We've changed the way we moderate Democratic Underground, and now we need YOUR help

Over the past couple of months, in an effort to combat a recent rise in incivility on DU, we made a series of substantial changes to our moderating system. Our plan was to increase the speed with which moderators could deal with alerts, and get rule violations off the board before they could turn into long, drawn-out flamewars.

I can state with certainty that we have not solved the problem of incivility - and we never will - but the plain fact is that alerts are now being dealt with at a much faster pace, and we have eliminated a flaw in our system which sometimes allowed alerts to "fall through the cracks." After some time working with the new system, the moderators and administrators agree that it is a vast improvement over the old way of doing things.

However, in order to keep up with the increased pace of the new system, we've determined that we need to increase the size of our moderator team. We are looking NOW for new volunteers to serve as DU moderators for the next three months, and we are especially interested in folks who spend a lot of time on DU, particularly during the late night/early morning period.

This is the first time in years that we have looked to increase the size of our moderator team. Now is a great time to apply. If you ever wanted to be a mod, if you applied in the past and weren't picked, if you've been thinking about applying but never did: this is your chance.

For application information: http://upload.democraticunderground.com/forums/moderator-application.html">Click here

We plan to announce the new moderator team on Wednesday March 24. There will be a training conference call for new moderators on Thursday March 25.

Whether you are interested or not, please K&R this thread so everyone gets a chance to see it.

EarlG, Skinner, & Elad
The DU Administrators

I wish you luck in increasing your team...

It was a fascinating experience.

I expect many good folk will step up to take the challenge!

K&R

One term was enough, thanks anyway...

It's a huge time commitment, and I don't have that now.

I do appreciate the compliment, still!

:) and a kick!

But they'd kick me outta the mod tub if I gave ya details.

Seriously, people, being a moderator is a great experience. And with the newly redesigned system, the fiddly stuff is much reduced and you can spend your mod time really making a difference.

And yes, we need more folks!

The demon what heats the water fer the hot tub is HUNGRY.....!!


encouragingly,
Bright

Thanks to all the diligent moderators!

And their account shows a tombstone for their user profile, like this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=user_profiles&u_id=173364

When I was modding one of our mods not only banned themselves but banned another mod. :rofl: By accident of course. We laughed very hard over that one.

I've never moderated before... well, not on the intertubes.

What type of time commitment? Required skills? Required connection speed?

Would you even consider someone who hasn't moderated anywhere before?

Cheers, thanks for the good work and K&R!

:)

For a time commitment, I would recommend at least a solid hour, or two a day at the minimum.

If you feel like you can't do that on a consistent basis, then you might want to rethink about applying.

Skills, the ability to explain your position clearly and keep a level head.

Connection speed, this varies. We have a Political Video forum, and when a video gets alerted on we have to watch the video, so if you are on dial up, you will suffer greatly when it comes to watching a video. I think having high speed is preferable, but I know a good number of Mods did well with dial up.

They consider anyone, even those who never moderated before. I applied and I never moderated anything before, and they accepted me, so give it a shot, won't hurt. :D

Just for informational purposes, of course.


K&R

Nudity is required. And the little tassels, too.


















...On the fezzes, of course. What were you thinking??

...from the edges of the Mod Lounge lampshades.


Why do you ask?

I'm not moderator material but I appreciate those who are.

I'd love to volunteer guys, but I'm just too unreliable and hot tempered. :evilgrin:

10th time a charm?

I last moderated in 2002. That was 8 years ago.

Just kidding! K & R!

Hey, damn, that was fast!

I admire those who do, but I don't think it's for me.

Sid

:kick:

Just kidding! }(

I've asked a question in your PM.

:kick:

I might want to sign up.

I'm SICK to death of the incivility here of late.
BHN

:rofl:

:kick:

:applause: :woohoo: :hi: :thumbsup:

You mean late summer of 2004? ;-)

:)

:rofl:

time to commit to this. Maybe when I retire. In ten or fifteen years at the age of 70+.

:hi:

:P

Much appreciated!

...But I could not devote enough time to do it justice. If people have the spare time, and would like to further their political education, then I would recommend volunteering to be a moderator on the democratic underground. It is a worthwhile experience.

I'm actually very saddened by this post.

Smacks of censorship.
I think there was already too much censorship on DU via deleting posts. Never one of my own but..

I don't know how many times I see a reply to some overly, shall we say, spunky retort....and that original retort is deleted! I am missing something.
I think we are all for the most part adults in here. Why can't we handle a little misdirected passion?

I may not agree or approve of someones opinion, but I don't want to censor their posts just because they are a little upset and use naughty language.

I think DU can police itself, for the most part. If someones being an ass, they usually get called out and drowned out by reasonable posters, and their hollow arguments are stripped bare for all to see. If you just simply take the easy way out and censor them outright, no one learns anything.

Most typically, it's personal attacks aimed at another DUer. Getting rid of those isn't censorship. If you've ever taken part in internet forums where insults are allowed, you'll know that it usually degenerates into streams of abuse, not with 'reasonable posters' drowning people out, but a matter of who can be bothered to type the insults the quickest and for the longest. And stopping this happening isn't 'censorship', it's keeping basic civility going.

If you want a taste of a DU environment where a blind eye is sometimes turned to personal insults, look at the Sports forum. In my opinion, it's a crap forum as a result - some people use it to work out their aggression by insulting others and hoping to shore up their own egos as a result. You can't take part in discussions without knowing who hates whom, with whom you are going to be accused of taking sides, and so on. And that's just about a few games.

There is also the political content of posts. You can call this censorship; but the basic rules of the site make it clear that the political content is expected to be in the area of the Democratic Party. And so yes, right wing views are censored. The reasoning behind this is also explained in the rules. This is not a 'universal' forum.

There is, at various times, a lot of disagreement, with mebmers calling people 'not real Democrats' (and thus implying views, or posters, that ought to be banned). The guiding principle used is that criticism of Democrats should be 'constructive'. You only have to read DU at the moment to see that a lot of criticism of Democrats is being allowed. There's a bit of a trade-off - the more real political argument you want to allow, the stricter you have to be on civility, to actaully force people to put forward proper arguments, rather than repeating "you're a fascist!" in different ways.

What a bunch of #%*@! No REAL Democrat would be for such a neanderthal f#%&ing reactionary position!!!!!!!


Hey, just kidding

You make some fair points there.

I have seen threads derail into personal attack verbiage like you describe, and I understand how it could turn other posters away.
I guess personally, I like to watch that kind of train wreck. Guilty pleasure. Usually by the end of it though, inbetween all the insults, there is a draining of every conceivable angle to each argument, until one just simply gives up. But in the meantime its quite entertaining and even educational to some degree.

But I can understand the thread interruption concern. But I think it would be great if you (DU moderators) at least left the first "bad" post or two up so we'all knew what the fuss was about. I always get suspicious when I can't even see what the crime is before the accused is dragged off to the galley. That was my main point.

Another idea I'd love to see is if a flame war starts, the parties involved can be picked up and dumped onto a "flame thread" area where they can go at it and finish up, along with reality show lurkers who want to come along for the ride. But that will never happen, I know.

some sort of a FlameDungeon! IMO, that would be a win-win for everybody involved.

(I.e.,

*** Getting rid of offensive posts -

while

*** Preserving "the evidence" of objectionable behavior

and

*** Not resorting to what could be interpreted as "censorship".)


Of course, posts that are threatening/harassing/revealing personal information of/or otherwise HARMFUL to other DU members should be deleted; same refers to posts calling for violence, etc., and in some other extraordinary circumstances.

Otherwise, deleting "offensive" posts is a lot like "destroying evidence" (of (allegedly) offensive behavior).

How about letting their posts stand as evidence and booting the repeat offenders when other possibilities (such as negative feedback from fellow DUers, and disciplinary actions such as warnings from the mods) are exhausted?


Just a thought/feedback/suggestion to Admins/Mods.

Are you listening mods and admins?

Maybe you and I inna should enlist and try and implement it.

nothing like being a subversive on an "underground" board

:hide:

Here's a humble 'suggestion', if you will:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7890444&mesg_id=7900088


All I know is that I don't like to see tons of deleted posts and locked threads.

...then, yes, deleting posts is the solution. They derail, disrupt, and eventually kill any productive conversation. I can understand "heat of the moment" type deals (been there, done that, as we all have) but some folks just keep at it until the only answer is locking the whole thread.

Being more respectful of others and addressing the points made in a post and not the poster are the true solutions, but alas, this isn't a perfect world.

However, I've also noted that many posts that do not actually break and DU rules now get deleted.

Am I the only one who is going nuts trying to "decipher" what is "actually" being said with that "quote"?

I'll kick this, but I would be terrified of being a mod on this forum.

incivility is absolutely frighting. The only forums in which I go are the Obama support group, the lounge, and the Spiritual group.

Why not Member Moderated?


And why not any Women and GLBT Admin?



Alyce

Nor do I have enough posts to qualify ... another sigh!

:kick:

Thanks for all you do!

This site is going to degenerate into pure chaos this Spring. It's good you've got a jump on trying to keep the insanity from overtaking you.

:)

ehhhh, would, could, should..... :eyes: at myself... :P

I can't devote the time consistently right now, so I wouldn't do justice to the job......

but one thing that really burns my butt are the "serial baiters", who can be relied upon to post very nasty, polluted jibes -- but use formal language that looks controlled at first glance. In the past, they seem never to see consequences, but those who respond to them with appropriate anger end up in the can. That never seemed right to me. Would be nice to see that change.

Thanks for all you do :)

i feel a responsibility to the site, though, to put in the time..... i dont think it will work

but, i do think your changes are changes for the good, regardless of the sides of the issue

I know, I know. Two wrongs don't make a right. I'll go stand in the corner now.

:rofl:

I love old classic shots like that one!

:kick:

keep those nasty Feminist's comments deleted, the boyz will be happy and that's really all that matters. Patriarchy is a grand way of life...keep the status quo.

:hi: Not mod material...but I'll back you guys up any way I can...





...even if it means doing me damnedest to remain civil at all times!:wow:

:kick:

:kick:

Haha I think I'm still too new here to apply.

Although I tend to be fairly civil..

.... how about the mods give a reply as to why they choose not to delete the alerted post.

Without deleting the post, we have no way to know if we were ignored, if the mod had an actual reason to ignore us, if the alert went down a black hole, etc.

There is no black hole and your alerts are never ignored.

:hi:

on deleting a post or locking a thread, or does it take simply 2 or 3?

I've had more than one alert go unanswered and unacted upon. I'd kinda like to know why. We're being asked to alert instead of flame. It would be nice to know why our alerts go unacted upon.

Fair's fair and sunshine is good ..... right?

I would have thought that given my prolonged absence, there would have been a decline in incivility.

I'm absolutely mortified to learn otherwise.

unless some one threatens, harasses or stalks some one the posts should stay as they are.

I see posts that get deleted for the posters point of view that the moderators don't agree with.

Just my 2 cents.

Now that I have everyone's attention, please , if you have a moment and the time, sign up.
I don't but someone does. :hi:

:thumbsup:

If I had the time, I would apply to mod again in a heartbeat! You will learn more in three months than you ever expected...about politics, people and DU in general. I am proud of the times I have had that "little grey ghost" after my name and cherish the camaraderie that went with being on the DU team.

Alas, my real life is eating into my virtual life and I cannot volunteer...but I salute those of you who do! :patriot:

It was one of the best experiences I've ever had here on DU.

Just do it buddy.:)