Are the mods being too harsh, or are they being awesome?

No man. The mods here are awesome. No one wants Giant Bombs friendly chilled atmosphere to be fucked up by douche bags who migrate here from other forums and don't know how we GB'ers hang.

"Jacki makes some very valid points in both of her posts. Perhaps our language has been too harsh, and maybe it is a bit ironic that we've been name calling just after we ask you not to name call. You'll have to forgive the moderation team for being blunt. It would help to understand how we work as a team, and you would if you read the forum FAQ. We operate on a discretionary basis in many cases, simply because that's the only way we really can. We're volunteer moderators, and all of us have jobs, work, school, and life in general to deal with in addition to the forums. We can't all discuss every situation at length. That doesn't mean we don't, however. In Jayge's case, for example, we all talked as a team extensively. We all weighed our opinions, and the majority decided that a suspension was in order. All major decisions are discussed, and we get every mods opinion on most matters before taking action. We're all different, we all make mistakes, and we often disagree, but we try and trust and support each other on most decisions."

So after careful consideration and due to the fact that some users were offended (gasp!) by the Douchebaggery post, I took it down.  We'll be writing a new, politically correct version to appear at the top of a forum near you soon.

"No man. The mods here are awesome. No one wants Giant Bombs friendly chilled atmosphere to be fucked up by douche bags who migrate here from other forums and don't know how we GB'ers hang."

"No man. The mods here are awesome. No one wants Giant Bombs friendly chilled atmosphere to be fucked up by douche bags who migrate here from other forums and don't know how we GB'ers hang."

"suneku said:

"JackiJinx said:

"suneku said:

"It was a group decision."

If that's true, then I'd like to know why a thread like this has remained open for the past three and a half hours. Looks like everyone took that announcement to heart."

Because I don't see people being dicks to each other in that thread."

Really, let me give you a quote from the first page"I agree 100% of republicans are mentally retarded. Especially ron paul."How is this not being a dick to a whole group of people. I'm not even republican and I'm offended (not really)!"

"So after careful consideration and due to the fact that some users were offended (gasp!) by the Douchebaggery post, I took it down.  We'll be writing a new, politically correct version to appear at the top of a forum near you soon."

" But they do, and hence the problem."

"Cloneslayer said:

"suneku said:

"JackiJinx said:

"suneku said:

"It was a group decision."

If that's true, then I'd like to know why a thread like this has remained open for the past three and a half hours. Looks like everyone took that announcement to heart."

Because I don't see people being dicks to each other in that thread."

Really, let me give you a quote from the first page"I agree 100% of republicans are mentally retarded. Especially ron paul."How is this not being a dick to a whole group of people. I'm not even republican and I'm offended (not really)!"

okay post is gone, problem solved."

"So after careful consideration and due to the fact that some users were offended (gasp!) by the Douchebaggery post, I took it down.  We'll be writing a new, politically correct version to appear at the top of a forum near you soon."

"We do have our right to say what we want, but the First Amendment is a crappy arguement to make, so I won't go into that.

The mods on these forums fucking suck, big bunch of douchbags.
They wouldn't even ban be until june when I asked, what the hell.

"The mods on these forums fucking suck, big bunch of douchbags. They wouldn't even ban be until june when I asked, what the hell."

"The mods on these forums fucking suck, big bunch of douchbags. They wouldn't even ban be until june when I asked, what the hell."

"The mods on these forums fucking suck, big bunch of douchbags. They wouldn't even ban be until june when I asked, what the hell."

"Can't we just put all of this controversy behind us like adults? This continuous arguing is just becoming childish."

God I love this stuff. It feels real.

"God I love this stuff. It feels real."

For instance, SmugDarkLoser - the minute he posts a thread, it's neg-bombed.  Why?  Because it's him.  Granted, he writes a FUCKTON of "Halo 3 is teh greatest evar" threads...but even when he said in a blog "hey, I'ma be out for a while, got priorities to take care of"...everyone STILL treated him like an ass...and that was uncalled for.

So are the mods out of line?  Nope.  They are simply trying to keep Giant Bomb's forums from becoming a pure hellhole.

To answer your question, BoG:  sometimes you have to be a dick in order to make the dicks quit being dicks.

"

Do all posts have to fill a quota for relevancy and seriousness?

Is humour dead on GB?

Where's my watermelon?

Are we slowly edging closer and closer to becoming Gamespot?

Seriously, this is getting out of control. You mods need to lay down the fucking hammer. MB, who cares if people are offended by that post? It needed to be said, and the way you said it was just fine.

"Do all posts have to fill a quota for relevancy and seriousness?Is humour dead on GB?Where's my watermelon?Are we slowly edging closer and closer to becoming Gamespot?"

"Do all posts have to fill a quota for relevancy and seriousness?Is humour dead on GB?Where's my watermelon?Are we slowly edging closer and closer to becoming Gamespot?"

Yeh so wheres the line between humour and being a dick.

I mean obviously common sense applies, but in this case, its all down to as little as one person's opinion.

"Yeh so wheres the line between humour and being a dick.I mean obviously common sense applies, but in this case, its all down to as little as one person's opinion."

"Jolly_Lolly said:

"I actually haven't seen any real outbreaks since the day BS was closed down (seems like decades ago). I am pretty content with the mod's (or whoever's) mod picking decisions so far. Only saw a real sign of abused power once, which is excellent considering how long Giant Bomb has been running now. "

Ha ha, then you haven't been paying attention tonight"

"Rowr said:

"Yeh so wheres the line between humour and being a dick.I mean obviously common sense applies, but in this case, its all down to as little as one person's opinion."

I think that it depends on the topic."

It's seriously ridiculous that that post had be taken down. Seriously people, you're analyzing this way too much. MB was just saying "Don't be dicks" and everyone has a fucking fit. 

"It's seriously ridiculous that that post had be taken down. Seriously people, you're analyzing this way too much. MB was just saying "Don't be dicks" and everyone has a fucking fit. "

"It's seriously ridiculous that that post had be taken down. Seriously people, you're analyzing this way too much. MB was just saying "Don't be dicks" and everyone has a fucking fit. "

"Milkman said:

"It's seriously ridiculous that that post had be taken down. Seriously people, you're analyzing this way too much. MB was just saying "Don't be dicks" and everyone has a fucking fit. "

As far as I'm aware, I'm the only person who had a "fit," and I didn't ask for it to be taken down. Not to say that I'm not happy that it was, I am. And it's not like they're not going to replace the thread, they are. They are to replace it with a more thought out one."

"JackiJinx said:

"Milkman said:

"It's seriously ridiculous that that post had be taken down. Seriously people, you're analyzing this way too much. MB was just saying "Don't be dicks" and everyone has a fucking fit. "

As far as I'm aware, I'm the only person who had a "fit," and I didn't ask for it to be taken down. Not to say that I'm not happy that it was, I am. And it's not like they're not going to replace the thread, they are. They are to replace it with a more thought out one."

I raised issue with it also."

"Rowr said:

"Do all posts have to fill a quota for relevancy and seriousness?Is humour dead on GB?Where's my watermelon?Are we slowly edging closer and closer to becoming Gamespot?"

I think in a serious topic like this, in which views on moderation may be shaped, I don't think randomness it fitting. I don't want to see this become a Gamefaqs but everything has its place, I dont want this to be /b/ either."

Haven't had any problems with them so no...

I think we, as users, have the responsibility to treat other users as we would like to be treated.  It sounds preachy and, I'll say it, "golden-rule"-esque, but it is a pretty fucking good code of behavior. 

Obviously, this website, like any, is a conglomeration of different people from all over the world.  Therefore, differences in taste and philosophies and intelligence are bound to crash together like plate tectonics, but that doesn't mean we can't be respectful to one another.  Obviously, there are going to be personalities that are stronger, more assertive, and others that are more passive and playful.  The mods shouldn't be counted on to be everywhere and to arbitrate everything.  To me, it seems the moderator's paramount duty is to ensure the "respectful interactions between users" are encouraged and to intercede in the event the glass floor of respectability shatters under the weight of two conflicting fanboys.

Just, be cool, guys.  I understand this is the internet and everyone, subconscious or greater than, has some desire to stake a claim of virtual turf and gain some notoriety in doing so, and that our relative anonymity fuels this desire to varying degrees.  But it doesn't amount to anything when a flame-war breaks loose.  

I think the relationship I have to Jakob is an applicable one.  He and I don't necessarily agree on matters of taste, matters of opinion, so I've taken the stance of, in disagreement, explaining my peace, and then letting it stand.  If it gets out-argued, then fine.  There's no need for me to retort with, "you queer", because it's fruitless.  Ultimately, we're all here because we have a taste, refined or broad, for video games, and we come to the forums to associate with like-minded people.  Don't agree with someone?  Whatever.  It won't kill you to let it slide. 

----------------------

I understand that the above comment approaches Nate's original question not even in the slightest, but I feel (and I may be alone on this) that if we, as users, can adopt some philosophy similar to this "you say your peace, I'll say mine, we're still friends" doctrine, then we can alleviate the stress on the moderators' shoulders.  

Of course, I could be a fucking titanic optimist, and you may all hate this idea.  Or, you'll just write "tl;dr -- Ragnarok, you're gay."  

Just my two cents.   

The mods are definitely awesome. I haven't seen any cases of them being too harsh.

Where do you draw the line on what some people find offensive?  It is an ever moving target.

Dont be dick."

"How about we all harden the fuck up."

"It's stupid.I came here from GameFAQS so I could be a blatant ass to anyone who deserved it. As long as I don't get banned for a month like I did on  GameFAQS for telling some idiot to use his head, I suppose I may be able to get used to it.But then again. Being an ass to people is soooo fun. Especially they have it coming. Like you said though, it's the internet. It's not like any of us are going to meet up one day and say "Hey, you remember that one time on GB when you called me a piece of shit? Well, that really hurt!"People being asses to eachother on the site aren't bad. It's people who are too uptight and close minded to just let it happen which are making it bad. If two or more people get into a disagreement and start throwing the insults at one another, it's not like it'll go on for days and days and completeley ruin the site. It's more entertaining if anything to see two people going at it over their keyboards."

What da hell...

It's awesome in every possible way...

Also, it seems to me that, like Blogs, Off-Topic could benefit from being a separate forum.  That way, it could have the fun / irrelevant stuff without disrupting the more serious General Discussion.

What ever they are doing I think they are doing it well. People on this site have the ability to express themselves freely, but the mods still use discretion to filter out the riffraff.

"Also, it seems to me that, like Blogs, Off-Topic could benefit from being a separate forum.  That way, it could have the fun / irrelevant stuff without disrupting the more serious General Discussion."

"Also, it seems to me that, like Blogs, Off-Topic could benefit from being a separate forum.  That way, it could have the fun / irrelevant stuff without disrupting the more serious General Discussion."

"strangeling said:

"Also, it seems to me that, like Blogs, Off-Topic could benefit from being a separate forum.  That way, it could have the fun / irrelevant stuff without disrupting the more serious General Discussion."

Thing is, if you look at off topic, a lot of times it's either a religious thread with atheists trying to convince theists that they're wrong, vice versa or some ham fisted attempt at politics. The blogs help keep it interesting."

"HandsomeDead said:

"strangeling said:

"Also, it seems to me that, like Blogs, Off-Topic could benefit from being a separate forum.  That way, it could have the fun / irrelevant stuff without disrupting the more serious General Discussion."

Thing is, if you look at off topic, a lot of times it's either a religious thread with atheists trying to convince theists that they're wrong, vice versa or some ham fisted attempt at politics. The blogs help keep it interesting."

The thing about atheists seems more like Gamespot to me. Their Off-Topic thread is usually nothing but religious junk being thrown around."

"natetodamax said:

"HandsomeDead said:

"strangeling said:

"Also, it seems to me that, like Blogs, Off-Topic could benefit from being a separate forum.  That way, it could have the fun / irrelevant stuff without disrupting the more serious General Discussion."

Thing is, if you look at off topic, a lot of times it's either a religious thread with atheists trying to convince theists that they're wrong, vice versa or some ham fisted attempt at politics. The blogs help keep it interesting."

The thing about atheists seems more like Gamespot to me. Their Off-Topic thread is usually nothing but religious junk being thrown around."

There was a crazy religious argument thread going on a couple of days ago here."

Yeah, Gamespot was fucking terrible.

Mods are typically dicks who are 15 and think they'e cool becaue they get to sit on forums all day and run the banwagon.