Hi,
chase wrote:
I'd like it if all of us can discuss moderation style. Moderation should almost never be needed for other moderators, moderators that have stepped down or really anyone that has been a member here for years. Good moderation should have weeded out the people that aren't contributing sometime before the 12 year mark.
Even the new members that have social interaction issue shouldn't be insta-banned. We should be trying to nurture talent in this space. I get that this may come across as peace, love, and rainbows but if Linus can admit he has been unprofessional then hopeful anyone here can improve too.
But sometimes people that both contribute can rub each other the wrong way. That is the reason there is a "Add Foe" option when you view someones profile, so you are less likely to interact with the people you don't get along with. There is nothing wrong with using that feature even if you are a mod.
I think I've unbanned and restored moderator rights for everyone effected, let me know if I missed anything/anyone. I'm back to being the only admin, I think it created an unfair balance of power but I'm happy to appoint additional mods if anyone with a history of positive contributions and interactions is up for the task.
Was my wording "unfortunate"? In hindsight, yes. At times I get overly passionate (especially about inefficient software), and at times I can be human.
However that is not the issue here. Due to ongoing mutual dislike, Solar lied about being "offended" (for the sake of hypothetical others) and launched a smear campaign (including using social media as a tool to exert pressure) to challenge the authority of a moderator. If you allow this kind of behaviour the end result is a team of janitors cleaning up spam who lack the power to moderate effectively and lack the courage to do what they believe to be right regardless of personal consequences.
If you are serious about caving in to an attacker's pressure, perhaps you should begin by unbanning Andrew (the guy that was using DDoS attacks against this site last year). After all, how can you say Solar deserves to be unbanned while others do not?
Cheers,
Brendan