How can we promote even better behaviour on Askaboutmoney?

Like @Purple I've had the occassional bits of "feedback" (I think that word rather than "criticism" is likely to raise fewer hackles) and in my case, I've had some of my finest work deleted. :) I think the moderators do magnificent work in here which is not to say I agree with every decision taken.

My 2d worth in relation to improving AAM is to avoid confrontational words e.g. rather than attack or criticise a post, discuss it or disagree with it. My observation is that there is a marked militarisaation in our language generally, maybe eliminating such language in AAM could help reverse the trend. Could we avoid words like attack, target, eliminate, triage (most people who use it don't understand it or its battlefield connotations), front-line (a favourite of the unions), defeat, victory, enemy, war (on drugs, crime, want, drink-driving, unlicensed drivers, etc).

We post opinions, suggestions, ideas, helpful hints even facts from time to time, we're not soldiers or commanders. By all means let's please preserve the rough and tumble of debate, but remember it's primarily a cerebral activity and not warfare, not even a battle of words.
 
mathepac said:
Could we avoid words like attack, target, eliminate, triage (most people who use it don't understand it or its battlefield connotations), front-line (a favourite of the unions), defeat, victory, enemy, war (on drugs, crime, want, drink-driving, unlicensed drivers, etc).
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Are these words used on Askboutmoney?

There would be "attack" type words used in connection with tracker disputes with banks. But they seem ok to me.

The big problem is when someone says "That is a stupid argument". People take that personally.

Brendan
 
Brendan Burgess said:
The big problem is when someone says "That is a stupid argument". People take that personally.
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That would be the smallest problem on politics.ie or boards. Those fora are lethal (to such an extent that I won't post on either board anymore. Boards - full of moderators who will ban you at the drop of a hat and Politics is downright open warfare.

AAM is quite refined in its attitude. Moderation is brilliantly fair to all.

I honestly don't see how pinkie123 could have been so peeved .... it looks to me that she was peeved with being clamped etc. and got more peeved when posters didn't side with her.
 
PaddyBloggit said:
it looks to me that she was peeved with being clamped etc. and got more peeved when posters didn't side with her.
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That is an interesting take.

A neighbour stopped me on the street in a very excited condition. He had got a letter from a bank demanding that he make good a guarantee. I asked him if he had given the guarantee and he said he had not and had never heard of the borrower either. He has a very unusual name and I would guess that the lender just found him when looking for the guarantor. I told him to write to the bank telling him that and that should be the end of the matter. He was outraged more with me than with the bank. He said that he was going to sue them for defamation. For a long time afterwards, he didn't speak to me.

Brendan
 
I presume that most people who post on this forum are responsible adults and are mature enough to accept criticism. Just suck it in and respect that others have opinions too. Nobody is always right - nobody is always wrong. I use this forum mainly to have an interest in news and to be a little bit more mentally alert. OK! some of my posts get deleted, so what! nobody died.

Posters should be aware that anything here can be legally challenged. And it is not the poster who will suffer. Before you post anything just accept everybody won't agree with you. Don't get up on your high horse and resort to abuse. Opinions expressed here are those of the posters at a particular time only. Opinions change, that's what debates are for. Therefore, just enjoy and keep posting.
 
This is what a public warning looks like. Andrew please read the posting guidelines.
I was on holiday when this post was active so would have commented earlier had I seen it.

I am one of possibly two people referred to in the original post that have used the word 'rubbish' in a reply to a poster. To use the analogy of an earlier poster I was playing the ball when I used the word, not the person, but I can see why some believe I nicked his shin in the follow through. This was unintentional.

What to do about it?

If the use of inappropriate words does not result in the deletion of a post then the mods should call out such instances and flag up the post with a suitable comment. If I had been pulled up when I made he comment (which I thought appropriate at the time) there would be no need to discuss this issue now and the poster I directed my comment at may still be active today if he obtained relief from such intervention.
 
Andrew Murphy said:
If the use of inappropriate words does not result in the deletion of a post then the mods should call out such instances and flag up the post with a suitable comment.
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Hi Andrew


There is a facility for a public warning but we have never used it.

I will issue you a public warning on your post, just to see what it looks like.

Brendan
 
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It's easier to just delete the post and send a message to the user as part of the delete process.

Or where a new user posts a thread with the title "Question" to reply asking them to edit the thread title. When the user edits the title, we can then delete the mod's post.

Brendan
 
Hi Brendan,

I don't have an issue with that warning. It signals to everyone reading the post that the mods have dealt with a borderline use of unacceptable words or language and is a far better option than deleting a post altogether. That said, AAM posts are generally very civil so I wouldn't expect to see too many of them.

Andrew
 
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