How to request moderator assistance

[FollowingHim]

I need to clarify something about how moderation works on this forum:

The moderators do not read every post.

It is impossible for them to. The moderators, as well as myself and Andrew, all have very busy lives. We will each have periods where we are able to be active on the forum for a time, maybe a few weeks, and other times when we will barely manage to see the forum at all. By way of example, right now I am extremely busy with work - I haven't made it onto the forum for about a week, I'm writing this at 10pm at night after working a 15 hour day, and have 1,215 unread posts which I'm going to have to just "mark all as read" at some point because there's no way I'll actually read them all. But similar practical situations exist for everybody.

If a discussion is turning into an argument, or people are saying things you find offensive - the moderators don't know. And just writing something like "could a moderator look at this" in a post will likely achieve nothing - if they're busy, none of the moderators may even read it.

If there is a post that the moderators need to do something about, you need to "report" that post. Below each post is a little word "Report". Click on that and follow the instructions.

If you do this, the next time a moderator logs in, they will have a big red flag at the top of their screen saying there is something they need to look at. And they will address it then - which may be a day after you reported it if everyone is busy, but if you use the "Report" button then someone will get to it when they are able.

 

[Nikud]

If there is a post that the moderators need to do something about, you need to "report" that post. Below each post is a little word "Report". Click on that and follow the instructions.

Its right above the who liked this section. When an argument is getting to the point that its over running a thread and or something has been said that's is offensive enough for me to feel its best not to respond to the person and seek moderation. I go to click on the report button only to see underneath it that mods and/or Admin has liked the comment. At that point reporting the comment is an exercise in futility.

 

[Slumberfreeze]

@Kevin lol don't be discouraged. Just like most of the men here, the mods tend to rank pretty high on the old spectrum. It is really easy for them to see and respond to the logical argument first and not react to things that leave the realm of civility. Hitting the report button will at least be an indicator to them that they should revisit the post with an eye towards that.

 

[FollowingHim]

I go to click on the report button only to see underneath it that mods and/or Admin has liked the comment. At that point reporting the comment is an exercise in futility.

I can see how this could be discouraging.

But the mods are only humans. They only perceive posts from their perspective. They cannot be assumed to see it from yours also. A comment that one person finds logical and interesting can be offensive to another. Also, someone may like a post because of one detail in it, and you might be concerned about a different detail they hadn't even noticed.

Just click the report button and explain what the problem is that you perceive. As I said, nobody will know until you tell them.

Even moderators are humans with their own opinions, which might differ from your own. But they are people whom we trust to put aside those personal opinions and make a sensible judgement where conflict is occurring. Just because someone has an opinion that differs from yours does not mean they cannot fairly arbitrate a dispute.