The plain and simple of it is that I’m not a good moderator. I have no idea what I’m doing. I wanted a community where people could post conservative stuff without it getting overwhelmed by lefty stuff, and then you could have discussions/arguments in the comment section. Bring to light stories that wouldn’t normally be seen on lemmy. Since that didn’t exist on lemmy, I had to do it myself.
Right now, there’s a lot of toxicity, some straight up telling people to kill themselves. My whole moderation policy was basically “So long as it isn’t a straight up slur, you could comment it”.
You’d think it’d be simple, just ban those who do that. Well, what about those who defend baby murder? I know lefties genuinely believe it isn’t, but I do. How do you tell what is horrible shit, when lefties act like horror movie monsters?
What about those who I’m like 90% sure are arguing in bad faith? I want to encourage discussions and arguments, and if I’m wrong, what then?
Me doing keyword-based moderating was a bad idea, but I am at a loss of how to do better, without breaking what this sub was supposed to be about.
I need ideas.
How should I moderate this community?
I think any discussion of moderation on the internet should come with an acknowledgement that its a very difficult thing to take on. People are going to be mad at you no matter what decisions you make. Someone will say you are weak and ineffective while someone else is saying you are a pathological control freak. People will always find ways to circumvent any barriers to behaviors you want to discourage.
I think your best bet is to decide where the line is that doesn’t get crossed on your watch and be as consistent as you can about it. Be as relaxed or as strict as you want, but the main thing is to be consistent. Of course people will constantly find fault with your decisions and actions, but don’t let that sway you. They are perfectly free to make their own communities and their own rules. Good luck.
Thanks, Im going to need it.