Our stance on moderation

Hi Guys

I know that a few of you have reported some posts lately, and I'd like to quickly remind you of our stance on member moderation.

Obviously, we have our rules about homophobic and racist comments. Now, we could be very draconian and delete posts that vaguely register as either, but we prefer to allow freedom of expression as much as we possibly can, and so we draw the line at inciting hatred, or people using the site to organise hate campaigns. As well as comments which may affect members.

So if you hear a comment that you feel should be challenged, please challenge it! Please do not always leave it to our moderators, because we will always err on the side of giving people the benefit of the doubt, and allowing as much free speech as we can.

I think this is what makes this site so comfortable for so many of you - where you don't have to keep watching over every little thing you say. Of course there is a downside to this - where some people sail very close to, or, sometimes across the line. This is where we encourage our members to stand up, and in a way, self moderate.

I hope you agree this is a good and positive stance to take, and thanks to all of you who have done so recently

Re: Our stance on moderation

I see nothing wrong in this suggestion - its the case that members 'do' state how they feel towards certain posts and that's how it should be - maybe not so good to then - have those posts deleted - just a thought .........

Re: Our stance on moderation

That's fine but if a fight breaks out you can't then punish the people trying to stop the homophobia or racism.

Re: Our stance on moderation

I have participated in forums where you couldn't say anything without having it deleted or getting publicly reprimanded.. I'm a grown person.. I don't need to be censored like a child. I have found this forum to be easier to communicate on.. and a lot more fun. People are allowed to have their differences and say what's on their minds without daddy stepping in to break it up. That's fine with me. I DO agree about stepping over the line. Name calling, and overt racism or homophobia is line crossing.

Re: Our stance on moderation

I am more used to proper moderation, where racism and homophobia are not tolerated. Where bans would be forthcoming for anyone posting what has been posted in the ebola thread.

Re: Our stance on moderation

This is the persecution complex coming out in me, but I hope the reports haven't concerned me as I haven't been here that long. I'd hate it if I really offended anyone. I'm not like that at all. I think I feel like this because the last site I was on I seemed to annoy a mod because there was a thread where you put on what annoyed you and they kept saying that what annoyed me was natural to them. I actually did not intend to annoy them. I was being open. It's left me feeling very intimidated and I'm bloomin scared to say the wrong thing sometimes.

Re: Our stance on moderation

Alice it was nothing to do with anything you posted at all. Haven't seen one thing you posted that could be in any way interpreted in a way that could be offensive.

Re: Our stance on moderation

what's this all about, I'm lost, I've never seen anything homophobic
Or racist on this forum, perhaps it's in the readers' minds.

Re: Our stance on moderation

Julie thank you so much. I'm getting paranoid lol. I think we do well here from what I can see. We can disagree openly, then it's over with and it calms down and we take each other for our opinions and for who we are. I like that. Already I'm understanding what makes some people tick and it's probably something that meant something to me at one time in my life.

Re: Our stance on moderation

Are you being serious???