Open letter to the moderators

[trenzafeeds]

ILY!!! <3333

Lol I bet ya'll thought this was gonna be another one like the Binge Bro lol my bad letter.
In all seriousness though, despite how immature people can be sometimes around here, I feel like the moderation team is pretty much always on the ball, not letting their personal disputes get in the way of fair judgment. I've been on a lot of ****ty online forums, so it's refreshing to visit one that's not modded by like literal twelve-year-olds (I can't speak to most of your actual ages, but at least you don't behave like you're kids). Keep up the good work! 

[beehatch]

lol

[SpAmRaY]

Binge wrote a letter??

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

[Binge]

Binge wrote a letter??

+1?

[trenzafeeds]

Binge wrote a letter??

+1?

Binge Bro lol my bad

[nubbinator]

Binge wrote a letter??

+1?

Binge Bro lol my bad

[Sent]

Fight the power.  Down with Hoff.

[baldgye]

Huff the Hoff

[bcredbottle]

There are mods on this site?

[absyrd]

There are mods on this site?

Not really. There is only one that shows his face anymore. As I've said before, people become mods and then just hide or disappear and don't participate in the community.

[trenzafeeds]

There are mods on this site?

Not really. There is only one that shows his face anymore. As I've said before, people become mods and then just hide or disappear and don't participate in the community.

I mean User 18 doesn't participate too much, but he still mods from time to time.

[Air tree]

There are undercover mods, you wouldn't want to get on their bad side.

You never know who it'll be....

[absyrd]

There are undercover mods, you wouldn't want to get on their bad side.

You never know who it'll be....

Yeah... the report spam police. Report everything and waste Hoff's time going through it.

[inanis]

Too bad the mods don't participate more. Hoff participates and he is nearly universally liked. I tend to think there is some correlation there.

[HoffmanMyster]

You're lucky I bothered to read the post before banning you for that title. 

JK, I <3 all of you guys. 

[heedpantsnow]

You're lucky I bothered to read the post before banning you for that title. 

JK, I <3 all of you guys. 

We all <3 Hoff

[Air tree]

Sometimes circle jerks are fun, and the hoff circlejerk is the epitome of circle jerks.

[heedpantsnow]

Sometimes circle jerks are fun, and the hoff circlejerk is the epitome of circle jerks.

Gather round, boys. Looks like Air tree wants some action.

We <3 you too, Air tree.

[HoffmanMyster]

Sometimes circle jerks are fun, and the hoff circlejerk is the epitome of circle jerks.

  Trust me, it's not universal. 

Also, y'all are makin' me blush.  :|

[fohat.digs]

Overall, I have been very pleased with the moderators here and would not have any complaint at all except that they probably get paid too much.

I have never understood about who gets banned and why, but I cannot imagine that it is generally without cause.

Seriously, my only real irritation is the policy of classifieds not posting until approved. When I decide to sell something it is probably because I want the money for something else - so sooner rather than later. If I feel that it is desirable and priced to sell then it won't take long. I like to put it up here for a few hours at least before going to ebay. But there have been times that I listed something at noon and it still was not approved at 8:00pm. That is a problem if you are hoping to sell in a matter of hours and you don't even get it onto ebay until the next day.

I prefer short threads without a load of TL;DR but many (most) people just add and edit for current sales. I hate having to look back through 3 years and 400 posts to see the one thing that an active seller is actually selling today.

[rowdy]

I see no moderators.



Or admins.

[sth]

I see no moderators.

(Attachment Link)

Or admins.

are there any EMEA or APAC mods?

[rowdy]

EMEA, not sure.  APAC yes,, I think.

[suicidal_orange]

EMEA, not sure.  APAC yes,, I think.

Care to explain these in newbie terms?  I guess it means "hidden from that list" in some way but can't even guess what one letter may stand for

[sth]

EMEA, not sure.  APAC yes,, I think.

Care to explain these in newbie terms?  I guess it means "hidden from that list" in some way but can't even guess what one letter may stand for

europe/middle east/africa, asia/pacific

[suicidal_orange]

EMEA, not sure.  APAC yes,, I think.

Care to explain these in newbie terms?  I guess it means "hidden from that list" in some way but can't even guess what one letter may stand for

europe/middle east/africa, asia/pacific

Ah, wasn't thinking of geography at all!  Thanks

[fohat.digs]

Also, the list shows Soarer as the moderator of the "Making Stuff Together" category, and I agree that he should be "honorary" moderator, but it would be good to know who actually does it, in case there was a question or direct request.

[HoffmanMyster]

Overall, I have been very pleased with the moderators here and would not have any complaint at all except that they probably get paid too much.

I have never understood about who gets banned and why, but I cannot imagine that it is generally without cause.

Seriously, my only real irritation is the policy of classifieds not posting until approved. When I decide to sell something it is probably because I want the money for something else - so sooner rather than later. If I feel that it is desirable and priced to sell then it won't take long. I like to put it up here for a few hours at least before going to ebay. But there have been times that I listed something at noon and it still was not approved at 8:00pm. That is a problem if you are hoping to sell in a matter of hours and you don't even get it onto ebay until the next day.

I prefer short threads without a load of TL;DR but many (most) people just add and edit for current sales. I hate having to look back through 3 years and 400 posts to see the one thing that an active seller is actually selling today.

We're really not supposed to talk about bans, but I think it's fair for people to want to know, so I try to disclose as much as I can if people ask.  It's almost always that someone was trolling/attacking for awhile, got warned a few times, played nice for a couple weeks, went back to the old ways, got warned / temp banned, played nice again, then had a spectacular breakdown and got permabanned.  So if you're ever curious, it's probably some variation of that story.   

Contrary to what some redditors may have you (not you fohat, but some people) believe, we have never banned "because we didn't like someone" or anything stupid like that.  And if you think we did, I'd be happy to clear that up for you. 


As for the Classifieds, trust me, it's more work for us than it is for you.  But I certainly do understand the frustration.  :-/

[iri]

HOFF IS A MARVELOUS MAN WHOSE INTELLIGENCE AND BEAUTY ARE SECOND ONLY TO THE OLYMPIAN GODS

[baldgye]

Why are bans so secretive?
When I've been a mod on other forums we were pretty open about bans, people break rules there is no quarm, or if I choose to be a **** and ban someone i would make it clear I was just being a **** lol... why is transparency such an issue?

Maybe-well no for sure this has already been covered-just seems odd... if you only ban people for breaking the rules, making due acc's why can't you talk about it or what issues would arise from talking about it?

[HoffmanMyster]

Why are bans so secretive?
When I've been a mod on other forums we were pretty open about bans, people break rules there is no quarm, or if I choose to be a **** and ban someone i would make it clear I was just being a **** lol... why is transparency such an issue?

Maybe-well no for sure this has already been covered-just seems odd... if you only ban people for breaking the rules, making due acc's why can't you talk about it or what issues would arise from talking about it?

I think it started with a few key bans awhile back, and developed into a universal "rule". Your points are exactly why I really don't mind it and am happy to discuss these things with people if asked. 

[nubbinator]

HEIL HOFFSTER!

[trenzafeeds]

While this is turning into an "ask the mods" thread, what does "muted" mean vs banned?

[SpAmRaY]

While this is turning into an "ask the mods" thread, what does "muted" mean vs banned?

Muted usually means you just can't post for a set amount of time based on your level of warning.

A ban which is often temporary usually last anywhere from a few days to 3 months, a ban means you can't even login IIRC.

I think hashbaz posted somewhere explaining a lot of it once, like how the warning levels decrease etc.

[katushkin]

While this is turning into an "ask the mods" thread, what does "muted" mean vs banned?

Muted usually means you just can't post for a set amount of time based on your level of warning.

A ban which is often temporary usually last anywhere from a few days to 3 months, a ban means you can't even login IIRC.

I think hashbaz posted somewhere explaining a lot of it once, like how the warning levels decrease etc.

Although moose is "muted" but essentially banned.

[rowdy]

While this is turning into an "ask the mods" thread, what does "muted" mean vs banned?

Muted usually means you just can't post for a set amount of time based on your level of warning.

A ban which is often temporary usually last anywhere from a few days to 3 months, a ban means you can't even login IIRC.

I think hashbaz posted somewhere explaining a lot of it once, like how the warning levels decrease etc.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=60439.msg1395418#msg1395418

[user 18]

There are mods on this site?

Not really. There is only one that shows his face anymore. As I've said before, people become mods and then just hide or disappear and don't participate in the community.

I mean User 18 doesn't participate too much, but he still mods from time to time.

I've got an eye on things. I've just been busy with work and school recently, so I haven't had as much time to give to the community as I would like. I just naturally tend to listen more than I speak, and that extends to here. If I look back, I don't think I've become less active overall since becoming a mod, it's just that I never posted a ton to begin with.

If anyone ever wants to get in touch with me, I'm usually pretty good at responding to PMs, and I'd love to chat.

Overall, I have been very pleased with the moderators here and would not have any complaint at all except that they probably get paid too much.

I have never understood about who gets banned and why, but I cannot imagine that it is generally without cause.

Seriously, my only real irritation is the policy of classifieds not posting until approved. When I decide to sell something it is probably because I want the money for something else - so sooner rather than later. If I feel that it is desirable and priced to sell then it won't take long. I like to put it up here for a few hours at least before going to ebay. But there have been times that I listed something at noon and it still was not approved at 8:00pm. That is a problem if you are hoping to sell in a matter of hours and you don't even get it onto ebay until the next day.

I prefer short threads without a load of TL;DR but many (most) people just add and edit for current sales. I hate having to look back through 3 years and 400 posts to see the one thing that an active seller is actually selling today.

We don't get paid at all, we just volunteer our time.

Next time you put something up in classifieds, you can send me a PM, and I'll get it approved as soon as I can.

ILY!!! <3333

Lol I bet ya'll thought this was gonna be another one like the Binge Bro lol my bad letter.
In all seriousness though, despite how immature people can be sometimes around here, I feel like the moderation team is pretty much always on the ball, not letting their personal disputes get in the way of fair judgment. I've been on a lot of ****ty online forums, so it's refreshing to visit one that's not modded by like literal twelve-year-olds (I can't speak to most of your actual ages, but at least you don't behave like you're kids). Keep up the good work! 

Thanks for this, I really appreciate the sentiment, even though I know it wasn't necessarily aimed at me specifically.

Also, the list shows Soarer as the moderator of the "Making Stuff Together" category, and I agree that he should be "honorary" moderator, but it would be good to know who actually does it, in case there was a question or direct request.

Moderation questions about MST should be directed to any global moderator. We don't have a lot of subforum moderators, other than giving artisans and vendors privileges in their specific subfora. Hoggy in Ergonomics is the only other one that comes to mind.

[baldgye]

One question, Did I get ip perma banned from the GH irc?
I tried logging into it from work the other day and it said I was banned. One mod there didn't like the fact I said '****' and then banned me when I asked what the rules where (as there where non listed)...

[HoffmanMyster]

One question, Did I get ip perma banned from the GH irc?
I tried logging into it from work the other day and it said I was banned. One mod there didn't like the fact I said '****' and then banned me when I asked what the rules where (as there where non listed)...

GH IRC is totally separate from GH; we don't moderate there.  I think the main rule of IRC is to keep it SFW, so that might explain it.

[baldgye]

Yeah I know it's separate but someone mentioned a ban here carries over so I was wondering if you guys had any insight.
It was pretty random tho as other well know users where there using other rude words... Guess I just have a charm about me haha

[njbair]

There are mods on this site?

Not really. There is only one that shows his face anymore. As I've said before, people become mods and then just hide or disappear and don't participate in the community.

I mean User 18 doesn't participate too much, but he still mods from time to time.

I've got an eye on things. I've just been busy with work and school recently, so I haven't had as much time to give to the community as I would like. I just naturally tend to listen more than I speak, and that extends to here. If I look back, I don't think I've become less active overall since becoming a mod, it's just that I never posted a ton to begin with.

If anyone ever wants to get in touch with me, I'm usually pretty good at responding to PMs, and I'd love to chat.

Overall, I have been very pleased with the moderators here and would not have any complaint at all except that they probably get paid too much.

I have never understood about who gets banned and why, but I cannot imagine that it is generally without cause.

Seriously, my only real irritation is the policy of classifieds not posting until approved. When I decide to sell something it is probably because I want the money for something else - so sooner rather than later. If I feel that it is desirable and priced to sell then it won't take long. I like to put it up here for a few hours at least before going to ebay. But there have been times that I listed something at noon and it still was not approved at 8:00pm. That is a problem if you are hoping to sell in a matter of hours and you don't even get it onto ebay until the next day.

I prefer short threads without a load of TL;DR but many (most) people just add and edit for current sales. I hate having to look back through 3 years and 400 posts to see the one thing that an active seller is actually selling today.

We don't get paid at all, we just volunteer our time.

Next time you put something up in classifieds, you can send me a PM, and I'll get it approved as soon as I can.

ILY!!! <3333

Lol I bet ya'll thought this was gonna be another one like the Binge Bro lol my bad letter.
In all seriousness though, despite how immature people can be sometimes around here, I feel like the moderation team is pretty much always on the ball, not letting their personal disputes get in the way of fair judgment. I've been on a lot of ****ty online forums, so it's refreshing to visit one that's not modded by like literal twelve-year-olds (I can't speak to most of your actual ages, but at least you don't behave like you're kids). Keep up the good work! 

Thanks for this, I really appreciate the sentiment, even though I know it wasn't necessarily aimed at me specifically.

Also, the list shows Soarer as the moderator of the "Making Stuff Together" category, and I agree that he should be "honorary" moderator, but it would be good to know who actually does it, in case there was a question or direct request.

Moderation questions about MST should be directed to any global moderator. We don't have a lot of subforum moderators, other than giving artisans and vendors privileges in their specific subfora. Hoggy in Ergonomics is the only other one that comes to mind.

I can vouch for user 18. I often see his name in blue at the bottom of the homepage in the "who's online" section. And when my Alpine Winter GB thread was ready to go live it was user 18 who approved it, not that slacker Hoff.

[fohat.digs]

We don't get paid at all, we just volunteer our time.

Of course I assumed that everyone knew that was a joke.

We should all be deeply appreciative of all your efforts.