know what the insulting comment was. Please PM me. So you found this comment after I was already suspended? I don't really understand, unless there was a delay in reading some of my posts after I was already suspended? It was also never mentioned while I was discussing my suspension with a mod, so that's a bit curious to me.
annk said:
A side note, that might be interesting since we're discussing moderation: you received warnings right off the bat and not reminders. I haven't checked the dates, but I suspect this is because the first violations occurred before we went over from the infraction/warning system to the milder reminder/warning system.
Also because as I said, I haven't had a warning in quite some time. Another reason why the immediate week suspension was extremely lame in my opinion. And if I hadn't gone to the trouble to explain my position in several emails, the week would have held up.
annk said:
If you had had your first violation today (in the post in question, you called another member a "douche lord"), in most cases you would have only received a reminder. The second violation, also an insult, would have escalated to a warning. (However, it should be noted that when the violation falls under "instantly bannable offenses", a moderator may choose to issue a warning immediately).
Again, fine, I'm not arguing about direct insults. I get that.
annk said:
Normal escalation after two warnings would have been a short time-out, not a week. However, your violation was in PRSI, a forum we know from experience gets much worse immediately before and after major political events (in this case, the US election). For that reason the moderation right then was stricter than usual. When you contacted us about it, however, we discussed it, and agreed that while there was no reason to reverse it, it was reasonable to reduce it to two days. Since it had already been in effect for two days, it was lifted.
See, applying different rules for different forums/discussion times/etc. is an unnecessary slippery slope in my opinion. Either stick to the outlined guidelines which you keep explaining, or hands off completely (which, like Moyank, I favor in PRSI). All this does is create confusion and annoyance with no outlet. Using the "contact" form is not a good place to discuss moderation in my opinion. In the first place, action has already been taken. And I'm sure the moderator felt the action was correct, so the uphill battle is to convince them they're wrong? That's akin to trying to convince a police officer you don't deserve a ticket. Unless it's obviously and via outlined guidelines unfair, as in my case, I doubt many infractions would be changed or handled differently.
annk said:
I understand the desire for fairness, and appreciate the time and energy members are putting into this discussion. I would however feel better about it if there were just a bit more balance (= if more members were able to say "yes, I did break the rule, sorry about that). To be frank, I see more placing of responsibility on others, than the taking of responsibility for one's own actions. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be held accountable for how moderation is done. I'm just saying that forum participation is a two-way street.
So I'll throw that out there as food for thought. *insert thoughtful smiley here*
As I said, I have never argued my two warnings for insults. From my perspective, here I am a contributing member, and I express some annoyance at the uneven handing out of TOs and I get a week's suspension. And yes, I agree with the two way street analogy, which is why I'm even bothering to discuss this.
However, as it stands, it is not a two way street. It's a bunch of traffic cops vs. a group of motorists - all of the power lies with the cops. And the "contact us" form is a terrible way to discuss ongoing moderation.
That said, I have no wish to keep wondering if this thread will be locked and I'll be banned, so I'm finished here. My final comment is that I'm am extremely not a fan of the heavy handed moderation lately. annk, I would still like that PM when you have a chance.
