Monthly Summaries: Oct, Nov, Dec 2016

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At Stephen McInerney’s suggestion, I will be posting monthly stats on this blog’s reports. Since there is no systematic discovery of disciplinary or other action, and since the blog is growing in viewership, I don’t know that the stats mean that much. But I do like making my readers happy.

Stats will not include “archival” posts. The same person may be counted in multiple categories of action.

OCTOBER 2016

  • Edit Blocks: 1
  • Deactivations: 2
  • Bans: 2
  • Un-Bans: 1
  • Deletions: 0

NOVEMBER 2016

  • Edit Blocks: 3
  • Deactivations: 6
  • Bans: 1
  • Un-Bans: 1
  • Deletions: 1

DECEMBER 2016

  • Edit Blocks: 1
  • Deactivations: 1
  • Bans: 11
  • Un-Bans: 0
  • Deletions: 0
498 views · 31 upvotes · Posted 2017-01-13

Administrivia #2

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Update to guidelines

Unlike Quora, I update people when policies are updated. 🙂 So:

  • Contributors may choose to be named in the posts. If so, please indicate it in the note you send me.
  • Posts on this blog will only name the users in question. Speculation about why people have been banned or blocked will not be entertained. If I find what could be construed as speculation or BNBR violations, I will invite commenters to delete their comments.
    • I am never happy to do so, because transparency is a good thing. But the BNBR and Privacy policies can be invoked against users by Quora, and I would rather preempt that.
    • Call it a chilling effect, but again, I would rather not join them in being banned.
    • ΟΤΟΗ, links in comments to posts or comments by the users themselves, about why they were moderated, and mention of publicly visible entries in their edit logs, are permissible.
  • BNBR applies in comments.

Footer

As a reminder, I am appending the following notice to all posts henceforth:

Speculation and value judgements about why people have been disciplined will not be entertained.

I’ve gotten into a debate with a Quora user about this blog (once again, no links), and it’s unsettled me. I’m taking what I judge to be necessary action to preserve this blog—but also to prevent it into becoming a place for attacking miscreants. That’s not what I want, and that’s not what the community needs.

Some people may well have deserved it. Maybe even most. Some may not. But the purpose of this blog is to raise visibility of moderator actions; not to protest it.

Thank you.

495 views · 54 upvotes · Posted 2017-01-12

Administrivia

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bis, ter, quater?

These are Latin multiplicative adverbs (“twice”, “thrice”, “four times”), which were traditionally added to volume numbers and things of that sort when you had two or more of the same. So you wouldn’t say, back in the day, Vol 87 part 1, Vol 87 part 2, Vol 87 part 3; you’d say 87, 87 bis (“87 twice”), 87 ter (“87 thrice”), etc.

The list of adverbs goes on as long as you’d like:

Avverbi numerali

No Speculations

I am spreading word of this blog where I can, and Jordan Yates has as well, God bless her.

I do need to emphasise once again that speculation on why users should be banned must not be entertained here, in order to prevent this blog falling afoul of Quora Privacy policy.

It is not impossible that Quora’s Privacy policy will be mobilised against this blog anyway, as it becomes more visible.

I have seen a user posit on a question answer that the very act of publishing names violates privacy. (No, I will not link to the answer.) I fail to see how, when the edit logs are public and the red banners are huge. I have raised an inquiry with Quora moderation about this a while back, and have not received a response.

If I am reported and banned, then… c’est la guerre. If it is demanded of me to delete this blog, I will do so, and I will be scathing about it until I am banned.

This blog came about from an act of protest. I refused to report users, because I did not want to support a broken system: I will not hit your Report button by Nick Nicholas on The Insurgency. Once I yielded and started reporting, I started this, to make the extent of moderation activity more visible to the community: The fight continues by Nick Nicholas on The Insurgency.

I don’t know whether Quora Inc thinks I am in the right.

I know I think I am in the right.

610 views · 52 upvotes · Posted 2017-01-11