Apology to moderators

[RadioNate]

I'm sorry you feel like your thread was hijacked. But could you take a moment to look at it from another perspective? In the last ten days, we've had over a 100 people banned. These are people we liked and cared about, that we posted with regularly. And for the most part we haven't got a clue why. Some of them, in anger and frustration, posted inappropriate stuff, but most of them didn't. There doesn't seem to be a logical reason why this has been done. We've been promised an explanation, days ago, and we're still waiting. So can you see why your post praising the moderation on the board, feels to some posters, a little bit like salt being rubbed in some very raw wounds? I've never been given a warning, or gotten points, but I'm wondering if this post may be the one that gets me banned. Can you see how frustrating that can be?

I respect the fact that moderating a board this size is huge and often thankless job. Most of the time they get it right, or at least as right as humanly possible. But this one time I'm not so sure. Even if the banning were appropriate, the lack of communication and transparency has created a much bigger problem then it needed to be.

I hope this helps you see where some of us are coming from and maybe you won't think the CB is such a cruel rude place. It's just got a bit of turmoil right now.

You have summed up my feelings very well. Great post. This is exactly how I feel. Everyone is walking on egg shells and the ones who didn't were banned. Things HAVE settled a bit but handing out tags like Halloween candy also isn't going to fill the void.

I'll get my flame suit on now . . .

In my opinion, I think that those that were banned, for whatever reason, do deserve an explanation for that. No one should be made to wonder, and obviously that leads to more speculation.

But, there seems to be a lot of current disboard members (and friends of those banned) who are demanding that the mods tell you why. I don't see that the mods need to really discuss this information with anyone except those directly involved, and I'm sure that if and when they do, you'll hear the story from your friends.

In the history of this board, how many people have been banned for infractions that you never heard about? Do the mods publicly post their reasons behind every individual point given out? Do they keep you informed of every executive decision they make? If you worked in an office and the "boss" fired someone, would you demand an explanation? It seems that this drama won't go away until you get what you want, and all I'm saying is be prepared for that not to happen. I respect the friendships you've made, and do understand how you feel duped and angry, but if you're still on these boards posting, they are not, then who's business is it really?

Well in a lot of cases the people banned weren't told why, no warnings, no points, nothing. People keep citing the poster who was banned WHILE they were on vacation. What did they do when they weren't even using their computer???

I want an explanation because Alex promised me one. He came here and started a thread saying that they would explain things. Frankly, without that thread I wouldn't have had any clue that any drama was happening. That thread implied that the missing posters were involved in some kind of legal action by The Dis. That was very worrisome to me. Now WMKathy has since clarified those statements but when you hear (from Alex) that now banned posters are being contacted by the Dis corporate lawyers and no one can tell you why, it tends to get people a bit worked up.

I'd also like the webmasters to speak out because this isn't the 1st time I've seen this happen here. People have been banned en mass before and it always seems to reek of cronyism. The teachers pets are safe while committing the same infractions the rebels were banned for.

I hold no ill will toward the WMs or Alex or Pete - I've never gotten any points or warnings. But like others I'm just sad and frustrated. The Dis is one of my favorite places and right now the fun has been sucked out of this place. I have every confidence that things will stabilize but I also don't think the events of the last week should be swept under the rug.

 

[KristaTX]

You're talking about me aren't you?

 

[Mkaz]

and I'm sure that if and when they do, you'll hear the story from your friends.

I find that highly unlikely. I'll leave it at that.

 

[Robinrs]

You have summed up my feelings very well. Great post. This is exactly how I feel. Everyone is walking on egg shells and the ones who didn't were banned. Things HAVE settled a bit but handing out tags like Halloween candy also isn't going to fill the void.



Well in a lot of cases the people banned weren't told why, no warnings, no points, nothing. People keep citing the poster who was banned WHILE they were on vacation. What did they do when they weren't even using their computer???

I want an explanation because Alex promised me one. He came here and started a thread saying that they would explain things. Frankly, without that thread I wouldn't have had any clue that any drama was happening. That thread implied that the missing posters were involved in some kind of legal action by The Dis. That was very worrisome to me. Now WMKathy has since clarified those statements but when you hear (from Alex) that now banned posters are being contacted by the Dis corporate lawyers and no one can tell you why, it tends to get people a bit worked up.

I'd also like the webmasters to speak out because this isn't the 1st time I've seen this happen here. People have been banned en mass before and it always seems to reek of cronyism. The teachers pets are safe while committing the same infractions the rebels were banned for.

I hold no ill will toward the WMs or Alex or Pete - I've never gotten any points or warnings. But like others I'm just sad and frustrated. The Dis is one of my favorite places and right now the fun has been sucked out of this place. I have every confidence that things will stabilize but I also don't think the events of the last week should be swept under the rug.

The bottom line is everyone here and rant and rave as long as they want to, the people who run this board will answer if and when they want to. The fact that you ask for it over and over and don't get an answer is proof of that. They know their power and they will give answer ONLY if they choose to.

Come on people, do you really think 3000 posts about how we feel denied will change anything??? ForGETaboutit!!

 

[Passions71203]

 

[AuntieM03]

You have summed up my feelings very well. Great post. This is exactly how I feel. Everyone is walking on egg shells and the ones who didn't were banned. Things HAVE settled a bit but handing out tags like Halloween candy also isn't going to fill the void.



Well in a lot of cases the people banned weren't told why, no warnings, no points, nothing. People keep citing the poster who was banned WHILE they were on vacation. What did they do when they weren't even using their computer???

I want an explanation because Alex promised me one. He came here and started a thread saying that they would explain things. Frankly, without that thread I wouldn't have had any clue that any drama was happening. That thread implied that the missing posters were involved in some kind of legal action by The Dis. That was very worrisome to me. Now WMKathy has since clarified those statements but when you hear (from Alex) that now banned posters are being contacted by the Dis corporate lawyers and no one can tell you why, it tends to get people a bit worked up.

I'd also like the webmasters to speak out because this isn't the 1st time I've seen this happen here. People have been banned en mass before and it always seems to reek of cronyism. The teachers pets are safe while committing the same infractions the rebels were banned for.

I hold no ill will toward the WMs or Alex or Pete - I've never gotten any points or warnings. But like others I'm just sad and frustrated. The Dis is one of my favorite places and right now the fun has been sucked out of this place. I have every confidence that things will stabilize but I also don't think the events of the last week should be swept under the rug.

I am hoping that the situation doesn't just get swept under the rug. Since an explanation was promised I am hoping it will be forthcoming.

 

[TurboKitty]

The bottom line is everyone here and rant and rave as long as they want to, the people who run this board will answer if and when they want to. The fact that you ask for it over and over and don't get an answer is proof of that. They know their power and they will give answer ONLY if they choose to.

Come on people, do you really think 3000 posts about how we feel denied will change anything??? ForGETaboutit!!

Tomato, tomahto.

I happen to think if enough people voice their opinion, we will get some kind of explanation and answers and more people re-instated.

As for my opinion, KikiFan put my thoughts into words much more succintly than I could have;

I'm sorry you feel like your thread was hijacked. But could you take a moment to look at it from another perspective? In the last ten days, we've had over a 100 people banned. These are people we liked and cared about, that we posted with regularly. And for the most part we haven't got a clue why. Some of them, in anger and frustration, posted inappropriate stuff, but most of them didn't. There doesn't seem to be a logical reason why this has been done. We've been promised an explanation, days ago, and we're still waiting. So can you see why your post praising the moderation on the board, feels to some posters, a little bit like salt being rubbed in some very raw wounds? I've never been given a warning, or gotten points, but I'm wondering if this post may be the one that gets me banned. Can you see how frustrating that can be?

I respect the fact that moderating a board this size is huge and often thankless job. Most of the time they get it right, or at least as right as humanly possible. But this one time I'm not so sure. Even if the banning were appropriate, the lack of communication and transparency has created a much bigger problem then it needed to be.

I hope this helps you see where some of us are coming from and maybe you won't think the CB is such a cruel rude place. It's just got a bit of turmoil right now.

 

[KikiFan]

The bottom line is everyone here and rant and rave as long as they want to, the people who run this board will answer if and when they want to. The fact that you ask for it over and over and don't get an answer is proof of that. They know their power and they will give answer ONLY if they choose to.

Come on people, do you really think 3000 posts about how we feel denied will change anything??? ForGETaboutit!!

You're right, there's a very real possibility that it might not change anything. But staying silent guarantees that nothing will change.

 

[RadioNate]

I am hoping that the situation doesn't just get swept under the rug. Since an explanation was promised I am hoping it will be forthcoming.

That's all I'm saying too. I get Robin's point and to an extent I think she is right. The big HOWEVER for me is that Alex came here and said that they would explain when they could. I want that promise delivered on. It may be today, tomorrow, next week, next month...but he said they'd talk (something WMKathy also followed up on) and I think they should keep their word.

I'm willing to wait on the explanation but I also don't want it blown off just because the issue isn't in the forefront any longer.

 

[ladysoleil]

I'm sorry you feel like your thread was hijacked. But could you take a moment to look at it from another perspective? In the last ten days, we've had over a 100 people banned. These are people we liked and cared about, that we posted with regularly. And for the most part we haven't got a clue why. Some of them, in anger and frustration, posted inappropriate stuff, but most of them didn't. There doesn't seem to be a logical reason why this has been done. We've been promised an explanation, days ago, and we're still waiting. So can you see why your post praising the moderation on the board, feels to some posters, a little bit like salt being rubbed in some very raw wounds? I've never been given a warning, or gotten points, but I'm wondering if this post may be the one that gets me banned. Can you see how frustrating that can be?

I respect the fact that moderating a board this size is huge and often thankless job. Most of the time they get it right, or at least as right as humanly possible. But this one time I'm not so sure. Even if the banning were appropriate, the lack of communication and transparency has created a much bigger problem then it needed to be.

I hope this helps you see where some of us are coming from and maybe you won't think the CB is such a cruel rude place. It's just got a bit of turmoil right now.

Thanks for saying this. I'm also frustrated at the lack of answers and the random bannings. I am trying to behave and let cooler heads prevail and to follow the rules, but it seems that any of us who ask questions or seek clarity are at risk of being banned. That is disturbing. It seems unfair that someone who didn't even post here anymore was banned for a posting she made in her own blog.

I am willing and happy to follow the DIS rules and participate in the community here, but I do not want to be moderated for thoughts I may express in other communities, especially ones that have little or nothing to do with Disney. None of those other communities would even care or think to care about what I say on the DIS. No, really. I doubt the people on the Rock Boat music cruise forums care about this one. Ditto the Toad The Wet Sprocket fan forum, etc.

Yes, some people got angry and posted things they knew were deliberately against the rules specifically to get banned. That wasn't right. It's not fair to come in and deliberately be disruptive. But it's upsetting that this has been going on for days and you still see people posting comments like, "I hope I don't get banned for saying this".

But still, it's true. I hope I don't get banned for saying this. Now I'm going to go back to the budget board and see if I can go help one of the posters planning a trip to NYC or maybe swap a budget recipe or two.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

I want an explanation because Alex promised me one. He came here and started a thread saying that they would explain things. Frankly, without that thread I wouldn't have had any clue that any drama was happening. That thread implied that the missing posters were involved in some kind of legal action by The Dis. That was very worrisome to me. Now WMKathy has since clarified those statements but when you hear (from Alex) that now banned posters are being contacted by the Dis corporate lawyers and no one can tell you why, it tends to get people a bit worked up.

Thank you for clarifying that the mods and admins started an early thread dealing with this. I'll take a chance and ask, is it still on the boards?

 

[pixiechick]

That's all I'm saying too. I get Robin's point and to an extent I think she is right. The big HOWEVER for me is that Alex came here and said that they would explain when they could. I want that promise delivered on. It may be today, tomorrow, next week, next month...but he said they'd talk (something WMKathy also followed up on) and I think they should keep their word.

I'm willing to wait on the explanation but I also don't want it blown off just because the issue isn't in the forefront any longer.

Alison, you've made my reply easy. I totally agree with everything you've said (and Kiki and others too.) I haven't "lost" good friends from here. I'm an inconsistent poster at best. But I think the members deserve an answer for 2 reasons. 1) we should know what the rules are, because they appeared to be different than what must of us expect, and 2) we were promised an answer.

 

[meandtheguys2]

The bottom line is everyone here and rant and rave as long as they want to, the people who run this board will answer if and when they want to. The fact that you ask for it over and over and don't get an answer is proof of that. They know their power and they will give answer ONLY if they choose to.

Come on people, do you really think 3000 posts about how we feel denied will change anything??? ForGETaboutit!!

Too many things in life are just forgotten, and not dealt with. IMHO. If the world just goes quiet on injustice, it just continues. There isn't any reason to deal with it, at that point. All is happy happy again, sort of. As in addiction or abuse, even though there is a honeymoon period, the giant pink elephant remains in the room.

People need to feel they heard. That is what community is about. Of course this isn't a democracy, just as the US isn't a democracy. But we all like to think they are...

 

[singingpixie]

As a regular poster on the US board, thank you. That is incredibly nice to hear. We are a small, but welcoming bunch. Most of us have an equal love (and knowledge) of Disney and Universal. That just doesn't seem to be the case on the rest of the boards, so we stick to our little corner of the DIS. I think it is because we get bashed so often for daring to enjoy SOP (that's Some Other Park) that we try to be very careful not flame anyone on our boards unless they really, really, really ask for it.

As for the topic, yes I am sure that being a moderator is a mostly thankless job. I do, however, wish that there was something a bit more uniform about the whole warning/points/ban process. For most of us, if you give us rules, we'll try to follow them. If we start tap dancing near the boundaries, give us a warning and we'll pull back. If we don't, slap us with points and we'll be sure to get the message. If we continue on that path, a ban is in order.

I don't think that is too much to ask for, and while some people are asking in loud and angry voices, that's still what it all boils down to.

 

[RadioNate]

Thank you for clarifying that the mods and admins started an early thread dealing with this. I'll take a chance and ask, is it still on the boards?

it was locked but I did see someone had a link to it yesterday or the day before. WMAlex started it, I don't think it was poofed.

I'm an idiot when it comes to the search but I'll look.

 

[ladysoleil]

I think the other thing that needs to be said is that we can all learn something from this. This is an opportunity for posters here to understand clearly what the webmaster/moderation team expects from us, and this is an opportunity for them to have a dialogue with us so we can keep building this community together and make it better and stronger.

If anything, I think it's great that so many people have shown loyalty and friendship to each other through the chaos and that we can pull together as a group. I also think it's great that people are passionate about the community we've helped to build. Maybe that's "pixie dust" or just stupid optimism, but let's take something good from this experience.

 

[MAKmom]

The OP should Edit the title of her other thread and put her apology in the opening post.

 

[Robinrs]

Tomato, tomahto.

I happen to think if enough people voice their opinion, we will get some kind of explanation and answers and more people re-instated.

As for my opinion, KikiFan put my thoughts into words much more succintly than I could have;

I've been tomato and tomahto... both sides of the board....

it doesn't matter but if it helps to get it off your chests, fuss on...

Take my word for it.

 

[Robinrs]

Too many things in life are just forgotten, and not dealt with. IMHO. If the world just goes quiet on injustice, it just continues. There isn't any reason to deal with it, at that point. All is happy happy again, sort of. As in addiction or abuse, even though there is a honeymoon period, the giant pink elephant remains in the room.

People need to feel they heard. That is what community is about. Of course this isn't a democracy, just as the US isn't a democracy. But we all like to think they are...

Boy, I live my life by that. I've been fight against injustice ALL of my life.

What I'm saying is this is a privately owned board. This is not the govt or a voted in democracy.

The people who run these boards do what they choose, like in a right to work state. Believe me, in the time I've been here I've seen it ALL. I've been a mod and a poster, I've been lambasted and fired, rehired, lied on and told about myself. In the end I had to realize that this is NOT a job, not a church, NOT a family and not the end of the world.

It is a website. Run by HUMAN BEINGS.

Once you take away that "fantasy" aspect of tag fairies and webmasters are not the wizard of Oz but people who have to make decisions and have people to answer to, too, then maybe this so called debacle can be seen as what it is.

I'm not against people speaking their minds, I'm just putting in my two cents that I'm sure that something's being done because I've seen turnarounds before.

 

[TurboKitty]

I've been tomato and tomahto... both sides of the board....

it doesn't matter but if it helps to get it off your chests, fuss on...

Take my word for it.

History shows that it's likely you are correct. I hope not, though. And, my silence would only appear to condone what's happened, which I cannot allow to happen.