Why bother with moderation?

[john10001]

I read the post on the lemonfool terms and just wondered why not host it someplace else like the United States and run it as a free speech platform and not bother with any moderation?

Why not just have the terms and conditions that each is responsible for their own comments not the lemonfool and users have the right to say whatever they wish?

Have a disclaimer that the lemonfool is not responsible for anyone's comments on its platform and that the service is provided without warranty or something to that effect?

[Breelander]

Have you ever visited a financial board without moderation? Flame wars and blatant ramping are the least of your problems. Try ADVFN if you want to see why it is essential here. It's what made the 'old place' so easy to read and full of useful threads.

[doug2500]

My experience of unmoderated boards is that they're pretty unpleasant places to be.

Try MCN Sport where there's no meaningful discussion just abuse hurling. No thanks.

[NomoneyNohoney]

There was also a suggestion that perhaps the UK discussion boards could be hosted on the USA Fool.com.
TMFTarantula commented that when they had looked into it, there were all sorts of problems.
Can't recall if he specified details, but TMF seem to have considered offshore hosting unworkable.

[Slarti]

Have you ever visited a financial board without moderation? Flame wars and blatant ramping are the least of your problems. Try ADVFN if you want to see why it is essential here. It's what made the 'old place' so easy to read and full of useful threads.

I know we don't have recs here, but you've got mine

[Sussexlad]

Have you ever visited a financial board without moderation? Flame wars and blatant ramping are the least of your problems. Try ADVFN if you want to see why it is essential here. It's what made the 'old place' so easy to read and full of useful threads.

I know we don't have recs here, but you've got mine

Me too. It's what made the other place such a useful and pleasant resource compared with many groups.

[bionichamster]

.......... run it as a free speech platform and not bother with any moderation?

Why not just have the terms and conditions that each is responsible for their own comments not the lemonfool and users have the right to say whatever they wish?

Have a disclaimer that the lemonfool is not responsible for anyone's comments on its platform and that the service is provided without warranty or something to that effect?

I think you might have entirely missed the point; i.e. it's not so much that allowing any old anonymous loudmouth on the internet to say whatever they want on a discussion board without fear of censure might get the board provider in trouble, although in a few situations perhaps it might. No, as others have noted it's that when forums are populated with anonymous loudmouths who can say whatever they want without fear of censure then they generally are aren't pleasant, reliable or indeed often particularly useful places.

99% (and I'm being generous) of users might be able to self moderate, but frankly it only takes one person to ruin a thread with rude or abusive posts, or by swamping a thread or board with their opinions and shouting over everyone else or deliberately posting rubbish for a laugh. The reason for moderating is because such people exist, people who get a kick from trolling or just have no ability to get along with others or worse, who wish to exploit or harm them. Unmoderated forums are a magnet for such people, I'd sooner they went there than here.

Generally rules exist for good reason, thousands of years of human history show that basically communities operate better with defined rules of behaviour, whether it's ownership of assets, financial transactions, use of roads, supply of goods, or, even use of a discussion forum; and of course rules are more effective when they are enforced because over thousands of year we have also learned that there is always a group of people who think the rules shouldn't apply to them.

Maybe, just maybe, TMF was one of the best quality multi-topic discussion forums I've ever encountered on the internet because of a number of factors. Not least some rules on discourse, and their enforcement by moderators. Doesn't mean that TMF always got it right, or that there isn't room for some improvements, but on the whole the number of people that have jumped into this liferaft to try and keep the Fool community going suggests that TMF probably were getting it right more often than not.

I have no problem with moderation....in moderation of course.

Having said that, I'm intrigued to know how you think a 'free speech' unmoderated free-for-all would improve the experience. What's missing that it would restore?

BH

[88V8]

We do have mods.
Stooz and Clariman are doing the modding in their copious spare time.
Hence the shouty red ink posts we see from them intermittently, as I expect the distraction pisses them off.
The sooner we have mods for each Board the better.

Of course that will introduce idiosyncrasies and inconsistency, but that's part of being human innit? :}

V8

[quelquod]

Thirded!
One of the features of the old boards was the (sometimes overzealous) attempts to keep things on track, but certainly made a good fist of keeping acrimony down. Most of the discussion boards which I frequent are fine, but the levels of flaming and trolling I have seen on some boards beggars belief.

[csearle]

I concur with all the responses. I loved that place and I want to love this place for the same reasons.

Regards
Chris

PS I'd also like to buy the TMF moderators a beer/wine (or whatever) for all their efforts. Here's hoping they are amongst us and keeping an eye on the Lemon Socials board!

[DiamondEcho]

Many good comments above. No moderation quickly becomes an anarchy-magnet for every nutjob given a free instant new stage upon which to play. And if ever you encounter such a forum, then there is almost no reason to stick around. It's like your convivial Caravan-Club trip morphing into a Mad Max film. Er... as such

This forum has: registration, moderation and a report a post button. It also has the virtue of many of us already 'knowing each other'.
But maybe hasn't?: Registration that has a delay of maybe a day or so before live posting is allowed. It also might not have an alt. set-up whereby a new posters first five or so posts get queued before posting for individual pre-checking before being published. Both of these measures work quite well since people with mal-intent can't be bothered putting up with either. But you also have to bear in mind some newbies, esp. with an urgent question wish to see it posted as they hit the post button.

So it's a balancing act. LF might have it right for now, let's hope so and we'll see. Policy can always be fine-tuned in future as might be identified as required. The rest of us might just want to consider meanwhile that this forum appears to be a relatively simple one to enter as a newbie and start live posting... at some point perhaps sooner than we might wish we can expect the first troll to turn up.

[todthedog]

I do a bit of moderating on a different forum.
I think it helps to make it an agreeable place to be.
A big stick is seldom needed but stops the chat boiling over into a major offensive row.
Keeps down trollers and spam.
Stops the 'isms' racism etc.
Folk can have very different views and can express them not trying to curtail free speech.
Visiting an unmoderated forum is like an insane asylum of abuse and intolerance.

[Stan]

Have you ever visited a financial board without moderation? Flame wars and blatant ramping are the least of your problems. Try ADVFN if you want to see why it is essential here. It's what made the 'old place' so easy to read and full of useful threads.

Another tick for moderation from me as well.

[argoal]

Moderation is a must.

As otherwise, once the barbarian hoards arrive the site will sink into the swamp of stupidity and ignorance that infects other unmoderated sites.

[bulltraderpt]

Moderation is a must.

As otherwise, once the barbarian hoards arrive the site will sink into the swamp of stupidity and ignorance that infects other unmoderated sites.

But who moderates the moderators?

I don't mean here as I am sure they are pleasant upstanding people. Just a thought though.

I've no problem with un-moderated threads as someone said look at Advfn, but there, you just put the person / persons on filter and carry on reading, easy.

[DiamondEcho]

But who moderates the moderators?

Admins, often the site-owners who are typically around on a daily basis. But if the posting and modding guidelines are clear then their intervention should very rarely be required.

[Infrasonic]

Moderation is a must.

As otherwise, once the barbarian hoards arrive the site will sink into the swamp of stupidity and ignorance that infects other unmoderated sites.

But who moderates the moderators?

I don't mean here as I am sure they are pleasant upstanding people. Just a thought though.

I've no problem with un-moderated threads as someone said look at Advfn, but there, you just put the person / persons on filter and carry on reading, easy.

Ignore misses a load of context. Threads with posters that overuse ignore end up very messy and annoying IME.

Moderation is the way to go. I'm sure we could arrange some sort of volunteers scheme relatively easily, with a vote every six months or so to continue with the current mods on a board by board basis, or elect new one's if certain mod personalities are rubbing too many up the wrong way.

There was one forum I frequented where some of the mods were far too high and mighty and there was no way to change it.
I stopped reading and posting on there, many others did the same and the forum dwindled, losing advertising in the process.

[bulltraderpt]

Moderation is a must.

As otherwise, once the barbarian hoards arrive the site will sink into the swamp of stupidity and ignorance that infects other unmoderated sites.

But who moderates the moderators?

I don't mean here as I am sure they are pleasant upstanding people. Just a thought though.

I've no problem with un-moderated threads as someone said look at Advfn, but there, you just put the person / persons on filter and carry on reading, easy.

Ignore misses a load of context. Threads with posters that overuse ignore end up very messy and annoying IME.

Moderation is the way to go. I'm sure we could arrange some sort of volunteers scheme relatively easily, with a vote every six months or so to continue with the current mods on a board by board basis, or elect new one's if certain mod personalities are rubbing too many up the wrong way.

There was one forum I frequented where some of the mods were far too high and mighty and there was no way to change it.
I stopped reading and posting on there, many others did the same and the forum dwindled, losing advertising in the process.

I get that but on something like Advfn where stocks are 'discussed' if I think someone is ramping or deramping without reason I put that poster on ignore, it doesn't take anything away from others and as such, I still see everyone else. Indeed if others think the poster I have put on ignore is OK, then they don't have to ignore and see every post.

[DiamondEcho]

I get that but on something like Advfn where stocks are 'discussed' if I think someone is ramping or deramping without reason I put that poster on ignore, it doesn't take anything away from others and as such, I still see everyone else. Indeed if others think the poster I have put on ignore is OK, then they don't have to ignore and see every post.

FWIW my approach on ADVFN is exactly the same. I don't have to hit the ignore button at all often, but it's amazing how just one or two idiots can spoil your experience.

[bulltraderpt]

I get that but on something like Advfn where stocks are 'discussed' if I think someone is ramping or deramping without reason I put that poster on ignore, it doesn't take anything away from others and as such, I still see everyone else. Indeed if others think the poster I have put on ignore is OK, then they don't have to ignore and see every post.

FWIW my approach on ADVFN is exactly the same. I don't have to hit the ignore button at all often, but it's amazing how just one or two idiots can spoil your experience.

I'll keep an eye out for you Echo! But as a day trader I don't hold over night.