NS Petition: Change of Guard

[Forever Indomitable]

This is a petition to the site admin and for all users to demote or remove the top of the moderation staff for the reasons of being excessively censorious, deaf to user criticism, personal bias, cultivating and encouraging an environment of snitching that erodes community, engaging in heavy handed moderation that stifles organic discussion and all around general abuses of power. I think this general attitude is well encapsulated by how Reploid Productions has a habit of smugly gloating when she bans someone. While I get NS is a product platform, as a political forum, I believe it requires a higher degree of free speech, impartiality and inclusivity to achieve an actual sense of progressive integrity where users can express themselves without habitually looking over their shoulders. If you think the moderation on this site is out of hand and oppressive, please consider "signing" this thread.

[Untecna]

laughs at 200 decibels

Oh, these jokes are hilarious. Please, keep 'em coming.

[The Church of Satan]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

[Terrorist Group]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

Agreed with TCS. The moderators are not perfect, but I believe they are doing their job in a mostly impartial manner and are helping to keep direct arguments between members to a minimum. Beef might still exist between members and moderators and between members themselves, but their strictness against rule violations does keep the forums from becoming an absolute mess.

[Juristonia]

No.

[Thethen]

No u.

[Forever Indomitable]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

I'm not surprised you support them, Mr. Corrupt Dictatorship. I've seen various sorts of generalized social criticisms in NSG, but when I do it, in rather tame rhetoric to boot, I get punished. You can't always sugarcoat your message and I've been held to different standards by moderation the entire time I've been here. Selectively censoring criticism is the very foundation of anti-intellectualism and as someone who idealistically and practically values freedom of expression, I have to oppose this.

[Forever Indomitable]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

Agreed with TCS. The moderators are not perfect, but I believe they are doing their job in a mostly impartial manner and are helping to keep direct arguments between members to a minimum. Beef might still exist between members and moderators and between members themselves, but their strictness against rule violations does keep the forums from becoming an absolute mess.

Look at my quoted posts. They are broad social criticisms against a system of abuse, discrimination and degradation. Mods can maintain civility without playing thought police, but they choose not to.

[Panagouge]

I believe it requires a higher degree of free speech

Did you ever read the help page thoroughly?

I shall quote it for you.

"It's free speech, so I can post whatever I like here, right?
Ahahahaha! Hahaha! Free speech! No, it's not. I run this web site, see, so you have to play by my rules. It's like my own Father Knows Best state."

Be grateful for you have.

[Terrorist Group]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

I'm not surprised you support them, Mr. Corrupt Dictatorship. I've seen various sorts of generalized social criticisms in NSG, but when I do it, in rather tame rhetoric to boot, I get punished. You can't always sugarcoat your message and I've been held to different standards by moderation the entire time I've been here. Selectively censoring criticism is the very foundation of anti-intellectualism and as someone who idealistically and practically values freedom of expression, I have to oppose this.

How is their censorship selective or related to criticism? In my opinion, your posts were direct attacks on users, whereas most legal/borderline posts attack their opinion. There’s a difference.

You also need to define “freedom of expression”. If NS allowed anything to pass, most of us would hate this place, and it would become a hub for, well, weird things. Even if only those weird things were banned, we’d still end up with heated arguments galore and people screaming at each other. Is that what you want NS to become?

[Vistulange]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

I'm not surprised you support them, Mr. Corrupt Dictatorship.

You do realise that people's national classification means absolutely nothing in regard to what their behaviour and approach towards moderation and other players are, right? Your nation classification is a result of the way you respond to issues, and plenty of people take the piss or roleplay when responding to those.

I've seen various sorts of generalized social criticisms in NSG, but when I do it, in rather tame rhetoric to boot, I get punished. You can't always sugarcoat your message and I've been held to different standards by moderation the entire time I've been here. Selectively censoring criticism is the very foundation of anti-intellectualism and as someone who idealistically and practically values freedom of expression, I have to oppose this.

Learn to defend your position with less vitriol and napalm.

[The Church of Satan]

NationStates Moderation does a very fine job with its current roster and I support their continued service as valuable members of both the staff and the community. Not that you'll actually achieve anything from this because of your personal beef with them.

I'm not surprised you support them, Mr. Corrupt Dictatorship. I've seen various sorts of generalized social criticisms in NSG, but when I do it, in rather tame rhetoric to boot, I get punished. You can't always sugarcoat your message and I've been held to different standards by moderation the entire time I've been here. Selectively censoring criticism is the very foundation of anti-intellectualism and as someone who idealistically and practically values freedom of expression, I have to oppose this.

It's not necessarily what you say. It's how you say it. You may not sugar coat it, but you sure do drown it in salt, pepper, hot sauce, and tear gas. You'd go a lot further if you learned to be civil while talking to other people.

NationStates Moderation isn't the problem here. You are. This is further illustrated by that light, but not so subtle "corrupt dictatorship" insult you so carelessly threw onto the fire for extra kindling. But thank you for the added heat! The flames could always be hotter down here.

[Forever Indomitable]

I'm not surprised you support them, Mr. Corrupt Dictatorship. I've seen various sorts of generalized social criticisms in NSG, but when I do it, in rather tame rhetoric to boot, I get punished. You can't always sugarcoat your message and I've been held to different standards by moderation the entire time I've been here. Selectively censoring criticism is the very foundation of anti-intellectualism and as someone who idealistically and practically values freedom of expression, I have to oppose this.

How is their censorship selective or related to criticism? In my opinion, your posts were direct attacks on users, whereas most legal/borderline posts attack their opinion. There’s a difference.

You also need to define “freedom of expression”. If NS allowed anything to pass, most of us would hate this place, and it would become a hub for, well, weird things. Even if only those weird things were banned, we’d still end up with heated arguments galore and people screaming at each other. Is that what you want NS to become?

People have directly attacked me the entire time I've been here and I have not once sought moderation in my defense. People criticize me; they have their gripes and I try to have discourse with them. I can't always just pretend you, or x, y and z aren't directly affecting me, you and the rest of society do. I have to describe what is being done for the sake of my defense. I can take criticism, so, why can't everyone else? Because that's what this comes down to, criticism. I didn't make those posts to infuriate anyone, I made them because I have concerns I wish to express and discuss. This is politics, not everything is able to be packaged in palatable wrapping.

[Kandorith]

I believe it requires a higher degree of free speech.

No such thing as free speech on Nationstates, it says so in the rules. /thread

[Thethen]

I believe it requires a higher degree of free speech.

No such thing as free speech on Nationstates, it says so in the rules. /thread

[The Church of Satan]

Report them then. Your criticisms of society are....well, they're just that. But, and I can't stress this enough, Mr. Revolutionary, don't be a d-bag while you make them. It's not difficult. All ya gotta do is have manners, and use them even! This may be a radical concept for you, but it's a tried and true method of communication. There's thousands of years of communication to back it up.

[Untecna]

Fun Fact, OP: You aren't the first person to suggest this, you won't be the last, nothing will change because nothing needs to change, except for you.

If you can't handle making any posts without lighting a dumpster fire, you shouldn't complain when you get in trouble for it.

[Forever Indomitable]

I believe it requires a higher degree of free speech

Did you ever read the help page thoroughly?

I shall quote it for you.

"It's free speech, so I can post whatever I like here, right?
Ahahahaha! Hahaha! Free speech! No, it's not. I run this web site, see, so you have to play by my rules. It's like my own Father Knows Best state."

Be grateful for you have.

I'm familiar with this, but it's crazy that my thread got locked and my nation deleted just because there's no nicer way to describe systemic abuse and human degradation.

[Mets Hayk]

Wait a minute...aren't you the guy who advocated for ethnonationalism?

[Forever Indomitable]

I'm not surprised you support them, Mr. Corrupt Dictatorship.

You do realise that people's national classification means absolutely nothing in regard to what their behaviour and approach towards moderation and other players are, right? Your nation classification is a result of the way you respond to issues, and plenty of people take the piss or roleplay when responding to those.

I've seen various sorts of generalized social criticisms in NSG, but when I do it, in rather tame rhetoric to boot, I get punished. You can't always sugarcoat your message and I've been held to different standards by moderation the entire time I've been here. Selectively censoring criticism is the very foundation of anti-intellectualism and as someone who idealistically and practically values freedom of expression, I have to oppose this.

Learn to defend your position with less vitriol and napalm.

Nothing in WIC was remotely close to "vitriol and napalm" and feel free to quote where you disagree.

[Thethen]

Wait a minute...aren't you the guy who advocated for ethnonationalism?

I think so.

[Terrorist Group]

How is their censorship selective or related to criticism? In my opinion, your posts were direct attacks on users, whereas most legal/borderline posts attack their opinion. There’s a difference.

You also need to define “freedom of expression”. If NS allowed anything to pass, most of us would hate this place, and it would become a hub for, well, weird things. Even if only those weird things were banned, we’d still end up with heated arguments galore and people screaming at each other. Is that what you want NS to become?

People have directly attacked me the entire time I've been here and I have not once sought moderation in my defense. People criticize me; they have their gripes and I try to have discourse with them. I can't always just pretend you, or x, y and z aren't directly affecting me, you and the rest of society do. I have to describe what is being done for the sake of my defense. I can take criticism, so, why can't everyone else? Because that's what this comes down to, criticism. I didn't make those posts to infuriate anyone, I made them because I have concerns I wish to express and discuss. This is politics, not everything is able to be packaged in palatable wrapping.

If you believe these posts were direct attacks, you can (and should) report it to the moderators. However, direct criticism isn’t usually beneficial to communities because of the fierce arguments they encourage. While they are inevitable, there are ways to argue and attack viewpoints in a direct but civil manner, which most of us accept and try to follow. Direct attacks stress out many people, and, along with the fact that they have nothing to do with the argument, certainly are not part of a healthy debate/argument.

[The Church of Satan]

Did you ever read the help page thoroughly?

I shall quote it for you.

"It's free speech, so I can post whatever I like here, right?
Ahahahaha! Hahaha! Free speech! No, it's not. I run this web site, see, so you have to play by my rules. It's like my own Father Knows Best state."

Be grateful for you have.

I'm familiar with this, but it's crazy that my thread got locked and my nation deleted just because there's no nicer way to describe systemic abuse and human degradation.

That's the thing....there is! You might be thinking, "Whoa! No way! Tell me more, Dark Lord!" Well, for the low, low price of not hurling an insult at the person you're talking to (or your soul, ya know, if you're up to it,) you too can have this marvelous invention!

[Mets Hayk]

Wait a minute...aren't you the guy who advocated for ethnonationalism?

I think so.

Y'know - I expected nothing less from a guy who threw a hissy fit because the mods didn't accept his appeal.

[Shazbotdom]

Please refer to the TOS (in the FAQs) that you agreed to, specifically the first question in "Etiquette".

Q: It's free speech, so I can post whatever I like here, right?
A: Ahahahaha! Hahaha! Free speech! No, it's not. I run this web site, see, so you have to play by my rules. It's like my own Father Knows Best state.