An interesting idea that could be applied to forum moderation

Decentralized Moderation. Anyone who has encountered trolls can see the enormous benefit from this system. Instead of moderators hopelessly trying to deal with a never ending flood of abuse reports and kicking people, you let the users effectively do the same.

We only have one tool at our disposal right now and that is to put someone on our ignore list but it really does not accomplish very much. BUT what if we had the ability to not only block seeing their posts, but ignore also blocked them from seeing our posts????????? Once enough people do it to an offender the person is effectively "persona non grata". With this system all the moderators need to do is monitor the number of ignore's instead and then look at the posts to see if any further action is deemed necessary. But most of the time the problem would take care of itself and the offender with no one to see and no one to listen will simply leave.

http://scobleizer.com/2009/04/20/decentralized-moderation-is-the-chat-room-savior/

It can result in bullying from cliques.

I don't know. Would you believe that I was called a troll by someone once because I argued their point? I'm sure I was put on ignore soon after (or the person was just really really good at never responding to me again). However, I actually thought that the person made good points on some issues and I am glad that I was able to still read their opinion on things, even though they very likely were not seeing mine.

Sometimes, whether or not someone is a troll is very subjective. And some people really do overreact way too quickly and take things way too personal.

I'm still pretty new here but have had a lot of experience in RL fora...Personally, I'd rather put up with the turkeys than outright shut them off. If I want to ignore someone, I do it with gusto, by the way, and if we had a way to "report post" to a moderator type by clicking on a button in the offending item that would be OK, I guess. Just my 2 cents (what is a Linden Cent, by the way?). Basically, I'm saying you have a good idea that has value but one that I personally would not use unless something terribly offensive was being said. Is that logical? Jackie

I can also see this happening.

Not really. If you think about it, the only person someone does not see are the ones that put them on ignore. In this case, the only ones would be the clique themselves and no one else in the forum.

Furthermore if there was a flurry of ignores and the moderator looked at the posts and saw there was no real reason for it, then there would be no action against the person.

you see the little exclamtion point in a white and red triangle, lower left hand? That's th ereport a post.

Except that the person would be denied the ability to read all the posts by the clique.

What an absolutely brilliant idea! /me is so embarrassed! Thanks for pointing this out...Sorry! Jackie

And in the case of short term ignores. I found it necessary to put Pep back on my ignore list this morning. He will not stay there for very long, but if he could also not see my posts for a while, it would completely and immediately defuse the situation.

I tend to switch accounts a lot and this combined with my goofy sense of humor gets me into trouble on forums. I'm often accused of being a troll.

Hell, I had somebody once call me a terrorist for not taking their stupid post seriously.

Forums can get crazy.

Read the article at the link. The other purpose is to take a lot of the workload and burden off of the moderators. For a job that is thankless and never ending. With the system in place, the button could stay but there would not be as much need to use it.

Simply put it, would be the end of multipage flame wars between people. It would be impossible for anyone to pick on someone.

Until they took them off ignore, yes, which is the point and no different then what we already have.

Troll is like griefer. vastly overused, often times with accompanying hysteria.

I was responding to Jackie- sorry, should have quoted her for clarity. she asked about reporting posts.

Jesse...Amara was only replying to my dumb post...Jackie.

Ooops sorry, I didn't see her post, she was on my ignore list

(just Joking Jackie!)

Would it?

Pie (Oh dear, another great idea bites the dust!)

But it doesn't go anywhere right? My understanding that the RA forum isn't moderated right now, regardless of those names listed as mods? So what good is reporting?

Oh don't be such a spoilsport Pie!

Pep (That little button that says "I didn't really mean I wanted to ignore *this* post" is soooooo tempting, isn't it!)

Cybin was on only this morning.

Pep (Being serious)

PS And Mo managed to get my dead cat photos deleted; that tells you how *seriously* dead cats are considered in the hierarchy of abuse!

I do not know what either incarnation of Pep had to say but I have an idea it just proved my point. In this case, they would have never had anything to reply to.

On the contrary Jesse, it completely destroyed your suggestion's validity.

Pep (Unless and until all associated alts are registered; and the paranoia of the forums is such that *everyone* will end up being suspected of being my alt! PMSL)

He said he loves you really and that he would like very much to make sexy time with you.

You are wasting your breath, Doodles; she has had a peek already.

Pep (Curiosity is even stronger than the sex drive!)