This is more of a plea than anything. Recently I've noticed a number of new members being chased away because they make a post that breaks one of our rules, and a few members of the community come down on them like a ton of bricks, ridiculing them, insulting them, etc.

This has got to stop. It isn't fair, it isn't right, and it isn't how this community is run. So please, leave the moderation up to the moderators. If you see a post that violates a rule, report it. I really can't emphasize that point enough; it's unbelievably easy to report a post. Below each post there should be the following image:



Click it, and you will be taken to the Report Post screen (if you have JavaScript enabled, this comes up in a popup window). Enter a reason for reporting the post, and click "Report Post". It really is that easy, and believe me, we don't mind getting reports (in fact, we rely on them).

It looks bad on the community when new members are rejected for stupid reasons like being a Christian, or posting a link to their website. It's very embarrassing for me to email these people and apologize for the actions of the minority in this community. This community has leaders; we do not need vigilantes to do our jobs. If you think we aren't doing our jobs well enough, tell us and we will consider taking on more staff. Thinking we aren't doing well enough does not give you the right to try to do our jobs for us, however.

We have a great deal of rules in this community, but most are easily followed. Not everyone reads the rules when they first sign up, and that's fine; most people skip over things like ToS agreements when they first sign up to something. We are lenient with newcomers because of this, and we shouldn't expect them to read and remember every single rule we have; it isn't fair.

So please, if you see anyone violating a rule, report it, and then let it go. The staff will deal with it; we do not need, nor do we want you to deal with it for us. If you see that a staff member has moderated a post, and left a reason for why it was moderated, again, leave it alone. You don't need to taunt or hurl abuse at the newcomer just because they didn't understand the rules properly.

I hope that this message will get through to most. It would be a shame if we have to reprimand people for this in the future, but if we must, we must. Report something as much as you like; we won't get angry at you unless you appear to be abusing the report system (e.g. sending out multiple reports for the same post, or continually reporting a user for something we have judged and informed you is perfectly reasonable).

Thanks, and have a good weekend.

- Tiberius

Does this also apply to the shit-and-run preachers?

But we report and are accused of "mob rule"... make up your mind please.

(March 31, 2012 at 8:41 am)Welsh cake Wrote: Does this also apply to the shit-and-run preachers?

It seems to me that you can't know someone is a "shit-and-run" preacher until they haven't responded in a week or so. By all means debate them, but don't try to do our job and tell them they should "discuss or fuck off". It's rude and uncalled for.

(March 31, 2012 at 8:44 am)KichigaiNeko Wrote: But we report and are accused of "mob rule"... make up your mind please.

No, we accuse people of "mob rule" when they do exactly what I was talking about in the OP. Reporting posts is not mob rule. Reporting posts, getting denied by the staff because your report wasn't concerning something against the rules, and then trying to take matters into your own hands is.

It is kind of fun to mess around with the little guys though...

Not, I think, for them.

I'd like to point out that not everyone comes onto a discussion forum understanding exactly how it works. This is my first, and pretty much only discussion "forum" although I participate on a few lists and every now and then resurrect my accounts on other forums. I had no idea what I was in for here. Fortunately for me I was atheist and had practice addressing strangers, and had Shell's encouragement. Think of how it feels to have no clue how to proceed and suddenly get attacked by a bunch of people just because your beliefs don't align with theirs.

You guys do realize (and you should, because some of you used to be in this boat) that some Christians don't even realize that what they're doing IS preaching or that it is in any way wrong? Maybe it's easier for me to see here in the South, but Jesus is their bread and butter, uttered with every hope that the plumbing will be fixed, the computer screen will unfreeze, the dog will stop shitting in the wrong spot of the garden, it doesn't matter. It'll take time for those people to figure out how to hold a conversation without god, and they're so used to being told to spread the good word that they have no concept in a lot of cases why they shouldn't.

And not a lot of people are trained in school anymore, if they were even 50 years ago, to hold a real discussion. It takes practice. Give them that practice.

I realize we're not here to deconvert or change minds (if that's possible) but you did come here for company and discussion. The world needs more of "I'm sorry, what you're doing is wrong" and less "You're a fuckhead!" and those sorts of responses work as well for religious crap as well as anything an ATHEIST might hold sacred. Otherwise people get nowhere.

This place is both a haven and a spot to foster understanding. You aren't required to cultivate tolerance and understanding between yourself and theists, or those of a different political persuasion, but neither should you encourage the denial of their chance to keep engaging people here and letting the chips fall where they may. The ignore button is a beautiful thing.

Besides, I'm getting sick of hearing people complain about the people they find irritating or offensive here, and then when we ban them and the forum is quiet for a few weeks, complain that there's no one to pick at. Which would you rather have?

Quote:some Christians don't even realize that what they're doing IS preaching

I'm perfectly willing to tell them, darlin'.

If there is an issue, politely link to the rules and report the post. It is okay to link a rule, but it is the reprimanding that is an issue.

Does that mean shell b should have been nicer to me?