Forum Nazis

[Vallikat]

Have any of you encountered Forum Nazis out there? I belong to another forum (and I won't say for what because it is one of my guilty pleasures). However, the moderators there are making me nuts. They have all these stringent rules. For example: No vague thread titles (I've had threads deleted for this), No off topic threads (I had a thread deleted because the title itself did not directly tie into the forum topic, although my posting did), Use quotes sparingly (I have not been a victim of this but many other posts have been edited or deleted if they quoted an entire prior post or if they quoted the post directly above). Just recently they posted a new rule stating that you must use colors and alternate fonts sparingly as well. In addition to having posts edited or deleted for forum rules, you might also be subject to receiving "points". The number of points received depends on the severity of the infraction. Once you get so many points you are subject to being suspended and even banned from the forums.

Anyway, while I enjoy the forum itself, these rules are starting to tick me off. Anyone else been the victim of a Forum Nazi?

[Tarryk]

People with simply WAY too much time on their hands. What the hell is with making an infraction point system for forums? Sounds like it's just a fun little game to them, that they've inevitably started taking WAY too seriously.

I admit that I'll get a bit heavy-handed sometimes, and edit someone's post to remove an f-bomb or two (because people in these forums seem to just looooove that word), but that's just good sense. I don't punish them for it, I just say "well, I guess they really DIDN'T know better", edit it, and get on with my life.

I can understand all of those points that you listed that they moderate for, but they are nothing more than that: points to bring up. If they have time to go holy-crusade on everyone with a vague title and over-quoting, then they have time to edit and move things around to help keep the herd moving in the direction it should, instead of shooting every stray. That's just plain stupid.

[Mivat]

I've happened across forum-nazis before, but luckily not on the forums I frequently read. But as I say, slavish adherence to rules and regulations are a surefire sign that one has nothing better to think about.

That being said, I can actually understand a point-based warning-system in many cases. One of the Flightsim-communities I am a member in has it, and since we're dealing with people in all ages and pretty much all over the world, some people have a nasty tendency of being in dire need of a timeout. The warningsystem serves as a way to make sure that people understand that there ARE rules to what can/cannot be said, and that freedom of speech on a bulletin-board only goes so far. But moderators should not go out of their way to be regulation-hogs, as it will kill just about any and all fun to be had on the boards. Given, though, that also depends on the number of members there. Once a forum reaches a certain size in members, things WILL start to go wrong unless rules are enforced, and that sometimes harshly.

Given, though, I'm a channel-Op on IRC, and thus I have my own opinions about what's acceptable and what is not.

[Jairyn]

Being a member of the Moderator Team at phpbb.com, Alot of people tend to find me a Forum Nazi. However, the flip side is, alot of admins set the rules and expect the Mods to enforce them. If a mod on phpbb.com isn't doing their job, they're asked to step down. We also have alot of the same rules that Valli is complaining about.

The major difference is, we're the official support forums for phpBB, and thus not there for general chat, or fluffy cruft topics.

[Tarryk]

The major difference is, we're the official support forums for phpBB, and thus not there for general chat, or fluffy cruft topics.

I'll give you that one for 10 points, because it's a pro forum. That's the kind of thing that exists for a singular purpose and needs to be kept tidy for those with a specific goal in looking for answers to their questions. A "forum nazi" over there is simply doing his/her job the right way.

In casual forums with no specific or professional setting, like GSP forums, being super-strict with forum rules is nothing short of a game-killer. When the mood is casual, you have to treat it casual, otherwise people won't want to hang out.

There are of course lines that get crossed when people start getting offensive, spamming, using page-long sig pics, etc. And I've seen both Xtrophic and myself, and several others in staff for that matter, get "fed up" with certain offenses that get out of control and it results in us at least temporarily dropping a mod-bomb of "don't do this or we ban you", but you never see us start scoping out for those offenders with an itchy ban-trigger finger. So even on the casual forums like this one, there are phases where the line between moderating and nazi moderating gets a little fuzzy.

[Jairyn]

I'm always at least a little fuzzy

[Ashval]

I'm always at least a little fuzzy

That's cause you don't shave, dude.

[Jairyn]

Lies! I went clean shaven from Saturday!

I looked like I was 13 again. Unfortunatly for me my wife things I look way too young without facial hair, considering she's already older than me anyhow, and decided that it felt too much like Cradle Robbing.. Thus no play for me til I regrow the goatee

[Tarryk]

Unfortunatly for me my wife things I look way too young without facial hair, considering she's already older than me anyhow, and decided that it felt too much like Cradle Robbing.. Thus no play for me til I regrow the goatee

Okay, I mean no disrespect, but...*dies laughing* That's just WRONG hahahaha!

[Negs]

I am a forum admin, and yes I have been called a Nazi. However, I do let a lot of things slide, and don't like to bring out the ban card to often ... i do give people what I like to call "forum vacations" but nothing more than a month ... most are usually a day or two to about a week.

But me and my members get along great ... they don't piss me off, and stay within the outlined guidelines I let them have their fun. And yes there is an "adult" section for the forums, and sometimes wise asses like to post that junk in the general section, so I do my admin thing and move it to the appropriate section .. and give em a warning/vacation.

The place you go to though ... omg thats a bit on the rediculas side ..


((oh and the forums are semi-professional, i.e. revenue generating with local sponsors and events that are done for and with the community))

[Blaik]

Lies! I went clean shaven from Saturday!

I looked like I was 13 again. Unfortunatly for me my wife things I look way too young without facial hair, considering she's already older than me anyhow, and decided that it felt too much like Cradle Robbing.. Thus no play for me til I regrow the goatee

Unfortunately, my wife is the same way. in the 5 yrs I've been with her, dating and married, I've shaved my goatee and mustache once....and after I did it was "omg, you look like you're 18(which isn't bad, except she's already skittish about the 5 yr difference as it is)" so yeah, I was in time out till it grew back.

Back on topic, I've been in forums that swing to both extremes, no really modding and forum nazism. There has to be a middle ground somewhere, otherwise there's no point in being in either forums. Sometimes mods have to be strict to get people back in line, but I don't think its an absolute necessity all the time. I mean, some of the forums I've been in had some pretty ridiculous rules. Like they had someone keeping tabs on how many times you posted in a 30 day period...if you dropped below a certain number of posts or participation in polls/contests/etc, you were given a warning, and then banned if you didn't "make quota". I'm sorry, but if your forum is so boring you have to force participation to keep it going, its not worth continuing, at least IMO. But that's just me. I say forums should be like life, with mostly freedom, but based on sensible, thought out rules that don't stifle or allow total anarchy. Okay, I'm babbling now...shutting up.

[Otori]

I'm almost 34 and I landed 27 year old Katieblu....and she's hot even if you are 21. 29 when I met her, she was 22. Greatest day of my life. Period.

It was great when she used to go on air and automatically she was in /tell hell with every 15+ year old guy online. Thinking of it now, she was only 24 when she was subbing shows for me at GSP for the first time....wow time flies.