How Have Things Been Recently?

[ABSpareEditor]

How has the user experience been on The AnswerBank during the past month, with reduced adverts and a more gentle hand on the moderation?

[rowanwitch]

I still think the option of a time out rather than full suspension would be useful, with a message saying this is a warning go away for an hour or two, have a cup of tea and come back when you have calmed down. Sometimes it's like a feeding frenzy with people firing off one another and getting angrier and more accusatory. It's not enough for a known mod to warn them, it opens the door to complaints being picked on even if the action that follows was warranted by Site Rules.

[barry1010]

I like that idea, rowan. Put on the naughty step for a couple of hours

[pastafreak]

Gee Zacs...do you keep a record of these things?

[rowanwitch]

It would need a bit of re writing but it shouldn't be too difficult mods would just have an extra option or it could be a first option just giving them the full suspension option after the naughty step had been used.

[naomi24]

Mods can already, in effect, do that, Rowan ... just suspend for an hour or two.

[THECORBYLOON]

For that, "time-out" message to be given, all Mods would either need to be known or have a pseudonym and that isn't the case, is it?

[THECORBYLOON]

NAOMI, the suggestion is that folk be telt they are on a short suspension.

[rowanwitch]

Maybe it's something you could do more often
Thecorbyloon, no reason why it can't be anonymous, just because a mod is on a thread doesn't mean another mod couldn't take action.

[barry1010]

I think all mods are either known or have a pseudonym, TCL. All new mods are known, like me, but the mods who were in the role before the ABEds decided to make that change have an alternative they can use publicly such as 'SecretMod' or 'AnOtherMod'.

[naomi24]

That's fine by me. Corby. I have told people they're heading for suspension.

[rowanwitch]

I am thinking an automated message that could show as a post 'naughty step in use.'
Or come up as an error type message when they try to post.

[DTCwordfan]

18.10 yesterday - had me spluttering in my coffee....laugh of the year so far.

[rowanwitch]

Wasn't it just, funny I would have thought having loads of friends especially imaginary ones would guarantee you were not suitable..

[THECORBYLOON]

BARRY, there's not sixteen names in the thread about the publicly known Mods, I think I counted eleven including the EDs.

[THECORBYLOON]

ROWAN, if folk have an avatar, it reverts to the default "jelly men" in a thread when they are suspended.

[rowanwitch]

Which doesn't help when they don't have an avatar anyway

[THECORBYLOON]

It appears that most folk do have avatars, including those who are more often affected by suspensions.

[naomi24]

Corby, the Ed says there are 16 mods, but in my opinion only five (excluding the eds) are really publicly known. Those with the 'Anon' accounts are still anonymous. As an example, when Admin was off for Christmas and there was a call for a mod to contact a member privately , only those with recognisable names could have obliged. Anyone else would have had to reveal their AB identity.

[THECORBYLOON]

NAOMI, that vaguely rings a bell but did that person give an e-mail address to contact?

I'm not sure the EDs would encourage Mods to contact others directly in that capacity?

[naomi24]

Yes, the ABer (a long time member) did give an email address - and the eds were happy with my response. They know if they're not around, mods sometimes have to deal with unusual circumstances.