Chat Room Moderation: Inadequate or Joke?

  • Thread starter Jimmy Snyder
  • Start date
In summary: That would be the better approach. But like I said, please come back in chat and let's see if we can make it work.In summary, there have been past incidents of people being kicked out of the chat room as a joke for minor infractions, but recently more serious offensive posts have been allowed to pass without comment or ejection. The poster is surprised by this and invites the person to come back to chat and point out any troubling comments. The poster promises to address the issue and encourages the person to reach out to a mentor in chat for immediate action. The person agrees to return to chat and the conversation ends with a request for a private message to be sent to a mentor in the future.
  • #1
Jimmy Snyder
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In the past, I have seen people kicked out of the chat room as a joke for such infractions as merely disagreeing with the moderator, or in my case, for failing to change the color of my text at the same time as others had done so. I am not complaining about such behavior because, as I said, it was done as a joke. However, in the past two weeks I have seen homophobic, mysogynist, and downright crude posts pass without comment, let alone ejection. These posts would not pass muster in GD. Much as I enjoy the Sunday and holiday chats, I will not be joining them until someone tells me that this problem is being addressed.
 
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  • #2
Hello Jimmy,

I am genuinly surprised by this post. I honestly don't know which homophobic or mysogynist comments you are talking about. I do know about the regular "banning" of members. I guess I went a little too far there. But it was meant as a joke. Now that I know you are troubled by it, I won't do this again.

I invite you to come back in chat and point out which comments you think are troubling. My goal is to make chat something that all members can enjoy. I never really heard any complaints (up to now), so I figured that everybody enjoyed it. If you don't enjoy chat, then I will really take your comments seriously. I promise that I will address the problem. But then people need to contact a mentor in chat and tell them what things are troubling. If nobody contacts us, then we think that everything is ok.
 
  • #3
Actually there are moments when none of the Mentors is observing the chat, and such things can went unnoticed then. Feel free to contact me by PM ASAP - I have access to chat logs and while they are not hold indefinitely, at least for few hours I can check them - and warn or infract the villain.
 
  • #4
micromass said:
Hello Jimmy,

I am genuinly surprised by this post. I honestly don't know which homophobic or mysogynist comments you are talking about. I do know about the regular "banning" of members. I guess I went a little too far there. But it was meant as a joke. Now that I know you are troubled by it, I won't do this again.

I invite you to come back in chat and point out which comments you think are troubling. My goal is to make chat something that all members can enjoy. I never really heard any complaints (up to now), so I figured that everybody enjoyed it. If you don't enjoy chat, then I will really take your comments seriously. I promise that I will address the problem. But then people need to contact a mentor in chat and tell them what things are troubling. If nobody contacts us, then we think that everything is ok.
Last week I asked if there was a mentor on board and was told it was you. That was immediately after a particularly offensive post. Today after another offensive post, I posted that the monitoring on chat was poor and was answered with an offensive post stating that Sunday was for that very purpose.
 
  • #5
Borek said:
I have access to chat logs and while they are not hold indefinitely, at least for few hours I can check them - and warn or infract the villain.
Check the last 20 minutes or so today.
 
  • #6
Jimmy Snyder said:
Last week I asked if there was a mentor on board and was told it was you. That was immediately after a particularly offensive post. Today after another offensive post, I posted that the monitoring on chat was poor and was answered with an offensive post stating that Sunday was for that very purpose.

I do remember that jimmy. I just don't recall anything offensive. I honestly don't. Maybe I don't consider many things offensive.

Please come back in chat. If you feel like something offensive is being said, then please contact me with a PM. I promise that I will handle things! If things are posted in the main chat, then I assume that it is not very serious (although that is wrong of me).

I really feel very troubled by the fact that you don't enjoy chat. It honestly thought that everybody did enjoy it. So please come back and we'll see if we can make it work!
 
  • #7
I should have added that last week I wrote "I ban (name deleted)" just after the offensive remark. Of course, I have no authority to ban, but I meant it as a flag for anyone who might have been moderating. Later there was more and that's when I asked for a mentor. When I found out that there was already a mentor on board, I cut out.
 
  • #8
I'm going back in.
 
  • #9
Jimmy Snyder said:
Check the last 20 minutes or so today.

I see what you mean. I promise that it won't happen again.
 
  • #10
Jimmy Snyder said:
I should have added that last week I wrote "I ban (name deleted)" just after the offensive remark. Of course, I have no authority to ban, but I meant it as a flag for anyone who might have been moderating. Later there was more and that's when I asked for a mentor. When I found out that there was already a mentor on board, I cut out.

I do admit that I have my flaws, jimmy. But it would really be better to just send a private message to a mentor, and not just type it in public.
 

Related to Chat Room Moderation: Inadequate or Joke?

1. What is chat room moderation and why is it important?

Chat room moderation refers to the monitoring and control of online conversations in a chat room. It is important because it helps maintain a safe and respectful environment for all users, and prevents inappropriate or harmful content from being shared.

2. What are some common issues that arise from inadequate chat room moderation?

Inadequate chat room moderation can lead to cyberbullying, harassment, and the spread of fake news or misinformation. It can also create a negative and toxic atmosphere for users, and deter people from participating in the chat room.

3. How can chat room moderation be improved?

Chat room moderation can be improved by implementing clear and strict rules for behavior, having a team of moderators who are trained to handle different situations, and using technology to filter out inappropriate content. It is also important to have open communication channels for users to report any issues they encounter.

4. Can chat room moderation be seen as a joke?

No, chat room moderation should not be seen as a joke. It is a serious responsibility that requires trained and dedicated individuals to ensure the safety and well-being of all users. Making light of chat room moderation can lead to neglect of important issues and harm the overall community.

5. How can chat room moderators balance between free speech and censorship?

Chat room moderators should prioritize the safety and well-being of users while also respecting the right to free speech. This can be achieved by having clear guidelines and rules in place, and addressing any issues or conflicts on a case-by-case basis. Moderators should also be transparent and communicate with users about any decisions to remove or censor content.

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