Yeah, all those murders that go on every day all over the world. May as well let the murderers roam free, and let the general population get used to the fact there's going to be blood, so best not get too complacent about things. Absolutely.
But you can visit an oasis or go on vacation from time to time. I don't pretend the world is and can be, anything but cruel and mean. A few people even wrote some great art about it. I simply enjoy places that try and keep things more civil than those who do not, a tad bit more. Like how a Mcdonald's and a 5 star restaurant have completely different atmospheres. How frequently would most of us be here if we just let everything go? Can't believe it would appeal to anyone but those who are making the most loud and obnoxious noises. I'm not looking for a sense of security here, just someplace I can talk about photo stuff without having to deal with random jerks who want nothing but to cause problems and not engage in conversation about photography. If that means risking someone taking a personal problem too far and abusing a mod power....man, I got real problems in life to worry about not some make believe internet bullcrap.
I am curious is there is any moderation active at the moment (and I have not read the whole thread). I can imagine that the site is popular enough to attract spammers.
I don't know... internet message boards have declined a lot over the years. They have become relics of past, like Russia's military equipment. I wouldn't be surprised if I am the youngest user here.
Anywhere a large group of people post on the internet represents some part of the global hive mind thought process, or at least gives some glimpses into it. As long as it ain't nothing but robots posting, one of the top 1000th websites on the planet, 4chan, probably represents some low number percentage of human ideologies/thinking. Scumsuckers have been around forever and will be here til there's no pond scum left to crawl under, unfortunately.
This place's representative power is not as large by a long shot, but I have to assume it reflects most hobby based websites where the discussion is mostly civil with the occasional flair here and there. Most people are decent enough to engage socially on surface levels, especially when there's some mutual appreciation going down.
I really hope you aren't the youngest person here as the Kodak Gods are getting real picky about their current demands for appeasement sacrifices for new film to be produced every year. Lol, I kid, I kid. As the youngest guy at Senior's Yoga, care to share a number? If my hobby and budgets were more equal previously, I probably would have been on the old DP page 10+ years before I was.
I'm glad to see that you're aware of this particular scheme, Bob - I wasn't a very active participant in the old DPR forums so I'm not too informed of the social dynamics over there, but this is basically the gold standard of opposition neutralization tactics employed by POV pushers on the English Wikipedia. While the stakes are clearly lower in a photography forum, the fundamental strategy would be no less effective without experienced moderators (or whatever we'll wind up calling them).
Sure, but it's an onerous responsibility to place on a small number of empowered people to police a large number, without support and consent of the majority. For that to be successful, the majority need to express their values and engage in their community. Democracy over dictatorship, as it were.
My belief would be that tone and approach can influence behaviour in a community, as it can in society. If you approach it assuming the worst of people, you will certainly find it. You don't have to trust that people are good, but it might be wise to consider that they might be, and give them the opportunity to show that they can value that tolerance and engage honestly and constructively.
Of course there will be bad actors, and a reporting and moderation process will form a part of community, as policing forms a part of society.
By far the majority of any community are likely to want to engage, contribute, and value their inclusion. That behaviour will inform and shape the community - as much as the alternative of an assumption of internecine warfare will. Fear and anger tends to build fear and anger. Tolerance and patience tends not to.
I don't need to assume the worst in people, I have an entire history of humankind to prove it and every comment section that's ever existed to back it up. Giving everyone a chance to speak, while a fair idea, has proven to be quite problematic in some cases. Nipping it in the bud immediately over an inability to perform basic civility is a productive effort every single time. If you're using your screen name or avatar to promote racism/bigotry/hateful ideas, you've already told everyone everything that needs to be known about you and why you don't need a seat at the table. Go read the "if you let a nazi into your bar" story if you want a full breakdown. Keep the riff rats out. I don't need those people in my life in a physical or digital presence. If you wish to let them be neighbors in your spaces, you don't get to be mad when they act exactly like you were told they would. There are plenty of subreddits that prove giving people with a pre-existing civility problem a place to exist breeds little but eventually larger incivility or worse.
Tolerance and patience for hatred only produces more harm. Let it wallow in itself and die. The largest flaw in every system is humans. I will take that risk of them occasionally faltering in being completely objective on things and making it personal, over riffraffs, miscreants, and those who have little better to do but be a bother to the rest of us. If some mods end up sucking too bad, there will always be another forum without them to lord over. There will always be another Amazon to break them. Their actions will end up destroying whatever community they create. Time will eventually win.
I don't care about whatever the personal spats from the old forum seem to be that some can't seem to stop yammering on about....but look at what that has already done. It's exposed people who probably would be little more than a problem here and hopefully, it keeps them out. Good.
Let me get this straight. The way to stop having Nazis in the bar is to have thought police that censor what people say. Really? Actual nazis are going to come out with illegal stuff that needs to be stopped, but something a bit the wrong side of your standards of civility doesn't denote a nazi.
Behaviour that is inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected.
An act that is inappropriate, improper, incorrect, or unexpected.
Indecorous behaviour, or the state of being indecorous.
Loutishness or rudeness.
The state or quality of being immoral.
Now just define all those definitions and you are half way to creating a definition of bad behaviour that the ISO would be proud of.
Bad behavior here is forgetting to put your pants on when you go to the grocery store !
or, like… the 30 year old girl that flipped me the bird at a set of traffic lights a few weeks back. lol