When Moderating becomes Censorship...

JMO

I agree with you bhuvnidhi. I think moderators here are doing excellent job. Yes,its an online forum where people can express thoughts etc in their own writing style (adding humor etc) but we should take care of not using words that taunt/attack OP and his/her problems or sorrows or opinions. There are several threads and posts where moderators retain the humour style of writing by the poster. But if its humour only for the poster and taunt/picking up for the remaning or majority, moderators are excpected to take care. Just my opinion

 

Though I am just a regular reader and not a regular poster here but lately I have been noticing this moderating becoming like too much interference. I have not personally been moderated such rudely as some of other ILites but yes I agree that it is slowly turning to kind of censorship especially in the marriage and relationships forum.
I have read so many posts and the next time I come across it, the post has either been modified or deleted.
I am strongly against this type of moderators and their ways. Is the moderator taking things personal??

 

I disagree to the opinion that moderating is turning into censorship. If not for this kind of moderating, many who talk everything they want in the name of "Freedom of Speech" would just go overboard.

Talking face-to-face is different from talking in public forums like this. You don't get to see into each one's eyes, facial expression, body language, etc. So what you think has been told in lighter vein or humorously might hurt the person on the other end. Why not moderate in those situations?

I 100% agree with Raagini...where comes moderation if one follows the Forum Etiquette? Recently, there has been a few threads on these lines:
1. Trying to comment on a race/ethnicity/nation, etc.
2. Trying to be rude to the OP seeking help on some trivial situation they are in. For you the situation might sound silly, but for OP it's a problem. This sensitivity was missing and few speakers in the name of "being upfront or frank" were rude.
3. Also, there were lots of side-tracking and one-on-one conversations within a few discussions recently.

I guess these were the type of threads that got moderated recently. I am pretty sure they caught attention of moderating based on a few co-members reporting those posts/threads. Though that forums moderator might have been watching, I am sure they would not have got into action unless another moderator or atleast a couple of members reported, calling out a need for moderation.

Sometimes irrespective of the OP being fine with a thread digressing from original topic, if few other members participating in the discussion feel it's digressing, then it needs the attention of a moderator to bring it on track or atleast stop it from further digressing, I think.

Malavika,

I personally feel you could have just been without adding the above lines giving some benefit of doubt for the moderators. No moderators here are that self-defending to do the above, I think.

In fact, atleast the so far voting results show that there is still some due respect given for the moderators and the moderation duties they perform.

Please be aware, moderation in IL is not a paid job. They are volunteering to help keep this community friendly and spam free. Having said that, I feel there is no sheer joy for any modertor to simply chop-off posts/threads. JMO.

Moderators...you all rock. Don't get disheartened by such discussions about moderating actions.

Regards,
Kanmani

 

i think the moderators are doing a great job. thank you. Induslady you rock.

cheers.

 

Agreed. While they curtail our freedom of expression, they fill these pages with their self righteous sermons that are never shorter than 1000 words.

If you are referring to the IL I think you are, I disagree that her posts were rude. Yes, she doesn't suffer fools easily. Like Malavika said in her original post here, there are some really absurd threads around. Sometimes, you get a feeling that some OPs just want to be told 'your husband is a scumbag and your in-laws are lowest form of life'. After a few civilized exchanges, you lose patience at their insistence on being told what they want to hear and put them in their place firmly. What is rude about it? We all do so in real life too, don't we?

I am not sure about others. But my main complaint is about the marriage-relationship subsection.

 

BTW Malavika, I just checked your user CP. Looks like you are very popular with our beloved moderators:thumbsup

Yes, I had the privilege of getting an entire thread deleted. I was told discussion on deleted posts won't be useful to the 'Community'!!!!