Should AusBT comments be moderated?

Offensive remarks. I'm starting a new thread on this, and my question is: should this forum be actively moderated? Recent threads, one in particular, have been characterized by offensive and inflammatory comments by one or two contributors. Those who presumably do not understand that the privilege of freedom of expression does not extend to offensive behaviour. So a correlative question is: should the majority who wish to contribute constructively, and in doing so subject themselves to the winds of fair criticism, just ignore inappropriate remarks or is there a higher expectation of conduct in this forum?

What do you mean by 'active moderation', compared to what AusBT curently has, which is basically David or John dropping in to gently nudge somebody in the right direction and 'read the riot act'?

Also, I've been on AusBT since not long after it launched, which is about two years now, and the 'outbust' you mentioned from another thread yesterday is the first one I have seen like that.

On the whole, apart from a handful of sharp remarks in comments here and there, AusBT is a very easy-going place. I wonder if calling for active moderation isn't a bit like some loudmouth lout walking into your local cafe which for years has had a nice comfy vibe, and suddenly because of that one incident calling for the cafe to employ a bouncer?

@wilsoni

Have you perhaps spent too much time in Singapore on your travels? Or maybe you're just jumping on the bandwagon of the popular Australian media in criticising trolls and the like?

My suggestion: Take a chill pill.

My suggestion: ill-mannered personal denigration isn't very constructive.

This reaction to Wilsoni's post is supporting his question as you are making the discussion personal again. T

Although I have not been around that long) I too find AUSBT very easy going (and never noticed it being a hostile community),moderating would in my view be a step back. Agree with AI and hopefully contributers will realise that it adds nothing to the discussion to "play the man and not the ball", rather the other way around is how it should be (as pointed out by David yesterday).

@KG

Fair point. Apologies wilsoni if I had appeared to be making a personal comment.

This is a lovely forum. Let's all get a grip people! There are bigger things out there to be upset about. Being slighted on an online forum is insignificant in the scheme of things.

Active moderation is where each post is read, and where necessary edited, prior to display. It's quite common for online forums to do this, for various reasons.  I haven't been at AusBT that long, but yesterday is not unique in my experience. You don't believe AM is needed here, and I take your comments on board. 

I'd like to think this is as simple as all of us editing our posts before we click "send" - asking ourselves whether our meaning is clear, our contribution constructive and our words not susceptible to interpreation as personal denigration or offensive to others. How hard can that be?

I don't believe moderation is necessary, at least not yet (no where near there). I'm sure both David and John have better things to do!

However, if there's a consistently disruptive user their account should be deactivated. Though, I have yet to see such a user.

Ultimately, as AusBT grows, more trolls will come. It's for David and John to discern at what point things need to change... not us.

Firstly, this is not a personal comment.

I don't understand this question. There has been one question recently where a couple of people got a little personal, but I don't think that defines the community on this website.

I agree with TheRealBabushka. It's all well and good to ensure that comments are appropriately monitored, but some people need to take a step back and loosen up. We all have opinions, and in the case of the recent example, I actually think that the more heated discussion had a lot to do with one member shutting down another members opinion because it came across as being a little hostile. Their response was equally hostile in my eyes, and equally responsible for the discussion that occurred from then on...

Why don't we ALL just relax, and stop letting ego get in the way of quality discussion. If you don't like something someone else says then ignore them, and if its bad click the report button... Your response is usually as bad as the initial comment.

To answer the question, no.

I'm not sure I understand. How is denigrating someone else, not their opinion but them personally, a "quality discussion"?

That is not what I said. Clicking report and ignoring the post in question allows the discussion to move on. We don't need discussions about toothpicks to morph into discussions where every post is commenting on the comments above, and where people are defining themselves and flaming others.

That is not quality discussion. Anything where an editor has to post something to calm people down if not quality discussion. It's easy to avoid if we just move on.

Does calling someone, anyone, out for being offensive really serve to "shut down" their opinion? The point isn't their opinion, as I think has been made clear. It's that they feel at liberty to state it in an unacceptable way. Why is that to be tolerated or ignored?

I think so, yes. In the other discussion, David mentioned "play the ball and not the man", something that applies to everyone in the discussion and not just those acting aggressively. If you have an issue with the way that somebody is acting, then report them. Posting comments about how you have emailed David, about how offensive you think someone is (especially when the bulk of the comments aren't even directed to you in the first place!)

it isn't necessary to public ally call people out. It's no necessary to start new discussions which are effective targeting individuals when the issue has already been dealt with by the editors. 

This is not a response to you as a person, this is my opinion for all members of this website. 

Apologies for the shocking spelling/grammar above! I was in a rush, on my iPad and didn't read through what I'd written before I posted...

The first paragraph should end with ...derails the conversation and detracts from the discussion. I'm not saying to completely ignore the comments, the report button is there for a reason, I'm simply saying that it would be a good idea if people didn't fuel the fire and simply got on with the discussion rather than engaging. A form of self-moderation, perhaps.