Moderation of MDC - What do you think?

[Cynthia Mosher]

This poll is a result of a question raised in a thread in Talk Amongst Ourselves regarding the moderation of MDC. We'd like to know what everyone feels about this so we can be clear as we make decisions regarding our   moderation approach. So please vote and feel free to share any thoughts or concerns you have.

[ursusarctos]

I voted that I don't like the minimal moderation  I'd like to elaborate though that it's mostly about the tone of the boards. It's gotten so snarky and harsh around here that I feel much less comfortable posting. The thing that made MDC so different from other sites for me was the consistently civil tone, and that seems to have largely gone down the tubes. I think it's perfectly possible for people to express themselves politely, even in circumstances where they disagree (I have done so many times without getting slapped), but it seems that many are unable to do this when they are unmoderated. I do think that the weaker moderation of sex, swearing, etc. is great.  

Also, some boards have just disintegrated lately (I'm thinking of the UC board here). A major part of that is unsupportive people thinking that their voice needs to be heard in a forum that is *explicitly for support* and then not getting moderated. Some people complain that MDC was too harsh before in squashing comments that did not agree with AP philosophies, but really, so what if they were? What does Mothering stand for anyway? Is MDC going to stand up for an online space dedicated to AP (which it had every right to - after all, if someone disagrees they are free not to come here) or downshift to being just another parenting forum that happens to have a slightly crunchier membership?

I myself have been slapped a couple of times for, imo, absurd reasons. But I'd still take that any day over the atmosphere that has developed here recently.

[Snowflake777]

I'm somewhere in between. I think that moderation was too strict before, but not strict enough now.

I think if you're going to have forums which are intended to lean towards certain philosophies, they have to be pretty tightly moderated. Otherwise MDC might as well just call itself a mainstream forum.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by Snowflake777 

I'm somewhere in between. I think that moderation was too strict before, but not strict enough now.

I think if you're going to have forums which are intended to lean towards certain philosophies, they have to be pretty tightly moderated. Otherwise MDC might as well just call itself a mainstream forum.

[Mosaic]

I hope it's ok that I participate, too. I voted other. As someone "in the trenches" so to speak, I know the previous UA was imperfect, and upholding it meant moderating things that weren't that bad but were technically against the rules. I understand 100% why people were frustrated.

Now under the new UA, I'm feeling powerless when members are frustrated with our lack of intervention, but I can't do anything because it's not against the UA. I was a big supporter of the new UA, but I don't like how it has played out so far. I DO feel this UA could work well, if everyone would post mindfully and respectfully and realize that the responsibility of keeping MDC a nice place lays with all of us, not just with the mods/admins.

I'd like something in between, where members can get into a direct and even heated debate, but we can step in and help when members ask us to. I want to make it clear that we are all on the same side, and that moderating is about keeping MDC the place we ALL want it to be. I want members to be part of the team, to tell us what isn't ok, and to tell us when we mess up or miss the mark. I want it to be more straightforward and transparent, so people understand why things were moved/removed.

Is this realistic for a board of this size? I don't know. Am I being overly optimistic? Probably. (My profile doesn't say "hopeless Pollyana" for nothing!) I do know it will make moderation more difficult and more time-consuming and open us up to a boatload of criticism because we'll never get it right for everyone. In fact, I may totally regret posting this at all! But I just want to do what's right, both by our members and by Peggy's vision of Mothering.

ETA: To be crystal clear, this is MY not-so-humble opinion, not to be confused with the mod staff, Mothering, etc.
Edited by Mosaic - 6/15/11 at 6:41am

[Buzzer Beater]

I don't like the minimal moderation. It seems to have created this crazy free-for-all that makes some thoughtful contributing long-timers run for the hills. I have noticed the absence of some wise women, and I miss them. There are a couple of women I would follow if I knew where they went.

Isn't there a way the UA can reflect and help us respect viewpoints while still keeping this the NFL/AP sanctuary it has been? I am not 100% AP but I am striving... and the support I have received here is what made this place special. I wouldn't want the job of trying to figure out what a bunch of women want, and I appreciate what the moderators are trying to do right now. But this minimal moderation has been insane in a few places. There's got to be a happy medium! Thoughtful considerate posts shouldn't be shut down, but I don't like the snark and swearing, or the "look how witty and quick I can be" posts that come with the minimal moderation. I don't want to know how much of a wise-ass you can be, I want your wisdom! 

People came here to learn and be supported about AP practices... it should stay that way. I think it's okay to have a mission statement, and I think it's okay to uphold it.

[Snapdragon]

I don't like the minimal moderation. It does feel more snarky and people don't seem to be as kind to each other as before. Just something about the tone of it all in general feels less welcoming with the less moderation.

Thanks for listening to my concerns and taking the time to put out this poll! MDC is still a really great place to come and discuss and I really appreciate how the staff is taking the time to listen to peoples' concerns and try to find ways to be that work for the community!

[EFmom]

The minimal moderation is a huge improvement.  Huge.

This is a board for adults, not for two year olds.  You cannot make rational parenting decisions (or rational decisions about anything in life) if any sort of opposing viewpoint is forbidden.  While yes, AP is the norm here, that doesn't mean that there is a one-size-fits-all for all parenting issues.

If board usage has dropped, I don't think it is response to the moderation.

[Maedze]

Let's put it this way.  The previous format of moderation was vicious, cruel, sneaky, unpleasant, and widely mocked in other forums and in real life.   I have avoided this forum for years because of it. This is a much better alternative.  

[Drummer's Wife]

I agree that less moderation is for the best; however, I will admit that I am in the minority if we have more members vote for heavier moderation. I said on another thread that most people like it this way, but if that isn't in fact true, then it seems fair enough to take into consideration and find a happy medium.

There are thousands of members, so I'm curious as to how many we could actually get to submit a vote in order to get a better idea where most MDCers stand.

Either way, I think it's a step in the right direction to solicit users for their input in how his board is run - so, thanks for asking.

[mommato5]

Originally Posted by Snapdragon 

I don't like the minimal moderation. It does feel more snarky and people don't seem to be as kind to each other as before. Just something about the tone of it all in general feels less welcoming with the less moderation.

Perhaps people felt that way before, but knew they couldn't express it. We had to pretend we were wearing kid gloves while coddling people or trying to gently say things. As another person said, we are adults. We are all in charge of children. If you cannot have a backbone on a message board, how are you going to raise your child??

Quote:

Originally Posted by ursusarctos 

I voted that I don't like the minimal moderation  I'd like to elaborate though that it's mostly about the tone of the boards. It's gotten so snarky and harsh around here that I feel much less comfortable posting.

Also, some boards have just disintegrated lately (I'm thinking of the UC board here). A major part of that is unsupportive people thinking that their voice needs to be heard in a forum that is *explicitly for support* and then not getting moderated.

That board in particular needs people who are willing to say "Um, that is dangerous, what are you thinking?". If you can't handle dissenting opinions, again, how are you going to raise children?? Some of the advice there IS dangerous and has caused deaths because people listen to it. Their private board is also probably a big part of why that board is so slow. If women cannot be coddled, they don't want to participate.

ANd being snarky and cussing like a sailor is quite a bit of fun!

AND I don't think minimal moderation makes this a mainstream board. Hearing opposing opinions doesn't make it a mainstream board. I know mainstream boards and even those are teeming with crunchies (unless you have a private board)!

[_ktg_]

Thanks for asking and I am enjoying the less moderation right now as I believe this will foster and allow for some more engaging debates and discussions than the previous UA did for us as parents.  I was all too often disappointed to see posts/threads which would challenge an idea or have lively debate get shut down under the previous UA.

[MittensKittens]

I have to say that it is quite nice not to get a "reminder" or whatever they were called for all kinds of minor things. I like the ability to have real discussions. But at the same time, I do agree that MDC has changed, and there there has been an influx of people who either have totally different views (which is OK, I think) AND those who have come here specifically to argue with us crunchies. It is the latter that made MDC less pleasant to participate in. I wonder if the whole underlying philosophy will change over time, which would be a shame. But honest discussions are great. 

I agree that the UC board has a lot of people in the category who comes there just to argue - not necessarily to point out something is dangerous, with real arguments and evidence - which would be a different matter. UC is a controversial choice. The opinions that UC is dangerous is all around. Sometimes, hearing concerns sets us up for better preparation. Still, if I wanted to hear opinions opposed to UC, I'd walk into my OB's office instead - the UC board is for people who have already chosen UC and need to inform themselves, I think. It's why I first came to MDC. At that point, that particular board was full of constructive information. That changed now.

[Ornery]

I absolutely do not think that the new moderation level has been what has sent people running.  It is the board's overall clunkiness, coupled with multiple very poor decisions done by Mothering.  The way the magazine was shut down, the invasion of board member's privacy (remember the searchable emails and all the threads being posted on FB - not just the featured ones were on there - all of them were under one of the tabs on FB), the constant shilling for advertisers, and mostly the devotion to the almighty dollar seen here lately has run people off.

[*bejeweled*]

I like the more minimal moderation. I believe that we can "police" our own threads and report over the top posts.

[Maeve]

Originally Posted by mommato5 

Perhaps people felt that way before, but knew they couldn't express it. We had to pretend we were wearing kid gloves while coddling people or trying to gently say things. As another person said, we are adults. We are all in charge of children. If you cannot have a backbone on a message board, how are you going to raise your child??

Quote:

That board in particular needs people who are willing to say "Um, that is dangerous, what are you thinking?". If you can't handle dissenting opinions, again, how are you going to raise children?? Some of the advice there IS dangerous and has caused deaths because people listen to it. Their private board is also probably a big part of why that board is so slow. If women cannot be coddled, they don't want to participate.

ANd being snarky and cussing like a sailor is quite a bit of fun!

AND I don't think minimal moderation makes this a mainstream board. Hearing opposing opinions doesn't make it a mainstream board. I know mainstream boards and even those are teeming with crunchies (unless you have a private board)!

I completely agree, especially with the bolded section.

Also, the overmoderation is one of the reasons I stopped coming here as often. We are adults and should be treated that way.

[Viriditas]

I chose "other."  I think that less moderation is better, but I also think that maybe there needs to be a more visible/clear reminder of the board's statement of purpose and guidelines, so that when people first come to the board, it's made very clear this is a place to discuss things related to AP and NFL, instead of just another general parenting board.  

I like that people feel more free to say things like, "There are a lot of reasons a woman might formula feed, many of which you probably haven't even thought of," or "Sometimes a C-section is the best choice, like in the case of xyz..."  I think people are becoming more understanding and tolerant from these discussions.  

However, I don't like that people feel free to say things like, "I was spanked, and I turned out OK," and "Well, most people here might not like CIO, but it worked for me."  It seems like there are a lot of people here (not trolls) who think it's okay to say things like that here, and if others argue, they feel like they are being persecuted or ostracized.

 

[philomom]

Originally Posted by Buzzer Beater 

I don't like the minimal moderation. It seems to have created this crazy free-for-all that makes some thoughtful contributing long-timers run for the hills. I have noticed the absence of some wise women, and I miss them. There are a couple of women I would follow if I knew where they went.

Isn't there a way the UA can reflect and help us respect viewpoints while still keeping this the NFL/AP sanctuary it has been? I am not 100% AP but I am striving... and the support I have received here is what made this place special. I wouldn't want the job of trying to figure out what a bunch of women want, and I appreciate what the moderators are trying to do right now. But this minimal moderation has been insane in a few places. There's got to be a happy medium! Thoughtful considerate posts shouldn't be shut down, but I don't like the snark and swearing, or the "look how witty and quick I can be" posts that come with the minimal moderation. I don't want to know how much of a wise-ass you can be, I want your wisdom! 

People came here to learn and be supported about AP practices... it should stay that way. I think it's okay to have a mission statement, and I think it's okay to uphold it.

Whew! This post sums it up for me. Yes, moderation was a bit over zealous before but its too light now.

[Galatea]

Originally Posted by Viriditas 

I chose "other."  I think that less moderation is better, but I also think that maybe there needs to be a more visible/clear reminder of the board's statement of purpose and guidelines, so that when people first come to the board, it's made very clear this is a place to discuss things related to AP and NFL, instead of just another general parenting board.  

I like that people feel more free to say things like, "There are a lot of reasons a woman might formula feed, many of which you probably haven't even thought of," or "Sometimes a C-section is the best choice, like in the case of xyz..."  I think people are becoming more understanding and tolerant from these discussions.  

However, I don't like that people feel free to say things like, "I was spanked, and I turned out OK," and "Well, most people here might not like CIO, but it worked for me."  It seems like there are a lot of people here (not trolls) who think it's okay to say things like that here, and if others argue, they feel like they are being persecuted or ostracized.

 

Yep!

[tinybutterfly]

I've been gone awhile.

And wow, just the little I have seen since coming on yesterday...it's a free-for-all out there.

I will go vote other.

I am one who would fall in the happy medium camp for amount of moderation needed.

Yes, we are all adults, but ya know, not all adults seem to be able to be respectful to others. That is a problem.

And some people think being mean and snarky is fun. Okay. Enough of those people will change the tone of the board for sure. And just as heavy moderation will shut down constructive discussion, so will overt and heavy meanness and snarkiness. The result is the same, people will be afraid to post.

Personally, I would prefer it if we could all behave in a respectful manner towards one another, even if we heartily disagree and skip the name-calling and attacking.

I know it can be done. I visit another board that has a much more respectful tone, even though there are huge debates on very touchy topics.

I don't understand why it is not working here.

Or maybe after an initial upheaval and a period of people running amok and being wild, things will settle down and constructive discussion will take place again without all the anger and belligerance. I hope that is the case.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if it's not okay to talk to a child in a hateful way why is it okay to talk to another adult in a hateful way? And then the adult is told to put on her big girl panties and get over it. I just don't get it. If we can be respectful towards our children, why can't we be respectful towards one another?

Off to vote other.