From time to time controversial threads emerge on tww and people's personal problems are exposed for all to see. Sometimes mods intervene, but usually they don't. In my opinion, the mods have done a pretty good job over the years of making judgment calls on controversial threads. Since I took over tww last year, I've tried to foster more open conversation in the mod forum about how to handle these things when they inevitably do occur and to establish guidelines on when it's appropriate for a moderator to intervene. We've had a thread in the mod forum specifically devoted to the issue for quite a while to make sure we're all on the same page and I think it's helped as well to provide some transparency, maintain an honest dialogue and to keep each other accountable. There have certainly been times that open further reflection, it was decided that mod made the wrong call. But you can be sure that generally they are acting in good faith effort to be consistent and fair. Ultimately these things are my call - so if you have a problem, my inbox is always open.

Obviously personal disasters are not unique to tww or the internet. We've all done things that we would be ashamed of if it were announced in the public square for all to see. Certainly personal faults and indiscretions fall on a sliding scale, but imo it shows more class and character to resist the urge to pile on someone you think deserves it. On the other hand, that's human nature and everybody has their own motivations so it's not my place to prevent you from making your own choices. Consider this my encouragement to be the friendlier tdub you want it to be.

Like I said, just because this is the internet doesn't mean we're not all human. TWW is a microcosm of the world we live in. And in the world we live in, this stuff happens all the time. Should I delete threads that say potentially untrue or otherwise unpleasant things about President Obama? President Bush? Should Arnold Schwarzenegger be able to send a mod a PM and ask to delete threads about his affair? Should the Mary Easley threads have been locked or deleted until all evidence was presented in a court of law? Are celebrities fair game for gossip? Should local business owners be allowed to censor damaging reviews of their business practices? I think it's pretty clear there should be a pretty high bar before intervention is justified and I think that practice has worked pretty well for tww over the years.

Perhaps even more relevant than the theoretical should a thread ever be locked/deleted, are the practical consequences of actually doing it. Everybody can rattle off a list of threads that were infamously locked/deleted - you'd probably have to think a little harder to recall threads that were scandalous for a day or two but were allowed to escape tww's short attention span and fade away from page 1. Once something has been said, it's really hard to unsay it. If people want to talk about something - good luck trying to stop them. Try too hard and you'll just intensify their interest. Just ask Barbara Streisand.

In closing, thank you all for making me think too hard once again about the internets, making me sound like a lecturing father, and leading me to write this treatise instead of working on site3 tonight. much love.

tl;dr 1) Shit happens. 2) Moderating isn't all cake and ice cream. 3) Treat people with dignity even if they don't deserve it 4) TWW is free speech 5) The internet is permanent. Practice your free speech carefully.

/serious business

6/10/2011 12:02:45 AM

tl:dr

6/10/2011 12:03:30 AM

hooray for free speech!

6/10/2011 12:04:10 AM

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 12:05 AM. Reason : nm. it's a mousover thing.]

6/10/2011 12:05:06 AM

whats your health care plan for site 3?

that's what I really wanna know

6/10/2011 12:05:08 AM

OH DAG I DOUBLE POSTED

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 12:05 AM. Reason : word]

6/10/2011 12:05:08 AM

I'M IN ON THAT FIRST PAGE.

What in the world happened here - qntminsomnia?

6/10/2011 12:05:14 AM

Quote :

"but imo it shows more class and character to resist the urge to pile on someone you think deserves it"

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 12:06 AM. Reason : so weird to be a grownup on tdub]

6/10/2011 12:06:08 AM

Quote :

"4) TWW is free speech 5) The internet is permanent. Practice your free speech carefully."

pretty much all you need to know

6/10/2011 12:06:36 AM

Thanks dad!


Now can I have the keys to site3?

6/10/2011 12:06:40 AM

iop1

6/10/2011 12:06:49 AM

6/10/2011 12:07:43 AM

I think this goes without saying. I'm not reading that. If this means I need to be suspended ow well

6/10/2011 12:08:31 AM

qntmfred speaks common sense.


If you learned something new in this thread then you probably don't have common sense.

6/10/2011 12:08:44 AM

Quote :

"2) Moderating isn't all cake and ice cream."

MOTHERFUCKER, they've got cake and ice cream for the moderators.

6/10/2011 12:09:09 AM

ignore double standards


wonder why site is dying

6/10/2011 12:09:11 AM

REMEMBER THAT TIME IMSTONED420S THREAD GOT DELETED AFTER HIS ROOMMATE WAS COOL WITH EVERYTHING BUT HE CALLED ME A NIGGER AND THREATEND TO KILL ME?


and for the record. Fuck you imstoned420 if you want to fight then lets do it. I don't give a fuck

I'm AstralAdvent and i approved this message.

6/10/2011 12:09:43 AM

Thanks for all the hard work

6/10/2011 12:09:44 AM

well said

6/10/2011 12:10:20 AM

iop1

6/10/2011 12:11:19 AM

WORDS

6/10/2011 12:11:34 AM

so why was thumper suspended?

6/10/2011 12:11:40 AM

TWW has insomnia tonight

6/10/2011 12:12:13 AM

iop1

6/10/2011 12:16:05 AM

I think the links on the words was a nice touch. You're doing a heck of job, brownie.

6/10/2011 12:17:12 AM

ooooo i didn't know they linked to something.

fancy

6/10/2011 12:18:26 AM

so why was thumper suspended?

6/10/2011 12:33:15 AM

There was absolutely nothing to be had but needless drama and pain (from both sides) if she had been allowed to keep self-destructing the way she was.

Thankfully a mod decided that sanity was more important that entertainment value.

6/10/2011 12:44:23 AM

you bitches delayed site3 yet another day.

FU all.




LEAVE qntmfred ALONE!!

6/10/2011 12:51:58 AM

Good message qntmfred keep up the good work.

6/10/2011 12:56:59 AM

Keep up the good work mods.

6/10/2011 12:58:06 AM

So are we getting a monorail or not?

6/10/2011 12:59:35 AM

yes.

6/10/2011 1:00:33 AM

but where will the monorail go?

or should it be a modorail?

6/10/2011 1:02:30 AM

Ken, you're a good guy, you speak a lot of sense. Having run a large message board for years, I can understand and attest to much of what you say.

Moderation, however light is never accepted easily by all parties, even witshit as light as merging threads.

I 100% support the effort you've out into the site and the job you and the moderation staff are doing. Yes, there's going to be mistakes, but I've seen them get corrected as appropriate.

Keep it up.

6/10/2011 1:15:54 AM

You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

6/10/2011 1:19:51 AM

WOLFWALL SUCKS. THANK GOODNESS FOR THIS PLACE.

I fully support these moderators. They are nice and do a very fantastic swell job.

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 1:21 AM. Reason : .]

6/10/2011 1:20:45 AM

And you can almost never sell them a consistent slice of pizza all of the time.

6/10/2011 1:20:53 AM

iop1

6/10/2011 5:56:49 AM

Quote :

"There was absolutely nothing to be had but needless drama and pain (from both sides) if she had been allowed to keep self-destructing the way she was. Thankfully a mod decided that sanity was more important that entertainment value."

then why is the thread not locked?

we just had the proclamation about free speech yet someone was suspended while everyone piles it on. either let her speak her business, or shut down the thread too.

double standards son

6/10/2011 7:13:56 AM

Quote :

"and I'm sorry that qntmfred loves drama more than he has compassion for those people who are hurting in real life. I asked him to lock and delete, but he would not."

^ I guess this warranted a suspension

6/10/2011 7:21:34 AM

the OP is made of win

6/10/2011 7:22:54 AM

I think bad things can happen to good people... but they can also happen to bad people. And when karma comes back and the trolls get trolled, I feel no compassion for what is happening on here

6/10/2011 7:28:42 AM

Some of the mods don't deserve cake and ice cream

6/10/2011 7:46:09 AM

Wait what happened to thumper? I apparently don't pay attention to you drama llamas very much

6/10/2011 7:50:47 AM

Thanks Boss.

6/10/2011 7:58:41 AM

i wanna be a mod!

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 8:05 AM. Reason : but with cake and ice-cream]

6/10/2011 8:05:28 AM

So basically what you are saying is be nice?

Fuck how come my parents never told me that

I'm astraladvent and I approved this message

6/10/2011 8:12:14 AM

In on page 1

6/10/2011 8:16:25 AM

Holy shit, I think this is the first time I agree with something GeniuSxBoY has posted

Quote :

"qntmfred speaks common sense. If you learned something new in this thread then you probably don't have common sense."

[Edited on June 10, 2011 at 8:17 AM. Reason : ^ haha I still laugh when I see WHARRGARBL ]

6/10/2011 8:16:55 AM