I'm sick and tired of macrumors forum…

[Madonepro]

I've been coming to MR, for very long time, but don't post that often anymore. People are too easily offended, and moderation at times can be brutal.
As an example, and yes I waive my right to privacy on this particular post/issue, I had my 'signature' removed, as it was in 'kanjii', and the 'apparent' policy of MR, is English only. I cannot find anywhere this is stated, but can find very many breaches of said policy, and saddened by it. I get that, commenting in English is vital, but a signature? Most that have one, used it for inspirational quotes, sometimes in English, sometimes in Latin etc. Or the banal additions of ancronyms of the apple devices they have. For transparency, I have asked @arn to look at this policy.

 

[Doctor Q]

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share an explanation.

From the Forum Rules:

MacRumors is an English-language site. All posts, signatures, profiles, messages, etc. should be written in English.​

Madonepro's signature was presumably a fine message, but did not comply with the rule, so the moderators removed the signature and sent a message saying

This is a reminder from the MacRumors moderator team that MacRumors is an English-language site. All posts, signatures, profiles, messages, etc. should be written in English.​

There's a reason for the rule. It was established because other users could skirt the rules against insults, hate speech, and highly inflammatory messages by using other languages. That includes signatures and any text in avatars. It's not practical for the moderators to be responsible for translating and interpreting messages in other languages.

We know that it's a tradeoff, since the rule prevents problems but requires users who are not native English writers to translate their own content into English. (Incidentally, that's why the Forum Rules also say "There is no need to point out another poster's spelling or grammatical errors unless you think it is causing confusion. Remember that not all members are native English speakers.")

Breaches of said policy can be reported. The moderators do not see every post, but they review every post report. Note that well-known foreign-language phrases commonly used in English (e.g., c'est la vie) are not a problem.

 

[justperry]

Hats off to the OP, I am off to somewhere else too, had it with this site rules and moderation, and then some shills.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share an explanation.

From the Forum Rules:

MacRumors is an English-language site. All posts, signatures, profiles, messages, etc. should be written in English.​

If it is important then replace the word "should" with the word "must".

The word 'should' is used for actions/responsibilities/duties that what one thinks is best for the concerned subject. The word 'must' is used for actions/responsibilities/duties that are considered compulsory/necessary.

 

[russell_314]

Hats off to the OP, I am off to somewhere else too, had it with this site rules and moderation, and then some shills.

It’s always sad to see people leave. I think sometimes taking a break can be helpful.

I think if you can follow two basic methods, you can avoid most trouble with moderators.

The first is don’t talk about the person but rather just discuss the item. For example, if someone says the MacBook Air is cheaply made I could say no that’s dumb or you’re wrong, but that’s talking about the person. I will say my experience with the MacBook Air is positive and I find it well built. That person can disagree with my opinion, but he can’t say I said something offensive to him.

The second one is avoid the politics forums. I don’t 100% stick to this rule but it’s 99% for me. People that can moderate political issues without bias don’t exist. They are one side or the other and if you’re on the opposite side, you’re wrong. If you want to discuss politics without being dinged, find a platform that isn’t strictly moderated. There’s a popular one out there, I don’t need to mention it. MacRumors is best for discussing Apple products and other tech gadgets.

I think if you try to follow these two methods you’ll find it’s more enjoyable here. At least this has worked for me. Maybe someone else could chime in with their approaches to having a good experience in the forums?

 

[maflynn]

I think if you try to follow these two methods you’ll find it’s more enjoyable here

I don't think those issues you mentioned are an issue for the members in this thread, i.e., they can avoid getting personal and/or avoid talking about politics. Its rather what they perceive as uneven application of the rules, letting some posts go untouched and other posts getting hit hard with a response that may be outsized for the offense.

I'm not defending nor accusing the moderators, just pointing out that this topic and, the complaints appear with alarming regularity. I'm not casting any aspersions towards the complainers nor defenders, just pointing out this topic is not new and occurs fairly regularly.

I think we all are imperfect and I can say as an ex-moderator, I failed at times (more times then I'd like to admit) but its interesting to see how things are perceived after being on the inside and now the outside.

 

[svenmany]

I don't think those issues you mentioned are an issue for the members in this thread, i.e., they can avoid getting personal and/or avoid talking about politics. Its rather what they perceive as uneven application of the rules, letting some posts go untouched and other posts getting hit hard with a response that may be outsized for the offense.

I agree that some people are focusing on the uneven application of rules. But there are others who are bothered by their own posts being removed or a perceived heavy-handedness of the moderation. The OP is an example of that.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I also think that many are not understanding when a thread is pruned back to a certain point, only one person really was to blame, but the posts of others were collateral damage. I wonder of people are mistaking when they are collateral damage and when they are the reason the thread was pruned.

 

[russell_314]

I don't think those issues you mentioned are an issue for the members in this thread, i.e., they can avoid getting personal and/or avoid talking about politics. Its rather what they perceive as uneven application of the rules, letting some posts go untouched and other posts getting hit hard with a response that may be outsized for the offense.

I'm not defending nor accusing the moderators, just pointing out that this topic and, the complaints appear with alarming regularity. I'm not casting any aspersions towards the complainers nor defenders, just pointing out this topic is not new and occurs fairly regularly.

I think we all are imperfect and I can say as an ex-moderator, I failed at times (more times then I'd like to admit) but its interesting to see how things are perceived after being on the inside and now the outside.

Well even judges that decide if people spend time in prison are sometimes not completely neutral. I suspect MacRumors moderators don’t get paid nearly as much.

What do you think is the answer to this? I think any human is going to have some bias and won’t always be fair. Maybe AI will take over eventually?

My suggestions were just to avoid some of the touchy subjects that could cause mods to become upset and enforce rules. Maybe this isn’t the solution for everyone though

 

[russell_314]

I also think that many are not understanding when a thread is pruned back to a certain point, only one person really was to blame, but the posts of others were collateral damage. I wonder of people are mistaking when they are collateral damage and when they are the reason the thread was pruned.

I’ve become collateral damage, but not in such a way that I got suspended or anything. It would just say my post was removed due to I quoted another post. I forget the exact terminology. That’s never bothered me and usually I forgot what the reply was anyway because I couldn’t look at what I said or replied to.

 

[svenmany]

I’ve become collateral damage, but not in such a way that I got suspended or anything. It would just say my post was removed due to I quoted another post. I forget the exact terminology. That’s never bothered me and usually I forgot what the reply was anyway because I couldn’t look at what I said or replied to.

That happened to me recently. I noticed the comment from the moderator said something about my post being a response to something removed. I don't remember the wording.

 

[Weaselboy]

The message is typically "Reply to moderated post."

Unfortunately, the forum software does not tell you which post it was, so it can be a bit of a mystery.

 

[russell_314]

That happened to me recently. I noticed the comment from the moderator said something about my post being a response to something removed. I don't remember the wording.

Yeah, you can’t stress about it too much. The way I look at it is sometimes you have to test the smoke detectors. If all your posts are perfect and never noticed by the mods then how do you know there is even a mod team? 😂

 

[rukind2]

…and its moderators suspending me for breaking the forum rules. For stupid, silly little reasons that I won't go into here, because I post this not to argue about it, I just want to explain why you won't be seeing me much on the forums from now on. If you're a moderator, I'm sure you will be able to find the reasons for my suspensions, and what posts triggered them.

I feel I'm being treated like a child and I feel unwelcome. Anyone who has seen my posts in the forums I'm sure will agree with me that I have always been polite, positive and constructive. I have many years of experience and knowledge that I've tried to share with the community, but this last suspension was the last straw.

I will no longer participate in the forums like I have before. IMO, it's macrumors and its forum users' loss, not mine.

I've never seen a forum run in such an authoritarian way.

The irony, of course, is that the mods allowed you to post your feelings/opinion about their actions, and the lively discourse that followed in this thread.