we never ask

it just 'happens' . . . . . . . . . .

(January 2, 2018 at 3:27 pm)RoadRunner79 Wrote:

(January 2, 2018 at 3:23 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: Posting style is one.  I don't generally like to talk about our capabilities for reasons that should be self-evident.

Do you have top secret emoticon trending analysis software?

I have noticed from various places on the net, that a lot of trollish people and even sites tend to like to overemphasize everything in texts using colors, bold, fonts, and emoticons. 
Should have a feature to ignore overly formatted posts!

No, usually we just weight 'em down and toss them into a pond. If they float, we let 'em go ban them.

(January 2, 2018 at 6:36 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: No, usually we just weight 'em down and toss them into a pond.  If they float, we let 'em go ban them.

Do they weigh the same as a duck?

(January 2, 2018 at 3:21 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:

(January 2, 2018 at 3:18 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote: IP matches are far from our only tool.  We get socks using proxies, VPN, Tor, etc frequently and they generally are not difficult to identify.

Is it just a matter of recognizing their style?

They usually have a distinctive smell.

I keep almost all the heads in my cubicle, so sometimes we can just check for a matching face.

(January 1, 2018 at 1:32 pm)mh.brewer Wrote: I hope the both of you understand that you both have the same individual issues with others. I've been a recipient also. 

You can do with that what you want.

We had an argument in one thread in Aug 2016, right? Did it change much? It didn't for me, because it struck me as an anomaly.

Feel free to contrast and compare as you see fit.

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(January 1, 2018 at 5:47 pm)Cyberman Wrote: Can we have a little less backseat moderating, please?

Some of us are or have been moderators at busier sites than this. Are you urging us to suspend judgement, or simply to shut up?

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(January 1, 2018 at 6:05 pm)Shell B Wrote: Tibs already pointed out to me that it would be abuse of the reporting system.

I wonder why a former staff member would not already know that.

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Please note, there's no flaming or insults in this post. Any offense is purely unintentional and the sole responsibility of the reader. Packaging is by weight and not volume. Offer not valid in Cuba, Irkutsk, or Transylvania. Your mileage may vary.

(January 3, 2018 at 5:00 am)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(January 1, 2018 at 5:47 pm)Cyberman Wrote: Can we have a little less backseat moderating, please?

Some of us are or have been moderators at busier sites than this. Are you urging us to suspend judgement, or simply to shut up?

Neither. I'm asking that the Staff at this site be the ones doing the moderating.

Hell I'm grateful that someone else is doing the moderating so I can just enjoy looking out the window. Teach middle school for 25 years and I guarantee you'll be happy never to be in charge again.

Most of the confusion caused with members and staff is because the staff people actually only rarely post or make new topics of discussion, some spend time mostly in slack, some post about thrice a week(more times when subject of their interest us being discussed, when that subject is no longer being talked about they disappear again). So the problem I think is the staff that are supposed to be making decisions based on the atmosphere of this forum....rarely know the atmosphere of this forum.. That's why I think some of the confusions are happening.

Former staff wouldn't necessarily be apprized of the logistics or gestation process of new rules or adjustments in implementation of existing rules/policies so their familiarity with how new rules and other changes are being administered/implemented is not a given.

Additionally, I've had some medical issues of late and have had to 'catch up' a few times when things are happening quickly here.  The last 10 pages of this thread, for instance . . . . .