Comments on: Banned from Boing Boing?

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:09:57 +0000

I just had a similar experience as you.

http://www.openbuddha.com/2008/07/03/banned-from-boing-boing/

By: Shannon Larratt is Zentastic › Playing at the park, getting banned from BoingBoing

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:09:15 +0000

[...] ever opens a book or watches the news” which I thought a little off-base — although this person has a problematic track record. BB would be doing themselves a big favor to fire them. Not only was I surprised to see BB staff [...]

By: fdeblauwe

fdeblauwe — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:20:10 +0000

Why would I comment on Boing Boing? They treat me like a criminal anyway! I used to think Boing Boing was interesting but now I'm not so sure. I got "disemvoweled" just for posting links to some relevant blog posts of mine. I tried to communicate and got nothing but silence. Have they ever thought of assuming commenters are writing in good faith and email them to clear up a possible misunderstanding? Instead, they left a caustic comment following mine with no clear way on how to "comply" with their blog commenting philosophy, started to disemvowel my comments, said that I should contact Teresa without telling me how I was supposed to do that, etc. Also, email would be better too as I'm sure not everyone returns compulsively to read all the subsequent comments to a post they commented on. It all seems a bit too arrogant and callous to me.

By: M

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:36:20 +0000

I've recently grown quite disillusioned with the comment threads at Boing Boing as well. I've submitted a number of links to the site over the years (some of which have been posted). I've also commented semi-regularly. Recently, after I politely questioned the overzealous censorship of a couple of comments posted by other people, and also criticized the too-cute-by-half "disemvowelling" technique that the moderators use, my own comment was disemvowelled.

I'm not sure why I should continue to add value (and revenue) to a site that treats me, and anyone with a dissenting but politely expressed opinion, with disrespect.

Perhaps effective community moderation requires someone with less ego. Have you read the moderation policy statement? It's been described as "novel-length." Its tone of pomposity is almost unbearable.

By: Al

Al — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 04:26:31 +0000

Third most popular blog on the net… just don’t try to participate in its “community” features.

By: Dory Cocktorow

Dory Cocktorow — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:48:52 +0000

Remind me why we should care about BoingBoing again?

By: Just Joe

Just Joe — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:26:54 +0000

Theresa is far too opinionated and has too much power to moderate at Boing Boing without negatively impacting the site experience. She cannot help but insert herself into situations that would resolve themselves on their own. She seems to confuse the process of moderation with the idea of knowing what is best for Boing Boing.

By: Jiun

Jiun — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:49:16 +0000

Al, I think you’re dead-on that the only real way to salvage something here is for BB to simply let Teresa go. They can even add a nice note about how they all still love her, and appreciate the hard work she’s done, etc.

It’s either that, or wait for people to forget. Problem with that is, the intarwebs has a long memory.

By: Jim Treacher

Jim Treacher — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:39:55 +0000

For a moderator, she certainly seems immoderate.

By: Al

Al — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:25:58 +0000

I’m surprised that you found this so quickly, Liz. :-)

I can’t even post comments on Boing Boing anymore so my enthusiasm for the future there is a bit dampened. Who wants to participate in a blog where you can’t even comment? The IP address was only unblocked, I’m sure, because Cory cc’d Teresa with a directive that it shouldn’t be blocked. I’ve sent Teresa two e-mails about the other half of it (without cc’ing Cory, who is on vacation and doesn’t need this shit anyway) and gotten no reply at all. I think that says wonders right there about her “moderation.”

I’ve moderated communities and lists before, sometimes badly as well, and I know it is a hard job but it is clear that Boing Boing needs to rethink whether to either have comments or to have any of the current moderators being paid to work on it.