A thought on politics and mods.

"slipperysallylikespenguins" (slipperysally)
12/18/2019 at 12:13 • Filed to: Bring back NSFW

The #1 rule of Oppo is “Be excellent to each other.” It is such a cornerstone of the group that it is also the second rule.

Political discussion on Oppo produces far more negative content and attitudes than everything else combined. The only people who reply in political posts are there to argue against the point of view of the original post. Arguing is the only point of politics on Oppo(and in life), and very quickly leads to members not being excellent to each other. It turns Oppo into the front page in the best of cases and Facebook in the worst.

Politics turn normally very pleasant and interesting contributors into childish dickbags within the span of 1 or 2 replies. This is true for the supporters of both parties equally. There is a small but very vocal group (probably 7-8 regulars) that turn any post with views different than their own into something Oppo should be ashamed of. This is all caused because of the emotional importance some people put on politics that makes them incapable of having civil discourse. That’s why these are the only people who post politics on Oppo and secretly love fighting about it.

“5. DON’T shit stir, in either direction.” is another rule. By posting political content you are shit stirring. By replying to political content you are shit stirring. The only way political enthusiasts respond to these posts and replies is with aggressive close-mindedness. The type of people who would reply to political posts in a balanced and understanding manner are the type who avoid politics all together.

With such a volatile election season upcoming, this problem is only going to get worse and make Oppo an inhospitable place for fans of being friendly. Personally, I had to step away for a few months back in 2016 just to avoid the constant negativity and hatefulness that spreads its wings surrounding the choosing of our POTUS.

I believe the essence of politics goes against the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for Oppo and should be banned. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is happy to take in those who insist on discussing politics. Except Cigar Lounge is almost dead, because most of the posts are political and not very many people like that. I think a fair way to get a good opinion on this would be to have a simple poll. Perhaps a mod could put one together so the user base has a voice in the direction of this community.

On another note. Mods.

The list of mods has been the same for a ridiculously long time. Many are not an active part of this community anymore for various reasons.

Porsche9146 Last Oppo Post 1/11/16, currently a contributor on the front page.
Gamecat235 Last Oppo Post 1/28/19, before that 1/12/18.
Nobody Last Oppo post unknown due to complications searching his name.
Brian1321 Last Oppo post 7/7/16, before that 7/28/15.
Pauljones Last Oppo post 6/18/19, before that 1/31/17.
Demon-Xanth Last Oppo Post 12/16/19, regular contributor.
Snapundersteer Italianspiderman Last Oppo post 12/13/19, regular contributor.
For Sweden Last Oppo post 12/16/19, regular contributor.
Dusty Ventures Last Oppo post 12/15/19, regular contributor.
Party-VI Last Oppo post 12/4/19, regular contributor.
Brian, the life of Last Oppo post 11/25/19, regular contributor.
Crown Victor Victoria Last Oppo post 10/24/19, before that 3/4/18, 4/25/17, 8/30/16.
More Power!! And also some brakes Last Oppo post 12/2/19, regular contributor.
Axel-Ripper Last Oppo post 11/11/16.
Delta Five Nine Last Oppo post 6/13/15.
$kaycog Last Oppo post 11/23/19, regular contributor.
Jagvar Last Oppo post 9/24/19, before that 11/18/18.
Hammerhead Fistpunch Last Oppo post 12/17/19, regular contributor.
Arch Duke Maxyenko Last Oppo post 12/17/19, regular contributor.
Yamahog Last Oppo post 4/29/19.

I’ve been a regular reader on Jalopnik since early 2005 and a lurker/contributor on Oppo since shortly after it’s launch. Most of the mods are from the old days. They created fantastic content that still stands out to me now and most of them were cornerstones of what Oppo is today. I seriously miss some of the content they produced. I have the utmost respect for most of them and thank them for their service here.

That said, I don’t think people who don’t regularly contribute to this special community should have a say in how it’s managed. Ten of the twenty mods aren’t regulars here. A mod should be a pillar of the community and someone to set an example of good behavior. Those that aren’t regulars should have their mod privileges removed and be replaced by current members of the group.

There are numerous Oppos who have been contributing great content for years, never start shit, and support this great corner of the world wide web. There are Oppos who have literally had their lives/outlooks changed by the community provided here and want the absolute best for this little escape from everyday realities. They should have a chance to moderate here and reflect the attitude of the current community.

Note that this is still part of the guidelines:

Political / Sensitive topics are welcome, even encouraged, however it is recommended that you announce such content in the title and that all sensitive material is posted “after the jump.”

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

TL/DR: Politics are inherently against “Be excellent to each other”, we need a few new mods.

DISCUSSION (59)

facw > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:23

I disagree about politics. We absolutely can have polite and reasonable political discussions. To say it automatically shit-stirring is nonsense. And while yes it can bring out negative attitudes, it is and should be on the posters to follow our rules. If they have so little self-control that they can’t, then yeah, they should take a break to calm down.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:27

hmmm

*volunteers to mod*

hey...if im busy bossing you lot about i wont have time to constantly spam posts eh?

thats a compelling argument right?

i promises ill be fair and balanced (well im fairly unbalanced wich is basically the same thing)

anyhoo i wouldnt be sad if the politics went away but as is i mostly avoid those posts so they dont bother me much...

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:31

The mods that are inactive in the posting department are also likely inactive in the moderating department. Chances are the only active moderators are currently active posters and commente rs, so we already have what you’re asking.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:32

This. What happened yesterday came across as a bad look for everyone involved on all sides, and that usually doesn’t happen here. Generally being excellent to each other is what makes this place so special. Aside from what happened yesterday, I’d been feeling for awhile that the mod list might be a bit stale. That’s not to detract from past greatness, but I think currency matters a bit to both relevance and context in making good decisions and being a benevolent guiding hand when needed.

I tend to dislike lots of hard and fast rules over appealing to discretion, context and good taste, but I think there is merit in considering the encouragement of overtly and solely political content to the Cigar Lounge (or wherever else) for the current season.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:35

I respectfully disagree. Politics is fine as long as it’s tagged as such and posted “after the jump”.

Most political discussions on oppo in my experience tend to stay mostly civilized. I don’t often see name calling or other jackassery in political posts (though it does still happen) . While people can be passionate about it I don’t think that means they are being aggressive.

So no, I don’t think political posts are necessarily shit stirring.

slipperysallylikespenguins > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
12/18/2019 at 12:35

But then there are on ly half as many mods as there is supposed to be. From what I heard yesterday, the mod who banned IM was not one of the regulars.

facw > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
12/18/2019 at 12:35

Yamahog was clearly active yesterday, but was alerted by talk in an oppo mod chat, so it’s worth considering that “active” includes more than posting. And honestly I think having some emotional distance is helpful for mods. The most active members of the community do not necessarily make good mods.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
12/18/2019 at 12:38

Instead of being a mod, I think you run a write in campaign for the 2020 US election. I think everyone would have lot more fun with you in White House. Constitutional requirements to hold office be damned.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:41

We don’t know who banned him, only who was interacting with him at the time the ban happened. My understanding was that it was multiple mods.

HammerheadFistpunch > facw
12/18/2019 at 12:42

I agree with this. We aren’t in the business of censuring ideas. I don’t mind discussing political or other sensitive topics, when emotions overflow is when people need to self police or get moderated before personal or hurtful remarks start flowing.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
12/18/2019 at 12:42

for my first decree

im scrapping the 25 year import rule

HammerheadFistpunch > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
12/18/2019 at 12:42

Correct.

Chuckles > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:43

The mods don't act alone. Read Dusty's comments and you'll see that yesterday's decision was one made by a group, and the mod who actually made the ban was just the one who happened to be on a computer at the time.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:44

There isn’t “supposed to be” any number of mods. Mods have left Oppo and not deleted their accounts, and new mods have been appointed in their place. Yeah it’s bad housekeeping that inactive mods haven’t been removed but my poi nt is if they’re not active then it doesn’t matter that they have mod privileges .

facw > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:44

IM was warned by more than one mod. And obviously being banned indicates that the mod who did it was paying some attention to the happenings on Oppo even if they hadn’t made post since April.

The question about having half as many as we should have depends on how many we have active at once. If we are adding new mods as others go idle, then we will end up with a list with a lot of inactive mods. As it sits, the mods seem to respond quickly to rules violations, and party-vi always seems to get to new authorship requests quickly, so it’s hard to say the mod team seems like it needs help. Presumably if they do, they’ll ask.

Compare to Groupthink which definitely did have a problem where for a couple years, there were no mods who were active in the community (though they’d respond to email if there was something horrible going on).

HammerheadFistpunch > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:47

While I have NO problem encouraging political posts to go to CL, I disagree that they are inherently bad. As a team we’ve made a conscious effort to not stifle ideas. I think removing the option to discuss difficult topics isn’t what we are about. what I HOPE we are about is being adult enough to know where the line is and how to not cross it. We mostly are, but that’ s the reason moderators exist, to spell it out if needed.

If you feel like your post is better suited to CL, you are encouraged to go there and discuss. We have zero problem with this so long as it doesn’t bleed back here.

facw > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
12/18/2019 at 12:47

If I’m going to discuss politics, I want to do it somewhere where the rule is “be excellent to each other”. Telling people to take it elsewhere really doesn’t solve anything. On top of that, saying don’t discuss politics is fundamentally political, it is a positive affirmation of the status quo, while at the same time denying the opportunity to disagree with that opinion .

HammerheadFistpunch > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
12/18/2019 at 12:51

You’ve got my vote.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > facw
12/18/2019 at 12:52

Some mods stir as much s**t as anyone else.

Future Heap Owner > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:54

I’m pretty happy simply never ever reading the politics posts. T hey are well marked and thus easy to avoid, so I don’t see any of that negativity.

HammerheadFistpunch > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 12:56

I have no problem purging the roll of emeritus status mods, that being said I don’t think a tenure is really necessary . By design we are always trying to put ourselves out of a job anyway - we want to NOT moderate. I hadn’t been in the mod chat for a LONG time before yesterday because I felt I was generally not needed there. which is good. Adding new mods is a shot in the arms to the activity of the mod community but we, as mods and users , would rather the mod community NOT be active at all because people are taking care of their own shit.

My life get busy sometimes and I may be absent from posting or being really active but I don’t think that is to say we’re inactive on oppo, just watching quietly. The inactive mod list doesn’t represent anything other than we haven’t needed to be at defcon 2 for a long time. Kudos to all.

OPPOsaurus WRX > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 12:58

two things:

how long is the ban hammer going to squish IM?

can we replace on-active mods?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
12/18/2019 at 13:00

Per my understanding in the shitshow thread, Yamahog was the only mod close to a keyboard at the time and was the one to drop the hammer.

HammerheadFistpunch > OPPOsaurus WRX
12/18/2019 at 13:00

Typically its a week. Again its been a while since this happened but thats been the general policy.

we don’t really have a mechanism in place for this, but it has happened in the past.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:01

My own interactions with that banned Op, and with a certain mod that you and I have discussed offline, were so toxic that in total, I decided to focus more on things other than Oppo. Yesterday’s banishment was a very long time coming and the mods practiced restraint for MANY months. Me? I largely banned myself . Which is not sour grapes, nor taking my ball and going home. It’s just that I was taking it all so seriously that I decided to shift my focus toward other things.

Also: Happy Holidays to you and yours.

slipperysallylikespenguins > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:01

Why do people post political content? It’s either to get affirmati on from like minded people or to argue with opponents to try to get them to change their mind, which will never happen. People only respond to these posts if they have their own strong opinions about it, leading to heated arguments. This doesn’t happen with any other topic besides firearms(which a few people try to politicize those posts.)

Out of all the problems the mods respond too, how many are from political posts?

ClassicDatsunDebate > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 13:03

I agree on the politics part. I’m not saying “stick to automobiles” but if political posts are as you describe, which they seem to be, there’s no downside to banning them.

Mods:

It’s tricky to be a mod in an “off-topic” tolerant community like Oppo. Hell, it’s tough in any community. There is an art to modding. The community wants people that they trust, that they recognize as a purveyor of good posts and even-keeled ‘takes’ and that are actively contributing to bettering t he community. The art part is to not become a celebrity...because with that brings too much personal ‘brand’ into the mods decisions. T his brings contempt because people feel that the mod works in their own best interest or are trying to force their opinion through power. Mods shouldn’t be seen as a ruling class...they should be seen as people who “empower the community”.

I’ve been a mod in various on-line communities since the late ‘90's and I know from experience that it can be tough, at times, to know what is the right course of action during a shit-storm, H aving the overall community’s best interest at heart and trying really hard not to inject your own biases into a situation really helps you be a good mod. Mod’s should almost be transparent...running in the background like a good anti-virus.

People come and go from on-line communities. They’re transient in nature. It’s tough to send an email to an old ‘friend’ asking them if they’d mind if they are removed from the mod roster. Most of the time it doesn’t happen but if they aren’t around anymore, it doesn’t matter anyway. As long as we have a good core group of active mods, the community will be ok.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > facw
12/18/2019 at 13:03

There’s strenuous disagreement, and then there’s toxicity. And then there’s unhinged. The opposphere has had a number of members over the years who are not well, but who are not toxic to the community, and has been patient and supportive.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:05

Idea: consider taking the current moderator list and breaking it in two, where half the list is headed as Moderator Emeritus .

Dusty Ventures > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 13:06

Three quick things:

1. Not creating posts doesn’t mean a mod isn’t a regular in the comments

2. All the kids who are inactive on Oppo are currently inactive in moderating duties as well, as surmised by others, which leads into

3: the only person with the ability to give/remove mod powers is the blog owner, in our case that’s Porsche 914/6. Why? Because Kinja.

HammerheadFistpunch > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 13:07

I don’t agree with this at all. In fact I think it’ s a dangerous position to adopt. If we need more of anything it’ s the tearing down of the idea that the lines are already drawn and the stage set. I think that if people respect one another that people’s minds can be changed or, to put it less confrontationally, I think people can adopt a more rounded viewpoint of their world .

I know I’ve personally changed a lot over the course of my tenure here and can honestly say I’ve learned a lot from a lot of different views that have made me a better person. Sometimes painfully.

I don’t get along with everyone, but the more I force myself to at least hear and consider their perspective the better I become.

slipperysallylikespenguins > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
12/18/2019 at 13:07

There are 20 listed mods. As far as I can tell there has always been 20 listed mods. I am under the assumption that was something the people who set up the mod system in the first place thought was a good number for several thousand semi-regular posters.

HammerheadFistpunch > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/18/2019 at 13:08

We all need a break from time to time. Its important to reframe whats important.

Good to see you again.

HammerheadFistpunch > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/18/2019 at 13:09

This is how we treat it already, but it might be good to put that in writing.

HammerheadFistpunch > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 13:12

nah, it used to be far fewer, and to be honest its still only about a dozen or so. We just haven’t felt the need to drop emeritus mods from the roll in the past .

slipperysallylikespenguins > Future Heap Owner
12/18/2019 at 13:12

I usually skim by them, but a few look interesting to read which leads to regret.

slipperysallylikespenguins > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:20

I completely agree that if people were open to new ideas when talking politics, it could lead to a fruit ful discuss ion and people could grow as a result. However, the regular Oppo political posters are very trenched into their beliefs. I’ve watched this for years. It’s always the same people making the same argument. Both sides have a few good points at the start before devolving into semi-personal attacks. They get so emotionally involved that they don’t see the line and cross it.

When I see political posts from non regular political posters I’ll often give them a read. They tend to be far more reasonable, however the comments often get murky before long.

HammerheadFistpunch > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 13:21

Its a shit burning detail moderating on those posts, but we feel its important to allow them.

Captain of the Enterprise > Future Heap Owner
12/18/2019 at 13:21

I skip them too, I don’t need that in my life

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:33

Well said, and thank you . I enjoy some great relationships on this board, but I am needing and taking a break.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:36

Or even add an asterisk indicating emeritus status. I think that someone who was around here as a mod way back in the day is entitled to remain on the list.

I think an indicator of the health of one’s relationship with this space is their ability to take a break. Some cannot and that may not be healthy for them or for the community.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:38

Honest reflection is rarely comfortable. I concur with this comment entirely.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 13:39

Your allegory is compelling.

For Sweden > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 13:54

“Contributor" is a charitable descriptor for my posts this year

slipperysallylikespenguins > For Sweden
12/18/2019 at 13:59

This post alone earns that title for the year.

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/found-on-montana-craigslist-purple-aces-edition-1839864303

DipodomysDeserti > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 14:23

I don’t agree with anything you’ve written here, other than the “be excellent to one another”. One way to not “be excellent to one another” is to tell people they can’t post political opinions because you or others might disagree with them. There is nothing inherently wrong with having an argument about something. Arg uments, if conducted app ropriately, serve to both express your point of view, and better understand the point of view of others. In other words, help build empathy between people. Arguments conducted improperly do the opposite of this.

I don’t agree with 99% of the political stuff I see posted, but I still enjoy reading it, because it gives me better perspective on what others are thinking. In real life, my best friend has completely different politics than I do. Do we avoid talking about politics ? Of course not, because we enjoy learning more about each other and discussing things we care about. Do our arguments threaten our relationship? Of course not, our friendship is much more important than anything political.

If you’re becoming anxious or angry because of political opinions and arguments you’re reading on the internet, you’re best served by exploring why you’re feeling that way, versus telling other not to post them.

In order to be a positive member of a community, you need to be able to constructively disagree with your fellow community members.

slipperysallylikespenguins > DipodomysDeserti
12/18/2019 at 14:43

I haven’t told anyone they can’t post political opinions, I simply started a dialogue indicating maybe Cigar Lounge is a better place for it. I have never posted my political leaning one way or another and really don’t care what way people lean.

I take issue with people being dicks to each other for no reason other than they disagree. This isn’t Facebook, the front page, or Y outube. I hold members of Oppo to a higher standard than members of those other boards.

While there are some considerate level-headed people in the comments section here, there are more that are not. The childish attitude of those members when they don’t get there way degrades the community. This problem only shows up in political posts.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 14:56

Banning political content/discussion is not the solution. We can and should be able to be excellent to each other regardless of the topic of discussion, and if some can’t, they need to be warned and correct their tone.

slipperysallylikespenguins > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
12/18/2019 at 15:02

Have you received your Secret Senna email? You are the only one on the list that hasn’t responded.

Khalbali > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 15:06

I agree. I usually try avoid political posts too, but sometimes get sucked in anyways, and I don't feel like it needs to be here. Oppo is what I do to get away from all that shit, I have enough despair for the world without reading stuff like that. Dealing with my own mental health is hard enough already, I actively avoid the news these days and would rather that was confined to cigar lounge.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 15:14

Sorry - alternate email. Yes, I got it. Thanks!

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 16:04

I have zero power here, but absolutely disagree with your point about politics. Yes there are disagreements when it comes to such topics, but they rarely turn in to “shit-posting”. We should be able to disagree with each other and not feel uncomfortable about it. I know I’ve learnt a lot about peoples’ political beliefs and the reasons behind those beliefs via this platform – sometimes it has helped me reconsider my own positions, and even if I may disagree with their conclusions it helps me remember that hey these are decent reasonable people whom I have a lot in common with, and they have positions different from mine – so remember that out in the world too.

Society and social media are getting more insular by the day. Any platform that lets us break down those walls and discuss things as people, while yes – maintaining a standard of decency, absolutely – should be encouraged. Oppo is one of the few places on the internet where I even bother with such discussions, and I mean that as a compliment to this group.

I don’t want politics becoming a majority of the posts on here, and appreciate the buffers people usually add to their posts - at this point I certainly don’t think it’s an epidemic of any sort that is detrimental to Oppo.

Dusty Ventures > For Sweden
12/18/2019 at 16:08

“posts” is a generous descriptor for your posts this year. (Love you, buddy)

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 16:23

Is there any publicly available info on “this is how modding actually works round here” at present? H ad a quick look through the posting guidelines and couldn’t see it. If not, it might be useful to create such a post under Rules of the Road. A lot of the “ heat and noise threads” since the incident seem to have ca l med down a lot o nc e a mod popped up and said “this is what we did, this is why/how we did it, and these are the limitations we’re operating under” (tha nks, BTW , and thanks Dusty too ).

Maybe making some information about Kinja limitations , self-imposed g uideleli nes, and behind-the-scenes processes more gene rally public would reduce some people’s initial perceptions of unfairness or arbitrariness.

HammerheadFistpunch > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
12/18/2019 at 16:52

It’s not a bad idea. As I’ve said in another post we haven’t been very involved in moderation lately because we mainly haven’t had to. Small things here and there is all. I think a lot of people have just generally forgotten or are too new to have it be a living memory, so to speak.

One thing we’ve been very coy about, intentionally, is hard and fast type rules...too many exceptions. So it wont be as easy as saying “once you’ve done this you’ll get this” but at the very least an idea of what tools we have to use and how we use them could help.

DipodomysDeserti > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 20:36

I took,

“ I believe the essence of politics goes against the code of conduct for Oppo and should be banned.”

as you saying people shouldn’t be allowed to post political opinions on Oppo, and your post as encouraging other Opponauts to vote in a poll to officially ban other Opponauts from doing so. I apologize if I mischaracterized your position.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > HammerheadFistpunch
12/18/2019 at 21:30

I’m totally down with the “no hard a nd fast rules” thing and I expect most other people would be too - using your j udgement is why we pay you the big bucks :-). But I think people would find it useful to know things like:

There are no kinja mod ding tools between words and nuclear weapons, so if you think wielding the banhammer or nuking a thread was excessive, quite possibly the mods do too, but that’s the only choice that w as availab le to them once it’s o bvious words aren’t working .

There are some offences that will get you instantly permabanned, but for most “ this has gone too far: time to chill ” type offences (a) p eo ple g et one warning before the banhammer comes out (b) the banhammer is typically only being to enforce a timeout and (c) there’s not much of a graduated scale of response to applied to different levels of offensiveness (see: “ lack of weapons choices” above).

If a thread’s been nuked, it’s not to “hide the evidence” it’s beca u se there’s no way to freeze comments so the mods have decided that removing the battlefield is necessary to stop the brawl (see again lack of weapons choices)

There’s realtime chat goi ng on betwe en th ose of the mods who are on deck at the time, so usually (always?) any action isn’t one mod’ s decision. This also implies you haven’t been banned just bec au se you disagreed with a mod who happened to be active in the thread in question , or you had an argument with a mod 6 months ago - even if a mod’s pissed with you, they need to convince some other mods you need hauli ng in

T he inactive mods are actually genuinely inactive (emeritu s mods), not some secret society of illuminati just waiting to nuke any one who offends their cli que

M ods have actual lives and may not be online right through a f la reup, so the person who first noticed the situation may not be the person who finally wields the banhammer or the thread nuke - and in fact the wielder may only marginally be aware of the whys, they’re just the person at a keyboard when consensus is reached that it needs to happen . So don’t take it personally exactly who bans you.

...and there’ s probabl y more along those lines, those are just the o ne s I’ve noticed mentioned in the la st 24hrs which aren’t screamingly self-evident .

Jayvincent > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/18/2019 at 21:42

Gamecat235 Last Oppo Post 1/28/19, before that 1/12/18.

Every January my heart skips a beat when I see the legendary Gamecat235 emerge from their secluded garage-lair and interact with Oppo. It’s life affirming proof that some things never change, there is a Santa Claus Virginia and the ground speed check still reigns supreme. You can’t take that away

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/favorite-sr-71-story-1079127041

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > facw
12/19/2019 at 00:23

This is a good take, and it does turn out this is about the only place I’ll discuss them with folks I don’t personally know. My point was more along the lines of a lament about the number of times I’ve seen otherwise good Oppos go fall off the wagon, and that seems to happen most often on this subject. Some similar situations happened in 2016 inwhich we lost some otherwise great Oppo over political discussions that went off the deep end.