Larian Studios Forums Divinity - Original Sin Divinity - Original Sin - General Wow...spam

I took on the hat because I really didn't have much justification to complain about something if I wasn't willing to do something about it.

Once you stop being a "spam fighter" and becoming an actual moderator moderator you run into lots of sticky judgement calls that require you to not only be willing to shut down someone's opinion but also to justify your reason for doing so.

I've been on forums for nigh on two decades now and you see all kinds. Is someone trolling/flaming or is that really their opinion? Is a new poster being egged into a fight by a social clique of regulars who know how to push buttons without breaking rules? When does cussing and fighting go from tolerable to intolerable?

You might not think these especially weighty issues but at its most fundamental we're dealing with the restriction of someone else's point of view. No one should ever be flippant about that sort of thing.

While no poster enjoys the "Freedom of Speech" on a message board (it being private property), it's not unreasonable for them to assume they should have a fair shake at things in terms of expressing their views. Too firm a hand and you end up squelching ideas and giving bullies the means to use the moderator as a weapon via manipulation. Too loose a hand and things all just fall to pieces.

While not quite a burden to be a moderator with that kind of power, it certainly requires a degree of patience, empathy and a desire to watch a community flourish.