DC United forum mods shutting down public dialogue

There are plenty of places to talk about this issue.

I made the decision to reserve a place just for DC United supporters to talk about this very sensitive matter. I stand by that decision.

The allegation that I go to other boards to "talk smack" lacks credibility. Feel free to search my posts.

 

I do not deny my heavy handed reputation on the DCU board. But we remain one of the most popular boards at BigSoccer, and the regulars are pretty happy with the level of moderating there.

I've made comments in many forums, but I don't talk smack. (Well, very, very rarely. I don't find it very interesting, and - alas - I'm not very good at it.)

As I said, I made my decision because I thought DC United supporters would need a place of their own to discuss this, particularly now while this is still developing. I continue to stand by that decision.

 

Knave talking smack???



Pinch me..it must be the end of the world!!


Knave may be a Heavy-hammer-wielding mod...but even I support him on this...and trust me I am anti-Knave...



~worm~

 

Generally I'd like to see more moderation on these boards not less, but I think what Kave did creates an awful precident to be making ammendments to the TOS as a moderator sees fit. Certainly on different boards there are different standards of moderation which is entirely acceptable.

Knave stands by his decision which is fine, and this issue like so many others on Bigsoccer really isn't going to affect me in one way or another in the least. However, it was a wrong decision.

Trolling and disruptive posts are one issue, declaring that a a board or thread are for one type of posters 'ONLY' is another. Furthermore, I apologize if I'm being shrill, but to ban different and certain kinds of people from a discussion in a thread about racism is a bit... ironic.

 

So say it in the other 4+ threads on the issue...seems pretty simple to me. Most likly knave will open the thread up when a statement comes out from D.C. front office...((well that is what I am hoping?))

I understand this is a major story, but D.C. fans are the ones who will be effected the most! This issue has alot connected to it.

~worm~

 

None the less, one would think there's a difference between insisting that outside fans are respectful and banning them outright. This isn't a big issue, Knave's actions, but it certainly bears discussion.

 

keep it to your own damn forum

we have mls general and mls n&a to discuss league stuff


this issue effects the league


you want smack?

there's a rivalry thread



i don't want other mls fans in the fire forum



keep it up knave

 

Most likely. But right now ... no. It's clear from the thread on our board that DCU supporters want a little space to digest this and talk it over with each other.

I think you guys have to afford the communities on the club boards more respect. The club boards aren't just public forums, they're also - indeed, primarily - supporters forums.

If there's reason for supporters to seclude themselves a bit and have a discussion just amongst themselves then I think you have to give them a little room to do so.

This is one of those occasions.

 

I certainly considered just making it "heavily moderated" but I decided against it because I anticipated an absolute madhouse if I left it completely open to everyone.

I had good reason to fear a really ugly and hostile situation would develop if I didn't put some sort of limits and take the unusual step of asking that the DCU posters be left alone at least in their own forum.

The alternative was deleting bunches and bunches of posts - and had I merely labelled it "heavily moderated" I know I would have ended up deleting many, many posts. And had I done that people would be extremely upset and I bet you somebody would have started a thread here complaining. That really was the choice: restrict it to regulars or delete lots and lots of posts.

Either way someone would be pissed off. But at least this way the DCU die-hards have a place where they can get together and talk amongst themselves about this serious matter. And quite a few of them have thanked me for helping to give them that.

 

While I am inclined to agree that Knave has both the right and perhaps even the obligation to handle this issue in whatever manner he deems fit - and he is one of the best mods around in any case - I would be a lot more sympathetic if it wasn't for the fact that EVERY DAMN TIME some controversial issue arises it is DCU FANS who flood other teams boards with smartass, insulting and ridiculous commentary.

So it is somewhat absurd for the DC board to turn exclusive all of a sudden. Since when did they extend this same sort of courtesy to anybody else?

I mean, it's all good and well for Knave to wax philosophical about "DC diehards having a place where they can talk amongst themselves" but it not much short of hypocritical, at best. Where do the rest of us go to get the same kind of "exclusive, hard-core fans only" kind of a deal on BS? Did you pay more for your membership than I did?

I know they feel they own BigSoccer, but it just seems that what we're really seeing here - again, all respect to Knave - is a case of DC "fans" being more than happy to dish it out on a daily basis to all and sundry, but not being able to take it.

Which, alas, is just too typical.

 

right on point....

 

It is an abuse of moderating power. This is not a DC United message board and for Knave to restrict ALL discussion of the topic into one thread that is only for known DC United fans is a complete joke. What will he do next, insist that a password is required to even enter his board? It's not big, not clever and certainly not what BS is supposed to be about.

 

Sorry Knave, I think you're way off base in restricting this to DC United fans only. It goes far beyond what we have to say.

 

For a moderator to exclude individual inflammatory posts that coarsen the level of discussion is one thing. To exclude anyone who doesn't have his own point of view from being able to express that point of view at all is something altogether different, and totally unacceptable. I freely admit I am not a DC United supporter. I deny that my fan status renders me dangerous, or unworthy, of expressing an observation on a subject of critical importance to the league I follow.

If this is an example of the best judgment of Big Soccer's DC United moderator, then Big Soccer needs a new DC United moderator. Now.

 

Is that what this is really about? If so then you're pretty much confirming the choice I thought I had: either restrict discussion or delete lots and lots of posts.

I don't condone DCU posters trolling other boards. But I suggest you take that up with the mods that tolerate that.

Funny thing is I actually left Bill Archer's post up on the DCU board thread. Hmm ....

 

Spot. ON.

And I submit that the very reason why DC fans are such a-holes that way is b/c they have a heavy-handed moderator w/ zero tolerance for outside discussion that he doesn't seem fit. Those pricks never get challenged. They never have anybody to "keep them honest".

And while I'm shedding a tear and singing "Kumbayah" that the DC fans have some space to "grieve" or whatever they need to do, there are other posters on the board from a variety of backgrounds that can steer the discourse in a productive route:

1. RSL fans to dismiss the ludicrous "RSL Conspiracy" that was taking shape last night (I haven't checked this morning)
2. Black posters from other parts of the country/world who aren't as emotionally attached and hence have a unique, objective perspective
3. experts in crisis management in PR or other fields that touch this complex issue

Yeah. Heaven forbid that DCU fans actually learn from others. And heaven forbid that non-DCU fans catch a glimpse of all these "private/DCU only" issues so that we all get a better sense of what's going on. When others respectfully ask questions, DC fans would be forced to break down the issue piece by piece. That simple action makes the dialogue much more tangible... FOR EVERYBODY, including DC fans.

 

You're making my point for me. The prevelence of attitudes like this were clearly on of the reasons I wanted to restrict discussion on that thread. DC United fans don't need (in the words of another poster) "pious scoldings from other team fans," and they don't need people from other boards telling them they're "pricks" and "keeping them honest."

You know, what I did was very unusual and a little over the top. But, my lord, it really seems the folks haranguing this decision most loudly are actually doing of a damned good job of demonstrating the wisdom of my decision.

 

The issue as it relates to that specific point Knave, isn't that Carlos or Bill feel that we should be allowed to act as DCU fans do. The issue is that DC Fans on these boards have a culutre of thin-skinned, insular hypocrisy. This was just a large scale representation of that. I think it's absolutely outlandish to be exclusionary on a mass scale any place on these boards. It's up to DC fans detertermine what they need and don't need? Carlos' point was about driving the discussion and debate in terms of 'challenging people.' The guy you refference about 'pious scoldings' oh well jeez... I'd think all the toughies in the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava could handle a litle pious scolding. I mean hell. I had to make refference to the DC thread by linking posts in the general boards. How is that constructive for a discussion?

 

If you are incapable of taking the heat from rival fans on an Internet message board and doing your job as a moderator, then I suggest that you should resign. To prevent anyone from discussing the issue because of what a few trolls may do is a joke. As is your continued attempts to use that as some sort of excuse for your abuse of power.

 

You're completely off base on this one.

There's a big difference between fans of other teams commenting on what's going on WRT to the "back to Africa" statement and trolling.

 

Like you didn't know you'd get that ammo before you posted your original point.

Are there or are there not moderating standards on BigSoccer? If so, does this decision really fall within them?

When it comes right down to it, the moderators have the power. But in my humble opinion, you need an argument stronger than "i'm different than the other mods" or "they need time to grieve" to justify cutting off public discussion on a public board. I'm really disappointed.

 

Knave,

I think you do have the right to delete "trolling" posts in that thread. But not ones that actually offer objective thought and analysis of the matter at hand.

I think you have gone too far here.

 

Excuse me, sir, but you are wrong.

If there are individuals who write individual objectionable posts, the job you volunteered for is to monitor your board to delete those individual posts and, if indicated, sanction the posters who posted those objectionable observations. The blanket exclusion of everyone who doesn't share your sensitivities and preferences from sharing a civil point of view is entirely out of line.

Next we'll be hearing that anyone who didn't vote for Bush is fatally flawed from criticizing his Katrina performance because, you know how those liberals are! They just don't see things clearly, and we need a place where right-thinking people can speak freely without having to fuss with Those People.

This isn't about stereotypes of any particular team's fan base, although heaven knows for every ounce of truth there's a pound of vicious spin and outright lies on that subject. This is about the proper limits of the power of moderators to exclude what they don't want to hear.