One potential problem with having User Moderators is that sometimes stuff might be removed just because it has the potential to become contentious. That doesn't allow discussions to develop and grow. There's a big difference between debate / reasoned arguments and bitching arguments.
I say that because our local Neighbourhood forum (intended for trade / business recommendations, local private sales and general local info) is moderated by a small group of users. They seem to remove almost any thread which mentions cats messing in gardens, owners allowing their dogs to foul the pavement or game shooting and a few other 'issues'. As on here those threads have the potential to be hijacked with those intent on making personal insults - but they're often removed long before they get to that stage - just in case.
IMO that's wrong. We live in a country where there is (supposedly!) freedom of speech. I've seen perfectly innocuous threads removed because somebody used one of the trigger phrases in their response.
We would need to be very careful who we picked to monitor the site while still keeping it as a space for free discussion without personal insults.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Absolutely agree with @Hostafan1. If someone went and bought a can of baked beans and they were lousy, well - it's only cost them 50p or something, and it's hardly earth shattering. However, if they go out and spend a fortune on a load of plants, and a load of compost and sand, and various other stuff recommended [incorrectly] by someone on the forum, only for those plants to fail because what they've bought/used is wrong for them, that's entirely different. I know what it's like to have very little and to then try and create a garden from scratch. I'd like to help folk avoid that loss.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Some other forums that I use elect long-serving and trusted members to act as content moderators and they are given the power to act. The forum provider itself retains overall control of course, but having member mods means that nasty trolls are dealt with faster and extremely offensive posts are deleted rapidly. I can think of a few sensible and fair members that would get my vote.
I was a member mod on a very large student forum for five years, and I can assure you that things like this would have been stamped on long before now. I am new to this forum and have been extremely surprised by the invisibility of mods here. At first, I thought it was a testimony to how well the place must be run, that the mechanisms were so much in the background, but I now realise that I was just fortunate to have joined at a time when troll activity was low. This forum is likely to have a high proportion of mature adults who don't find trolling entertaining, given the nature of gardening, but that in some ways makes it a target for those who like to sow mischief. It appears that this relatively low level of troll activity has led to no evident active moderation policy, and we have seen the result over the last week.
I have reported about a dozen posts so far. I would have expected some kind of feedback or at least acknowledgement of the issue for which the posts were reported, but have heard nothing. There is no point in having a report system if it has no effect and is seen to be ineffective, as it clearly is here. It is obvious that there is no mechanism for the urgent removal of offensive or obscene or violent posts - and all forums have trolls who will make those from time to time - and this makes it a dangerous place for the general public.
The forum I helped run had a team of dedicated and enthusiastic member mods who, to be truthful, did pretty much all the hard graft of keeping the place running, and did it for free and for the love of it. I am at a loss as to why GW doesn't go this route. We can all think of half a dozen or more members who do a significant amount of posting and who could be trusted to maintain a civil and rewarding environment, an environment which is significantly absent at the moment. I wish they would consider this idea.
I think there’s a difference between genuine areas of disagreement or difference of experience, which on this forum are usually acknowledged and mutually respected, and totally wrong statements such as ‘no one can have heavy clay in their garden as it’s against building regs to build a house in clay anywhere in the western world’. That sort of statement just has to be refuted.
But it doesn’t. No statement does unless it breaches the forum policy -
It’s not for us to decide on what breaches forum policy … thats for Immediate Media employees to do.
But if you state that blue and yellow unequivocally make purple it is, as far as I’m aware, perfectly ok for me and others on this forum to say that you’re mistaken @Joex , blue and yellow can never make purple, they will always make green.
That is all that has been done.
This has resulted in me, and others, being on the receiving end of aggression, untrue allegations and vile abuse.
Totally unacceptable.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have been using this forum for about 8 years and I can recall a few "oddities" who either gave up of their own accord, went to another forum or who were removed. There were also others who moved on because they had too many differences of opinion with other members. It doesn't necessarily follow that some of those don't just come back using a new name but I believe @Jac19 is becoming a real problem. It's not only the incorrect advice being offered but the abusive language which peppers most of his/her posts. There have been efforts to correct misinformation by other members but it obviously isn't working however it has been couched. Whilst it is obvious that this person seriously needs help, it is neither possible nor correct for Forum members to provide it. Gardening advice - Yes. Psychiatric advice - No. As mentioned above, it is time for those Administrators/Moderators to take a close look at what is going on here before what has been an excellent fund of info turns into a circus.
I think there’s a difference between genuine areas of disagreement or difference of experience, which on this forum are usually acknowledged and mutually respected, and totally wrong statements such as ‘no one can have heavy clay in their garden as it’s against building regs to build a house in clay anywhere in the western world’. That sort of statement just has to be refuted.
But it doesn’t. No statement does unless it breaches the forum policy -
It’s not for us to decide on what breaches forum policy … thats for Immediate Media employees to do.
But if you state that blue and yellow unequivocally make purple it is, as far as I’m aware, perfectly ok for me and others on this forum to say that you’re mistaken @Joex , blue and yellow can never make purple, they will always make green.
That is all that has been done.
This has resulted in me, and others, being on the receiving end of aggression, untrue allegations and vile abuse.
Totally unacceptable.
But it isn’t all that has been done is it?
If you look through the various noisy threads you can see that a variety of posters are not merely disagreeing with “that forum user” they are attacking them personally. This then feeds the fire.
Compare:
1: Blue and yellow make purple 2: I think blue and yellow makes green 3: yes, I also think blue and green makes yellow
To,
1: Blue and yellow make purple 2: 1 doesn’t know what she’s talking about, blue and yellow make green and I don’t know why anyone would say otherwise 3: 1 should be banned for spreading lies
Obviously (I hope) I’m over stating the point to make it clear, but the personal elements add nothing and the people chiming in with more personal stuff do nothing but fan the flames. The first example avoids the whole kerfuffle.
Now we have a whole thread dedicated to just attacking that one person!
Totally agree, Joe, in the first instance. But on almost every occasion the initial responses have been met with 'I've been mixing colours for decades, I'm very knowledgeable on colour mixing, stop trolling me'. I agree that shouldn't mean personal attacks are ok in response though.
'Don't feed the troll' is the standard advice, although it is very hard to do when one is the target. Ignore and report is the tactic I was used to, but when the report element fails, that is a little frustrating.
Posts
I say that because our local Neighbourhood forum (intended for trade / business recommendations, local private sales and general local info) is moderated by a small group of users. They seem to remove almost any thread which mentions cats messing in gardens, owners allowing their dogs to foul the pavement or game shooting and a few other 'issues'. As on here those threads have the potential to be hijacked with those intent on making personal insults - but they're often removed long before they get to that stage - just in case.
IMO that's wrong. We live in a country where there is (supposedly!) freedom of speech. I've seen perfectly innocuous threads removed because somebody used one of the trigger phrases in their response.
We would need to be very careful who we picked to monitor the site while still keeping it as a space for free discussion without personal insults.
If someone went and bought a can of baked beans and they were lousy, well - it's only cost them 50p or something, and it's hardly earth shattering.
However, if they go out and spend a fortune on a load of plants, and a load of compost and sand, and various other stuff recommended [incorrectly] by someone on the forum, only for those plants to fail because what they've bought/used is wrong for them, that's entirely different.
I know what it's like to have very little and to then try and create a garden from scratch. I'd like to help folk avoid that loss.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have reported about a dozen posts so far. I would have expected some kind of feedback or at least acknowledgement of the issue for which the posts were reported, but have heard nothing. There is no point in having a report system if it has no effect and is seen to be ineffective, as it clearly is here. It is obvious that there is no mechanism for the urgent removal of offensive or obscene or violent posts - and all forums have trolls who will make those from time to time - and this makes it a dangerous place for the general public.
The forum I helped run had a team of dedicated and enthusiastic member mods who, to be truthful, did pretty much all the hard graft of keeping the place running, and did it for free and for the love of it. I am at a loss as to why GW doesn't go this route. We can all think of half a dozen or more members who do a significant amount of posting and who could be trusted to maintain a civil and rewarding environment, an environment which is significantly absent at the moment. I wish they would consider this idea.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
There have been efforts to correct misinformation by other members but it obviously isn't working however it has been couched. Whilst it is obvious that this person seriously needs help, it is neither possible nor correct for Forum members to provide it. Gardening advice - Yes. Psychiatric advice - No.
As mentioned above, it is time for those Administrators/Moderators to take a close look at what is going on here before what has been an excellent fund of info turns into a circus.
If you look through the various noisy threads you can see that a variety of posters are not merely disagreeing with “that forum user” they are attacking them personally. This then feeds the fire.
Compare:
1: Blue and yellow make purple
2: I think blue and yellow makes green
3: yes, I also think blue and green makes yellow
To,
1: Blue and yellow make purple
2: 1 doesn’t know what she’s talking about, blue and yellow make green and I don’t know why anyone would say otherwise
3: 1 should be banned for spreading lies
Obviously (I hope) I’m over stating the point to make it clear, but the personal elements add nothing and the people chiming in with more personal stuff do nothing but fan the flames. The first example avoids the whole kerfuffle.
Now we have a whole thread dedicated to just attacking that one person!