discussion Should ATRL have stricter rules?

[Starfish]

In my recent thread about ATRL's decreasing activity, many people mentioned that they felt moderation was too strict and biased. On the other hand, I was surprised to read a wildly different take by one of the forum members today:

 

"Sometimes people like you make me wish we shouldn’t be able to speak so freely anonymously about others online."

 

And it made me think, what would be the best way to go about it? Was Diana right? Should we stop freely speaking about others online? Is that what this site needs? 

[NEX]

No. It's too sterile as is. Someone recently got a ZTP and 3 month ban for saying European racism is more cultural than colorist. Even if their opinion was wrong I don't see how that warranted a ban. Many examples like that. 

[jonapova]

RussiATRL incoming. Thanks Diana, whoever you are.

[Click Clack]

no i got a two day ban for posting “she looks different” 

 

what happened to freedom of speech 

[PrettyHurts]

no i kinda miss when it was messier. it used to be a warzone at times. i feel like a lot of the older members who really knew how to be funny and messy are long gone

[TouchinFree]

No. We have become very sensitive due to the new sensitive world. 

 

Unless you are being racist or directly attacking a minority with discriminatory intentions. We should speak our minds and opinions freely. 

 

We can already hardly criticize a pop girl's work without being attacked back or even given warnings, this applies to ATRL and every other online site. Like aren't we here to talk about somebody else's WORK that is released into the world? Truly takes the fun and life out of everything. 

 

I also hate how we can get warnings simply for attacking back at a person who egged us on first. Gives me major high school bullies getting away with being the aggressors first. But that's another story. 

Edited March 15 by TouchinFree

[Princess Aurora]

I think ATRL already has strict rules. Don't let this place turn into Stan Twitter 

[BLΔCKP!NK]

no. SOME things need to be moderated a little more, but the mods have been warning the most ridiculous stuff lately 

 

[nadiamendell]

Who is Diana 

 

[50thStateofMind]

I got a 3 day ban for calling a user stupid and I was just spitting facts #endATRLcensorship

[Bentley]

That’s why the website activity is decreasing 

 

[Raver]

Hell na! Some members really want shariATRL  

[harwee]

I want my posts and likes convertible to cash.

[tjspy]

Stricter rules is extremist and I go against it, no matter what's the subject or if I agree with it or not.

[wastedpotential]

Aside from the fact that rules often seem to be selectively enforced, I think that the moderation is trying for balance between the mess of the past (and from the several hours I've spent on the floor from digging through iconic Classic ATRL threads, it seems to have been very messy) and sterility. Some rules make sense - a lot of the nastiest ZTP violations certainly make sense, as do the copyright concerns and harassment rules. I think the hammer comes down too hard (and too arbitrarily) on trolling (stifling a lot of the funny comments that made ATRL great in the past) and off-topic posts (which seems to be the favored method of mods punishing people for making posts they disagree with, and which is incredibly inconsistently enforced). 

 

I know people ask for SYG to come back on a daily basis and that the admins have always held firm that wouldn't happen, but I think having some modified-SYG adjacent space where personal attacks and anything under ZTP is warnble, but where trolling and on topic-ness isn't. Pop Culture Talk and Random Thoughts tried to fill this niche, but neither are widely used, and that's probably for a reason...

 

For instance, I know we're all treading pretty lightly in the Tortured Poets Department album thread because a Mod came in and let us know that there had been several off-topic post reports, and from the perspective of everyone active in the thread, the reports/response from the moderators seem quite ludicrous 

 

EDIT: also I hate the nicknames rule because it seems to only be in place to shelter poor fans from seeing good drags of their fave. There's a reason that the quarterly, unofficial 'post your favorite ATRL nicknames for artists and albums' thread racks up several pages, and it's because we all end up in tears of laughter sharing the vile nicknames we can't use anywhere else. I can understand the logic to prevent racist attacks, but surely those are warnable under ZTP

Edited March 15 by wastedpotential

[Rotunda]

The way I’m mean to everyone and haven’t received a warning point in eons

[Karla Cabello]

no, i miss when you would call a popgirl a fad without getting a warning

[xXavril]

I think it depends on the rule, but overall no. If anything they just need to enforce the rules they already have. 

 

I’ve noticed that album/single threads get turned into the Artist’s base thread, and if you’re trying to find specific info about the album/single you’re gonna have to go through pages of completely off topic conversions/random rankings, and that’s extremely annoying. That’s one rule I wish was actually enforced, but I don’t think adding more/stricter rules is the answer 

Edited March 15 by xXavril

[Revolution]

Only racism and insults should be warnable.

[El Chico]

I don’t think so but can I genuinely ask what the **** y’all are doing or saying to get so many warning points? I don’t think I’ve had one in a year and a half but for the most part I’am behaved I guess. Even then the users I’ve seen before complaining are kidding themselves. Constantly antagonizing users and always coming for artist is gonna rack you some points what are you expecting 

[Apolonio]

Um no 

[velocity]

no, being messy is part of the pop culture fandom

[Tropical]

You're kidding.  

[State of Grace.]

Yes, lets ban all Zionists.

 

And for those who miss SYG, go on Elon's X

[Oxygen]

15 minutes ago, wastedpotential said:

For instance, I know we're all treading pretty lightly in the Tortured Poets Department album thread because a Mod came in and let us know that there had been several off-topic post reports, and from the perspective of everyone active in the thread, the reports/response from the moderators seem quite ludicrous 

I mean, we got 28 reports at once from that thread and only 1 report was issued (which was a blatant off topic post in reply to my post). We have since turned a blind eye to the thread again and it’s business as usual. I’m not sure how the response was ludicrous?