SoCal Melee Community

[HyugaRicdeau]

My modding philosophy probably doesn't fit with what the "higher-ups" are looking for.

Basically I feel that mods are only there to serve the interests of the people who visit the boards. All rules are really just special specific cases of this principle that are easily distinguished. If something breaks a rule but nobody cares, then it's completely pointless to moderate it because the interests of the board-goers are not served by doing so. We have anonymous reporting so people aren't pressured not to, and it makes it so the standards of the boards are left up to the people that visit them. This I feel is what most mods don't understand. Remember when Fdv caused a ****storm in the Midwest forums because he infracted people for "spam" when nobody there cared about the so-called spam? Sure maybe the rules were broken, but were the interests of the boards served? I think it's obvious that they weren't.

Infracting for censor dodging is also stupid, and really what they should do is put in a default-on censor filter, so people who don't want to see it don't have to, there's no reason to censor-dodge, and it's also less work for the mods. But try bringing this up with most mods and you'll get a response like "you don't need to be able to say those words," completely missing the point. Believe me, I've tried. This all goes without saying that the idea that certain words are "bad words" is arbitrary and ********.

 

[Brian]

**** being censored made me consider not posting here anymore

but i love you ***s way too much

 

[Zankoku]

Infracting for censor dodging is also stupid, and really what they should do is put in a default-on censor filter, so people who don't want to see it don't have to, there's no reason to censor-dodge, and it's also less work for the mods. But try bringing this up with most mods and you'll get a response like "you don't need to be able to say those words," completely missing the point. Believe me, I've tried. This all goes without saying that the idea that certain words are "bad words" is arbitrary and ********.

As far as I know, an "optional" word censor isn't a built-in feature of vBulletin, and the top staff might not even feel like looking into it due to reasons similar to what you're guessing ("we're a board for X-age users, so the censor should be universal" or something like that), but I might see about bringing it up.

 

[MacD]

Yeah, MRS is a terrible mod for infracting people who break the rules.

We should have promoted somebody who would have never infracted anyone because obviously that is what mods are for.

is anyone gonna tell us why he was chosen? he won't, and no one else seems to shed any light on the situation either.

I tried to become a mod for a while in January because pac west hasn't had an active one for a while. All that my efforts had to show was edrees getting de-modded. Every other region has at least one active/well known/respected/friendly mod, so is it so wrong for pacwest to wonder why we don't get one like that? People like dr peepee and dazwa (idk about the rest who are probably the same to a point) are mods, and they are definitely people i wouldn't expect to go around infracting people but you chose them.

So forgive us for all being mad/confused at the fact a guy, for the reasons pocky said (below), is our new mod, as opposed to someone like me, who actively tried and fits all the qualifications too?

instead we pick someone who's the exact opposite and not only makes exclusively useless posts but is actually relatively famous for the uselessness of said posts

 

[SleepyK]

i'm still offended that words like
gook
chink
aren't censored
but ja_p is

meat riding the jappz

 

[Mediocre]

is this a good time to make a joke about your username reflecting on your personality?


sure, i think so.

Alright. I have to tell you though, you're not the first to make that joke.

mediocre
when is the last tournament you attended
what did you place

just trying to compile data on mods for some project
i can find a link i guess

Really doubt you could find a link, actually.

The last and only Smash tournament I have ever attended was MOAST Pi in Texas, hosted by Scav. There were maybe thirty people in it, all told. It was quite a few years ago now. I only entered it at all because I was there hanging out with a bunch of other people people from Smashboards anyway, and I figured I might as well. I pretty much got destroyed, which wasn't very surprising considering I'm really not competitive at SSB at all.

I've never actually been a designated mod of any Smash area of SWF, though. I modded the Debate Hall for a while, then retired from doing that. I kept active in the Staffer Shack, though, and eventually got made senator. As senator I check reported posts pretty often, and moderate anything that I think I should handle. There are actually a bunch of mods of the non-Smash rooms on the board who have never played it competitively.

Basically I feel that mods are only there to serve the interests of the people who visit the boards. All rules are really just special specific cases of this principle that are easily distinguished. If something breaks a rule but nobody cares, then it's completely pointless to moderate it because the interests of the board-goers are not served by doing so. We have anonymous reporting so people aren't pressured not to, and it makes it so the standards of the boards are left up to the people that visit them. This I feel is what most mods don't understand. Remember when Fdv caused a ****storm in the Midwest forums because he infracted people for "spam" when nobody there cared about the so-called spam? Sure maybe the rules were broken, but were the interests of the boards served? I think it's obvious that they weren't.

I actually agree with a lot of this, although I will say that sometimes you just have to enforce the rules when it might have negative results, simply for the sake of consistency. Or you can make specific exceptions to the rules, but these should be rare because otherwise policy becomes muddled. Or if a rule is generally bad, the rule should be changed.

It's important to have consistency, because otherwise every infraction becomes a judgment call. When moderators don't have any standards to mod by, that causes far more problems than the infractions that are given simply because the rules say they should be.

Infracting for censor dodging is also stupid, and really what they should do is put in a default-on censor filter, so people who don't want to see it don't have to, there's no reason to censor-dodge, and it's also less work for the mods. But try bringing this up with most mods and you'll get a response like "you don't need to be able to say those words," completely missing the point. Believe me, I've tried. This all goes without saying that the idea that certain words are "bad words" is arbitrary and ********.

Honestly, if I were in charge of SWF I would probably wind up doing something like this. It still might wind up being technically infeasible, though. There's a limit to how much you can mess around with the vBulletin software, and changing the censor like that might be impossible without substantial technical knowledge and a large time investment. Or it might be as easy as installing a plug-in. I don't know.

However, I suspect that MLG and Gideon before them just have different goals for SWF than you or I. They want the site to have a family friendly image, and even the option to disable the censor might harm that image. Of course, there's plenty of stuff that would harm that image anyway, but they can't get it all. Although I wish the boards were run a bit differently, I can understand the reasons for all the rules we currently have. As a moderator, part of the job is enforcing all the rules, even if you'd do things differently if you had your way.

I'm not familiar enough with you to know how good a moderator you'd be, or why you weren't chosen, but you definitely seem like a reasonable guy. Beyond that, there's not much I can say.

 

[The Greater Leon]

****

i just bought a ****load of bagels :o)

 

[bbb]

i'm still offended that words like
gook
chink
aren't censored
but ja_p is

meat riding the jappz

cracker isn't censored either :o(

 

[joeplicate]

there's nothing more frustrating than having "j.ap" or "f.ag" in the title of a youtube video, and not being able to access it due to the censor

 

[embracethe12]

Boston rolls over Knicks, 104-59

 

[bbb]

see what happens?

this is what happens, larry

 

[mYsteriOus n1gga]

when is the next 805 game night?

 

[HyugaRicdeau]

Ankoku,

Back when room leaders had access to the Staffer Shack, I brought it up in the suggestions thread, and that's what I'm basing my statement about mod responses to the idea on. Though actually it was an exaggeration to say "most mods" were against it. A good number of them seemed to agree with me that censoring WORDS and not the ideas of a post makes no sense, but ultimately it was the "you don't NEED to be able to say those words" argument that won. I know you have always been one of the more reasonable and respected mods by the community and other mods so maybe you will have greater success, and I appreciate your consideration.

I actually agree with a lot of this, although I will say that sometimes you just have to enforce the rules when it might have negative results, simply for the sake of consistency. Or you can make specific exceptions to the rules, but these should be rare because otherwise policy becomes muddled. Or if a rule is generally bad, the rule should be changed.

It's important to have consistency, because otherwise every infraction becomes a judgment call. When moderators don't have any standards to mod by, that causes far more problems than the infractions that are given simply because the rules say they should be.

I agree that it is important to have consistency, because a person posting on the boards needs to be able to figure out if the post he is thinking of making will get him in trouble or not. But you can be consistent within your own interpretations of SWF guidelines/rules, although I'm sure it's easier to be consistent if you -only- consider the posted rules and not the standards of the community. But part of the reason a mod gets selected for a room is that he is familiar with it and is able to make those judgement calls in a unbiased way, isn't it?

However, I suspect that MLG and Gideon before them just have different goals for SWF than you or I. They want the site to have a family friendly image, and even the option to disable the censor might harm that image. Of course, there's plenty of stuff that would harm that image anyway, but they can't get it all. Although I wish the boards were run a bit differently, I can understand the reasons for all the rules we currently have. As a moderator, part of the job is enforcing all the rules, even if you'd do things differently if you had your way.

I'm sure that's the case, and that's part of the reason I never volunteered to be a mod. The owners of the website have the right to run it as they see fit, including what they expect mods to do. I think it would be dishonest of me to agree to mod the site in the way they want me to and then turn around and do what I feel like. Maybe there's a middle ground there somewhere but I don't have the time or energy to mod and fight that fight at the same time, so I try to make (hopefully) constructive posts like this and the above instead.

See, I just think this "family-friendly" idea has always been misguided and hijacked by a small vocal minority of soccer moms and parents that home-school their kids. People just landgrab the moral high ground by declaring more things to be not "family-friendly," and then cry about it when someone does something that offends them. Complaints from one such person are treated with higher regard than the passive satisfaction of 99 other people. I'm willing to bet that a far greater number of complaints were ever made about infracting a victimless post than because a word that society has decided is "bad" appeared on the boards. But it's always been the case that's it's just easier to make more rules and tell people "you don't NEED to be allowed to do X or Y." It's easier to get people to acquiesce by telling them "it's against the rules" instead of explaining why the thing they are complaining about is trivial and that they need to get over it.

 

[bbb]

when is the next 805 game night?

idk we kinda just play by ear

but one of us will post something or other in here or the 805 thread

 

[Brian]

did i miss something? why are wilbon and kornheiser on a copy of goldeneye?

 

[DJMirror]

I like how everyone ignore MacD post

 

[The Greater Leon]

when is the next 805 game night?

WHHHHHAAATATTTTTTT

OH MY ****

WhoI S ThIS MYSTERIOUS MIGGA
with one post
and he wants to hang out with us

how about not this weekend but next

 

[bbb]

did i miss something? why are wilbon and kornheiser on a copy of goldeneye?

 

[Zankoku]

Ankoku,

Back when room leaders had access to the Staffer Shack, I brought it up in the suggestions thread, and that's what I'm basing my statement about mod responses to the idea on. Though actually it was an exaggeration to say "most mods" were against it. A good number of them seemed to agree with me that censoring WORDS and not the ideas of a post makes no sense, but ultimately it was the "you don't NEED to be able to say those words" argument that won. I know you have always been one of the more reasonable and respected mods by the community and other mods so maybe you will have greater success, and I appreciate your consideration.

Right, it seems that the root of the matter is policy on how the forum should be run, rather than anything about the specific words; something to the effect of what Mediocre was trying to get at. While I'd definitely like to do away with a mandatory censor, I'm not really one to defy policy, so I guess there's nothing that can be done, for now.

 

[Little England]

Just make Sheridan and/or McCain mods and be done with it. lol At the very least get rid of this new guy.

 

[JTB]

so

are there any tournaments coming up that are being planned but havent been posted yet? the only one I've seen is the glendale one, then nothing until Genesis :O

 

[MacD]

I like how everyone ignore MacD post

lolol, whenever i use real sentences people don't read my stuff

well except in the peach boards

EDIT: though don't expect me to become one, rumor has it i was brought up more than once as a candidate but for some reason i wasn't "good" enough to pass whatever their qualifications were

 

[DanteFox]

quit hatin on huy.

His intentions are good.

 

[pockyD]

show, don't tell

i think it's ridiculous that SMASHboards is trying to be family-friendly at the expense of being smasher-friendly

 

[DanteFox]

you're no P.

 

[Brian]

he's even better <3

 

[JDM]

There are sooo many grammatical errors on this game proposal:

"To increase awareness of the product by express the charm of the characters"

"Create high expectations with TV animation program style"

This is only the first page.

 

[The Greater Leon]

he didnt deserve his promotion

 

[CableCho57]

I think fly amanita would be the awesomest mod ever. I never met the guy, but from reading his posts, he's seems to be on the same bad*** level of chuck norris and the dos equis guy.
And he seems very reasonable/respectful

 

[pockyD]

you're no P.

o no!

 

[Gaara♥]

Maybe this is all just one big practical joke by the staff. Pac West has been known to bend the rules quite a bit and maybe the staff was like ' screw it lets mess with them ' and appointed THE WORST candidate for mod instead of all the other respected candidates.

 

[JDM]

Maybe this is all just one big practical joke by the staff. Pac West has been known to bend the rules quite a bit and maybe the staff was like ' screw it lets mess with them ' and appointed THE WORST candidate for mod instead of all the other respected candidates.

I wouldn't be surprised if choknater became the next mod.

 

[Kira-]

Hey does anyone else think they are getting arthritis from Melee? As in their hands hurt after playing?

and then everything went to **** afterwards


WE LOST SHMOOGUY FOR ****S SAKE

=(

see what happens?

this is what happens, larry

He was about to crack.

I think fly amanita would be the awesomest mod ever. I never met the guy, but from reading his posts, he's seems to be on the same bad*** level of chuck norris and the dos equis guy.
And he seems very reasonable/respectful

You forgot he has Thor's strength (and hammer).


I think PsychoMidget and tafokintz would be great mods. Although I doubt either of them would want to be.

 

[TaFoKiNtS]

I wouldn't mind, actually.

 

[trahhSTEEZY]

my hand from the first day of smash to last

im the most technical mother****er ever well worth it

 

[Atlus8]

Hey does anyone else think they are getting arthritis from Melee? As in their hands hurt after playing?

I don't think my hands have ever start to hurt after playing any game! My arms sometimes do ache, but not my hands!

 

[joeplicate]

my hands hurt so bad


especially in the very first knuckle on my pinky and ring finger on my left hand
from extreme grippage :O

 

[choknater]

I wouldn't be surprised if choknater became the next mod.

i wish

but we'll see


namesearching *****

 

[The Greater Leon]

choknater i love doredia

but churine is cuter

 

[TheGoat]

amnesia was so damn scary holy ****
i love 805
and special guest vahag

does this Vahag guy play melee? His name sounds armenian