Rule Change (New Staff Power)

[Thumpalumpacus]

But the insults they meted out, and the breast-beating they engaged in, and the consistent and clearly deliberate derailing of threads... And it didn't fall under the rubric of trolling

I'm sorry, but if it's as obvious and as disruptive as you reckon, then it absolutely does fall under the rubric of trolling and the staff can absolutely determine that.

I was on staff, I know for a fact we've banned members in the past (after much deliberation to be sure), for exactly the things you describe, without the need of some 'nuclear option' that completely undermines the existing rules.

The staff have said they couldn't amend the existing rules? Why? Just put a disclaimer in there that those deemed to not be following or flagrantly flouting the 'spirit of the rules' can be banned, and treated as rule breakers. The whole notion of saying "we can ban people who follow the rules", surely, undermines the rules in the first place?

And that's fair enough, too. I'm not wedded to this new way of handling things, but I'm not on the staff either and not privy to the behind-the-scenes discussion. It may be that some staff feel that there's enough substance to the disruptor's posting that bannage for trolling isn't called-for.

I reckon the staff are lenient in enforcing the rules in an attempt to err on the side of caution, and I think that is the right approach to moderation. I also think that members who tax the patience and good nature of the membership should know that this option exists and can be invoked even if their dance inside the letter of the rules is flawlessly asinine.

I can't address your experience moderating here, but I'm wondering if things might not have changed a bit behind the scenes to make some if not all feel that this option would be useful.