MacRumors LGBT+ article policy - disabling/deleting comments

[Jumpthesnark]

Go to a site that caters to political discussion.

This site already hosts many many many non-tech discussions. Interesting that with so many of those topics being related to dating, etc., our mere existence is somehow a "political" discussion.

EDIT: Sorry, I posted accidentally when I was searching for the link, and this reply was originally a sentence fragment by mistake.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Go to a site that caters to political discussion.

Discussing Apple Pride watchbands on an Apple centric fan site shouldn't require going to any other sites, nor should that topic qualify as "political"

The only thing making it controversial is a certain type of user who can't comport themselves in a diverse and accepting way without, apparently, resorting to some form of bigotry.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

Bigot and toxic NT should be banned. I have enough in the community and should be screened out in Macrumors. I create this account few days ago after watching forum for a decade and Reddit was great to the childish sandbox.

Discussing Apple Pride watchbands on an Apple centric fan site shouldn't require going to any other sites, nor should that topic qualify as "political"

The only thing making it controversial is a certain type of user who can't comport themselves in a diverse and accepting way without, apparently, resorting to some form of bigotry.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

This site already hosts many many many non-tech discussions. Interesting that with so many of those topics being related to dating, etc., our mere existence is somehow a "political" discussion.

EDIT: Sorry, I posted accidentally when I was searching for the link, and this reply was originally a sentence fragment by mistake.

I don't want trolls to downvote my post because I am atypical guy; Reddit is toxic.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

Here's a previous discussion related to your post, if you haven't already seen it:

Is Science now considered PRSI?

In a thread talking about the miami building collapse, I posted these are the effects of climate change As one who holds a graduate degree in atmospheric science and engineering, this is true and really not up for debate in the scientific community. is discussing science now taboo in current...

forums.macrumors.com

I want civil debates. MacRumors is getting better.

 

[Madhatter32]

The only thing making it controversial is a certain type of user who can't comport themselves in a diverse and accepting way without, apparently, resorting to some form of bigotry.

Agreed. I do not see a lot of the user names that used to frequent the PSRI forum to spew their hateful and divisive commentary so, net-net, getting rid of that area was for the good. I think disabling comments serves a similar purpose. It you want controversy ... take it elsewhere. I see nothing wrong with a policy that is intended to promote harmony and avoid unnecessary controversy. This site, I believe, is intended to create community -- not conflict.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

Agreed. I do not see a lot of the user names that used to frequent the PSRI forum to spew their hateful and divisive commentary so, net-net, getting rid of that area was for the good. I think disabling comments serves a similar purpose. It you want controversy ... take it elsewhere. I see nothing wrong with a policy that is intended to promote harmony and avoid unnecessary controversy. This site, I believe, is intended to create community -- not conflict.

How?

 

[Madhatter32]

How?

Prohibiting topic discussions that are likely to go far outside the scope and purpose of the site is a good place to start I think.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Agreed. I do not see a lot of the user names that used to frequent the PSRI forum to spew their hateful and divisive commentary so, net-net, getting rid of that area was for the good

Getting rid of the users spewing hate was the net net win, not shutting down the whole area necessarily.
PRSI was a different thing altogether though as it was full of stuff that was all over the topic spectrum

We are specifically talking about an extremely Apple centric topic (their own Pride watch bands)

I absolutely do not agree with shutting down comments on a topic that is so specifically relevant to this forum, its users and its purpose (discussion of all things Apple)

 

[Gk200062YVR]

Getting rid of the users spewing hate was the net net win, not shutting down the whole area necessarily.
PRSI was a different thing altogether though as it was full of stuff that was all over the topic spectrum

We are specifically talking about an extremely Apple centric topic (their own Pride watch bands)

I absolutely don’t agree with shutting down comments on a topic that is so specifically relevant to this forum, its users and its purpose (discussion of all things Apple)

Why punish LGBT and atypical guys/gals who want to have a discussion on tech? Especially, I am sure that there are a few toxic people hate us.

 

[Madhatter32]

Getting rid of the users spewing hate was the net net win, not shutting down the whole area necessarily.
PRSI was a different thing altogether though as it was full of stuff that was all over the topic spectrum

We are specifically talking about an extremely Apple centric topic (their own Pride watch bands)

I absolutely do not agree with shutting down comments on a topic that is so specifically relevant to this forum, its users and its purpose (discussion of all things Apple)

I guess we disagree. I mean I agree with your sentiments -- don't get me wrong. But the reality is that the Pride bands give rise to discussions that open the door for all kinds of crazy comments. Why not just report on it and let it be. The Pride band is the Pride band. There is no need to solicit discussion about whether someone is for or against them. Opening up discussion on it is just an invitation and open door for incendiary comments which are not welcomed and create unnecessary conflict in the community. That is just the reality of internet discussion forums.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

I guess we disagree. I mean I agree with your sentiments -- don't get me wrong. But the reality is that the Pride bands give rise to discussions that open the door for all kinds of crazy comments. Why not just report on it and let it be. The Pride band is the Pride band. There is no need to solicit discussion about whether someone is for or against them. Opening up discussion on it is just an invitation and open door for incendiary comments which are not welcomed and create unnecessary conflict in the community. That is just the reality of internet discussion forums.

Umm, that is the mod's job to become an electronic version of bouncers - any trolling and mean-sprit language will kick out of the site w/o a grace period.

 

[turbineseaplane]

But the reality is that the Pride bands give rise to discussions that open the door for all kinds of crazy comments.

You moderate users who do that

You don’t shut down comments

Think about it…it’s very discriminatory to certain users/groups of people to just “shut it down” due to some crazies or bigots.

You moderate those users.

Letting bigots dictate what we can talk about is a moderation decision

 

[Gk200062YVR]

You moderate users who do that

You don’t shut down comments

Think about it…it’s very discriminatory to certain users/groups of people to just “shut it down” due to some crazies or bigots.

You moderate those users.

Letting bigots dictate what we can talk about is a moderation decision

That's what Reddit is becoming; it is unbearable like u/Aspergers

 

[turbineseaplane]

That's what Reddit is becoming; it is unbearable like u/Aspergers

I’ve always had a reasonable time on Reddit, but I admittedly don’t engage with very many subs…and I block at the first sign of any bad behavior. I honestly do that here as well, but I do revisit those decisions from time to time also.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

I’ve always had a reasonable time on Reddit, but I admittedly don’t engage with very many subs…and I block at the first sign of any bad behavior. I honestly do that here as well, but I do revisit those decisions from time to time also.

Talking about behavior issues and jobs support and someone downvote the thread.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Talking about behavior issues and jobs support and someone downvote the thread.

Yeah. I hear ya.

I’ve seen strange downvoting behavior on Reddit for sure.

 

[Madhatter32]

Umm, that is the mod's job to become an electronic version of bouncers - any trolling and mean-sprit language will kick out of the site w/o a grace period.

I understand and agree totally. But I also remember the PSRI. It was a very ugly place. Hatred literally everywhere and from all sides. The most hateful things were being said (to me and others) -- couched in a way to avoid moderation. It apparently was not possible to moderate effectively so they just got rid of it. Some of those users have left now (at least I never notice their posts) so they can't spew their hatred. It's been a much better place since. Why should this site invite such commentary again by opening topics where it is foreseeable to lead to controversy?

 

[Gk200062YVR]

I understand and agree totally. But I also remember the PSRI. It was a very ugly place. Hatred literally everywhere and from all sides. The most hateful things were being said (to me and others) -- couched in a way to avoid moderation. It apparently it was not possible to moderate effectively so they just got rid of it. Some of those users have left now (at least I never notice their posts) so they can't spew their hatred. It's been a much better place since. Why should this site invite such commentary again by opening topics where it is foreseeable to lead to controversy?

@Madhatter32 Sorry you have to deal it; I have to deal with families and HR and directors.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

I guess we disagree. I mean I agree with your sentiments -- don't get me wrong. But the reality is that the Pride bands give rise to discussions that open the door for all kinds of crazy comments. Why not just report on it and let it be. The Pride band is the Pride band. There is no need to solicit discussion about whether someone is for or against them. Opening up discussion on it is just an invitation and open door for incendiary comments which are not welcomed and create unnecessary conflict in the community. That is just the reality of internet discussion forums.

So...let the people with the crazy comments have that kind of power? Let them have editorial control?

What if we extended that to society at large? “Oh someone will say something crazy, so no more free speech people. Just stay in your houses and be silent!”

That’s not a solution. That’s waving the white flag of surrender.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

So...let the people with the crazy comments have that kind of power? Let them have editorial control?

What if we extended that to society at large? “Oh someone will say something crazy, so no more free speech people. Just stay in your houses and be silent!”

That’s not a solution. That’s waving the white flag of surrender.

@Madhatter32 talks about being like Reddit - inappropriate in Arnold Kim's business.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Why should this site invite such commentary again by opening topics where it is foreseeable to lead to controversy?

Controversy is fine. Discussion and debate are fine.
That's part and parcel with discussion forums.

Throwing up hands in the air and just giving up is not fine and defies any logic of why a discussion forum even exists.

Again - the PRSI comparison is not a good one.

We are specifically talking about Apple topics -- Apple products in fact

 

[CarlJ]

Reddit is junk now. At least, Macrumors act like more grownups.

OMG, thank you! I needed a good laugh today!

I've had a lot of detailed, sensitive, rational, involved discussions on Reddit, over the years. As well as a lot of laughs.

I have also had numerous rational discussions at length on MacRumors - as is evidenced in this very thread. But I have seen way more drive-by hit-pieces, casual (and not so casual) racism / xenophobia / homophobia / transphobia / misogyny, constant griefing, and loudmouth *******s here on MacRumors. And a lot more people looking to turn any thread into a soapbox for their political or religious views, when that's not what the article was about.

And I've never seen a thread on Reddit preemptively locked for comments, no matter how sensitive the topic. It's been pretty damn rare that I've had to report a comment on Reddit. I've had to report quite a few more comments here. (probably less than 10 on Reddit in the last decade, at least a hundred on MacRumors in the same time - and no, I don't report comments because I disagree with them - heck, I've reported comments where I say, "look I strongly agree with their overall message, but this way of saying it breaks forum rules".) MacRumors is much more toxic than Reddit.

A few months ago, one particular thread on a subreddit I frequent over on Reddit, seem to draw a lot of homophobic and transphobic comments, and the mods shut that down hard - they deleted every single comment that crossed the line - and posted a pinned comment saying cut that **** out, it doesn't fly here - but they did not lock the thread. Not before, not after. And that incident stands out in my mind because it was a single outburst in the past year. I've seen dozens on MacRumors in the same time.

MacRumors has had constant problems with this kind of behavior, over the past few years, and I think a large factor is the amount of tiptoeing around the admins/mods do lest they upset the feelings of the *******s.

 

[turbineseaplane]

@CarlJ

Great post
I agree with you on the handling here

It's important to keep things open and discussions going and do the moderation of the users/comments, or you never actually get real change.

Just "turning off comments in advance" is a road to nowhere ultimately.

 

[Gk200062YVR]

OMG, thank you! I needed a good laugh today!

I've had a lot of detailed, sensitive, rational, involved discussions on Reddit, over the years. As well as a lot of laughs.

I have also had numerous rational discussions at length on MacRumors - as is evidenced in this very thread. But I have seen way more drive-by hit-pieces, casual (and not so casual) racism / xenophobia / homophobia / transphobia / misogyny, constant griefing, and loudmouth *******s here on MacRumors. And a lot more people looking to turn any thread into a soapbox for their political or religious views, when that's not what the article was about.

And I've never seen a thread on Reddit preemptively locked for comments, no matter how sensitive the topic. It's been pretty damn rare that I've had to report a comment on Reddit. I've had to report quite a few more comments here. MacRumors is much more toxic than Reddit.

A few months ago, one particular thread on a subreddit I frequent over there, seem to draw a lot of homophobic and transphobic comments, and the mods shut that down hard - they deleted every single comment that crossed the line - and posted a pinned comment saying cut that **** out, it doesn't fly here - but they did not lock the thread. Not before, not after. And that incident stands out in my mind because it was a single outburst in the past year. I've seen dozens on MacRumors in the same time.

MacRumors has had constant problems with this kind of behavior, over the past few years, and I think a large factor is the amount of tiptoeing around they do lest they upset the feelings of the *******s.

@CarlJ Remember some toxic people go to u/Aspergers and hurt our community.