First off, thank you and all the admins for keeping this forum open, free, about intelligent conversation and discourse regarding helping people who are metabolically deranged! I really can not emphasize that enough.
That said, I’ve never flagged anything prior to that thread and hope not to. But for clarity it is possible to flag a troll post coarsely spreading unsupported ideas with a “note” attached to the flag?
Note: I so hate flagging. It shows that civil discourse has broken down.
All flagging does is highlight a concern or simply draw attention to a comment or topic by an admin. Despite what has been said above, an admin usually addresses it pretty quickly and certainly within 24 hours. Yes you can leave a nite with a flag to say why you have flagged it. It’s your way as a member to call attention to something you think is off. As @devhammer says above, the admins won’t necessarily do what you want but they will certainly consider it. As an example, you could flag a comment that disagreed with what you said and demand it was deleted - unlikely to happen! You could flag a post saying you feel it is spam - an admin will look at it and delete it if it’s spam. You flag a troll - an admin looks at it and takes action if necessary. You get the idea 
I don’t think it does show that civil discourse has broken down actually - it is an effective way for anyone to say they are not happy with something. If enough people agree and flag the same comment/topic the system automatically hides it and it isn’t dependent on an admin doing something anyway.
As I have said before, you can also message an admin if you are unhappy about something or feel another member is being particularly disruptive and spoiling the forum for many people.
This actually already exists.
Although there are 30K members, there are not 30K active members which makes a big difference. One of the reasons for setting up the forum was that it became a self-regulating community and I think it does do that in the most part. Highlighting one or two threads that have got out of hand as proof that everything is going to the dogs is a reach.
Sweet. This makes me happy! So if someone is pushing an scientifically unsupported idea and refuses to engage in discourse then flag it as such rather than let the conversation degrade.
I am not a forum expert nor I would bet are many here. This helps and makes me a bit less disinclined to flag. That said I bet it’ll still be another year or more before I would. The discourse here is almost always civil and helpful. That said, I’m ~63hrs into a fast and my cortisol levels are just fine.
Exactly.
And I know some folks have expressed concern about the possibility of flags being used to retaliate against someone. I don’t think that’s a major concern. We have occasionally seen that pattern, but it’s pretty obvious when someone is engaging in grudge flagging, and the admins usually slap that down when it happens. If someone persistently abuses the flagging capability of the forum, they can be suspended or removed completely from the forum.
So by all means, flag when you feel it’s appropriate. The admins will let you know if it’s something that really doesn’t merit a flag, but that’s fairly rare.
I’m fairly new to the forum (less than a year), and I don’t read it every day, and I only see the sections that interest me, but it is pretty clear that this layer of under-mods is already up and running. And running well. It consists of every single member who has the wherewithall to hit the Flag button when they see a problem. Or post a helpful welcome. Or suggest a link/suggest a search.
I love forums, and read and post on several. But things that really jerk my chain are ‘in crowds’ who think they are above common courtesy because they have been around a while. Nope. No way. The people with the greatest knowledge and experience should be more courteous, more aware of the potential hurt and damage they can cause. Shark-like killing frenzies, cliques and ganging up on dissenters does no one any favours. On any forum (or any walk of life).
I have become fond of Baytowin simply by reading his posts. I like his sense of humour and I appreciate his knowledge. I hope he comes back. But everyone is entitled to an opinion. Even when they are wrong. Discourtesy alienates the receiver, and many observers. It never wins arguments.
YES
This was always the intention of the Dudes when moving to the forum from Facebook. Members can be proactive in assisting the running of the forum and have the ability to do so.
Interesting. One of my recent posts came up as ‘hidden’ status recently. Am I on a watch list?
The system often flags posts either as spam or for approval. This sometimes seems pretty random and I have no idea why a post has been flagged. If it was a new post, that was likely the reason.
I’m calling you on this. This is inflammatory, is presumptive, and is a complete misrepresentation of what I have been saying. Bottom line. Where did I EVER say that “everything is going to the dogs”?
And as you say, you are very busy. I do respect that.
Trust levels are completely different from actual active Moderators. If you have moderators, WHERE ARE THEY? They are not moderating. People have been complaining (and leaving.) I’ve been noticing that for well over a year. If you want to ignore the complaints, that’s fine. But please don’t put words in my mouth, Daisy. And don’t mischaracterize what I say. You did that up above as well. I didn’t call you on it above because you come across as taking things personally, and I want to see some RESOLUTION and not fighting.
I know not everyone is active. But that “30,000 members” number has been used as a reason so many times I was trying to be conciliatory.
But I’ve finally had enough.
Your attacks on and misrepresentations of what I’ve been saying (and I’ve noticed you doing this to others as well in other threads) are just beyond the pale, Daisy. The courtesy rules apply to everyone including Admins. I’m not fighting you. But I’m also not going to tolerate being mischaracterized or attacked. I have been trying to help for a long time now, but no more.
I’m going on a self-imposed vacation from here. I promise not to let the door hit me in the [spoiler]ass[/spoiler] on my way out. Maybe I’ll give it another shot here later, but I dunno. I used to post a lot but got quiet awhile ago out of frustration. You see, I’m busy, too, and gave time here to try to help others, like most of the other “experienced” posters.
Good luck to everyone! I mean that sincerely! All the best! And good luck to the forum, I hope you figure things out!
I’ll just lay this out here, because I think it’s important to say.
Ketogenic Forums is a resource that costs members nothing to join. The only people paying are Carl and Richard. The only thing that members spend is their time.
Both admins and experienced keto folks voluntarily share their time and experience, and none of them are paid for this.
The forums aren’t perfect. And they never will be.
For anyone who finds this frustrating, you have two choices. Stay, and either deal with it, or do what you can to make it better, or find someplace more appealing.
I’ve been participating in online communities since the days of AOL and usenet, so I’ve seen a lot of varied ways that people communicate with one another, and I’ve seen a lot of different types of communities, and different moderation styles. I think Discourse (the software behind the forums) does a fantastic job of making it possible for members to participate in the moderation of the forum. That doesn’t mean everyone has to, but those who choose to, and who have been around long enough to earn the trust, have the tools to do so.
I appreciate the passion that people are bringing to the table. But there seems to be an approach of “this is how it ought to be” that I find unfortunate. There are lots of ways to run a community, and not all of them are going to be satisfactory to everyone.
There’s no watch list. We just look at the post and if its spam its gone and if its not we just unhide it… No harm no foul.
I am not sure what the spambot uses to decide. It’s good but a human always double checks.
Wow. I tell you what it has felt like today and that is that a few people want to reshape the forum to fit their ways of thinking and have things all their own way. Oh and have people work to enforce that on their behalf. One of the things I really love about this forum is the lack of dogma. It seems that some people want more of it. Maybe I have things about face.
@virginia I wasn’t quoting you and have not put words in your mouth but your post above lays out quite a few demands and implies that there is a whole lot wrong with the forum.
Am I getting defensive and ranty? Probably! It sometimes happens when I feel like I and my friends and this forum are under attack. I’ll bow out of this argument as it is obviously going round in circles and let the wonderful guys who set it up in the first place decide what happens next, if anything. Is this actually a big problem that is rocking the very foundations of the forum or just a few people blowing things out of all reasonable proportions? Not for me to say I tell you what though, it has been a great procrastination tool today that has kept me from doing what I am supposed to be doing!
I’m so happy that I’ve found this forum, and have finally started to figure out how to actively participate. I find it useful and entertaining (for widely various reasons!) on a nearly daily basis. Thanks to everyone who makes these interactions possible (Carl, Richard, all the admins and everyone who contributes). Thanks!
I sometimes feel that people who complain very loudly are often blind to some of the same behaviors in themselves that they are complaining about in others. When I feel particularly offended or critical, I try to see if I am guilty of the behavior I find so offensive in others. It keeps me quiet when I might otherwise engage. Hopefully.
I have to say that I find some of the offensive posts/threads really informative. They are also shockingly entertaining at times. Trolls seem to be blind to how they make themselves seem very obviously foolish. Other posts remind me of the importance of trying to behave better.
I particularly like it when someone is offended and the offender responds by clarifying (and sometimes apologizing) because clear communication is a back and forth process (in my experience). Written communication, devoid of accompanying non-verbal cues is particularly subject to misunderstandings. I appreciate that I get to see the process and progress of the offending threads. I appreciate the admins who are trying to sort out the possible mis-interpretations behind the scenes. Again, thanks!
I also really appreciate those who try to engage with some of those whose posts I disagree with ADAMANTLY but who leave me feeling at a loss as to how to respond. I am happy someone speaks up when I feel pretty inadequate to the task (@Baytowvin, etc). I can see why the emotions escalate in some of those threads and topics. Some people are pretty ill-informed, inarticulate and/or rude. And repetitive. I feel I can keep quiet when others are responding and representing a point of view that seems more reasonable to me and probably less confusing to newbies. In my opinion.
So thanks to everyone who has contributed to what is a very positive experience for me on these ketogenic forums. Especially those who disagree with my perceptions and understanding so convincingly that I changed my mind. I love it when I’m convincingly educated.
Thanks!
Well, let me chime in. I only wanted to see Baytowvin back not start this conversation. I was out of place I guess.
I come her for encouragement, sadly this has opened a can of worms I was not aware of.
I am a new person on here too. just 60 days in. sorry for all of this.