Discussion for new forum policies

@JWW:

I am not certain how often mod intervention is required and perhaps the extent is so large, as hard to believe as that is,

then again, I could really be naive about how large of a problem this is?!?

The real crux of the issue appears to be not what to do when regular member have a conflict or dislike each and need the Moderator to act as the referee, but rather what happens in situations when a moderator and a regular member may get into a conflict or dislike one another (e.g. Gargantua and Imperious Leader).  In those cases, there is at least the possibility or appearance that one side may use his or her position of power unfairly.  In my line of work we call that a “conflict of interest” and the normal solution is to have a third party, such as another moderator, act as the referee.  The best solution for anyone in a conflict of interest situation, whether that be a moderator of an internet forum or a university professor or whatever role is to recuse yourself and have someone else act in your place in any situation that has the appearance or possibility of bias, whether or not that possibility is actually realized.

I stand with Garg on this issue.  Some of these Moderators need to grow up and stop playing God.  Most are great, but there are a couple in particular that need to knock off the attitude.  We all want to see the site and the community grow.  Censorship and needless editing and interfering with members puts a damper on that.  If they can’t act somewhat judiciously and unbiased, and can’t refrain from acting arbitrarily or capriciously, they need to have their Moderatorship yanked.

Moderators should set the standard for behavior, while giving a lot of rope to others to freely express themselves.  Censorship and editing of posts should be used only in the most extreme circumstances and only after collaborating with other Moderators whom concur.

@DutchmanD:

Moderators should set the standard for behavior, while giving a lot of rope to others to freely express themselves.  Censorship and editing of posts should be used only in the most extreme circumstances and only after collaborating with other Moderators whom concur.

Not understanding all the particulars, to what should be consider in this instance, I would agree, for whatever it is worth, 100% with this argument.

Moderators should not be able to delete posts/replies in the pbf forum. Maybe make that forum moderable only by a super admin.

Moderators should not be able to delete posts/replies in the pbf forum. Maybe make that forum moderable only by a super admin.

Why am I thinking of Jen when you say that. LOL.

Imperious and garg have been around forever, I hate to see either of them go.

One suggestion for managing such incidents would be for posts that “hijack” threads in this way to be moved by the moderators to one or more threads dedicated to these controversies, where people who like to argue about these topics can do so to their heart’s content without bothering the rest of us.

I like the idea of a quarantine section.  Ideally, all the posts would be auto-deleted after a week or three.

I only read a fraction of the posts here.  From my limited sampling, the only posts I ever had a real issue with was the “Food scarcity in WWII Germany” threads Kurt kept inserting into nearly every thread that was remotely connected.  I felt it was an excuse for what the nazis did, maybe not his intention but….

In my line of work we call that a “conflict of interest” and the normal solution is to have a third party, such as another moderator, act as the referee.  The best solution for anyone in a conflict of interest situation, whether that be a moderator of an internet forum or a university professor or whatever role is to recuse yourself and have someone else act in your place in any situation that has the appearance or possibility of bias, whether or not that possibility is actually realized.

Well stated……

The BBC website has the option of other readers rating comments with a thumbs up or down.  We are limited to what this software can do obviously.  However, it would be grand to be able to press a button to rate a comment, perhaps if comments were overwhelmingly rated negatively then that post could automatically be brought to the attention of a MOD.

@ Cromwell,
There is a place for everything.  If someone wants to talk about that kind of stuff, they can take it to a website dedicated to that kind of stuff, not here. 
As to your regard that certain topics in WWII are seen as being more off-limits than topics in other wars, I would agree and say it is justified.  There is a lot more “baggage” in WWII due to the racism, ethnicism, systematic genocide, holocaust, etc, and so it is quite rightfully policed a bit more. 
Whenever someone starts talking this stuff in my lobby, I tell them to take it somewhere else, like a private game room, or a website dedicated to that kind of stuff.  If they don’t, they get muted.  Ever since doing this, we’ve cut back significantly on the number of flame wars that happen in the lobby.

Lets get back on topic. We are a game forum here with people from all the age groups, religious and political backgrounds. Serious discussion of the finer points of WWII belongs anywhere but on a game forum. If I want to read clap-trap from people who have axes to grind I will go to ACG, not A&A.org. Having said that, accurate info on WWII topics is necessary to create good scenarios and simulations. Deal with infractions on a case by case basis by contacting the individual member and laying down the law. Knee jerk reactions generally just create more problems in the long run because they are hastily thought out. The more rules we have, the more uptight we appear and this will eventually lead to fewer posts. We should always be aware that young people play these games and read these forums and a parent could be reviewing what is being seen. To complicate things A&A.org has a “Patron Program” which make members part owners of the forum for a financial investment. I know if I invest in something I absolutely want my say! On the up side trouble we posts usually leads back to certain members most of the time anyway and can be easily dealt with.

I find in general that folks here are very courteous and helpful.

Here is a good example of how things can work without much intervention from a moderator.  Cromwell posts a bunch of stuff pointing out the supposed hypocrisy of allied morality, completely off topic and frankly WRONG (i.e. except for the Soviet Union, the allies were fighting a morally just war against atrocious regimes).  In any case, it was promptly addressed by 3 others who posted replies.  A person reading this thread would see one off base opinion followed by several rebuttals, and that probably would allow them to reach a reasonable opionion themselves.  With the exception of outright hate speech that could get the site into legal trouble for allowing it to be be distributed, the community is quite capable of keeping the occasional loudmouth in check.

I was about to say “Well said Field marshall”, but a new post was submitted.  I add to my original post with “and Vance”.

I think if you are going to be engaging in debates on this site in particular, you ought to at least play the game or be curious about playing it.  I am far far from perfect, my friends never mind my enemies will attest to that.  That being said, I wonder out loud if Kurt ever played Axis and Allies…ever?

A number of good, insightful, on-topic posts have been made in this thread. I only became aware of this thread’s existence today, so I’d like to respond to those posts.

1. First, I’d like to thank David (djensen), both for the work he’s done on these forums, and for getting the ball rolling with this discussion. I think he’s asking the right questions, and asking them in a constructive way.

2. I fully agree with what David had to say about the need to prevent cyber bullying.

3. I feel that ethnic and racial slurs have no place in this forum.

4. I agree with CWO Marc’s post in which he wrote that criticism should be focused on the other person’s argument, not the other person.

5. I also agree with CWO Marc’s point that “even when something is phrased politely and expressed as a nicely structured argument, it can still constitute (or be perceived as) hate speech if the point that is being made is a highly controversial one.” He is 100% right, which is why vaguely defined, open-to-interpretation concepts such as “hate speech” should be avoided in the drafting of list policies. Instead, those policies should prohibit specific behaviors, such as making hateful statements about a person or group of people on the basis of race.

6. I also agree with CWO Marc that if a thread goes too far off-topic, the off-topic posts should be moved to a new thread dedicated to the subject. The new thread should not be some sort of garbage can–as Malachi Crunch seems to envision. A discussion of a new topic can be every bit as valuable as a discussion of the original thread topic.

7. I agree with Vance that the policies used by moderators should be written, and should be accessible to forum users.

8. I also agree with Vance that moderators should never edit other people’s posts. (Except if requested, or except if something illegal in the United States has been posted.)

9. Vance is also correct to state that moderators should be held to the same standards as regular users.

10. Vance, DutchmanD, and JWW are right in saying that the job of moderators should be minimal.

11. I agree with CWO Marc that the primary job of the moderators should be to ensure threads remain civil. If participants begin drifting away from civility, then and only then is action necessary. To the extent sanctions are applied, they should be applied against those guilty of initiating or perpetuating the uncivil tone of the discussion. In no instance should a controversial opinion be viewed as an “excuse” for a violation of civility standards which would otherwise have applied.

12. I agree with Axisplaya about the critical need for quality moderators. Just to add to what he’s written, I believe the ideal moderator is level-headed, intelligent, avoids the appearance of conflicts of interest, and is restrained in his or her use of power.

13. JWW is correct to state that the “mod footprint” should be as small as possible. His proposed solution (of requiring two or more mods to agree before a moderator action can be taken) may have merit. Another possible solution is to remove the moderator powers from anyone who is too different than that described in 12).

14. I agree with Cromwell Dude that we should be able to discuss WWII with as much freedom as we discuss WWI. I also agree with his point that “free speech except when talking about the Nazis” is not really free speech.

Not to sound too much like Woodrow Wilson, but if the above fourteen points are implemented, we’ll have a much better forum! :)

@djensen:

No matter what the rules, they are going to be open to interpretation by a moderator and the community.

I’m also starting to like what Field Marshall (not to be confused with Field Marshal Games, of course) is saying about history. I’m thinking we should limit it to military history. I don’t need discussions on this forum about just war as it relates to WWII. And of course Dresden was bad, war is bad, there were atrocities all around. However, last I checked NONE OF YOU hold a PhD in history specializing in WWII (if you do please point me to your credentials) so as far as I’m concerned any post about history without references (and references on those references) is all armchair historian junk.

When I was playing a lot of A&A Minis, I would play with a guy who knew a lot of military history and he would talk about how the German set up pill boxes or how what happens in a paratrooper drop or details about certain tanks. It was very military focused and it never touched academic/political history topics.

I’m starting to think that:

• WWII talk should be limited to military history
• No political WWII discussions
• Provide references or risk that your post will be deleted

Requiring references is going to cause you trouble, because you can find or make any references you want (we all have the internet after all).

Expecting your moderators to go and read the references to determine if they are valid, is way too much.

Instead, any topics which you would allows only with references, just should not be on this forum at all, and instead should be on a different forum dedicated to that kind of stuff.

@Veqryn:

@djensen:

No matter what the rules, they are going to be open to interpretation by a moderator and the community.

I’m also starting to like what Field Marshall (not to be confused with Field Marshal Games, of course) is saying about history. I’m thinking we should limit it to military history. I don’t need discussions on this forum about just war as it relates to WWII. And of course Dresden was bad, war is bad, there were atrocities all around. However, last I checked NONE OF YOU hold a PhD in history specializing in WWII (if you do please point me to your credentials) so as far as I’m concerned any post about history without references (and references on those references) is all armchair historian junk.

When I was playing a lot of A&A Minis, I would play with a guy who knew a lot of military history and he would talk about how the German set up pill boxes or how what happens in a paratrooper drop or details about certain tanks. It was very military focused and it never touched academic/political history topics.

I’m starting to think that:

• WWII talk should be limited to military history
• No political WWII discussions
• Provide references or risk that your post will be deleted

Requiring references is going to cause you trouble, because you can find or make any references you want (we all have the internet after all).

Expecting your moderators to go and read the references to determine if they are valid, is way too much.

Instead, any topics which you would allows only with references, just should not be on this forum at all, and instead should be on a different forum dedicated to that kind of stuff.

If you want to play professor here then you should be prepared to post your references, either internet or printed. If people want to reference Wiki links and ruin there creditability here, so be it, but its easy to type clap-trap when you don’t have to post references. Certain personality types get pretty brave when sitting behind a keyboard and must be challenged and a reference is the most peaceful way. I doubt moderators will have time to check references but the members do and will be checking and advising mods as to indiscretions. If the post doesn’t pertain to a game, a scenario or ordinance then it belongs elsewhere. I’m not sure if anyone here has read any discussions from dedicated WWII forums but they get real ugly and people get ganged up on by the group which divides the forums, we don’t want to go there!

@djensen:

• Provide references or risk that your post will be deleted

I can see a couple of potential problems with this idea.  The first is that giving references will not in itself prevent some of the kinds of nasty fights we’ve seen because several of those fights have been over the validity of the sources that people have quoted in the first place. Given that some people will never change their minds about what sources they consider valid and what sources they consider illegitimate, requiring people to always provide references won’t automatically convince the folks on the other side of a debate that the argument being presented is a sound one.

The second problem is that the reference requirement may do more harm than good, and in most cases may not be necessary.  There have been plenty of military history discussions on this board in which unreferenced information has been provided without this causing any problems.  Someone will ask a question about a subject, or bring up a topic for debate; various people will then contribute to the thread, offering facts or opinions, and the discussion will proceed in a perfectly cordial way without posters being challenged to back up their statements.  Sometimes a person will ask politely where a particular bit of information came from, and the poster will just as politely provide the reference – which is entirely fine.  I’m worried that if people are required to always cite their sources, this will stiffle discussion too much.  I know that I don’t always remember where I got a particular bit of information when I post something on the board.  Sometimes the information isn’t always from a single source, but rather is the result of many years of reading, which makes it hard to provide specific references.  And sometimes what people are asked to contribute in these threads are opinions rather than facts – for instance, their views about what such-and-such a country could have done in such-and-such a battle to change the result in such-and-such a way.  These kinds of opinions can be fun and valuable to read about, even thought they can’t be proved (though it helps when evidence is provided to back up the poster’s conclusions).

My preference would be to have a simpler system: people can provide references if they want, and should be willing to provide references on request if a contentious point comes up, but otherwise they should not be pressured into always citing sources under the threat of possible post deletion.

Providing references should be done as a matter of routine when required.  I would prefer to think of references as a source of additional knowledge valued by everyone rather than a controversial piece of information that supports a controversial subject.  Ah but that is in the eye of the beholder.

I try to cite sources when I can and I often do a google search to verify my memory is correct, then post what I think are valuable links.

But strictly requiring them, I have to agree with what others wrote.

Kurt, nice 14 point plan.  I like the segue to history and Woodrow Wilson.

@MrMalachiCrunch:

Providing references should be done as a matter of routine when required.  I would prefer to think of references as a source of additional knowledge valued by everyone rather than a controversial piece of information that supports a controversial subject.  Ah but that is in the eye of the beholder.

I try to cite sources when I can and I often do a google search to verify my memory is correct, then post what I think are valuable links.

But strictly requiring them, I have to agree with what others wrote.

Kurt, nice 14 point plan.  I like the segue to history and Woodrow Wilson.

Thanks for the kind words.

On another matter, I’ve enjoyed the discussions about history on the WWII history forum. If in the future that forum is limited to strictly military history, most of its current value will be lost. I don’t see the harm in having a place where people can discuss WWII history like civilized adults; with moderators acting only when someone departs from the list’s standard of civility.

@djensen:

I’m starting to think that:

• WWII talk should be limited to military history
• No political WWII discussions
• Provide references or risk that your post will be deleted

My earlier post from this morning addressed djensen’s third point from this list.  I’d just like to add a comment about the first two points.  Drawing a distinction between the political and military aspects of WWII is potentially tricky, and would rule out many valid and interesting areas of discussion.  Keep in mind that most A&A games cover either the entire globe, or one of the two main theatres of the war (the European-Mediterranean theatre and the Asia-Pacific theatre), and as such are strategic-level wargames.  At that level, in which players represent the national command structure of entire nations, the political aspects of the war are a valid subject of discussion.  In Global 1940, just to pick one example, player decisions about when Japan goes to war against the U.S. or about whether a neutral country should be attacked represent high-level political policy decisions in the real world, not operational-level or tactical-level decisions of a purely military nature.