Making it Better: The future of WP

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Nice points Bender.

You've made me realise why I do come back here. I like to have a bit of friendly banter. Unfortunately, that does mean that those of us here who are familiar with each other can accidentally derail threads.

Though I've been getting that desire fulfilled by Reddit these days, which is why I'm here less and less.

r/rabbits is the best thing on the internet imo.

Welcoming new members personally is a very good thing and from time to time I've done that.

I like the detailed points raised by BR - very well written!

HL: Whenever we do see things that are problematic we can act without needing a report or PM but can't possibly see everything new due to the sheer volume of stuff and numerous subforums.
Regarding EP (Fnord = evidence please...) I think he has narcissism issues linked to being on the spectrum and feels driven to "correct" everything from spelling or grammatical errors to things he doesn't believe are facts, or agree with his black and white view of the world.

And he is actually capable of self reflection as he removed a post that I called him out on in a PM. I'll continue to do that if it's needed - for any member doing similar, especially to new or vulnerable users. If they don't listen to the voice of reason then they will feel the consequences!

Dude, I'm on your side.

Yes, I miss the friendly banter here too and the threads specifically catering to it. But aside from our resident skunk, most people who had a sense of humour and kept things light-hearted and lively stopped posting.

I recently discovered some great subreddits too, the place is huge and some parts of it are really cool

I like our resident skunk very much. It's a good community here and we want to make it better.

I've been really noticing the loss of voices here, you are missed.
All I can do is try as one member to make the virtual space around me pleasant, deal with bullying head on and hope the mod team focus on doing right by building trust with the user base.

Outdated software requires a top notch mod team to make up for these flaws.
Throwing Fnord under the bus will just start a witch hunt mentality and I'm not supporting that, it distracts from the core issue regarding moderation.

The problems stemming from the work around culture due to admin absence is a major part of the reason we are hemorrhaging members. We will spiral downwards until these issues are addressed.

I believe this is a key moment in the life of this site, many improvements made, many more needed.

Couldn't agree more - to what extent it can or will happen it's not for me to say. Not having an admin is not sustainable in the long run. More clarity, cohesion and transparency in regards to how the rules are enforced would also help. On other forums I use, people get some training as mods and function as a team and the admin or owner is going to guide or step in when mistakes are made or the mod team can't reach a consensus on their own.

I have experience with mod and admin work and you don't really need a lot of mods, just a few people who have the time and knowledge to do the job.

In regards to Fnord: if people have a problem with him they should speak up, but making this whole thread about him is indeed distracting from the core problems, that always boil down to moderation-related issues. Fnord isn't single-handedly destroying this site, yet he's the only one discussed here.

Personally, I'm not opposed to magz' idea of making reasonable allowances for autism-related issues people have, but that should apply more evenly to include people whom we might not like or relate to as much but obviously struggle in a significant way. And WP has a long history of being intolerant towards lower-functioning auties.

The developer is the only one with admin tools (apart from the two ex mods from a long way back) and we'll be submitting a request / report about more people getting admin tools - preferably ones who have done that sort of thing before and we have such if they are willing.

Once again, thanks to all of you who are making these constructive suggestions, expressing concerns and ideas both positive and negative.

For some reason, I sense that people don’t like me any more.

Why is that?

I DON’T agree that WrongPlanet is a cesspool of people who go around bullying people—though there is certainly bullying that must be curbed.

The vast majority of the time in the politically-motivated forums, people on various sides battle it out with each other, and sometimes bully each other. But, the vast majority of the time, it’s a fair fight.

^Not so at all. I haven't seen any such evidence. You're liked.

I wonder why you feel that way. I like you just fine. Even if you are a New Yorker.

This is an example of an instance where I’m feeling sorry for myself. Thanks for the affirmation.

That’s what I want people to do when they feel discontent in their minds: consider the alternatives, aspire to think objectively about what is bothering you.

I like you just fine Mr Kortie, you often are the one who replies to threads when no one else has... Especially with the difficult opening posts. You help people feel seen or acknowledged when no one else knows what to say.
I know when I started here, your friendliness made WP a nicer place.
At quiet points when there were lulls, often your responses were the only ones on the thread.

I like you Kraftie,not sure why you feel that,I doubt there are many on WP that dislike you.

Strange ... I feel the same way about people who accuse me of things I haven't done, or who assume things about me that aren't true.

"Great minds think alike", eh?

I suspect that being "thrown under the bus" has more to do with a specific, yet unnamed disagreement than with any general "attitude" on my part.

Assume for the moment that I once tangled with a Trump supporter whose claims regarding his/her hero I have easily refuted.  Such a person -- figuratively walking in the footsteps of President Trump -- might engage in some very Trump-like acts of false accusation and a general smear campaign against me.

No, I am not saying that this is specifically what is happening; but the overall form somehow seems to "fit the pattern" (a term used by some to describe my behavior).

Anyway ... this latest s***tstorm seems to be dissipating; soon, everything on WP will be back to "normal".