Suggestion Third Party Moderation for Objectivity in Discussions

[DaveC426913]

Oh, they could choose to leave to another place to live in. There is always choice. Only that they shoot dead the ones who tried to leave.

...which is, obviously, where the analogy falls apart. (Unless you think the PF Mods are particularly vindictive. )

No need to follow the analogy beyond its usefulness.

 

[cesiumfrog]

Typically, moderators will only act in clear-cut cases if they have a conflict of interest and will otherwise bring the issue up for discussion first.

Dave, your OP is something the staff has talked about in the past and take efforts in doing.

This post is not a criticism of PF or the moderators.

To elaborate on this. It is a rule we follow that before we "intentionally" edit a post, we put a copy of the original post in the mentor's forum first.

Do you think this is a systemic problem in PF? In other words, is this a common occurrence

I think maybe the disconnect between members and mentors is that many netizens would want to distinguish between having "justice" be done, and having it seen to be done. (If these cases and potentially perceived biases are murky enough to be discussed in secrecy among mentors already, I can't see why the final action should need be performed by the same one personally involved in the thread.)

The issue in the OP certainly does remain a very common occurrence (https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=410406").

A related question: is there any way for members to always be automatically notified if someone else edits any of the posts they authored, and be privately posted a copy from before the edit? (And to at least be notified if a thread in which you partook is altered?) For me, much of the value of PF (specifically rather than a new forum) is the ability to find and return to where I've figured something out here in the past, and quickly remind myself by my own words (or by whoever's words I found most useful originally). I guess it's like facebook: our own contributions continually increase its value to us, then people get up in arms when they realize they've let themselves become dependent on the vagaries of a third party. And next thing you know, diaspora project is something people would blindly pay practically anyone to try to develop..

 

[Evo]

A related question: is there any way for members to always be automatically notified if someone else edits any of the posts they authored, and be privately posted a copy from before the edit? For me, much of the value of PF (specifically rather than a new forum) is the ability to return to where I've figured something out here in the past, and quickly remind myself by my own words.

Yes, if your post had to be edited, we copy it before it's edited and you can request a copy. Same thing if it was deleted. I've pm'd people copies of both.

 

[russ_watters]

...but it would be nice if it was automatic because we occasionally lose posts accidentally.

 

[Evo]

...but it would be nice if it was automatic because we occasionally lose posts accidentally.

Especially when you hit the edit button by mistake. I accidently edited one of Zoob's posts today.

 

[GeorginaS]

I think maybe the disconnect between members and mentors is that many netizens would want to distinguish between having "justice" be done, and having it seen to be done. (If these cases and potentially perceived biases are murky enough to be discussed in secrecy among mentors already, I can't see why the final action should need be performed by the same one personally involved in the thread.)

I agree with the idea that there's a disconnect between seeing what happens when there's an obvious disagreement that's not an issue of crackpottery or disrespect or what-have-you between a mentor and a member and simply an issue of opinion differences. Then stuff disappears and likely discussion goes to PM, and we're left not knowing what happened. That can cause subsequent leeriness when dealing with a particular mentor, because you don't know where you're going to stand. It's potentially a really uncomfortable position to be in.

At the same time, I entirely understand not having arguments in public about board rules and policy and infraction consequences. I don't tolerate it on a board I run either. Still. There's got to be some middle ground, I would hope.

 

[NeoDevin]

Especially when you hit the edit button by mistake. I accidently edited one of Zoob's posts today.

Maybe some sort of popup confirmation for the mentors "Are you sure you want to edit SoAndSo's post?", when they click edit?

 

[Evo]

Maybe some sort of popup confirmation for the mentors "Are you sure you want to edit SoAndSo's post?", when they click edit?

That would be wonderful.

 

[Borg]

I read a few pages of this thread and it really enlightened me about the moderation process. Like others, I did not realize that there was even a moderators forum where each infraction is discussed. More proof of the quality of Physics Forums IMHO.

I haven't read everything in this thread so I don't know if this has been suggested. Maybe a statement along the lines of "The mentors have decided..." would show that the decision wasn't made by one person without going into great detail about the process.

 

[cesiumfrog]

[popup edit confirmation for the mentors] would be wonderful.

If the admin isn't able to edit the text string associated with reporting posts, an entire new feature mightn't be likely. But when members edit their own posts, it is only then that they are supplied text edit box, and they already must afterward confirm to submit and otherwise may cancel. Oh, is the problem for moderators failing to notice that the post they think they are writing a reply to is not wrapped in QUOTE tags (and that the original copy only goes to private forums if the moderator chose deliberately to copy it there manually)?

 

[Evo]

If the admin isn't able to edit the text string associated with reporting posts, an entire new feature mightn't be likely. But when members edit their own posts, it is only then that they are supplied text edit box, and they already must afterward confirm to submit and otherwise may cancel. Oh, is the problem for moderators failing to notice that the post they think they are writing a reply to is not wrapped in QUOTE tags (and that the original copy only goes to private forums if the moderator chose deliberately to copy it there manually)?

The mentors have a different view, we also have different buttons. You'd be surprised how easy it is to accidently edit.