A Question for Mods

[Hobbs]

Hi there. I'd like feedback from mods in this one, as it's more of a moddish question.

I'm the Regional Delegate for my region on NationStates. I've been RD for 722 days and, I feel, have done well, in the respects of my predecessors. Before that, I was the RolePlay Moderator. So I've been doing this for a while.

One of our newest members (he arrived during my absense this summer) has recently been giving me grief. He is blatantly insulting in his politics, stating things that, out of respect for our forum, I won't post here. Let me just say they are generalized and stereotyped statements. I've asked him to stop on several occassions, and we've shared heated words. Most recently, he's been calling me a tyrant because we have an offsite forum and I am holding an election there. Now, our regional rules state that members have to register on the forum. It's a security thing from back in the day. Anyway, he keeps insisting that this is a breech of his civil rights and whatnot. I'm talking to my fellow Mods, but no one seems very supportive. One thinks it's funny. The problem is, it's not funny to me. I've been putting up with this guy's crap for several months...on my own...and now I feel my name has been tarnished within the region. People who visit will read our board and say "Gee, that guy's saying he's being oppressed by the Delegate, I don't wanna move there."

So, any mods got any advice? You don't have to be a mod here, just have some Mod experience.

[Rapscallion]

Which civil rights is he talking about? Ask him outright.

First amendment? Doesn't apply to private forums.

Generally speaking, though, your forum = your rules. At some point you need to work out if he's worth keeping around.

Rapscallion

[Hobbs]

Thanks, Raps. Though I don't have the power to eject/ban nations. It's a security feature to prevent raids. I also seem to be the only one feeling his wrath, so I don't think anyone else cares/supports me if I bring up that suggestion.

[Megg]

Does this board have an ignore feature? As a mod on another board, I would attempt to not ignore anyone, but if he is targeting you, and you can't get rid of him, can you ignore him? This other board I speak of has an option to click the post if you feel you need to see it, so it's not that big of a deal to ignore someone.

I have never ignored anyone, on any board, but that guy would be clicked!

[NightAngel]

So, you're called a "mod" but have no moderator abilities? I'd find out who does and make my case to them.

[Hobbs]

This is the type of board it is: http://www.nationstates.net/region=nasicournia

As such, only Nationstates Mods can really do anything about it. The Founder can eject him, but she's hesitant to do so. Also, as he has been raising such a stink, any action we do can be construed as validating his points.

[Rapscallion]

Just had a look at the abortion thread on there. Yeah, my point still stands. If that's the sort of thread and infighting your founder wants, fine. Their choice. We do things differently here. I've cut off people for being poison here before. It's worth noting that the two forums are different - this one's for a specific purpose, and both that place and Fratching are for political topics.

It may be that someone who's poison raises some irritation by being ejected, but quite frankly it's not going to be long before they're forgotten. Usually twats like that try to sneak back in.

Rapscallion

[NightAngel]

What about the Moderators and Admins (http://forum.nationstates.net/memberlist.php?mode=group&g=4&sid=5c4865b01beeb5330939d0a68e34ac6e)?

Alternately, have you tried having someone neutral talk to him? Perhaps there is an issue that could be worked out?

[Lace Neil Singer]

I would suggest a temp ban, so he can cool down, if your admin is wary about a permaban.

However, this kind of person very rarely changes their ways and in the end, there's no point in keeping such a person around. Trust me, I've seen it happen; you get people leaving left right and centre, and newbies being scared off, just cuz of this single person stinking up the place. The Ace forum I admin on had that very problem with one member; he was attacking newbies, and pretty much doing exactly what your guy is doing. He got a bit of leeway only cuz he was dating one of the owners, but in the end we had no choice but to kick him. He raised a bit of a stink at first, but we just kept rebanning his new accounts (He was on AOHell so we couldn't IP ban him as it would mean a couple of innocent users going down with him) til he gave up.

And a friend had the same issue with one of his friends on HIS board. Same issue; friend kept attacking people and posting really nasty stuff on forums. Friend took advantage of being the owner's friend to wreak havoc, thinking that he was safe from being banned cuz of this. Eventually, after talks with the admins (me being one of them), my friend decided that his friend was poisoning the board and driving people away, so decided to ban him. Recently, he offered his friend a second chance, but he was still acting the arse so that came to nothing.

The admin of your group needs to get rid of this guy. He's basically forum poison, and will in the end drive away other, more valuable, group members. Do you want your group to become a ghost town cuz of him? He may not be attacking certain people now, but as he realises that he's untouchable, he'll start doing more. The Founder needs to boot him now, for the sake of the whole group. Can you gather evidence, like screenshots, to back up your case to show her?

[Dips]

If he were here, his days would be numbered. But here isn't there. It's a different atmosphere. You and the leadership will have to decide what is best for your forum and act on it.

If it helps, I'd bet money most other members are sick of his crap and wouldn't miss him. :p

Also, as he has been raising such a stink, any action we do can be construed as validating his points.

So what if it does? Let the fool believe whatever he wants to believe. It doesn't make it true.

[Hobbs]

Just had a look at the abortion thread on there. Yeah, my point still stands. If that's the sort of thread and infighting your founder wants, fine. Their choice. We do things differently here. I've cut off people for being poison here before. It's worth noting that the two forums are different - this one's for a specific purpose, and both that place and Fratching are for political topics.

It may be that someone who's poison raises some irritation by being ejected, but quite frankly it's not going to be long before they're forgotten. Usually twats like that try to sneak back in.

Rapscallion
To clarify, the NS forum, I have no control over. I am a Mod for our personal forum: s2.invisionfree.com/nasicournia

He is mostly raising his stink in the Regional Message Board, as well as dragging into the forum

[Lace Neil Singer]

But you can discuss stuff with the rest of the forum staff, right? You have a private forum you can post about users and issues that bother you? You can discuss this guy and suggest he gets slapped with a temp ban, or even just a partial ban (from the forums he's causing trouble in)?

[Hobbs]

Are you talking about the Nasi forum or the NS forum?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Either or both. Just that on every forum where I've been part of the forum staff, there has always been a mod room. I bet this place has one.

[NightAngel]

To clarify, the NS forum, I have no control over.

This isn't really a mod question as you are not a mod on the forum in question.

You need to go back over there and start figuring out the chain of command for that forum. Make your case to ~whoever could do something~ (Mods/Admins) and find out what and (if anything) can be done. Work your way up the chain if you have to.

If they don't care and/or aren't willing to discipline/remove him then you're stuck.

[Hobbs]

Okay, maybe I need to explain myself. I'm considered a regional officer, second in rank only to the Founder. I'm considered a Moderator, to the extent that I hold office and perform certain duties/actions as such. He's causing problems within our region and not affecting NS at all. His activity is limited to our Regional Board and our offsite forum (where I am a moderator).

[poofy_puff]

Okay, maybe I need to explain myself. I'm considered a regional officer, second in rank only to the Founder. I'm considered a Moderator, to the extent that I hold office and perform certain duties/actions as such. He's causing problems within our region and not affecting NS at all. His activity is limited to our Regional Board and our offsite forum (where I am a moderator).


If you're "considered a moderator" but can't actually "moderate" then for all intents and purposes, you're not a moderator. That's like being "considered a supervisor" but no one has to do what you tell them to do. It's nice that this nasicournia place has these honorary titles, but I'll go with the rest of the group and say that you need to take this to whoever has the ability to access the forum features that can DO something about your problem. It sounds like whoever that is is blowing you off.

[Hobbs]

A delegate is a moderator.