Please Resist The Urge For Vigilante Modding! Options

[Mata]

Over the last couple of months it's happened a few times that people have decided to wage their own campaigns for what they think is right or wrong for the forums.

I don't want to write a long lecture about this, so I'll keep this simple:

1 If a post has clearly broken the rules of the forum then please report it to the moderating team

2 If you suspect that a post or a user is bending the rules of the forum then PM a moderator or me

3 If you are outraged by a whole series of posts by different people who all apparently have no trouble with the behaviour of the others then DO NOT decide the that moderating team is obviously blind/stupid and that only you can save the forums from the diseased posting style.

If you should happen to find yourself in the latter situation then I suggest one of three options (in the following order):

1 ignore it. If you don't enjoy that conversation then don't click on the thread. At the time of writing this there's somewhere around eight or nine thousand threads on this board. I'm sure you can find one that you would prefer to discuss

2 politely PM a mod to make sure that we are aware of what you perceive to be a problem

3 maintaining at all times respect and civility, explain in the thread why you feel that the recent activity is inappropriate

With the exception of occasional one-off posts by members out of the blue that are clearly breaking the rules, in the majority of circumstances the mod team will be aware of the situation and keeping an eye on it.

These forums are mainly self-regulating: if a user oversteps the boundaries of decency another member will usually mention this in a friendly manner and we all continue to get along happily. The mod team is here for when this is not working, but it is worth noting that if the weight of community opinion is against you then you may indeed be wrong.

Do not go on vigilante modding quests. The other people on the forums usually self-regulate very politely all by themselves, and the mod team is here for when this doesn't work. All that happens is that we end up having to warn two people for getting into an argument rather than one. I don't like warning people who have good intentions, but there is a hierarchy here so that decisions can be made by a group of people that I trust.

Bear in mind that these forums are a benevolent dictatorship. I run this place, and eventually what I say goes. I will happily listen to every side and usually offer a few more of my own, but in the end the choice is mine. If in doubt then ask the mods to act, if they are in doubt then they will ask me. We're here to support you, but we will act against those who cause arguments by trying to impose their own views on how discussions should proceed.

One last thing: this thread is not aimed at anyone in particular and has not been prompted by any one thread either. I can think of quite a few people who have acted in this way in the past. For the sake of making the mod team's job and my job easier please do not try to take on modding duties. The guidelines above are pretty easy to follow I think, and they will probably never even be needed by most people on here, but I thought it would be useful to put this up as a reminder.

[cazza]

[FONT=Arial] bit confused? Are you not allowed to have an opinion? I have loads of opinions I would like to share, and realise they are not the same as anyone elses!!!! But how can you not have a discussion without putting across what you believe to be true? Give me a clue please thanks!

[Mata]

These guidelines are not about opinions at all, they are about things that break the rules. There is a big difference!

You are more than welcome to disagree with anyone on here (including me!) but you are not allowed to be disrespectful.

This post was written because there were various members (some of which are no longer posting) who apparently felt that it was their duty to police the forums, telling people what they could and could not do.

Generally speaking, the mods do most of their actions in private, so members of the forum telling other members what to do was not appreciated.

We fully encourage discussion here. We have at times had people with radically differing views from the majority of users but I have defended their right to their views while they have stuck to the rules of the forums.

These rules can be summarised as:

no hate

be respectful to the views of others that do not contradict the previous rule

When you signed up you agreed to the rules of the forum and you can see them at any time by clicking the link at the top of the page, just below the 'Matazone The Other Side' logo.

Modding is about enforcing the rules. It is not about personal feelings on a subject. We're all human so can get carried away, but if a person is sticking to the rules then generally they will be fine.

[PsychWardMike]

Yup. It's a good rule, and I must admit that I've been responsible for some... colorful vigilante modding. (Many apologies, Mata) but I've been working on it, and really my stay has been much more enjoyable.

But yeah. Disagree! That's what these forums are all about. I disagree with Mata constantly (*ahem* CAPCOM RULES *ahem*) and though he tends to use his superior British linguistics to point out why I'm wrong, it's still a good run.

[Mata]

Additional:

no hate

be respectful to the views of others that do not contradict the previous rule

If a person does contradict the first rule then that's the time to report it, not go on a spree of telling people what they can or can't do, which is what this thread is about.

Capcom don't always make very good games.

[PsychWardMike]

*flips off Mata... unhatefully*

[EvilSpork]

Feel the love

Sorry...

/spam

That last "disclaimer" reminds me of when I was in the lower years of school when the teachers would say "We aren't pointing fingers, but those that have broken the rules know who they are (and so does everybody else). Take this as a warning"

Also, may I call you Dictator, Mata?

[Mata]

This isn't a warning! The people who have done too much vigilante modding in the past have been warned individually for it. This is just to remind people that we all have a responsibility to make this place run. Members writing a friendly reminder is fine, but if that doesn't work then contact the mods, otherwise we end up having to deal with two people misbehaving rather than one!

I don't want people to get paranoid and start thinking 'does he mean me?' because, like I say, if you had overstepped the mark in the past then you would have been contacted about it already. I just wanted people to be aware of this so that they might do better at resisting the temptation in future!

I think I'm more of a 'Brother Mata' than 'Dictator Mata'. Brother has a better ring to it

[EvilSpork]

I know this isn't a warning, it just reminded me of that

Brother Mata... Does have a better ring to it... Join a priesthood.

[PsychWardMike]

Mata is teh Big Brother Mata!

He sees everything we do. Everything.

He is double plus good!

[Mata]

Double plus damn straight! You'll drink your moloko and like it.

I did seriously think about joining a monastery when I was younger until I realised I just didn't see God in the same way as them so there was no point. If I joined a monastery then I'd see less of God rather than more.

[PsychWardMike]

Really?

Suddenly I have visions of Little Goth Jesus or Samurai Lamb of God.

[PsychWardMike]

And while I'm at it, I'll take my Victory Gin, damnit.

[believe]

I want to be a priest, except for that whole catholic bit. They get the spiffy outfits and neat chances to serve God.

/spam

[Mata]

That's a fair point. I do quite like the style of the day-to-day religious clothing. I saw a Buddhist monk at Clapham junction a few weeks ago, dressed up in his safron robes, shaved head, and small wire-frame glasses. He looked so cool!

[Daria]

Hare Krishnas are fun (I probably didn't spell it right- not trying to be disrespectful, sorry )) I went dancing down the street with them in the city...