moderator badges

[sargeant]

I have been away from the forum for some time now and came back to it out of boredom 3/4 days ago.
Unlike many posters i AM slowly reading through all threads and topics i have missed while away.before i come back to the forum.
I have read of people coming and going and i have done the same myself.
Over moderation is sometimes quoted as a reason for leaving the forum.
I dont think that is the case in reality but having at the start skipped through the pages and pages of posts missed while i was otherwise engaged the glaring thing that springs out at the reader is the number of mod posts complete with accented sherrifs badges.
I fully agree mods are entitled to their opinions and should most definitely play their part and give their opinions on threads and topics.
However opinion backed up by the word moderator smacks sometimes of you will give my opinion elevation over yours sonny jim
They should of course moderate it is however difficult for the plebian masses like umwah to work out where the line between moderation and opinion starts and finishes and it is this that gives rise to the appearance and the feeling of over moderation
I suggest mods have not one but two avatar boxes one with the sherrifs badge ONLY to be used when moderating and another that has all the same but leaves out the glaring neon lit word moderator so that all can see this is opinion and CAN be disagreed with
just a small suggestion after 3/4 days of reading
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[sandman67]

I dont pay that much attention to the fact that the mod badge is there whether its a moderating post or not......Moderation statements are always prefaced with a statement to the effect that this is a moderation ruling and an explanation of the rules.....personal posts are not.

I think the members that have left due to "over moderation" have done so because the rules dont suit em and they would like a free for all mudslinging board....and I say that as someone that has had a collar tugged by a mod (quite rightly too - try to make no more Chang fueled posts ).


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[Big Boy]

I think we all know when we're being moderated or not. However, I did like like the way in which JD made it known not that long ago ie:

Moderator Mode ON when he started

and

Moderator Mode Off when he had finished.

It made it very clear to me.
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[Wanderlust]

Believe it or not, this has been discussed at length by the mods and admin, mainly because certain people were reacting to the mod tag and making life on the board pretty unpleasant for those mods to the point where they wouldn't post any more. As far as i know, although a great idea I don't think sarge's suggestion of the two badges is technically feasible, which is why we mods try to make it clear in the post now when we are moderating. HHAD is lightly moderated and you can normally assume that a post from a mod is their personal opinion unless they state otherwise; the only exception(s) to that will be if one of us forgets to highlight that it is a moderator post. And just a footnote - none of us are paid or do this to gain anything, so we are just following and applying the same rules that everyone agrees to when they join; we're not ogres honest!

[sargeant]

I did say i did NOT in reality think that it is over moderated what i did say was it gives the appearance and feeling that it is
Maybe that is because over the last 3/4 days i have been both reading and flipping through hundreds of posts not just answering one specific post
I am gonna have a lie down i got a funny doins coming on
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[deepee]

See where you are coming from Sarge,

It's probably a little bit like football where the umpire makes a decision and we may not all agree on it but that is the ump's view and somebody has, after all, got to get in and run the show somehow .

The overall plus here is that we at least do have an opportunity to express our views, even if challenged by the Mods, and others can usually get your drift out of that exchange so your point can come across for all to see.

For me just seeing a Mod come in over a poster highlights the poster's point of view and usually stirs my interest.

And by the way good to see you back on board the Sarge.
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[sargeant]

I dont see the problem wanderlust could have red chillies and no badge and wanderlust1 could have green chillies and the biggest sherrifs badge god made his opinion in red chillies counts for what it is and everyone could see it as an opinion
should wanderlust need to use his badge he signs in as wanderlust1 and gives the offender some severe rollicking the fact that the badge would rarely be seen would IMHO carry more weight
Wanderlust says mods have stopped posting because some have bitten at the mod badge (not an exact quote i know) thats wrong but the above solution deals with that problem as well
honolulu jimmy had more sign in names than a telephone directory i cant see why mods cant they can even have the same password
and they should KNOW when they are moderating and when opinionating
I just think the forum would get and keep more contributers than there are silly of me i know but i am just putting in what as i get up to speed what i have seen and percieved
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A Greatfull Guest of Thailand

[Super Joe]

[Wanderlust]

sarge,
Ok I took your initial idea as some sort of badge we could turn on and off while logged in to our normal user name, which is why i said I thought it unfeasible technically. However, the whole process of logging out as a regular contributor, logging in as a mod to moderate something, logging out again, and then logging in again as a regular contributor doesn't hold much appeal for me - I'd probably just quit as a mod rather than have to do that. As I said, all it takes is for people to realise that we are just regular posters normally, and only pull someone up on something that breaks the terms and conditions, which everyone had to agree to when they joined. It's not rocket science and in my opinion (not as a mod) if they are too stupid to understand that then they deserve any modding they get, or any bans if they harass the mods.

[lindosfan1]

I see nothing wrong with the present system it is well run and moderated I can see problems where the moderators have 2 sign in names, If people cannot tell the difference between someone moderating and someone passig a personal comment i feel sorry for them.
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[lomuamart]

I'd go along with the vast majority of posters here.
If, as a Mod, we have to intervene, it's obvious (edited by mod: deleted by mod; even moved to appropriate section by mod; warned by mod).
It's all very transparent.
Any other posts we make, whether for right or wrong, are our personal opinions and anyone's free to agree/ disagree with them.
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[nevets]

Good to see you back sarge , hope your fit and well.

[Jockey]

Consider it more like a Blue Peter badge

[Lev]

Welcome back sarge, interesting to see that your first thought out post back on the forum after such an absence is questioning the moderators again.

Contrary to popular belief this forum is very lightly moderated and some time spent on other boards will prove that. I'm doubt very much that people are leaving because of over moderation on HHAD.

This is however not a bad suggestion and, as pointed out above, one we have already discussed so we may well implement it to avoid further confusion.
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[Wanderlust]

I don't want a Blue Peter badge....I want a CRACKERJACK pencil!!!
To be fair to sarge, I think he was just musing on how some people react and not saying that HHAD is over moderated.