Moderation on Chat

First, bans are pointless if you do not tell people why they were banned.

Second, random bans. Some of the chat mods just ban completely random people, likely due to a lack of capability to read and understand situations, and, often, English.

Example:

[20-08-50] MasterHaosis: calling someone retarded isnot opinion
[20-08-54] MasterHaosis: is it?
[20-08-57] Anarki: yes it is
[20-09-01] Anarki: it is his opinion that you are retarded
[20-09-01] Asomath: Asomath>Anarki>MasterHaosis
[20-09-03] Asomath: ?
[20-09-04] frostwhisper: He's not calling you opinion.
[20-09-07] Anarki throws Asomath out the window.
[20-09-11] frostwhisper: I mean retard.
[20-09-13] frostwhisper: Sorry.
[20-09-20] Asomath: The glass broke the first time
[20-09-20] frostwhisper: He's voicing an opinion.
[20-09-23] Asomath: I feel no pain
[20-09-33] MasterHaosis: Okat thats it
[20-09-44] Asomath: owwww
[20-09-47] Asomath: That pain
[20-09-47] frostwhisper: Ahm...
[20-09-53] frostwhisper: Well.
[20-09-54] Asomath: Ohwait, the Banhammer didnt happen?
[20-09-57] Anarki: yeah, try the 100ft fall
[20-10-11] Anarki has been banned for 6000 seconds by MasterHaosis
[20-10-13] frostwhisper: You're gonna fight the world, ban us all, for telling you the truth?
[20-10-15] frostwhisper: O.o
[20-10-18] frostwhisper: What the hell?
[20-10-19] HINDYhat: O.O
[20-10-42] frostwhisper: Dude... are you crazy?
[20-10-43] HINDYhat: WHY DID YOU DO THAT? xD
[20-10-44] frostwhisper: What did he do?
[20-10-46] Asomath: I like lobster, you?
[20-11-24] frostwhisper: You just randomly banned a person.
[20-11-40] frostwhisper: Do police officers shoot civillians at fucking random...?!
[20-11-45] MasterHaosis: [01-09-42] Anarki: yes it is
[20-11-50] Asomath: yes, but thats not the point
[20-11-51] MasterHaosis: [01-09-47] Anarki: it is his opinion that you are retarded
[20-11-55] HINDYhat: rofl xD
[20-12-00] MasterHaosis: [01-10-40] Asomath: Ohwait, the Banhammer didnt happen?
[20-12-05] Asomath: oh fuck
[20-12-08] Asomath: XD
[20-12-08] HINDYhat: You banned Anarki for telling you waht Griffen's opinion was? xD
[20-12-10] frostwhisper: YOU BANNED SOMEONE FOR STATING WHAT SOMEONE ELSE'S OPINION WAS...........?!
[20-12-11] MasterHaosis: Actually it happened

This is also an example of not telling someone why they are banned before banning them.

I recommend actual procedures for banning people. Such as telling them before you ban them that you are banning them, and why. Any mod failing to comply with this would be stripped of their chat powers automatically. Where it is necessary to ban immediately (eg: to stop them mass spamming porn links), they would have to PM them.

At the moment, it's total chaos, and totally ineffective, turning chat worse than without moderation. Chat mods need also to be competant and able to comprehend English fully.

It's not chat mods, it's.. a chat mod.
--donut3.5--

That was just an example. Fact remains that chat mods tend to issue bans without giving reasons. Sometimes bans are even random. Though in the case of some mods, this occurs more often.

Anyway, like I said in chat, police officers don't shoot the civilians without reason. Unless the offense is shining in everyone's face, it is the chat mod's duty to either warn the person by words and/or kick, or (in the case of major offenses) say a quick "You have been banned for this and this" and ban the person. Not just come out of the blue (like when stealthed) and go WHAM! Banned.

The ban illustrated in this strip of chat logs (which has also been addressed here) is completely random though. That's the worst case of bans lately. And it's not a single case either. I've seen people being banned for preposterous reasons, like voicing opinions, or giving professional feedback.

That's just unacceptable really.

lololol 15 minutes of ban left and counting

Anyone mind if I merge this thread with the other, seeing as they're in essence the same thing?

I would encourage it actually.

And Anarki, that post wasn't really contributing, so yeah. Don't do that.

I really hate all this crap about a certain chat mod. I don't want to have to hear it publicly. We all understand that some unfair moderation has been happening lately and it's good to get feedback. But I think this isn't something that we should be bringing up for everyone to give their opinion on. We all know it's not good and that's simple enough.

what other thread?

Yours, Anarki.

pfft, that thread is spam anyway, this thread should be dedicated to serious discussion

Alright, it's settled then.

Anyways, the second part of what I said in the other thread applies here as well (quote is below for reference):

Originally Posted by PurplePoot

It's already been raised in private, but given the way my previous raised subjects have been received, I can't guarantee any results.

Originally Posted by Hawkwing

I really hate all this crap about a certain chat mod. I don't want to have to hear it publicly. We all understand that some unfair moderation has been happening lately and it's good to get feedback. But I think this isn't something that we should be bringing up for everyone to give their opinion on. We all know it's not good and that's simple enough.

This is not about a certain chat mod. It's about the chat entirely. I, for one, believe that Griffen made a good point, and that chat mods should go through a little course coached by their superiors so that they understand the point as well.

Yes. I absolutely agree with you. My point is that basically the same thread has been made about 5 times this past month. Can't you just keep it to the Admin Contact and let Ralle deal with said person, or something.

Well, we are supposedly entrusted by the Directors to ban when we see fit.
The best option to do is to bring this up directly to the Directors. If they no longer see us responsible enough, then they will remove the abuser of power.
--donut3.5--

I can understand wanting the chat to be a little cleaner. Really, there's a lot of shit talk and rule breaking.

But moderation in itself doesn't work unless someone is there, and if that someone isn't AFK, and if that someone cares or knows the proper punishment.

I suggest you do the same as you did with the Something Else forum.

A first channel, for development talk, code talk and generally smart chatting, with actually enforced rules about what should be said. But add a secondary channel, with no moderation and no rules (except maybe for the link to porn stuff and the like). Make sure to warn whoever enters the second channel knows that no one takes responsability for what happens there and that no one cares what happens in that channel.

Bang, problem solved.