Topic: Forum moderation policy - page 45. (Read 963617 times)

I agree. I was just thinking it would have been handy for that time I gave away coins to newbies about a week ago and had to make sure people weren't suddenly signing up multiple times to the forum just to get in on the giveaway. I had to click through to each member's profile page to check.

I don't think this forum needs registration date elitism. People already have enough excuses to insult and fallaciously disregard other people's arguments. We don't need people to think that the points of idiots are more valid or truthful just because they've been her awhile and we don't need people to think that new people are idiots and their opinions shouldn't be acknowledged just because they're new.

Jesus. This forum is scaring me. Usually, I'm the wackadoo on any particular forum, but lately I've been reluctant to post because I've been out-crazied. You know that you're insane when you see a hobo with crap-ridden pants backing away from you slowly.

Also, anyone who is ragging about free speech and censorship needs to understand that those principles don't apply in internet forums any more than they apply to me if I take a sharpie to your apartment walls. Those are governmental concepts. This forum is not run by the government. You have no right to free speech here only so much as they can't censor based on a user's characteristic of being part of a special group (E.G., you can censor me for being gay if I'm posting about bitcoins within guidelines that apply to non-gays).

This isn't even specifically about moderating offensiveness or spam, but relevance. Deleting someone's thread that says "Sell sell sell" is no different, in terms of free speech, from deleting a thread I might make featuring the entirety of the amino acid sequences for trypsin family proteases compared between various key animals so we might talk about concerted evolution with nary a mention of bitcoins.

<--- I'd like to be able to see the date someone signed up, without having to visit their profile page.

I would also like this implemented.

True. Problem is, most of this forum is entertaining in one way or another, I'm only here three weeks (2 lurking) and I'm already trying to kick the habit

A step in a wrong direction. Now moderators will decide which posts have "low value", which posts are "uninteresting" or "pointless". In practice moderators will delete everything they don't like. The words "free speech" above are thus an obvious lie.

I agree about no referral codes (except perhaps in the signature if not intentionally used as the main message like using a large and bold font or huge image).

After all, most new bitcoin options (pools, exchanges, vendors, etc.) are largely discovered by posts here.  Referral codes could be banned outright if people abuse it in signatures, but I suspect most if not all will be responsible.  Besides, I only know of one referral code scenario right now anyway and they don't even need to offer it thanks to their competition.

That would lead to  a large scale of moderation which would limit free speech as opposed to nudging posts towards civility and relevant content with a given group.

I still believe that the large pools should have their own subgroups

Awesome! 

One point though; I think that you should remove "uninteresting" since that is completely subjective and there is no way an honest post can avoid it (readers determine interest, not the poster).  I think that "pointless" covers it well and is much more objective within the context of a group and easily covers "intentionally uninteresting".

"zero-value" "entertaining" "pointless" "uninteresting"  
All these words are opinion based. they do for the forum what the term "terrorist" did for america. I agree, honest is best, remove "free speech" from the list. maybe you would want to consider adding "no slandering of individuals reputation" considering posts like this one:

http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=20340.20

It's just not right for people to talk about things like this is public.

EDIT:
looks like i really put my foot in my mouth this time, maybe we shouldn't lock threads based on peoples accusations of other people:

http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=20440.0

What is considered referral code spam? One of those full on advertising posts with referral codes all over it like were posted when tradehill opened? What if it's a little more subtle? What about low content posts with the code in the signature?

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, is there any reason to not just fully ban referral codes? They're mostly just spam and don't really benefit the forum any. And then it'd be a clear enforceable line.

Just a thought.

Well the whole post would make sense if you just remove that phrase altogether and not try to give fake "free speech":

1. You can say anything as long as it is relevant and presented in a calm and polite manner. Swearing, SHOUTING etc. make your post more likely to be removed.
2. No zero value posts or threads, like "SELL SELL SELL"
3. No pointless or uninteresting threads.
4. No referral code spam
5. No NSFW content

Entertaining threads are, by definition, not useless.

As long as it's not goatse, Alex Beckenham has a major point.

Also, some of the 'useless' threads are actually quite entertaining, if not educational (e.g. the Rawdawg and Bitcoin snail graph/meme ones).

I agree with the referral code one, though even that was interesting to see, some people are quite creative

How difficult would it be to implement a voting system for posts using the current forum software?

Think of it like this, you have freedom of speech in the presence of your mother, but would you choose your words more carefully? 

Please read 5, then read 1, then read 5, then read 1 and tell me if you see a problem.

Can I say "fat cock" if I present it in a calm and polite manner?

But wasn't that a disaster last time we tried it?  Oh, that was a good poster / bad poster mod.

Depends on context Perhaps we can get a good post / bad post mod up and running to do the job.

"lot of crap falling from the skiy these days"


what about a "last edited %CLOCK%" function for edited posts?