How about members getting voted off?

[pTmdfx]

My first post was literally a shit false rumor. But I grew out of that.

I'd say my occasional struggle here (and back when SemiAccurate forum was a thing) was with a specific class of posters. They are no doubt great theorycrafters and have good research skills. But some perhaps are too enthusiast about their theory, despite the lack of the analytical skills and background knowledge to make sense of it. The primary symptom is entering a circle of hell with responses in buzzwords, quotes and speculations, while you tried very hard to dump your brain to form a toned down technical angle to what they have said. You will then start questioning if it is really worth the time, or perhaps should go for a cuppa to break from the school of knowledge your daywork already requires.

I do have to stress that these kind of people are fortunately exotic in B3D. Many I engaged with might not have an SW/HW engineering background, but at least they either have a good stance in science literacy, or they have good analytical skills to ask good questions to help everyone and themselves. So I for one see a value in the proposed system, at least to deal with those exotics.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Yes, and that's the sort of person I'm thinking of. These people are exotic at B3D mostly because we've kicked them out. For all those here saying they are glad they had the chance to stay long enough to grow smart(er), do you think if you had the power to black-ball people, you wouldn't have patience for them? @function - if tomorrow you woke up with the power to vote people off, do you think it'd go to your head and you'd kick everyone out, or do you think you'd be just as patient with new posters as the board was with you, only voting for someone's removal when it was apparent they weren't the 'Right Stuff'?

 

[function]

Yes, and that's the sort of person I'm thinking of. These people are exotic at B3D mostly because we've kicked them out. For all those here saying they are glad they had the chance to stay long enough to grow smart(er), do you think if you had the power to black-ball people, you wouldn't have patience for them? @function - if tomorrow you woke up with the power to vote people off, do you think it'd go to your head and you'd kick everyone out, or do you think you'd be just as patient with new posters as the board was with you, only voting for someone's removal when it was apparent they weren't the 'Right Stuff'?

Well ... I hope that I would have patience, and try to foster the same kind of environment that I've benefited from. I think I'm probably past the point where that kind of power would go to my head, but maybe I'm overestimating myself.

I'm actually coming round to the idea that some kind of additional mechanism for reducing noise would be a plus. Having the people most knowledgeable and most experienced in a subject able to identify and act on protecting the quality of discussion ultimately would be beneficial for everyone else. These are specialist subjects and I can see that moderation for general behaviour isn't always going to be enough.

 

[Deleted member 2197]

Having the people most knowledgeable and most experienced in a subject able to identify and act on protecting the quality of discussion ultimately would be beneficial for everyone else. These are specialist subjects and I can see that moderation for general behaviour isn't always going to be enough.

I agree and think that makes sense for threads that began as specialists subjects to have that kind of moderation. It would not make sense for threads that did not originate as "specialist subjects" but due to increased specialist postings are viewed as such.

However, it would likely be helpful to get an idea for what people identify as "specialist threads or subjects". I'm sure there will be a variety of responses, but have linked 2 threads that I generally would consider as specialist threads.
https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/opengl-rasterization-rules-does-it-use-top-left-rule.49246/
https://forum.beyond3d.com/threads/are-opengl-compute-shaders-async-given-multiple-programs.58235/

 

[mrcorbo]

Thread reply ban is probably the way to go.

I can get behind this. Is there a way to track the number of thread-bans a user has accumulated? If so, a very simple way to eliminate the bad apples is to start with thread bans, escalate to full, but temporary, bans once a user has accumulated enough of these and then escalate to a permanent ban. While, of course, still allowing the moderators the discretion to, if an individual offense is severe enough, skip the process and escalate to one of the more severe penalties.

And as users we should all use the reporting tools more. Not just because we don't like or are offended by something, but when a post or poster is truly disrupting a discussion.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Yeah, I think MVP-voting of thread bans including a message to the user,

"the most valued members of this board have independently decided your contributions to this thread are a negative and elected to isolate you from this discussion. This could be because of repetitious arguments, choice of language, or ability to follow through with a line of reasoning."​

...or whatever, worded well to convey to the user the opportunity to self-reflect, is the way forwards, if possible. It'd democratise thread management of the most important threads to the posters most trusted to preserve the type of discussions we want. And recording thread bans would of course lead to data on members who are excessively bothersome.

 

[WarthogARJ]

I'm new here, so please pardon me putting my 2 cents in.

First of all, I think it's a good idea to be able to tell members that HOW they said something as much as WHAT they said was not appeciated.
Rudeness is wrong, even by Moderators.

Secondly, being ejected doesn't really have a downside: the person can always join up with another email.

Thirdly, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?". And I don't mean Star Trek.
I've been on a lot of forums, and some of them have very high traffic/long term members who jump on posts, and hijack the post.
Some of them are Moderators.
There's a downside to turning away new blood, even if what they say might not be liked by the "Old Guard".

 

[CarstenS]

Is the idea from the OP still being considered? I would like that for the sole reason to have one forum on the internet where you can go without getting constantly annoyed about... things. Even if that means, I would be restricted to reading access at some point.

 

[iroboto]

Is the idea from the OP still being considered? I would like that for the sole reason to have one forum on the internet where you can go without getting constantly annoyed about... things. Even if that means, I would be restricted to reading access at some point.

shifty geezer left.

We do have a subscribers forum. But no one uses that as far as I can see.
But I would second that though, I would prefer there to be a public developer's only forum, that can be read (by the larger public) but only written to by devs. You'd have to be vetted somehow, but at least the discussions are all in 1 place. Going through twitter is much harder.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Even if that means, I would be restricted to reading access at some point.

You mean posting access? If I understood correctly, the posts would be public but the input would be reserved for MVMs.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

shifty geezer left.

Is the idea from the OP still being considered?

Shifty Geezer wasn't in a position to implement the idea. Having floated it, the forum had to decide one way or another. Just catching up on feedback, I see there's still long-term users lamenting the lack of quality and the presence of low-grade contributors, to the extend they too have had to take a break.

Maybe people will argue it's unfair or something, but I'm still of the mind that the general populace should have a deciding factor over who is just more trouble than they are worth. In the past couple of years I've been away from B3D, the rest of the internet has revealed how really low-brow it is, and I'd like one nice, smart place that isn't just developers. The long-timers from B3D know what it could and should be and I'd trust them prune effectively.

 

[milk]

Shifty Geezer wasn't in a position to implement the idea. Having floated it, the forum had to decide one way or another. Just catching up on feedback, I see there's still long-term users lamenting the lack of quality and the presence of low-grade contributors, to the extend they too have had to take a break.

Maybe people will argue it's unfair or something, but I'm still of the mind that the general populace should have a deciding factor over who is just more trouble than they are worth. In the past couple of years I've been away from B3D, the rest of the internet has revealed how really low-brow it is, and I'd like one nice, smart place that isn't just developers. The long-timers from B3D know what it could and should be and I'd trust them prune effectively.

Am I the only person who has seen this post yet? The man is back.

 

[CarstenS]

In the past couple of years I've been away from B3D, […]

Welcome back. Hope you enjoy your current tour of duty here

 

[Davros]

Quick lock the doors so he cant escape again....

 

[iroboto]

Shifty Geezer wasn't in a position to implement the idea. Having floated it, the forum had to decide one way or another. Just catching up on feedback, I see there's still long-term users lamenting the lack of quality and the presence of low-grade contributors, to the extend they too have had to take a break.

Maybe people will argue it's unfair or something, but I'm still of the mind that the general populace should have a deciding factor over who is just more trouble than they are worth. In the past couple of years I've been away from B3D, the rest of the internet has revealed how really low-brow it is, and I'd like one nice, smart place that isn't just developers. The long-timers from B3D know what it could and should be and I'd trust them prune effectively.

OMG. Hahah. I have a whole thread trying to get you to return. @London Geezer is going to be so happy.

welcome back. Wow. I’m speechless.

 

[London Geezer]

Shifty Geezer wasn't in a position to implement the idea. Having floated it, the forum had to decide one way or another. Just catching up on feedback, I see there's still long-term users lamenting the lack of quality and the presence of low-grade contributors, to the extend they too have had to take a break.

Maybe people will argue it's unfair or something, but I'm still of the mind that the general populace should have a deciding factor over who is just more trouble than they are worth. In the past couple of years I've been away from B3D, the rest of the internet has revealed how really low-brow it is, and I'd like one nice, smart place that isn't just developers. The long-timers from B3D know what it could and should be and I'd trust them prune effectively.

OMG

 

[London Geezer]

OMG. Hahah. I have a whole thread trying to get you to return. @London Geezer is going to be so happy.

welcome back. Wow. I’m speechless.

Actually made my day.

 

[Deleted member 13524]

Actually made my day.

Are you going to change your nickname or do we get to have two Geezers now?

 

[London Geezer]

Are you going to change your nickname or do we get to have two Geezers now?

I now have full ownership of the name Geezer, sorry. I'm happy to share the glory.

 

[milk]

Are you going to change your nickname or do we get to have two Geezers now?

Eh, two geezers is just too messy. He should definetly drop "geezer" and change his name to "Shifty London Boy" to avoid any possible confusion.