ob4rEaL

Is it just me or do we have childish/sensitive moderators...I posted something with the word retard for someone who clearly wasn't paying attention to which forum they were in and got 'fined' two points and warned...seriously....what happened to opinions ...and who says that reading words can explain exactly what text the word was even used in....how convenient for the illegal use of power from these sensitive moderators!!! Just cause it can be used as abuse doesn't mean it was. Relax

Retard-delay in terms or hold back of progress

killerg

say something nice or dont have an opinion

-mbworld

ob4rEaL

Real mature... now having disagreeing opinions are wrong!

Diesel Benz

I'm with the mods. Mistakes are possible but your message did not look like a mistake to me. I feel the mods were gentle, other forums would have given a good "vacation".

If it had been a mistake, you meaning something different from what could be interpreted, I'd still consider the moderators' decision acceptable if it was for me. Since you are a master with the language, you are also able to pick up words that make the point clear but do not upset others.

Let's relax all and let life go on...

victort

i'm sorry, but i agree with the mod on this. you could've sent the same message without the name calling in the other thread. he's just trying to keep this forum respectable.

Knightmare69

See your mistake was that you were bluntly calling out a member, what you need to do is to learn to be condescending without using names like so many other members here I've seen in posts.

Domm

Moderators are here to monitor inappropriate or offensive content.

It's easy to label this thread as "childish/sensitive" as well, over something that carries no physical penalty to you. Just be glad it's a warning, move on, and have more discretion next time.

Crippled

what you said was childish and not needed, you got penalized, and now upset about it?

frogs9497

It was apparent to everyone except the OP that the OP was out of line.

C300Sport

I do agree that the moderators may kick in a bit too early on occasion.

With that being said, I much prefer our current atmosphere of civil discourse than having the free for all type attitude that is all too common online these days.

In person, it is easy to sit around and call your friend out as a retard, grin/laugh about it and move on. Online, calling someone out, even if you are being playful or are pretty much correct, can spiral down into 50 ranting and raving posts until the "asleep at the wheel" moderators finally kick you off for threats of violence, etc..

Sportstick

This is actually an interesting thread for me to read. I am not going to debate the precipitating event here, but thought I would share some thoughts for those who were also interested enough to click on this topic.

First, let me assure you that the pay and benefits for this role are lousy...zero and zero. This is volunteer work to help promote discussion of a topic in which I am very interested. I also chuckle when folks think I wield the penalities as a result of a "power trip." I've had opportunities to have a powerful role in large companies and understand its implications and how it feels. This is not "power"...this is just bringing back the occasional stray into the fold of mostly very nice and helpful folks or having to wish the firmly uncooperative farewell. But, in the grand scheme of things, nothing here is anywhere close enough to being that critical to have the slightest hint of "power".

I am actually pleased to be considered "sensitive", as it's a quality developed over time and one which I wish everyone would share. Being sensitive to the feelings of others results in better personal relationships with those close to us, and more civil and polite discourse even among strangers, such as we are on this forum.

I have no problem with disagreement. As a retired attorney (among my other life experiences working in a domestic car company), I could hardly have survived without being able to accept disagreement. However, I fully expect that we disagree without being disagreeable, to borrow a phrase. That means having a strong difference of opinion is fine. Bringing the level down to the schoolyard with name-calling is not. The use of invective is frequently the sign of a poorly thought-out and insubstantial argument or covers the inability to express oneself clearly. In either case, it is an attempt not to engage in healthy and strong debate, but to intentionally hurt the other party...and that, I do not accept. So disagree all you like and I will sit idly by (unless I join in the subject)...but start hurling verbal assaults, and my responsibility is to halt the action...just like a ref calling foul when the ball goes out of bounds.

Not everyone will agree with even what I wrote here, and I respect that as well, and am open to civil debate about any of it. If you feel strongly that I am out of line, you can share that with the Forum Administrators who can relieve me of my role at any time. However, as long as I am in this role, I will ask everyone to conform to polite discourse which sometimes may affect an individual as the speaker, or, on another day, may help the very same person as the one on the receiving end of someone else's behavior.

Have a great day!

MDMercedesGuy

If anything, I would tend to classify the mods here as a more lenient bunch compared to other sites I belong to. Steering a thread on topic without locking it is a lot more common than I have encountered elsewhere.

That said, I've been a mod elsewhere myself. When making the decision to ban or not, I look at past posts and what the person brings to the board. Most of the time, I've found that they seal the deal themselves.

ggms16

I just saw the thread that caused this thread to exist...

And you got sorted out cheap having only 'fined' two points and warned.. I would have banned you out.

Pete7874

On many other forums, you would have gotten banned for this, so consider yourself lucky.

There are more polite ways of expressing "opinions". The OP in the thread in question obviously made a mistake. Whether you meant it or not, your response to him came off as extremely rude.

AZN Optics

I don't view it as sensitive... more trying to promote civil and respectful environment. Like our 3 pointed stars we love so much, we try to foster a certain amount of class within our userbase here. By definition, the term "retarded" might not seem that offensive, but in context, it was and really wasn't needed. You are free to your opinion and can choose to disagree with a poster, but when you come to that fork in the road with how you form a response post, it's always better to choose the path of constructive criticism rather than lambasting.

Sportstick

Thank you, Michael, for your understanding. Just as a part of raising awareness, here is a link on the original issue:

http://therword.org/

Carsy

Well said, Keep up the good work. , Carsy.

sjbtax

Thank you for your fair and unbiased moderation of these threads.

It retains the class that a Mercedes Benz forum should have.

As the father of a son with a mental disability i was highly offended by the post in the thread in question.

ob4rEaL

clearly all valid opinions...and no one is wrong for having them...theres plenty of discussions that many feel is inappropriate... but hey, we as members have the right to voice our 'opinions' w/out having to worry about stepping on eachothers toes. as far as those who feel it was leinent...pfft...who cares...this is a website to learn and inform about mercedes benz...no one pays into it, and no one is obligated to be here...you dont like my comment...take it like a shrug and move on...grow up girls! and it was in no offense to someone with a mental disability...like i defined as such in the definition of the word. many words have several definitions and different contexts as they can be used in...my point was it was never a mistake just used in a different context and no one included a moderator can clealy interpret the context of a written statement....thats just common sense!!

Pete7874

And that's exactly why you should avoid using words that have multiple meanings as they may be interpreted differently from what you intended. Don't you find it odd that just about everyone else interpreted it differently from you?

Given the context of your response, I think you're the only one who would interpret it as "delay in terms or hold back of progress". It sounds like you're trying to cover up your childish response, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Carry on.

Crippled

opinions are like buttholes, everyone has them. However there was obviously a new person to the forum whos never posted before and they ended up in the wrong forum by accident. Now here you come saying and i do not mean to offend anyone "retard....wrong forum". he didnt know, he was new to all this. Would you like it if people said that to you? With the way you respond, I am sure you would have stooped to there level and been immature right back. I cam from the lovely forums of VWVORTEX, and for that you would have been banned.

ob4rEaL

Ohh thx...lets think...delay of progress...progress in which this forum all gives us...therefore somone who put a post in this forum which doesnt belong...seems like a delay of progress to me....but i guess no one thinks like that right...and trust me , i dont have to cover up anything...im as blunt with my words as i am real...im from New York where lil girlish disputes like this dont mean squat!

bigben320e

Just tone it down. This is not a planet where you can say anything, be decent, all part of the TOU, mods just enforcing it.

Sportstick

I am becoming concerned that the probation has not had the desired educational effect. This is the third time you have invoked whatever gender perception issues you have...."lady" once and "girls" twice...as a way to belittle or undermine others' point of view. You may wish to stop posting and do some self-searching. I hope we do not have to escalate this further. After probation comes suspension. Please, sincerely, just please stop now and let this cool off. And, when you come back, do it offering the same respect you would expect from others. BTW, I'm from Brooklyn...Sheepshead Bay, FWIW.

bringtherain

^ This. I saw it too and it was rude and uncalled for.