Mini-Modding

[Rick Ace]

I was preparing a rules update for my forum, and I was inspired to make this topic...

Do you believe in punishing "Mini-Modding"? I personally don't believe a member should be punished for that, unless the member has stated that he will punish someone himself or herself.

For example, if you see a guy ripping off a street sign (sorry for the lame example), you'd say, Hey that's illegal! Are you mini-policing? Perhaps the guy didn't know of the consequences. So you say, you could get arrested!? Of course in the real world, people who say that are in hopes that the person committing the crime didn't know and that he'd stop. You won't be arrested for telling the person it's a crime, unless you act like a cop, or threaten to punish him yourself.

But if you were at a forum, and say, "you could get warning for double posting". You'd probably end up with a nice warning yourself.

I believe that people should not bully others, act like staff, or talk in a harassing way. But to say you could get warned, or to say don't do that, and get a warning yourself for mini-modding?

So what are your opinions? Personally, I'm going to ease the mini-modding rules. What are your opinions? What do you do on your forum?

[gfx25]

I've seen many forums were older members have gotten it in their head that they control/run the website

In other news I'm going to lock this thread now, oh wait.

[Rick Ace]

Jul 26, 2011 8:34:14 GMT -8 @gfx25 said:

I've seen many forums were older members have gotten it in their head that they control/run the website

Yes. But its hard to find the balance between punishing members who are aggressive versus those who are just informing. Punishing everyone in the name of mini-modding sounds a little rude.

[gfx25]

Jul 26, 2011 8:36:15 GMT -8 Rick Ace said:

Jul 26, 2011 8:34:14 GMT -8 @gfx25 said:

I've seen many forums were older members have gotten it in their head that they control/run the website

Yes. But its hard to find the balance between punishing members who are aggressive versus those who are just informing. Punishing everyone in the name of mini-modding sounds a little rude.

...Them acting like they own the site just because of how long they are there, plus acting rude to noobs is rude, if you ask me everyone should be punished the same way with the 25%, 50, 75 ban type of system,

[Patrick [ASE]]

There's a difference betwen informing politely and mini-modding.
Our rules are mostly because you may get a certain member that only posts to tell others the rules, they make very few discussion posts etc.
So a blanket rule was introduced, this has been relaxed a bit as regular members get to know this,and that we now have more staff (especially in support where it used to happen a lot).
Mini-modding is basically a normal member acting like they are staff, telling members off etc.

[James [a_leon]]

I think it depends on the tone used in the post, really. If they're trying to put themselves ahead of the member or being a robot about it, then use I feel they should be punished.

Let me explain.

If someone makes a post asking for help, for example, and this post happens to break a rule, let's say we have two members post two different things. Member 1 posts, "Please read the rules." Member posts, "In the future, please read the rules before making a topic. However...." and then proceeds to answer the question or do what they can to help, you know, contributing still in some way.

Member 1 would deserve the punishment, as what they did contributed nothing to discussion or helping the member. Member 2, however, informed them of the mistake AND contributed, so I feel there's no reason why that would have to be punished.

[Renegade]

Jul 26, 2011 8:28:24 GMT -8 Rick Ace said:

For example, if you see a guy ripping off a street sign (sorry for the lame example), you'd say, Hey that's illegal!

Sure, I'd say that.... if I wanted to get punched in the face.

I find it way annoying to see members making a big deal out of telling someone else the rules. In certain situations its okay, but it shouldn't be the first thing mentioned in a reply, it shouldn't take more than a sentence to explain what they did wrong (if you can't explain simply, its a mod's job), and just telling someone to read the rules doesn't help anyone.

[James [a_leon]]

Jul 26, 2011 9:28:30 GMT -8 Renegade said:

Jul 26, 2011 8:28:24 GMT -8 Rick Ace said:

For example, if you see a guy ripping off a street sign (sorry for the lame example), you'd say, Hey that's illegal!

Sure, I'd say that.... if I wanted to get punched in the face.

I find it way annoying to see members making a big deal out of telling someone else the rules. In certain situations its okay, but it shouldn't be the first thing mentioned in a reply, it shouldn't take more than a sentence to explain what they did wrong (if you can't explain simply, its a mod's job), and just telling someone to read the rules doesn't help anyone.

Exactly, what you should do in the situation he described is say, "hey, that's illegal, so let me help you so this goes faster and we don't get caught."

[Former Member]

I don't believe in petty mini modding...at all. If someone breaks a 'major' rule [like posting porn etc], then I believe it should be reported to the mods and/or admin.

However, I do not like bullying and am not afraid to speak my mind should this occur. I think every member of any forum has a moral duty to do so....otherwise they're an 'enabler'.

[Rick Ace]

Jul 26, 2011 9:29:41 GMT -8 James [a_leon] said:

Jul 26, 2011 9:28:30 GMT -8 Renegade said:

Sure, I'd say that.... if I wanted to get punched in the face.

I find it way annoying to see members making a big deal out of telling someone else the rules. In certain situations its okay, but it shouldn't be the first thing mentioned in a reply, it shouldn't take more than a sentence to explain what they did wrong (if you can't explain simply, its a mod's job), and just telling someone to read the rules doesn't help anyone.

Exactly, what you should do in the situation he described is say, "hey, that's illegal, so let me help you so this goes faster and we don't get caught."

If you do that in a forum, you might get a lower warning than if you attempted to mini-mod.

[Inter{n}ational]

i don't mind when my members, politely, comment on a new member's biography or something if they did something that was obviously not allowed. it saves me the time to point out something to small, and, i'm usually very slow when it comes to bios... and i forget a lot.

however, if they are rude about it, i'll bug me... i'm supposed to be rude. >

but anyway. xP i honestly don't care. i might elaborate on a point a member makes, but if they save me the waste of time, all's good. it doesn't matter to me how old and new they are. on my sites, which are usually quite small, i get to know all my members and they get to know me so we all have a mutual respect and become friends. c:

i bet it's harder with a larger site though.

[Hero]

Can someone lock this topic?

[Joy]

I think there is one way to help a new person without being bossy. I have seen people here, in the past, that went way out of line acting like the boss with other members. That is wrong. No one that is not staff needs to tell someone to read the rules. Anyone doing that needs to read the rules. We have the option to report to staff; that is the way to go. Mini modding is like giving someone timeout in front of the world.

[The Dark Knight]

I agree with the general feeling from a few members here that it's about the tone of the post. I don't see what's wrong in a member who has been around for years informing someone new when they break a rule.

Not a big deal really.

[Callie, kay?]

Honestly, I don't see it as a big deal to a certain point. I've been staff on quite a few sites and have noticed it a lot actually. Like someone above me said, it is usually the older members. As long as you monitor it and it doesn't get out of hand, and no one has complained about it, I don't generally see it as a problem.