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I'm writing this message to clarify how moderation will enforce existing rules on the site going forward. The rules of the site are clear: personal attacks and harassment, particularly when they done over a prolonged period of time and target specific member(s) of the site, are ban-worthy offenses. We've given some leeway to allow conversations that include these to proceed so long as both sides were taking part in the same behavior to some extent.
That will no longer be the case. Moderation will now take action against cases of personal attacks and harassment even when both parties are participating. In order to ensure that everyone is on the same page with regards to this change in enforcement, we will not begin enforcement until this weekend ends. While past posts may be regarded as evidence of persistent behavior going forward, we will only enforce bans based on posts made after that period unless they are the subject of ongoing discussions within the moderation team. That being said, members will not have free reign to act with impunity - you will still be subject to a warning and ban within this time period if you push it too far.
To clarify, here are a few examples of the behavior that will result in a warning and, should it persist, a ban or restraining order:
- Insulting someone's intelligence (as distinguished from attacking a given claim or argument)
- Posting call-out threads
- Assigning nicknames that are meant to belittle or harass
I'd also like to note that these will be enforced regardless of who acted first, though that may affect the duration of the resulting ban/RO. "But they started it" or "I was just defending myself" will not be a valid excuse for returning the favor. That being said, while the occasional insult may be tolerated with warnings, a pattern of insults and/or harassment will not.
If you have questions about how this will be implemented, this is the place to ask them.
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DebateArt.com
Hello friends, I have a few updates and an important announcement.
MEEP Results
MEEP Results
It took a while, but the MEEP results have been tallied and implemented (the help center now reflects this: https://info.debateart.com/). All motions passed, and while I understand some of you disagreed with them strongly, I believe you will come to appreciate them in the future.
Where have I been?
I've been gone for a while... I apologize profusely to anyone who has been trying to reach me for the past three or four weeks, as I probably haven't answered. So where have I been?
Frankly, absolutely drowning in real life responsibilities.
- Sundays - Get up, go to church, come back, eat, crunch homework, go to small group, get back, recover mentally, go to bed
- Mondays: Get up, go to class, crunch homework, more class, go home, eat, recover mentally, maybe go on a flight lesson, crunch more homework, go to bed
- Tuesdays: Get up, go to class, crunch homework, more class, go home, eat, go to work, get home and go to bed
- Wednesdays: Get up, go to class, crunch homework, more class, go home, eat, go to my weekly Men's Leadership Training class (it's a two year class), get home, go to bed
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Thursdays: Get up, go to class, crunch homework, more class, go home, eat, recover mentally, maybe go on a flight lesson, crunch more homework, go to bed
- Fridays - Saturdays: Get up, do whatever I have neglected over the week (usually that's a lot), eat, go to work, get back, go to bed
Then I rinse and repeat the whole cycle... And again, this is rough so things can either be a lot worse than this or a bit better depending on the circumstances.
Point is, by the end of each day I can't so much as rub two braincells together, and I have so little free time that DebateArt has taken the backseat recently in favor of "more important" things (In fact, I'm writing this now when I probably should be studying for an exam tomorrow).
What's worse, is it doesn't look like this is going to get any better anytime soon. To be honest, none of these things I'm doing are things I'm able to (or want to) back out of. And these are all going to be long-term weights on my schedule.
So... what?
I guess all of this is to say... I need to step down, for my own sake and for the sake of the site. And I will being doing so shortly.
It's a decision I've had a tough time making. When I commit to something I try my hardest to see it through, and I wanted to lead the site into a new chapter. Plus, the last thing I want to do is make us administration-hop.
But, to be fully transparent with you all, I don't have enough time to dedicate to the site anymore to justify my position. And ultimately, I'm doing the site a disservice because of that. An AWOL chief mod is just not healthy for the site long-term. More than that, I need to protect my mental health somewhat, which has been suffering a bit.
What's next?
I will be tying up loose ends and handing the reigns to Whiteflame by tomorrow, who has agreed to take my place. I know he will be amazing in the role, and I'm fully confident in him. Ideally, I'll be able to find a good work-life balance eventually... I'd like to be able to return to the site at some point. In fact, I'll probably pop in every now and again, just at a much lower frequency.
I'm quite optimistic about this site's future. And while I may not be a huge part of that future, I'm glad I had the time with you all that I did. It really meant a lot to me to have online friends to talk to and a platform to hone my skills as a debater and leader. I do intend on returning at some point, but in all honesty, that may very well be years from now or for limited bursts every once in a while. For better or for worse I'm entering a new chapter in life...
So, farewell I guess.
MisterChris,
Chief Moderator
So, farewell I guess.
MisterChris,
Chief Moderator
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DebateArt.com