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[commish]

I can understand why they might be viewed as not adding anything substantial, but sometimes when I go into a thread I'll find someone has already replied with exactly what I was going to post, often worded more articulately. By quoting and saying "this" I signal I feel/think the same way. As for "/thread", I only like to see it when the OP asks a question with an obvious answer.

If only /thread really ended threads in those cases!

 

[dudeworld]

I was banned for a day and the ban reason said I need to be more respectful to forum members and the post I was banned for was saying I'd nail boxxy

didnt know boxxy was on gaf

 

[Neuromancer]

The /thread thing is dumb. The "this" is understandable, though I don't do it. But if someone basically said exactly what you would have, and you don't have anything to add other than general agreement, seems okay. Dunno how the mods view it.

/thread is dumb because you're implicitly telling others they should stop posting.

I don't like when people do that either. It's the diametric opposite of a post that leads to interesting or thoughtful discussion.

 

[A Human Becoming]

That's why forums should have "Like" or "+1" buttons for posts. That way you can achieve the same thing but not take up extra space on the page. It would make reading through threads that much easier.

I've thought the same thing before, but I know Evilore would NEVER add that feature.

I don't like when people do that either. It's the diametric opposite of a post that leads to interesting or thoughtful discussion.

OP GAF my penis just fell off, what should I do?

First reply Go to a hospital.

Second reply

Go to a hospital.

/thread

That seems okay to me.

 

[G-Fex]

Okay Mr. Yu-Gi-Oh avatar.

Jealous much mr. pink psyduck?

 

[The Frankman]

Jealous much mr. pink psyduck?

oh G-Fex... you and your lack of knowledge of PokeMon.

You missed the Epic Mickey thread where Lyre/Dragona basically made a "port-begging after this post is banned for a year" and BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM because the thread was moving fast total graveyard?

In fairness those were two of the worst mods in GAF history.

as far as port begging goes, some of the bans are just silly. I once made a post about Parasite Eve: 3rd birthday where I outlined the game's graphics, was surprised at the difference in story/Aya's new abilities, then said "hope it gets the GTA: Liberty Stories treatment". I got a 3 month ban for THAT. total BS.

 

[TheRagnCajun]

I was banned for a day and the ban reason said I need to be more respectful to forum members and the post I was banned for was saying I'd nail boxxy

didnt know boxxy was on gaf

Boxxy's on GAF? Get outta here...

 

[Stumpokapow]

Yeah, I remember I brought up wanting Dragon Quest X on a handheld because of how great I thought DQ4-6&9 were as portable games.

I received several PMs over the next few hours saying that I was probably gonna get banned if I didn't edit my post, and I had no idea what they were talking about. I had to check the thread again, and one of the mods had mocked my post. It was during a time when I wasn't on GAF all that much, so it was a bit of a surprise. I'm usually very friendly and level-headed here and it wasn't like I posted, "Fuck this! Wii's for losers... put that shit on DS, son!" (and you have no idea how hard it was for me to type that just now ).

Good thread here, though... quite a few things I never knew.

I can't really speak to your post in specific because I haven't seen it. If it was part of a pattern of negative posting / trolling when DQX was announced for Wii so that people read your post as sour grapes console warrior stuff, then that'd be the kind of thing we frown on. If it was in an unrelated discussion, and more of "I really like playing DQ on handhelds" and more positive and trying to get people to discuss things, that's not a problem. Again, I have no idea what your post in specific was like.

One thing I will say is that as mods we try to make clear that it's more important to try to contribute well to any thread than it is to try to memorize the entire history of everyone who has ever been banned for anything. A lot of users, when they're backseat moderating (which, like... they probably shouldn't do) kind of ignore the context in which the posts are made. Obviously stuff like posting nudity or racism/homophobia or linking pirated stuff is never going to be acceptable, but a lot of "disruptive posting" type bans are highly contextual.

If you read the Banned sites, inappropriate posts, and memes thread that I wrote in the FAQ forum, you'll see my approach here. I do list the kinds of things that people have been banned for in the past, but it's not about the things that people said, it's about the spirit in which they said them.

Hope this clarifies. If you have followup on port begging issues, feel free to PM me or any other mod.

 

[Liquidsnake]

I was banned for a day and the ban reason said I need to be more respectful to forum members and the post I was banned for was saying I'd nail boxxy

didnt know boxxy was on gaf

Me too man, but because I am a Junior. I got 7 days.......

 

[The Frankman]

Oh I've DEFINITELY got an issue, since I'm pretty sure the mod who banned me was looking to do so from a thread the previous day.

 

[jay]

Me too man, but because I am a Junior. I got 7 days.......

I thought any ban for a junior was permanent.

 

[RustyNails]

My post seem to have been overlooked. I ask the question again, why was PantherLotus banned?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Hey stump, didn't your avatar used to have a crown? I know it's been gone for a while but why did you get rid of it?

 

[G-Fex]

oh G-Fex... you and your lack of knowledge of PokeMon.

In fairness those were two of the worst mods in GAF history.

as far as port begging goes, some of the bans are just silly. I once made a post about Parasite Eve: 3rd birthday where I outlined the game's graphics, was surprised at the difference in story/Aya's new abilities, then said "hope it gets the GTA: Liberty Stories treatment". I got a 3 month ban for THAT. total BS.

Sorry I'm rusty on my pokemans.

that said, I really need to stop going to the gaming side.

 

[Stumpokapow]

I thought any ban for a junior was permanent.

Bans against new junior members are almost always permanent.

Hey stump, didn't your avatar used to have a crown? I know it's been gone for a while but why did you get rid of it?

Someone called me out for being egotistical (not over my avatar in specific, and I think they were sort of joking), but I don't want to come off that way to people so I figured I'd show some humility.

 

[Liquidsnake]

I thought any ban for a junior was permanent.

If you read my post, I don't think you would have banned me, so maybe the mod took mercy and gave me 7 instead of perma.

Either way I was angry, but grateful.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Bans against new junior members are almost always permanent.



Someone called me out for being egotistical (not over my avatar in specific, and I think they were sort of joking), but I don't want to come off that way to people so I figured I'd show some humility.

But aren't madmen supposed to be egotistical?

 

[Stumpokapow]

My post seem to have been overlooked. I ask the question again, why was PantherLotus banned?

We don't typically give out ban reasons for members unless they requested the ban or someone is radically mis-reading the reason they're banned--like a thread gets derailed because people think a user was banned for posting in that thread, but actually it was for something totally different.

PL is free to share the reason when he gets back though

 

[dudeworld]

If you read my post, I don't think you would have banned me, so maybe the mod took mercy and gave me 7 instead of perma.

Either way I was angry, but grateful.

did your ban list the name of the mod who banned you?

 

[Stumpokapow]

did your ban list the name of the mod who banned you?

Bans do not include the mod's name.

I know people often figure out who it was just based on context--or more often think they've figured it out but actually get it wrong and go on huge rants about how bad <mod x> erroneously--but we intend to convey that moderation is a sort of collective effort and that there's a degree of solidarity in our decision-making.

 

[The Frankman]

just replied back to the PM, and from what I was told by someone on IRC the ban originally was for 3 months and changed to 1. I still stand by my statement... oh yeah.


FREE RED SCARLET.

Bans do not include the mod's name.

Actually it's easy to tell sometimes due to the ban reasons and comments that follow it.

 

[ghibli99]

I can't really speak to your post in specific because I haven't seen it. If it was part of a pattern of negative posting / trolling when DQX was announced for Wii so that people read your post as sour grapes console warrior stuff, then that'd be the kind of thing we frown on. If it was in an unrelated discussion, and more of "I really like playing DQ on handhelds" and more positive and trying to get people to discuss things, that's not a problem. Again, I have no idea what your post in specific was like.

One thing I will say is that as mods we try to make clear that it's more important to try to contribute well to any thread than it is to try to memorize the entire history of everyone who has ever been banned for anything. A lot of users, when they're backseat moderating (which, like... they probably shouldn't do) kind of ignore the context in which the posts are made. Obviously stuff like posting nudity or racism/homophobia or linking pirated stuff is never going to be acceptable, but a lot of "disruptive posting" type bans are highly contextual.

If you read the Banned sites, inappropriate posts, and memes thread that I wrote in the FAQ forum, you'll see my approach here. I do list the kinds of things that people have been banned for in the past, but it's not about the things that people said, it's about the spirit in which they said them.

Hope this clarifies. If you have followup on port begging issues, feel free to PM me or any other mod.

I appreciate the response here. I didn't actually get banned for it, and I did issue an apology later in the thread (along with a better explanation as to why I said what I did). It did feel kind of deflating since DQ is my favorite RPG series, and it was written from the perspective of playing another DQ game on the go instead of on a console.

I'll admit that there are times where I'll post something that is more a throwaway comment rather than something that keeps the conversation going, but I think those are the exception rather than the rule. For the same reason, I don't like just posting dumb, sarcastic, noncontributory crap on FB and G+.

In hindsight, DQ10 (and Wii-exclusive threads in general) *do* tend to be more sensitive/volatile since inevitably people come in and want it on another system for HD purposes, no waggle, that sort of thing. That, and the fact that the console begging thing was a very hot topic at the time (after I did some digging in other threads) all combined and threw me for a loop.

It worked, though. I haven't done anything like it since. Thanks again for sharing your perspective.

 

[Simplet]

Banning memes when they become stale is lame. I despise all memes indiscriminately, anything that resembles a meme (ugh even the name is gross) should be banned en masse, except for the rare cases when they are actually funny. Of course you'd have no way to know in advance if your post will be judged sufficiently funny, that way it's a lot more exciting.

 

[dudeworld]

Bans do not include the mod's name.

I know people often figure out who it was just based on context--or more often think they've figured it out but actually get it wrong and go on huge rants about how bad <mod x> erroneously--but we intend to convey that moderation is a sort of collective effort and that there's a degree of solidarity in our decision-making.

so if we have an issue with a ban we can just pm any mod?

 

[Stumpokapow]

so if we have an issue with a ban we can just pm any mod?

If you ever have an issue with anything moderation related, or a question, PM any mod that's online or contact a mod off-site if need be. My Twitter is Stumpokapow, as is my Steam username if you want to contact me. You can also contact the support@neogaf.com email listed in the TOS, but obviously a currently online mod is going to be faster replying to you.

Now, I don't say this to suggest that mods overturn each others bans (we don't) or that playing mods against each other will result in a lesser sentence (it won't) or that it's a democracy where users get input on the rules (they don't), but if you feel like you need a second set of eyes or a better explanation for a rule or something, contact one of us.

Edit: One other thing--the more active a mod you contact, the more likely they will have been around for any relevant conversations about the decision and the more likely they are to be able to explain stuff to you.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Ya, it'll pretty much never lessen your ban but the mods have been helpful when I was confused about one of the times I've been banned.

 

[CrankyJay]

If you ever have an issue with anything moderation related, or a question, PM any mod that's online or contact a mod off-site if need be. My Twitter is Stumpokapow, as is my Steam username if you want to contact me. You can also contact the support@neogaf.com email listed in the TOS, but obviously a currently online mod is going to be faster replying to you.

I tried emailing that email address a few weeks ago to find out why I was juniored but never received a response.

 

[The Frankman]

Wasn't there a time on GAF where if you PMed a mod they'd ban you? I remember when I first joined up 5 years ago I was told not to contact mods via PM by GAFfers...

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

That's why forums should have "Like" or "+1" buttons for posts.

I've actually been thinking this would be a really cool addition to the forums. Maybe.

 

[Snuggles]

Wasn't there a time on GAF where if you PMed a mod they'd ban you? I remember when I first joined up 5 years ago I was told not to contact mods via PM by GAFfers...

I was told not to look them directly in the eyes.

 

[CrankyJay]

I've actually been thinking this would be a really cool addition to the forums. Maybe.

Actually, the functionality I would love most on GAF is a button in the quote box to take you to the original quoted post. I've seen this on other forums and it's fantastic.

 

[EviLore]

I've actually been thinking this would be a really cool addition to the forums. Maybe.

Hell no.

 

[zoukka]

Word of advice: do not give cold hard impressions of console exclusive games in their respective threads. Mods seem to just ban you to satisfy the hordes and to prevent spam that follows.

 

[Neuromancer]

Hell no.

Like +1

 

[Hot Coldman]

+2

 

[Pancakes]

+3

Spoiler

I think GAF is fine the way it is. We just need search back.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

Hell no.

There are some forums that have a script that allows you to enter your e.g. Xbox Live gamertag in your Control Panel and it appears as your avatar and the gamerscore, your profile image and your recently played games on your card are automatically updated; in essence the same feature you see on the official Xbox Live forums. Is that something feasible on GAF and that you'd like to see?

 

[Zeliard]

I've actually been thinking this would be a really cool addition to the forums. Maybe.

I used to mod at a basketball forum that had a vbulletin rep system some years back. It was basically meaningless and only further encouraged posts that simply read "+rep."

 

[MIMIC]

Question: do mods ban members based on the suggestions of OTHER members?

 

[Neuromancer]

+3

Spoiler

I think GAF is fine the way it is. We just need search back.

Don't forget smilies. I've gotten over static avatars, but I don't think I'll get over losing the smilies.

 

[Chinner]

Question: do mods ban members based on the suggestions of OTHER members?

i heard mods ban more ugly members than they ban attractive.

 

[Meus Renaissance]

Question: do mods ban members based on the suggestions of OTHER members?

I'd imagine the Mod would make his/her own judgement on the cause of the complaint rather than saying 'okay dokie' to a suggestion like that without even looking at it themselves lol

 

[Stumpokapow]

Question: do mods ban members based on the suggestions of OTHER members?

Members can call a mod's attention to stuff. We can't read every post all the time, so stuff slips through the cracks, and we value anyone who helps us with that--I don't mean maliciously snitching out people you don't like, I mean actually trying to be helpful.

But no, we don't choose how we respond to things based on anyone's input in terms of banning versus warning or in terms of ban length.

 

[2th]

Hell no.

what you dont want to see post ratings like on the League of Legends forums? i could just imagine people downvoting you like half the announcements over there.

 

[Hot Coldman]

i heard mods ban more ugly members than they ban attractive.

surprising that you're still here then

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO got served

 

[spiderman123]

i heard mods ban more ugly members than they ban attractive.

How can you tell beautiful?!

 

[commish]

+3

Spoiler

I think GAF is fine the way it is. We just need search back.

I wish mods would start outlaw this kinda stuff, to be honest. Everyone spoilers everything nowadays.

 

[Neuromancer]

How can you tell beautiful?!

By your avatar.

I wish mods would start outlaw this kinda stuff, to be honest. Everyone spoilers everything nowadays.

Or if not outlaw it, actively discourage it.

 

[D4Danger]

Someone called me out for being egotistical (not over my avatar in specific, and I think they were sort of joking), but I don't want to come off that way to people so I figured I'd show some humility.

never!

 

[spiderman123]

By your avatar.


Or if not outlaw it, actively discourage it.

I know I am good looking. All that makeup came in handy