Surak's Journal: Demonstration of /. Moderation Abuse (PAY ATTENTION, JAMIE!)

Here is a first-hand demonstration of moderation abuse on Slashdot.

I said something *completely* unpopular. Look at how it got modded. The first point was *insightful* but after that, I got modded down *3* times as "overrated" because some people didn't agree with my viewpoint. They gave me the overrated mod because now they won't be subject to metamod. They didn't mod it troll or flamebait because they knew that it wasn't and that they'd get lambasted in metamod.

Just thought I'd point that out in case y'all thought I was crazy in my earlier JEs about my biggest /. pet peeve -- moderation abuse.

IMNSHO

[cyranoVR]

They should get rid of the "Overrated" mod altogether. Ditto for "Underrated."

Why lot add options that people are writing in like "Faulty Logic" or whatever?

Re:IMNSHO

[jawtheshark]

Same opinion here, about the use of Overrated/Underrated.
That is what meta-mod is for these days.

What Surak posted was either Funny (my guess) or Flamebait. Why is it flamebait? Well, simply because Surak assumes everyone has worked hard for their wealth. If you stay logical, you *know* that is not true. Also, you know that there are a lot of people that work extremely hard just to survive day to day (read: feed their kids). Working hard is often not enough to make it in this world: if you don't ha

Check it out

[cyranoVR]

I posted a reply [slashdot.org] to surak's comment, which was promptly modded up +1 Interesting and then -1 Overrated? Maybe I'm paranoid, but I think "Overrated" usually translates as "moderator has a vendetta against author, but can't come up with valid mod-down reason."

If being modded funny doesn't improve your karma, being modded "overrated" sure as hell better not either.

Re:Check it out

[jawtheshark]

Looks indeed someone has a grudge against Surak. I liked your reply!

I agree fully with the last comment: Funny should be "renumerated", because that is one reason I come to slashdot. To get a good laugh :-)

And "Overrated", well, is just Overrated ;-)

You must not disagree with Slashdot Orthodoxy

[RevMike]

Yep. I've bitched about it too, after I said that metric is not universally superior to English measure.

My current complaint is the number of moderators that don't know the differences amongst Interesting, Insightful, and Informative.

For the record, Informative should mean that the commentator added a useful fact to the discussion. Insightful means that the commentator illuminated a different way to think about the discussion - expanded our horizons - so to speak. Interesting is a catchall for commen

Inherit weakness

[lateralus]

Every system has its inherit weaknesses, one of the problems that I see is the shear number of posts available for metamodding and the way they are displayed.

I think that Amazon's "gold box" has a point to it. Maybe metamoderation should display each comment alone and only after metamodding it you will be directed to the next. That way people will have to concentrate on reading and understanding each specific comment before moving on.

If a comment gets shows fluctuations such as +1 +1 -1 +1 -1... et

What about a separate tally altogether?

[SolemnDragon]

By adding a karmaless 'agree/disagree' mod, it would be possible to disagree with a post without modding it down. (Yes. In theory, this is alrady possible.) But it would serve as a gauge to see just how popular or unpopular a view is. On the other hand, this lends itself just as easily to abuses by people who would seize on the count as 'fact' or use it as a makeshift poll. *sigh* I agree that the over-rated mod is useless, but it adds a level of metamod at the moderation level, and THAT's the part that i r

Re:What about a separate tally altogether?

[Surak]

By the way, i'd read the post but my take on it was that you were trying for a combination of snarky and funny...

Snarky? As far as funny goes, yes ... I was being facetious.

I was also poking fun at the people who are all about class warfare.

Give it a rest. So you aren't Bill Gates. It's just money people.

Re:What about a separate tally altogether?

[bj8rn]

I felt sorry for ya, so I modded your post up (+1, Funny) a bit ;7 But you'll have to promise to pretend sharing it with those who modded you down (and up), as the post was *much* funnier with all those funky moderations. Share and enjoy!

yhbt

[gmhowell]

I skimmed that article, knowing that the moderators would be in full on dipshit mode. Seems you've proven me right. And we all know CT, Jamie, et al. don't give two wet farts about moderation issues. They could have eliminated over/under years ago.

A few bad apples spoil it.

[spumoni_fettuccini]

That why I hardly ever post to the main page and every once in a while post to the others. Bungi [slashdot.org] seems to have had enough of the crap also, unfortunately for good it seems. I found those posts funny/interesting/amusing/crazy [in a good way], really had a commitment for his/her beliefs. I find JE's much more friendly as it's more of a pick your friends, but not your family scenario. It's a lot less crap to put up with. In the same vein I don't foe or [when] I get moderation tank anybody just because I don't

It's a major problem...but

[helix400]

I knowingly use the overrated and underrated mods.

Let me explain. My opinions are somewhat conservative, while slashdot has a sizeable chunk of ultra-liberals. I'll often see comments like "Michael Moore is a f****** genius!" and it gets +5 Insightful. Replying to these comments, well thought out conservative positions are posted, which generally gets heavily modded down.

While browsing these, I've modded the uninsightful liberal comment a -1 Troll or -1 Flaimbait, and to the well thought out con

That is not moderation abuse!

[Surakrout]

Those EVIL moderators! How dare they moderate! It's not like their moderation matters or anything. No! They had their metamods handed to them on a silver platter!

It disgusts me! We're all poorly moderated because they're a bunch of greedy, good-for-nothing bastards who horde all the moderator points for themselves! They stuff it in their mattresses and roll naked in it! No, no, they don't moderate properly, they moderate everything over and under!

COMPLAINER I TELL YOU!!! COOOOMPLAINER!!!!!!!!

I was going to say something here...

[The Cydonian]

... but I was afraid I'd be modded down. :-|

I didn't moderate in that story

[Quantum Jim]

But your post doesn't really seem insightful or particularly funny to me. So I'd say it was overrated, as it is. IMHO, of course.