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View Full Version : Announcement -- Moderation in The Hole



DGUtley
09-06-2017, 08:34 AM
Please be advised that the moderation team has made a rule change pertaining to moderation in The Hole. Effective immediately, Rule 12 has been added to the TPF rules as follows:

12. "The Hole" is intended as a free-for-all area generally free of standard moderation. The Hole, however, will be moderated for attacks, comments and/ or insinuations about members' families. Reports from The Hole violating this rule will bring moderation and moderators will decide when and how to act. Most likely such actions will be at a minimum to thread ban the poster and a warning infraction. Starting a thread attacking, mentioning or referencing a member's family will not be tolerated. LEAVE FAMILIES OUT OF THE HOLE.

DGUtley
08-14-2019, 07:23 AM
I wanted to remind everybody of the October 26, 2017 Notice posted relative to reprehensible behavior in The Hole.

NOTICE: There is a misconception that The Hole is moderation free. Please review the notice of October 26, 2017. http://thepoliticalforums.com/threads/90260-The-Hole which stated:



With great regret, it has become necessary for intervention in the Hole based on increasingly and extremely reprehensible behavior by a few members. Some of the comments and behaviors go far beyond what would be considered “bad faith” and as such, the moderation team feels the need to intervene.


Examples of behavior that fall under “extremely reprehensible behavior” include celebrating suicide, advocating violence, harassment, attacking family members, and anything else that goes beyond the pale. To use a legal definition this will be applied to behavior, "that (goes) beyond all possible bounds of decency and that it can be considered as utterly intolerable in a civilized community."


A system of suspension and loss of privileges will be put into place immediately following this announcement. Anyone considered to be posting in the above manner will be suspended from the Hole for 2 weeks. If that individual gains access again only to repeat the behaviors, they will be suspended from the Hole for 4 weeks. If that final suspension results in more of the same, a permanent ban from the Hole will go into effect. It will be an escalated action.


It is also necessary to convey that the moderation team is extremely disappointed with how the Hole is being used. For years, it was a place to let off steam or to post humorous material that would not be allowed outside of the Hole. Increasingly, it has devolved into a pissing contest that often spills out onto the main forum because the vitriol has become so toxic. It is disappointing that we have to intervene now, when the Hole has functioned fine for years, but we believe this is the best way to preserve the original intent going forward.


Questions should be directed to any moderator via PM. This is the first and only warning.

We have gotten countless reports on threads in The Hole. Reading the posts, some of them are despicable. There are calls to close The Hole because of a few members' conduct there. The Mods feel that many of the threads have gone well beyond what any reasonable definition of acceptable behavior would be and moderation will be stepped up for the reasons set forth above, among others. We have also seen disputes in The Hole being brought to the main forum, causing further issues. This will not be tolerated and moderation will be stepped up -- what happens in The Hole needs to stay in The Hole.

DGUtley
11-29-2021, 06:53 AM
Regrettably, the Moderators feel the need to further address moderation in The Hole.

1. There is to be no calling-out or 'calling to the Hole' through mentions "@" of Moderators in the Hole.
2. Excessive and repeated personal criticism directed at specific moderators that becomes malicious and/or abusive will result in action being taken.

Moderators are not permitted to post in The Hole.


This will result in a rule change.