The case of xzalion.

[JohannesH]

I think it's a bad practice almost always to edit a rule-breaking post. When you leave it as it is otherwise, but just add some edit to the end to say that the user was warned/banned for it, maybe explain a bit too if necessary. Then anyone can see an example of a post they shouldn't be making.

If you just remove or edit out the bad parts of it, nobody will properly know wtf the moderators just did if they did not happen to see the post before that edit. And when that's the case its very hard for people to see how you should behave and if they approve of how the moderation works here.

[CarRepairer]

Deletion is never necessary.

Yes it is.

But the 'offender' is not informed as to why their post was removed. Edited posts should (and mostly do at least when executed by you) state specific contraventions of rules and the penalty incurred.

That can be achieved even if a post is deleted, using PM.

People need examples of what is unnacceptable.

No. That's the whole point of moderation, to remove such things.

Imagine videos or other material that are censored for certain audiences (like young children). You propose that instead of blocking something out, you just follow it up with "you should not have read/heard that curse word" or "the previous scene was inappropriate for some viewers."

[JohannesH]

Imagine videos or other material that are censored for certain audiences (like young children). You propose that instead of blocking something out, you just follow it up with "you should not have read/heard that curse word" or "the previous scene was inappropriate for some viewers."

So if we never see inappropriate posting, it will never cross our minds to write such posts?

[CarRepairer]

Imagine videos or other material that are censored for certain audiences (like young children). You propose that instead of blocking something out, you just follow it up with "you should not have read/heard that curse word" or "the previous scene was inappropriate for some viewers."

So if we never see inappropriate posting, it will never cross our minds to write such posts?

Irrelevant to my point. Moderators are here to make the environment safe, friendly and productive - by removing crap. It's not the job of moderators to inform or discourage trolling "by example" by leaving all the troll posts intact. Learn how not to troll elsewhere.

[Jazcash]

A big issue is that trolling is a form of opinion, that's why spotting a good troll is such a skill. If a moderator lacks that skill and accuses somebody of trolling when they're really not, then fail occurs and many sad pandas do emerge.

[FLOZi]

Deletion is never necessary.

Yes it is.

But the 'offender' is not informed as to why their post was removed. Edited posts should (and mostly do at least when executed by you) state specific contraventions of rules and the penalty incurred.

That can be achieved even if a post is deleted, using PM.

People need examples of what is unnacceptable.

No. That's the whole point of moderation, to remove such things.

Imagine videos or other material that are censored for certain audiences (like young children). You propose that instead of blocking something out, you just follow it up with "you should not have read/heard that curse word" or "the previous scene was inappropriate for some viewers."

You can remove the content of a post without deleting the post itself -> deletion is never necessary. And I have never been PMed wrt a deleted post and I have had a couple over the years. (I have, on the other hand, repeatedly been PMed over posts which have not even been edited by a mod)

[AF]

You have an alphabet of options. You can pick any 4 letters A - Z, the only rule is they have to be mutually exclusive.

I have randomly selected an unknown number of letters which I will consider bannable offenses. Some of them are uber obvious, but aside form them, there are a non-trivial number of 'sleeper' letters for which some communities consider OK, and others consider heinous crimes.

Now tell me you can navigate this maze of moderation, and expect others to do so, considering that most will never read stickys explaining how certain groups of letters are more dangerous than others. I would expect most players to be banned within the first handful of posts.

You cannot learn from discipline if you do not know what you were disciplined for.

If you see someone being disciplined for doing something, you have learnt through observation that what they did is wrong and why because of the moderator edits.

Should a post be de-railing and disruptive, and is of sufficient length so as to be a major obstacle, it should be edited into a link + reason, with the link, linking to a post in a public forum of locked threads with bad posts, to serve as an example of what we consider bad sport here, as well as a storage place to split off any ensuing discussion that results from the trolling.

[MidKnight]

Bottom line in that other forums don't keep offending posts up as examples and do just fine. The only internet community I can think of that actually does that is 4Chan, and I'm pretty sure that's not what we're trying to go for here.

[FLOZi]

offending content removed - post kept, is what i'm gunning at.

It's the most direct feedback to the offender, and shows others the 'cops on the beat' i.e. that moderation is active and hungry for your soul

[JohannesH]

Bottom line in that other forums don't keep offending posts up as examples and do just fine. The only internet community I can think of that actually does that is 4Chan, and I'm pretty sure that's not what we're trying to go for here.

Every other forum I read doesnt remove offending posts (nor edit out offending parts, at least if it's just text) so your bottom line is full of crap

[Das Bruce]

offending content removed - post kept, is what i'm gunning at.

It's the most direct feedback to the offender, and shows others the 'cops on the beat' i.e. that moderation is active and hungry for your soul

How would you feel about strikethrough instead of content removed?

[FLOZi]

offending content removed - post kept, is what i'm gunning at.

It's the most direct feedback to the offender, and shows others the 'cops on the beat' i.e. that moderation is active and hungry for your soul

How would you feel about strikethrough instead of content removed?

Either or is fine with me, but for those who feel offensive content should be gone forever so noone reads it...

[Das Bruce]

Either or is fine with me, but for those who feel offensive content should be gone forever so noone reads it...

I just prefer strike through because it's clear to anyone who wants to see just what the content was that was found unacceptable, yet remains easy to avoid if you're offended by it.

[CarRepairer]

Either or is fine with me, but for those who feel offensive content should be gone forever so noone reads it...

I just prefer strike through because it's clear to anyone who wants to see just what the content was that was found unacceptable, yet remains easy to avoid if you're offended by it.

We don't want people to see troll posts. That's why we have moderators. If trolls could post anything they want knowing that their post wouldn't be removed, this place would go straight to hell. What is wrong with you people?

[JohannesH]

Either or is fine with me, but for those who feel offensive content should be gone forever so noone reads it...

I just prefer strike through because it's clear to anyone who wants to see just what the content was that was found unacceptable, yet remains easy to avoid if you're offended by it.

We don't want people to see troll posts. That's why we have moderators. If trolls could post anything they want knowing that their post wouldn't be removed, this place would go straight to hell. What is wrong with you people?

If you make shitty posts you should get banned, not ninja censored constantly... What is wrong with YOU?

[AF]

This xzalion business is starting to become draining and demoralising.

• Its nice to see warnings have been issued on posts by moderators, but can we have it flagged clearly? There are posts in xzalions latest thread which have gotten moderator intervention, but it isnt glaringly clear that this is the case
• Xzalion may be a victim but he's not pure and innocent. He's insulted projects, been unreasonable, and refuses to follow the forum etiquette despite rules, and despite repeated calls from forum posters. What will happen, and if action has already been taken, why aren't we aware?

[CarRepairer]

If you make shitty posts you should get banned, not ninja censored constantly... What is wrong with YOU?

You'd ban someone for a post they made, but let it remain viewable? If someone robbed a bank, you'd put him in jail but let him keep the money?

[JohannesH]

You'd ban someone for a post they made, but let it remain viewable?

yes

If someone robbed a bank, you'd put him in jail but let him keep the money?

no

[CarRepairer]

Someone commits a wrong, authorities punish him and fix the mess he made (as best they can). I don't know how much more clear it can be, but I'll agree to disagree with you. At least the moderation agrees with me and not you as they remove posts.

[MidKnight]

Just to make it clear, it is my personal belief that the offending content should be edited out, but the post should be kept.