Our 'Rules' + Moderator Defaults

[GrandOldTeam]

Blues,

We're busier than ever;



This has prompted us, over in our plush mod central - to discuss our moderating stance for the season ahead.

The crux of the discussion is - can we moderate GrandOldTeam a little more leniently? Have we as a moderating setup become a bit miserable? (don't answer that...).

Anyway - it would be good to have some feedback on the below.

• What should the moderating warning system be?

As in, how should the moderators of your Everton forum, moderate.

We last revised our community guidelines in 2008 - I think they're still applicable, but I think we could improve on how we ask and prompt the community to follow the guidelines.

Currently, if a moderator sees a post that goes against our guidelines - they hit 'warn' and have a predetermined setup like so;



These allocate warning points - as below;

Warning System
30 Points = Suspended for 2 Days.
60 points = Suspended For 7 Days.
80 points = Suspended For 14 Days.
100 points = Permanently Banned.

Inappropriate Language: 10 points
General Behaviour Warning: 20 points
Off Topic: 20 points
Minor Spamming: 20 points
Posting Abusive/Offensive Material: 60 points
Spammed Advertisements: 100 points
10 and 20 point infractions expire after 30 days, the rest after 45 days.

The lower value warnings can be issued as a warning (0 points) at the discretion of the staff member.

You will be automatically notified via private message if you receive a warning - meaning the points wont mount up without you realising.

So...
Can our system be better?

Is it easily understood?

Is it fair?

How do we keep GrandOldTeam 'sound' and civil, but don't go to far and lose the fun.

Above all - If you could setup the moderating structure for GOT, what would it be?

I know it's difficult blues, but serious suggestions/feedback please...

 

[PhilM]

Overall, I think the modding on GOT is pretty much spot on when you consider the overall context of the forum as a whole.

There are other forums where modding is slightly more 'lax', which has its own benefits, but as a rule they're much smaller and a lower profile.

This place is high profile and as such it's to be expected that there must be some more rigidity with the rules. If you don't like it, then move on.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Nice one to everyone who has offered their view and feedback. It helps.

Like Goat I think it would be good if we could see our warning points. I remember on the old server you used to be able to see the infractions you'd had.

Agree, members should be able to see their warnings. I actually thought they could, will sort this.

I think off topic in some threads needs to have more warnings issued, but at the same time for less points (5?), with it ramping up for continued infraction. Make 5 pointers expire quicker too.

Good shout. The weighting of our allocated points is something I'm particularly interested in. I think that's a good shout.

Love the fact swearing is banned. Makes other fans forums that allow it look rather tacky. Encourages a decent debate. . . Occasionally.

I personally think it helps set a tone.

However - we don't have a choice with our stance on 'Swearing' - some like the censor, some don't. Unfortunately our hands are tied, our advertising partner insist their ads aren't next to 'swearing' (or sexually suggestive pics, etc etc etc) and without them, we're knackered.

Personally, I think Off Topic should go. Sometimes little side notes warrant posting, if you were chatting in the pub there's no rules on where your conversation goes. Most of the threads deviate somewhat during their lifespan and a little humour or tangential chat never did any harm.

I think the mods should apply common sense to off topic posts mate. A lot of it is inevitable, but posts in the Everton forum need to stay pretty much on topic. We have the ale house and elsewhere, profile posts, conversations were people can ramble on about whatever they want. So the "chatting in the pub there's no rules on where your conversation goes" - no doubt, same in the 'Ale House' on here.

There's so much circumnavigation of it on here though, with koff, sake etc. May as well just allow it.

As above mate;

We don't have a choice with our stance on 'Swearing' - some like the censor, some don't. Unfortunately our hands are tied, our advertising partner insist their ads aren't next to 'swearing' (or sexually suggestive pics, etc etc etc) and without them, we're knackered.

Think sometimes threads should be allowed to run a little longer, and have from time to time seen threads closed on a Mod whim.
At the end of the day this forum is here to be an enjoyable place to have a laugh and chat wham about Everton and life, and sometimes I think the moderators can take the forum a little too seriously. A little more leniency would be appreciated, particularly when it comes to the Ale House.

Actually a good example of this was where Danny was actively posting and moderating in the Everton forum the other day, there was a good too
and fro going on, little bit of off topic, fun and tangents allowed but the key issue was also discussed.
However overall the mods are fair and do a decent job.

I'd agree mate - sometimes we are a little too quick to close, or threadban - sometimes I think the wider masses will not be appreciative of the private word via conversation prior doing so but still, 'Come on lads...' should be prior thread closures unless it's reached a silly point of no return.

Also if you're on the verge of a ban, an automated email would be a decent idea and fair warning I reckon.

Automated email should happen for warnings, I think the key is having access to your own warning points so you know were you're up to,

Mod system is basically sound, although I am occasionally surprised at how mean personal comments can go back and forth for so long. I am an Aussie and we are used to winding each other up but some of what I read here is toe-curling. Best of luck to the Mods though, this is one of my favourite places on the net and it is down to the folks who run the show.

We have Dylan, but could do with a mod on a different time zone.

Since you asked for feedback.

Firstly the disclaimer: mod is an unpaid job and one which @GrandOldTeam will confirm I've swerved a few times as I couldn't be arsed handling dolts like me looking for cheap wind ups and the utter ringpieces that occasionally show up on here. I know a few of the mods, have drank a beer with them and they're good eggs.

However.

There's a chronic problem with the modding on here of late. Put simply, it's sucking all the fun out of the place.

GOT always had a sound community where the humour was sometimes near the knuckle but reigned in when needed. Instead now you get thread bans and actual bans and spoken to like you're a piece of shît when you try to have a bit of fun. Even if it's in the Everton forum there needs to be a reasonable amount of fun and off topic allowed because, well, that's just how forums are. It's how human conversation is. We're not sat with a fûcking agenda in front of us at work and not allowed to deviate it from it.

The approach to modding is too harsh. I've just had a week ban because I done, and I'll put it in simple terms, a clear parody of our players getting bummed in the centre circle. Sound. If you're offended by that then I hope you also ban all those referencing to the greenhouse scene in Scum. A week ban. You power hungry beauts. Where's the common sense modding approach in that? You're turning GOT sterile and into Everton's own version of RAWK by being too over the top.

The best threads on here that still get talked about are the ones with the wind ups and the mass fall outs where someone loses their head. Now as soon as any debate is triggered it's like a countdown to the thread being locked or you being thread banned, or banned outright.

Half the mods who used to mod aren't around anymore which is sad because they were ace but if they're not active mods then they need to be replaced, that's another problem.

The place used to self mod itself with the help of the rep system but that had to go understandable and it's got bigger by the month but it shouldn't lose it's ability to mod in a sound way. I don't feel the active mods get the balance or line right. There's also plenty of sound posters who can't be arsed on here because of it, we talk about it from time to time and they're of the same opinion: the fun is being sucked out of it.

There doesn't seem to be any cohesion with the mods and limited attempt to build rapport with the posters by some of the mods, resulting in the draconian approach to modding. It needs more sound mods who get the humour of the place and roll with it, like any time Danny remembers us and leaves Twitter to get involved in a thread. He engages posters, he can tell someone to turn it in.

So these locked threads, thread bans, bans and generally turning the place into Everton's version of RAWK need addressing. Fresh blood needs to be brought into the mod team, new rules for the mods not for the site need drawing up so everyone knows where the line is and what the tone of the forum should be.

Bring the fun back to GOT and the soundness it used to have. It's what made it popular and grow in the first place. Let some debates flow, stop being so stuck up.

People come on here for leisure rather than obligation, the mods need to be less like impotent prison guards and more part of the community themselves.

Over and out.

Who let this clown back on here?

I just want to also state what azul said, ive met most of the mods, ive shared a beer with them, ive spent time with them and they are all good people, I consider a few of them Friends, not just internet Friends, but actual Friends.

The marines we lose hits the forum harder than anything IMO, the boy Daveks name rang out, he should be here, enjoying the ride, instead hes prolly had to join a Wigan forum or something. Then theres the cats like Derek, the boy BMG, the boy Ghost, who came at the king and missed, I know the reasons for all the bans and im not for 1 second saying that according to the rules they didnt need a time out, but the forum misses certain people.

Like you, the forum missed you for the last week, you got banned for suggesting that Everton players should be bummed on the centre circle, I personally have no issue with this king of thing, I dont mind the gays me, so I still dont know why you got banned for a week? The forum was built on giving another man a bloody good bumming.

The thread bans I dont have an issue with, im an utter trumpet and @micknick does a good job in keeping me in line, but the thread closures do get a little tiresome, again the place was built on people getting their mental on and giving the forum a show, most of the time threads are knocked on the head before people get it out their system and things appear to just drag on and infect other threads.

So whats the answer? Do we need a change? Do we need fresh blood? Could things been done differently and still maintain law and order? I personally think so, give us more freedom, give us more rope, but not to hang on, but to skip along the forum like the utter mutants we are, never forget tho, the king stay the king.

New moderators coming to a forum near you soon.

...it's difficult for the Moderators and I tend to agree with others that they get the balance about right. I do think the responsibility of tolerance and respect falls upon the posters and we need to be reminded of that at times.

One small gripe is the recent trend of staff posting new threads on reported transfer targets or even (in one case) an aspirational wish for us to sign a certain goalkeeper. As a backbencher, I try to do my bit to ensure good housekeeping and posting comments in existing threads. We don't want a 'do as I say but not as I do' governance.

Keep up the good work.

Good shout, though some of the threads you refer to are automatically generated from the home page/news.

If Sky Sports say we're in talks, I'll carry the news on GOT, it then auto posts the thread within 30 mins to the forum. I can see why some would say "Why isn't this in the transfer thread?"

Modding is a thankless job & one accomplished by and large with good grace.

If there's one aspect I think needs addressing, it's the difficult one of consistency. The Ale House is the worst for this, in my view. If you don't want political threads, close the lot. If you are prepared to allow some, don't close the ones you happen to dislike or fear might just degenerate into a poisonous squabble. You never know, there may be more light than heat!

The most discussed issue in mod central this mate.

The issue is, defining what is a political thread.

Like with every aspect of moderating, I think common sense needs to be applied - I also like to think if people want to talk about something as big and topical as the EU referendum, then they should be able to, or at least given the chance to first.

We've tried pretty much every approach - allowing politics, then not (closing "the lot") - we've settled into a position and current stance of "We'd rather no politics, but we'll play it by ear" and we make a call. We hope members will not take the piss and provided the tone doesn't become counter productive to the whole forum, we'll let it run with a heavy disclaimer of those threads being likely to be closed.

I always equate discussions on this forum with having a natter in a boozer! There are rules and there are boundaries that are only crossed at the risk of a smack in the mouth! Prior to said smack in mouth being dished out, someone will normally issue a warning? The mods issue the warnings prior to the smack in the mouth (the ban) being dealt! If people dont like or dont listen to those warnings, they can hardly complain if they have their noses bust?

The forum is fair, anyone who doesnt agree, join another or set up their own?

Exactly what I hope our moderating is.

 

[Kiwi]

The system's fine.

It's not always used consistently, and that's sensible, if anything, it's used a little too consistently. There are times when things are strictly speaking breaking the rules, but they can be allowed to run without fear of things getting too out of hand. At times like that, rather than closing threads or issuing warnings sometimes it would be better just to be there, posting and keeping an eye on things, but time doesn't always allow that.

Must admit that this is my preferred form of modding, the hands off approach.
It allows the forum to have their fun but also mods posting in said thread with a "hi lads" or whatever means that usually stuff doesn't go too haywire, and that if it does the appropriate threadbans + infractions can be dealt out.
Appreciate that time is not always there, but sometimes the lighter touch and taking the time to build a bit of a rapport with posters is much preferable to wielding the banhammer and threadlock most times the boundaries have been pushed.

 

[Bluebonic]

Without wishng to sound too much of a brown-noser, i think the very fact the moderators are prepared to ask for 360 feedback demonstrates a level of self awareness and decency. I joined NSNO and also Bluekipper when it was around, and while both has some funny stuff on them, neither made me feel I belonged to them like this one does?

 

[AndyC]

Without wishng to sound too much of a brown-noser, i think the very fact the moderators are prepared to ask for 360 feedback demonstrates a level of self awareness and decency. I joined NSNO and also Bluekipper when it was around, and while both has some funny stuff on them, neither made me feel I belonged to them like this one does?

Agree very much with this.
I've lost count of the number of times that I've burst out laughing or indeed fumed and had to show the missus or others what's see me off.
I used to be a regular on Bluekipper, but GOT is much broader and wayyyy more amusing... despite some dinstinctly warped opinions and personalities. lollol

 

[Ashtonian]

One thought reading through is perhaps personally attacking other members need to be clamped down on a little bit more harshly as it might be a laugh to the people doing it but to whoever is on the receiving end it creates a horrible place for them to be. I've even spoken to someone on here and they want to come in here and talk about their club but get essentially racist or nasty comments thrown their way when discussing and it can be from the same members and always off topic or targeted.

I'm all for fair game and expect to be ripped for vaping or whatever but sometimes there is a line between jokes and essentially just online bullying.

 

[Kurt.]

One thought reading through is perhaps personally attacking other members need to be clamped down on a little bit more harshly as it might be a laugh to the people doing it but to whoever is on the receiving end it creates a horrible place for them to be. I've even spoken to someone on here and they want to come in here and talk about their club but get essentially racist or nasty comments thrown their way when discussing and it can be from the same members and always off topic or targeted.

I'm all for fair game and expect to be ripped for vaping or whatever but sometimes there is a line between jokes and essentially just online bullying.

woah woah woah..... these are strong accusations to be chucking around.... do you have proof ?

 

[Boss_Blue]

I fully support the approach taken by our mod god overlords to keeping the unruly masses in check.

*puts on I heart @The Esk t-shirt

 

[Boss_Blue]

One thought reading through is perhaps personally attacking other members need to be clamped down on a little bit more harshly as it might be a laugh to the people doing it but to whoever is on the receiving end it creates a horrible place for them to be. I've even spoken to someone on here and they want to come in here and talk about their club but get essentially racist or nasty comments thrown their way when discussing and it can be from the same members and always off topic or targeted.

I'm all for fair game and expect to be ripped for vaping or whatever but sometimes there is a line between jokes and essentially just online bullying.

*takes deep breath

*counts to ten

*swerves

 

[tommye]

I fully support the approach taken by our mod god overlords to keeping the unruly masses in check.

*puts on I heart @The Esk t-shirt

Hi sweetcheeks X

 

[tommye]

One thought reading through is perhaps personally attacking other members need to be clamped down on a little bit more harshly as it might be a laugh to the people doing it but to whoever is on the receiving end it creates a horrible place for them to be. I've even spoken to someone on here and they want to come in here and talk about their club but get essentially racist or nasty comments thrown their way when discussing and it can be from the same members and always off topic or targeted.

I'm all for fair game and expect to be ripped for vaping or whatever but sometimes there is a line between jokes and essentially just online bullying.

Pipe down ye jarg nazi cockwomble. X

 

[SerenityNigh]

One thought reading through is perhaps personally attacking other members need to be clamped down on a little bit more harshly as it might be a laugh to the people doing it but to whoever is on the receiving end it creates a horrible place for them to be. I've even spoken to someone on here and they want to come in here and talk about their club but get essentially racist or nasty comments thrown their way when discussing and it can be from the same members and always off topic or targeted.

I'm all for fair game and expect to be ripped for vaping or whatever but sometimes there is a line between jokes and essentially just online bullying.

I did not see this coming

 

[SerenityNigh]

Pipe down ye jarg nazi cockwomble. X

There's me joke ruined

 

[tommye]

There's me joke ruined

Just like ye mar's foof

 

[Woolly Blue]

I'd just like to add that I've only just looked at Danny's graph, and it's nice to see that the like / post ratio has improved over the last few months, which must signify something, though I know not what.