Does anyone else feel like the moderators either play favorites or that they treat this forum more like a dictatorship than they should?

So many deleted comments and topics in some cases, and other times when things should certainly be moderated, they are allowed to persist.

As I am not the only one who has fell victim to it, I was wondering who else thinks it's a little out of control (or maybe to lenient for the select few).

"Site Related" would have been the forum to post this in.

I actually think moderation has mellowed a bit last few years. I would like to see less trolling and name calling. It's getting old.

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

You've broken about 19 different rules with this post.

Take an hour and read through the new volume of rules they've come up with after toiling for months over something that didn't need to be done.

CCGPV wrote:

You've broken about 19 different rules with this post.

Take an hour and read through the new volume of rules they've come up with after toiling for months over something that didn't need to be done.

The description of the particular forum in case you missed it.

"This forum is for topics not related to aviation. It can be anything really, reflections on why you think Microsoft is a cool company to why you'll never buy a Nissan. This is the only forum where political comments are allowed. This is also the forum to organize Airliners.net meetings and events."

DiamondFlyer wrote:

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

I guess everyone has their opinion. I think there are to many labels pushed on people already to partake in it, but to each his own.

I tend to stay away from the political posts because that's where most of the bile and sewage condenses.

DiamondFlyer wrote:

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

I'd say they've been excessively kind to the cowardly gunwanks with the moderation and comment deletion. Strong people should be able to handle strong words after all.

bagoldex wrote:

DiamondFlyer wrote:

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

I'd say they've been excessively kind to the cowardly gunwanks with the moderation and comment deletion. Strong people should be able to handle strong words after all.

Amen to that. This subforum is not regularly “patrolled,” as others, so if any posts are deleted it’s due to “offended” individuals suggesting as such. I, for one, have never used that option, no matter how “offensive” some of the comments may have been. There’s someone in this thread who I am all too aware has an itchy mouse finger, and I can assure you ImProudImADeltaDiamond he doesn’t have a liberal agenda to push.

[quote=“Andre3K”]I tend to stay away from the political posts because that's where most of the bile and sewage condenses.[/quote]

A man of hyperbolically strong opinions I see? That might have a bit to do with it.

bagoldex wrote:

DiamondFlyer wrote:

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

I'd say they've been excessively kind to the cowardly gunwanks with the moderation and comment deletion. Strong people should be able to handle strong words after all.

They enjoy the bureaucracy of it. Just go read the new rules post. They talk like they had meeting after meeting and agonized over the rules for months and months when none of it is necessary and the new rules won't change a thing.

No other forum I visit has such an extensive set of rules that the mods don't even enforce and when they do its often retaliatory and based on their own viewpoints. Its amazing.

bagoldex wrote:

DiamondFlyer wrote:

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

I'd say they've been excessively kind to the cowardly gunwanks with the moderation and comment deletion. Strong people should be able to handle strong words after all.

Name calling and strong words are two different things.

Dont you kiddies have a safe space to bugger off to?

Andre3K wrote:

Does anyone else feel like the moderators either play favorites or that they treat this forum more like a dictatorship than they should?

Yes. That is how life works. This forum is a small slice of (mostly) American society. So what?

So many deleted comments and topics in some cases, and other times when things should certainly be moderated, they are allowed to persist.

Like life.

From one of my favorite movies "To Wong Foo..." Ignore Adversity.

As I am not the only one who has fell victim to it, I was wondering who else thinks it's a little out of control (or maybe to lenient for the select few).

I have had some of my posts deleted. I have been called on things without my name being mentioned. So what? This is not my personal space. I get it. There are so many things I want to say to so many people. But I don't because of decency and because I want to keep posting here. So what? Ignore it. Do what I do:

Cancel those subscriptions because I am over those issues!

coolian2 wrote:

Dont you kiddies have a safe space to bugger off to?

Considering the kind of thread that gets locked i have the feeling that some posters quite deliberately derail threads to have them locked and end discussions they don´t like.

There is a line between on-topic/off-topic, valid or not side topic that is pretty much in the eye of the beholder, but if posts too far of the topic just get deleted, people stop posting too far off because the, sometimes considerable, effort going into a post is for nothing, instead of locking the threat for everyone. That just leads to more off-topic postings, as the right thread isn´t available anymore.

best regards
Thomas

Some in the Non-Aviation thread, that lean liberal, cross the line, and bait some conservative posters with personal attacks, knowing, that if they were to respond in kind, exactly where the moderation "hammer" would fall.

Examples of attacking the messenger, (and the message), is all too easy to find.

But ANet is still a interesting place to visit, but I don't have to live here.

I agree that the moderation is both inconsistent and biased but that doesn't present a problem for me personally. I don't come to this forum for quality information or intelligent discussion. I come to the non-av forum for comic relief. In that regard it rarely disappoints and any biased/inconsistent moderation only adds to that aspect.

DiamondFlyer wrote:

Absolutely they do, and it's 100% slanted towards the liberal agenda they're pushing. If you don't share their view, it's off with your opinion.

Amen to that!

This topic has more views than some of the 4 and 5 day old topics in this "Site related" forum that the mods decided to move it to. More censorship. Had it stayed in Non-aviation where according to their own words, anything could be discussed it would continue to get a decent amount of traffic. I rest my case.

Andre3K wrote:

This topic has more views than some of the 4 and 5 day old topics in this "Site related" forum that the mods decided to move it to. More censorship. Had it stayed in Non-aviation where according to their own words, anything could be discussed it would continue to get a decent amount of traffic. I rest my case.

Description of the Site Related Forum:
This is the place where Airliners.net related information will be posted like dates for scheduled downtime, info about new sections and features etc. This is also the forum for suggestions, comments and constructive criticism related to any part of Airliners.net.

I also not sure you understand the meaning of the word "censorship", particularly as it relates to an internet forum. If we were truly interested in censoring you — which we aren't, because we have better things to do with our lives than decide who can and cannot express their opinions on this site — then we would have deleted this thread and banned you. Neither of those things happened; the thread was only moved to the correct forum, which if you'd read the forum descriptions, you would have known that.

Other forums I visit, that allow political discussions, have a thread about the shooting and it's inevitable direction into pro-gun rights vs. anti-gun rights, meds, SRO's, etc. that runs into 100's of posts.

I did find it odd that that discussion here, which was not your typical 70-80% liberal vs. 25% conservative discussion, but was more balanced, ie less of a liberal % presence, than in other political topics, was cut short, for "going off topic".

Not being able to discuss that topic does this site a dis-service.

A very unique way of moderating discussions here..

It's as if, any political discussion that approaches a "fair" fight... just will not be tolerated.

DIRECTFLT wrote:

Other forums I visit, that allow political discussions, have a thread about the shooting and it's inevitable direction into pro-gun rights vs. anti-gun rights, meds, SRO's, etc. that runs into 100's of posts.

I did find it odd that that discussion here, which was not your typical 70-80% liberal vs. 25% conservative discussion, but was more balanced, ie less of a liberal % presence, than in other political topics, was cut short, for "going off topic".

Not being able to discuss that topic does this site a dis-service.

A very unique way of moderating discussions here..

It's as if, any political discussion that approaches a "fair" fight... just will not be tolerated.

You people have always been represented, if not over represented, here. But hey, I guess when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. ..

DIRECTFLT wrote:

Other forums I visit, that allow political discussions, have a thread about the shooting and it's inevitable direction into pro-gun rights vs. anti-gun rights, meds, SRO's, etc. that runs into 100's of posts.

I did find it odd that that discussion here, which was not your typical 70-80% liberal vs. 25% conservative discussion, but was more balanced, ie less of a liberal % presence, than in other political topics, was cut short, for "going off topic".

Not being able to discuss that topic does this site a dis-service.

A very unique way of moderating discussions here..

It's as if, any political discussion that approaches a "fair" fight... just will not be tolerated.

Posts in that thread were deleted for inappropriate language and personal attacks, not for being off-topic. It's not unreasonable to expect a certain level of respect on these forums, even on a divisive issue in Non Av.

DarkSnowyNight wrote:

DIRECTFLT wrote:

Other forums I visit, that allow political discussions, have a thread about the shooting and it's inevitable direction into pro-gun rights vs. anti-gun rights, meds, SRO's, etc. that runs into 100's of posts.

I did find it odd that that discussion here, which was not your typical 70-80% liberal vs. 25% conservative discussion, but was more balanced, ie less of a liberal % presence, than in other political topics, was cut short, for "going off topic".

Not being able to discuss that topic does this site a dis-service.

A very unique way of moderating discussions here..

It's as if, any political discussion that approaches a "fair" fight... just will not be tolerated.

You people have always been represented, if not over represented, here. But hey, I guess when you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. ..

I literally got banned for a week for being racist against third-generation Italians (?!) when sticking up for Dreamers. That said, I’m sure it’s not because of any overt bias on the moderators’ parts (that bias being the opposite of what you posit, DF), but because, in the fine tradition of aviation, there’s a preordained protocol that must be followed once an alarm bell (I.e. someone pushing the “suggest for deletion”) is triggered. In my experience, having gone through a series of “bans,” most of which I now realize are related to a single person getting his feelings hurt over a single episode, they are methodical and dispassionate.

If you ask me, there are (2) problems: (1) starting “illegitimate” threads due to a feeling of being slighted, without any possibility of resolution (i.e., “Why do people want Boeing to fail?”) (as opposed to the plenty of “illegitimate” threads that get started every day about the color pink); and (2) the trigger-happy “Report this Post” complainers. It’s not just in the political threads, it’s in the constant airline-vs-airline, manufacturer-vs-manufacturer, city-versus-city nonsense.

The thin-skinned, trigger-happy people on here who are “offended”(snowflakes?) will never realize how offensive they are to others—not directly against an individual, but to an entire group.

atcsundevil wrote:

DIRECTFLT wrote:

Other forums I visit, that allow political discussions, have a thread about the shooting and it's inevitable direction into pro-gun rights vs. anti-gun rights, meds, SRO's, etc. that runs into 100's of posts.

I did find it odd that that discussion here, which was not your typical 70-80% liberal vs. 25% conservative discussion, but was more balanced, ie less of a liberal % presence, than in other political topics, was cut short, for "going off topic".

Not being able to discuss that topic does this site a dis-service.

A very unique way of moderating discussions here..

It's as if, any political discussion that approaches a "fair" fight... just will not be tolerated.

Posts in that thread were deleted for inappropriate language and personal attacks, not for being off-topic. It's not unreasonable to expect a certain level of respect on these forums, even on a divisive issue in Non Av.

Okay, but maybe if one side feels like they're "losing ground' in a discussion, they then strategically use inappropriate language and personal attacks, in order to get the discussion closed...

Bu thanks for the job you do... I wouldn't want to the one...

Well of course it’s a question on the recruitment form for all Airliners.net crew

Underline the answer that applies:

Did you vote liberal in the last relection?

YES. ...................YES!

Have ever cast your vote on the republican party?
No. .....................,NO!!!!

atcsundevil wrote:

Andre3K wrote:

This topic has more views than some of the 4 and 5 day old topics in this "Site related" forum that the mods decided to move it to. More censorship. Had it stayed in Non-aviation where according to their own words, anything could be discussed it would continue to get a decent amount of traffic. I rest my case.

Description of the Site Related Forum:
This is the place where Airliners.net related information will be posted like dates for scheduled downtime, info about new sections and features etc. This is also the forum for suggestions, comments and constructive criticism related to any part of Airliners.net.

I also not sure you understand the meaning of the word "censorship", particularly as it relates to an internet forum. If we were truly interested in censoring you — which we aren't, because we have better things to do with our lives than decide who can and cannot express their opinions on this site — then we would have deleted this thread and banned you. Neither of those things happened; the thread was only moved to the correct forum, which if you'd read the forum descriptions, you would have known that.

If you got pulled over by a cop and he asked you what code, chapter and page of the local law that you just broke was located, would you know it by heart? You can't expect people will actually read all these forum rules or remember them.

Since you seem so keen on pretending that every mod here is perfect and robotic then explain to me why you even allow topics that are going to create a flamewar against one Manufacturer but delete one that seeks to get an explanation as to why people in the flame topic feel so passionate about their hatred toward said manufacturer.

I'm not going to go fishing for examples but lets say someone starts a pro-Airbus topic, and it goes on and on and all is good, you might get some mentions of Boeing in there but the topic typically stays on track.

Then you get a pro-Boeing topic and within 3 comments there are already people trying to derail the topic and start a flamewar. But you let the discussion keep moving. What are you waiting for people to start cussing each other out?

Does Fox News lean heavily Right? Of course it does, and only the people who work for Fox would say otherwise. Same with CNN leaning heavily left. To me that seems to be the same mentality here, the people in power want to deny that they let their personal feeling dictate to a degree how they use said power.

Andre3K wrote:

If you got pulled over by a cop and he asked you what code, chapter and page of the local law that you just broke was located, would you know it by heart? You can't expect people will actually read all these forum rules or remember them.

We don't expect people to know all of the rules, we expect people to have a basic understanding. Most people don't know all traffic laws, but they have a basic understanding of what to do and what not to do when driving. We've never had any expectation that people be well-versed on the forum rules. The purpose of our rules update is so that if people are unclear on something, they can hopefully find an answer. Our current set of rules is somewhat confusing and outdated, and the update tried to remedy that. No expectations beyond that.

Andre3K wrote:

Since you seem so keen on pretending that every mod here is perfect and robotic

I've never insinuated that, and many of my posts in the Site Related Forum reject your assertion out of hand. Maybe do some homework before you want to sling accusations, but then again, it wouldn't be the first time in this thread you've made bold claims despite the correct information being readily available to you. I have acknowledged on dozens of occasions that we need more consistency and an improvement of our moderating processes, and that we're working to improve it. A quick search of my post history would reveal to you that I do not believe we're anything nearing perfect.

Andre3K wrote:

Does Fox News lean heavily Right? Of course it does, and only the people who work for Fox would say otherwise. Same with CNN leaning heavily left. To me that seems to be the same mentality here, the people in power want to deny that they let their personal feeling dictate to a degree how they use said power.

Ok.

Andre3K wrote:

If you got pulled over by a cop and he asked you what code, chapter and page of the local law that you just broke was located, would you know it by heart? You can't expect people will actually read all these forum rules or remember them.

As already pointed out by atcsundevil we don't expect users to know every rule inside out but to have an understanding of them. The rules are there to promote a clean, healthy and respectful environment. As stated in the Terms & conditions of this site when becoming a member you are expected to review and comply with the rules. Failure to do so will result in posts being deleted. Each user also needs to take some responsibility, if you cant be bothered reviewing and complying to the rules the onus falls back onto the individual user. A lot of the rules apply common sense and decency so it is not that difficult to understand them.

Andre3K wrote:

Since you seem so keen on pretending that every mod here is perfect and robotic then explain to me why you even allow topics that are going to create a flamewar against one Manufacturer but delete one that seeks to get an explanation as to why people in the flame topic feel so passionate about their hatred toward said manufacturer.

I'm not going to go fishing for examples but lets say someone starts a pro-Airbus topic, and it goes on and on and all is good, you might get some mentions of Boeing in there but the topic typically stays on track.

Then you get a pro-Boeing topic and within 3 comments there are already people trying to derail the topic and start a flamewar. But you let the discussion keep moving. What are you waiting for people to start cussing each other out?

Those are totally 2 different scenarios. Posts about Boeing in an established Airbus thread is quite different to a Boeing thread which goes off the rails within the first couple of posts. That is usually an indication that the topic has not been thought through properly or their opening post violates several rules.

I am going to assume you have based this entire thread and the examples given above on a particular thread that you started where a pro Boeing thread went off the rails from get go. I will point out there were at least 5 rules broken in the opening post hence why it was deleted. If an opening post violates a rule or rules then that thread will be deleted and not locked just the same as if a thread goes off topic even though it gets locked the off topic posts are removed. We as moderators do not provide explanations as why posts/threads are deleted in open forum, that is to be done by sending us an email as clearly stated in the rules

Andre3K wrote:

Does Fox News lean heavily Right? Of course it does, and only the people who work for Fox would say otherwise. Same with CNN leaning heavily left. To me that seems to be the same mentality here, the people in power want to deny that they let their personal feeling dictate to a degree how they use said power.

I could not care less how Fox or CNN lean towards just as I do not have any interest on how US politics is played out. I have never lived in the US nor visited the US and the assumption that we moderators lean from one side or another is a load of rubbish. Every moderator assesses a post that has been reported of which if there is a rule violation it is removed, if it doesnt violate any rule it will remain posted. As stated in the Moderator Code of Conduct if we as a moderator get too close to a subject to pass it on to another moderator of which we do when required.

Your accusations towards us including referring to us a dictatorship and claiming censorship are simply false. On an average day less than 1% of all posts are deleted. Some things are left unattended as stated in the rules we can not read every post yet users like yourself expect us to be everywhere all the time. If there is a post which violated a rule, report it, dont expect us to just find it, after all we are not mind readers. Also as part of the disclaimer in the rules (which you have agreed to as part of being a member on this site) the following is stated

We reserve the right to delete, without explanation and entirely at our discretion, any post or user for any or no reason

Finally we have responded to your posts in this thread despite you being rude and obnoxious towards us. As stated in the rules we are not required to respond to users who behave in this manner of which they will be ignored and which may include a warning or ban issued on your user account

Do what you have to do. But if you think I am being rude, you guys really don't read many of the comments on this forum. And your strong backlash just confirms what I already knew.

Obnoxious? LOL. Lock the topic then.

Andre3K wrote:

Do what you have to do. But if you think I am being rude, you guys really don't read many of the comments on this forum. And your strong backlash just confirms what I already knew.

Obnoxious? LOL. Lock the topic then.

No, there is no possible way that there is enough time in the day for me to read every post, and I won't apologize for it. I have a job — I'm an air traffic controller at one of the busiest enroute facilities in the world. I have a family. I have a social life. Being a moderator isn't my job, and it's not my life. Just like the other moderators here, I volunteer the time I can to keep this site running, even though I will receive little appreciation from most users. Quite the opposite, in fact. I've been a moderator on this site for two years, a user for nearly a decade, and a reader for nearly two decades, so I care about this place. I do what I can, and rely on the (mostly helpful) community of users to help keep threads orderly and respectful.

I do, however, read every post and every thread in Site Related. I think it's important to address user concerns, answer questions, and try to be helpful. I don't always reply, because some users simply appear incapable of a reasonable discussion. They've already made up their mind about us. At the end of the day, nothing I do on this site will appease everyone, so my decisions have to be based on what I believe will be best for the community.

If you think you can do it better, then apply to be a moderator. If not, then offering constructive commentary is appreciated. Calling us dictators and being convinced that we're trying to censor you accomplishes nothing, when clearly we've done nothing to silence you, or anyone else. Name-calling and baseless accusations are hardly constructive.

Andre3K wrote:

Do what you have to do. But if you think I am being rude, you guys really don't read many of the comments on this forum. And your strong backlash just confirms what I already knew.

Obnoxious? LOL. Lock the topic then.

Then leave?

atcsundevil wrote:

Andre3K wrote:

Do what you have to do. But if you think I am being rude, you guys really don't read many of the comments on this forum. And your strong backlash just confirms what I already knew.

Obnoxious? LOL. Lock the topic then.

No, there is no possible way that there is enough time in the day for me to read every post, and I won't apologize for it. I have a job — I'm an air traffic controller at one of the busiest enroute facilities in the world. I have a family. I have a social life. Being a moderator isn't my job, and it's not my life. Just like the other moderators here, I volunteer the time I can to keep this site running, even though I will receive little appreciation from most users. Quite the opposite, in fact. I've been a moderator on this site for two years, a user for nearly a decade, and a reader for nearly two decades, so I care about this place. I do what I can, and rely on the (mostly helpful) community of users to help keep threads orderly and respectful.

I do, however, read every post and every thread in Site Related. I think it's important to address user concerns, answer questions, and try to be helpful. I don't always reply, because some users simply appear incapable of a reasonable discussion. They've already made up their mind about us. At the end of the day, nothing I do on this site will appease everyone, so my decisions have to be based on what I believe will be best for the community.

If you think you can do it better, then apply to be a moderator. If not, then offering constructive commentary is appreciated. Calling us dictators and being convinced that we're trying to censor you accomplishes nothing, when clearly we've done nothing to silence you, or anyone else. Name-calling and baseless accusations are hardly constructive.

Now that wasn't very difficult at all. It was nice to learn a little about you. I agree that name calling is pointless, but you know everyone on the internet is a keyboard warrior.

Believe it or not this reply has actually restored my faith in the due process of this place. Have a good day.

NIKV69 wrote:

I actually think moderation has mellowed a bit last few years. I would like to see less trolling and name calling. It's getting old.

I felt a tremble in the Universe as I wrote this, but I agree with you.