Screenshot shows three comments being removed from [email protected] (this community) by one of 196’s mods with the reason for removal being “.” (literally just a period).

I looked into this and discovered that the comments were just some fairly polite, if snarky, comments in response to the mod themselves. I could not identify a reason for comment removal per the site or community rules, so if there was one, “.” doesn’t cut it.

This is a callout post y’all. Do better. Start putting actual moderation reasons into the modlog for the benefit of you and other mods, otherwise what is the point of a transparent and federated platform?

As of now, it looks like the mod involved is just using their mod powers in a self-serving fashion. I am not making that accusation now, but that’s how it looks.

Please and thank you. Mods here do an excellent job keeping 196 on Lemmy a bearable place to be, and I know you are already struggling to staff the positions, but please also hold one another accountable when it comes to misuse of power. Thanks :)

  • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    41·
    6 months ago

    I wasn’t involved in the post in question, but FWIW I appreciate you taking feedback into account and putting the posts back up. Everyone’s human and is going to make sub-optimal calls sometimes, being open to fixing it is basically the best that can be asked for.

    I don’t want you to resign over this or anything like that, but please do take care of yourself even if that means taking some time away. If internet modding is adding to your stress in an already stressed time, you gotta put on your own oxygen mask first before you assist others, you know?

    • Queue@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      29·
      6 months ago

      Fair enough, but I sometimes feel like “if no one will clean up the mess, who will?” in most things in life. Small and big, trivial and actual problems. From “if I don’t do the dishes, who will?” to “If there’s a flood of Mod requests, and everyone else is busy, I should deal with it.”

      Being an online moderator is simultaneous the most trival and easy task and “I can’t believe people say these things, why do I have to clean up the messes users leave with zero thinking behind them?”

      I recently left a role as a voted in admin of something since I grew tired of moderating my friends and the straw that broke the camels back was during the self-immolation protest a few months back

      spoiler

      Two people heavily implied if not directly said that if anyone in the server didn’t want to do it themselves, they are a false ally and why socialism never took root in America.

      Really was dumbfounded by such a take that I screenshot the chat logs for clarity, removed the chat, banned them, and resigned as admin and told my friends “If you wanna hang with me still, I’ll be here in this place, otherwise I’m done being here.”

      Sometimes people just say the dumbest things online, I’m one of those people sometimes.

      • Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        12·
        6 months ago

        Having modded internet forums in the past I totally get it, especially anything queer related is going to attract just the absolute trash of the internet. It’s legitimately distressing for many people to see that shit all day even if you’re getting paid for it, but on a volunteer basis? It’s basically a miracle anywhere is modded at all, much less in a timely manner.

        It sounds like there were some jackasses on that server. There’s probably someone smarter than me that’s explored the concept of forum moderation as emotional labor which is expected to be performed and devalued; but in lieu of that I’ll just say don’t discount the effort you put in. If it was so easy everyone could do it then there would never be a lack of mods or disagreement about modding (which, LMAO).

      • jellyfish@beehaw.org
        6·
        6 months ago

        Geez no wonder you’re in a bit of a funk. It’s terrible having to moderate friends in general, and that’s a messy situation that will only lead to misunderstanding when done over text. Hope you take some time for you and check in with yourself.