Are moderators supposed to be neutral?

reply to post by whaaa


I call that abusing the system..lol

Actually, using the word Sex in a title doesn't necessarilly work either. I posted a thread called Sex in the Carribean about a week ago. All I got was a couple of stupid comments and then the thread died. I personally thought it was an interesting article, but it did not pass the public opinion test, I guess.

Originally posted by yeahright

Originally posted by mblahnikluver
and yet there is no "mod edit one line rule" link thingy.

Just a quick comment on that - the link thingy has to be manually inserted. Just because you don't see the link edited in doesn't mean the member wasn't dinged. It just mean the mod that took the action didn't follow up with an edit inserting the link. A member hit with a one-line penalty receives an auto u2u but nothing is auto generated in the post.

I know I've missed doing that before. So don't think that just because you don't see evidence of a post being actioned for a one-liner that it hasn't been.

Ahhh thanks for clarifying that for me I always wondered cause I see one liners all the time! I understand why they have the rule but sometimes all I have to say comes out to be one line.

reply to post by Bombeni


Well I've seen the opposite.

I was on very friendly terms with a few members who later became MODS. Now we hardly talk. I think once they join the MOD squad they get very busy policing the forums. Honestly I dont envy their jobs sometimes.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


We're all looking forward to the return of the mutter box. It's an ideal place to get the one-line fix. Although sometimes it moves so fast, by the time I reply, the person I'm replying to is off the screen.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
I was on very friendly terms with a few members who later became MODS. Now we hardly talk.

I think once they join the MOD squad they get very busy policing the forums. Honestly I dont envy their jobs sometimes.

I agree with that and have noticed a similar thing.

It's a shame really and as you say, I don't envy their jobs at all.

this is kind of off topic, but do mods get paid? If so, do super mods get paid more? Do mods have regular jobs and just happen to have time to be on ATS all the time? Thanks in advance for the answers.

reply to post by blupblup




They probably joined the MOD squad and found out how TPTB here ATS really feel about me and lost interest in being my friend.

reply to post by network dude


No, no pay. At least I don't get paid and I'm told no one else does either, so unless there's some big conspiracy or something against me...

Most of us have jobs that require us to be in front of a computer for extended periods anyway, or work from home. There's no "schedule", we just pop in and out as we can.

reply to post by yeahright


That's not what skyfloating told me.......... Just kidding.
I always wanted to know but never asked. So do you get any other benefits, or just the "regaining total consciousness on your death bed" thing?

Originally posted by network dude
I always wanted to know but never asked. So do you get any other benefits, or just the "regaining total consciousness on your death bed" thing?

Newer mods get to clean the staff bathrooms and make sure the lounge bar is always fully stocked. Those who have been around a bit longer get to complain about our bad backs, failing eyesight, hemroids, low-pay no-pay jobs, etc...

Other than that... no.

reply to post by network dude


Gunga galunga.

We all do it because we believe strongly about having a place for discussion of alternative topics void (as much as is reasonably possible) of personal attacks and ridicule. And actually beyond that, the staff agrees about virtually nothing.

As you may have noticed, there is a staff forum where we go to discuss not only potential actions to be taken, but any number of other things. There's a definite fellowship there, and although I haven't met anyone on staff in person, I consider them my friends. Doesn't mean we don't have our disagreements, and in fact far from it.

That's why it's so amusing to see people opine about a "site agenda" other than dialogue facilitation. The staff is a microcosm of the membership. We disagree about everything everyone else does. But it's a shining, if unseen, example of how to disagree without being disagreeable. Just because DrLove is wrong about literally every subject of importance doesn't mean I couldn't go out and have a beer with him. If he was buying.

reply to post by Gemwolf


This has happened to me twice. I have sent the post etc and NOTHING. It is up to the discresion of the panel or mods or whomever to reply.

I dont even deserve a reply?? If I was rude etc then yes, I deserve a deduction but posts alot worse constantly remain and the respondent is not repremanded.

Double standards if you ask me.

Is there a limit to the number of minus points I can get??

Originally posted by network dude
So do you get any other benefits, or just the "regaining total consciousness on your death bed" thing?

Yep. We get to be top of every NWO hitlist and if it ever hits the fan, we'll be first against the wall as potential "organisers" of the resistance.

See...its not all chocolates, flowers and roses.......

reply to post by neformore


Ya'll get chocolate?!?

(feel free to bean me for the off topic humor )

i think a large part of the bias of the moderation here is that they can't separate their opinions from reality. I've seen many many threads bashing one party or group, notably conservatives and/or republicans of any type and they're fine, they live on, but oh lordy, bash a liberal or democrat or anything with their agenda, and you're many times more likely to get modded. not jus tmy threads or posts, but in general.

I've been a mod and admin on various sites for many years, so I know how to look at it objectively when my mod hat is on. here.. not so much.

reply to post by CoffinFeeder


Um, wow, biased much?

I know for a fact (having watched mod posts in the past) that there are a large number of "conservative" mods that are active on the board. I think maybe, if you take off the conservative colored glasses, you might find that the reason more mod events happen in the "bash the liberal" threads is perhaps that is where more bad behavior occurs.

Keep in mind, modding has nothing to do with squashing opinions, it has to do with maintaining the T&C. If you are behaving poorly, irregardless of the point of view you are sharing, and you cross that grey line, you will likely be modded.

reply to post by CoffinFeeder


Well, if you can define "objective" on a board that prides itself on looking at the unusual, the difficult and the fringe of accepted reality, whilst dancing around the ideas that there are conspiracies everywhere, and a lot of members don't trust the majority of rules, authority figures and ideas, then maybe you'd be on to something, because every single decision made here gets questioned by someone or other.

Truth is, the objectivity you refer to is here

ATS Terms and Conditions

And thats ALL that gets actioned, because its what matters.

Moderators simply must be wise.

To be neutral would imply the job could be automated.

Moderators aren’t neutral because they are the aliens. Once they realize a member is one of their alien brothers, they take them into the fold. The Super moderators are higher ranking aliens and the owners such as SO are the supreme leaders. They make certain that if any valid information is found on a thread that it gets removed as an off topic thread.

Of course I am joking but I have never noticed a MOD to not be neutral when MODing a thread. If they are participating in the thread or if the thread is one they started, they are obviously going to be one sided, which is why they don’t act as a MOD in those threads, but I am sure if they notice something, they bring it to the other MOD’s attention. I have noticed what at first seems to be an unfair action by the mod’s but if you look at the thread from a non participant level, the actions usually are justified.

reply to post by AlienCarnage

Mods are always Watching you!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9d47b0dc8387.gif[/atsimg]


[edit on 12-8-2009 by SLAYER69]