'Error' when reporting and the unprofessionalism of 'RodeoMT'

[Mogwai786]

For a while now I have been unable to report many of the abusive messages I receive on here. Whenever I try to I receive the red banded message, 'An error has occurred'. I know this happens if one ignores the person before reporting them, so I think it also happens if *they* ignore *you* before you report them. This is what I think may have happened earlier today.

What compounds things isn't just this error, but the inexplicable and systemic failure of mods to do anything about it and how their responses to my concerns aggravate things rather than lead them to a satisfactory and just end. Today, I raised the issue of not being unable to report to 'RodeoMT' and I was met with passive aggressive gaslighting. When I explained to him why I *think* I may not be able to report someone, he launched into an accusatory attack about how I allegedly did something 'last time' (without any explanation or evidence) - as if this somehow undermines and cancels out my present complaint about the racial abuse I have received. Wtf?

The abuse of a racial nature clearly violates Chat Avenues rules, and yet without even showing the slightest interest in what it was or who said it, 'RodeoMT' chose to adopt a combative nature towards me. Even if 'RodeoMT' is unable to help or do his job, is it really so difficult to find a mod that is so unprofessional in how he communicates with people who have been racially abused, and make them out to be the problem? It's clear that this individual has a personal animus towards me.

This sort of thing has been happened for months. I don't come here just to waste my time because I have nothing else to do. Rather, I have to because the aggressive disinterest from the mods is systemic and makes Chat a less safe place, with the exception of 'TheDifference' who seems to be the only one I've met that who genuinely seems earnest about issues on here.

@TheDifference

 

[Mogwai786]

There are like two virulent spammers on right now posting every second on the main chat - and what does 'RodeoMT' do?

He leaves.

This is the state of moderation on Chat: 'don't care about racist abuse or spamming', just want my afternoon nap'.

 

[TheDifference]

Hello, I’ll follow up with the moderator once they are back online and then I can give you a more complete response.

 

[Deleted member 293502]

This is the state of moderation on Chat: 'don't care about racist abuse or spamming', just want my afternoon nap'.

Mods are volunteers with a life outside of chat. Many mods have a full-time job and a family in addition to modding. Other mods have schools and educational obligations. These things come before modding.

Even if this particular mod literally went to go have an afternoon nap, that isn't as much of an issue as you seem to feel it is. We aren't paid to be here, we do this in our spare time, and we receive seldom thanks or appreciation for what we  do do.

Without the complete story, I can't comment much beyond that. I just want you to know that mods here are not like Facebook staff, who are paid to moderate content.

 

[Deleted member 293502]

I should also note that mods cannot action content that isn't reported. Even with screenshot evidence, tampering is very possible and in some cases - probable.

When you create a report, that report shows exactly what the system sees. It's rare this is able to be altered, except in a case like you mentioned where the reporter ignores the reportee, then the message seems to vanish into the aether.

Those reports help us ensure we have all the facts, as much context as possible, and the exact thing that went down.

I dont know what your exact scenario was, but generally speaking - no report, no action can be taken.

It's unfortunate in circumstances where reports cannot be made, for one reason or another, but its a rule for a reason.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

 

[Mogwai786]

Mods are volunteers with a life outside of chat. Many mods have a full-time job and a family in addition to modding. Other mods have schools and educational obligations. These things come before modding.

I know this. Practically every mod I have encountered recently mentions this or a variation of this, 'I do this for free, why don't you do it?' is a response I have received more than once.

Frankly, I have little time for this argument. Of course it's volunteer based. Of course you are going to take time out to do be on here. It's your choice to be a mod, but that means doing the job of a mod to a reasonable standard.

What is the point if being a mod if you cannot? I've volunteered a couple of times for my local community centre. That doesn't mean I sit in the back room putting my feet up half the time, or don't help a resident.

 

[RodeoMT]

In no way did your race or religion effect how I dealt with your issue. I tried to explain to you that the forum is where you could report issues with your account. I gave you the link to the forum 5 times.

Additionally I explained that if you are blocked, then the system will not let you report a user.

You called me a racist, a moron and retard ... And I still took no action against you.

I also asked the name of the user you were trying to report which you did not give me.
I explained we can not take the word of a user we have to have a system generated report.
Which you called me a liar for.

I did leave to get a glass of water and came right back.

I told you if you felt I was being rude or not listening then report it in the forum.
and lastly I told you do no harass users mods or admins, just make a report.

Those are the facts. They are in my Messages if the Site admin wants them.

 

[Mogwai786]

I should also note that mods cannot action content that isn't reported. Even with screenshot evidence, tampering is very possible and in some cases - probable.

When you create a report, that report shows exactly what the system sees. It's rare this is able to be altered, except in a case like you mentioned where the reporter ignores the reportee, then the message seems to vanish into the aether.

Those reports help us ensure we have all the facts, as much context as possible, and the exact thing that went down.

I dont know what your exact scenario was, but generally speaking - no report, no action can be taken.

It's unfortunate in circumstances where reports cannot be made, for one reason or another, but its a rule for a reason.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

I mentioned I understand that the mod *may* not be able to do anything with a screenshot (In a couple of instances that's proven not to be true, but that could be due to who the mod was).

The issue is how he dealt with it. It's zero interest, zero help, being accusatory, gaslighting and passive aggression. I don't think a mod unable to help automatically translates to being any of those things. If it does, then Chat Avenue may have a wider systemic problem of toxic moderators.

There is just a complete lack of basic empathy for someone who is on the receiving end of abuse that breaks the rules.

Just imagine if you are someone that has received racist abuse repeatedly.
You finally crack and report it, only you realise you cannot report it due to an error.
You ask a moderator for help.
They gaslight you, and blame you because of something you allegedly did some time ago, but won't say.

This has happened repeatedly to me.

He wasn't even interested in finding out what was said. 'Oh that's pretty bad if true, and we will of course take action - there is zero tolerance for that sort of hate. But I need you to do x, y, z, because I'm afraid I can't do anything with a screengrab. I'm sorry.'

Do I have to be the person that has to explain to moderators how to act in a professional and emphatic way to people who have just come off the back of abuse and the Chat rules being broken, or is that too much to ask from volunteers?

 

[Deleted member 293502]

What is the point if being a mod if you cannot? I've volunteered a couple of times for my local community centre. That doesn't mean I sit in the back room putting my feet up half the time, or don't help a resident.

Do you snap your fingers and go "Do your job better!" when a volunteer worker doesn't help you fast enough? Do you demand to speak to a volunteers manager because you didn't like their tone? Do you act this way towards pet shelter employees when there's noone that can help you right away?

That's what you're doing right now, and I'm almost positive that you wouldn't be demanding to speak to someone's manager in real life for a similar scenario.

I don't know how this mod spoke to you, as you haven't provided screenshots of that DM (which would help provide context to people without mod powers in that room), but I've had paid employees tell me to shut up and I haven't yet went to someone's manager. But you're doing that right now.

Also, shelter volunteers don't work 8 hours a day. Some only work 4, or even 2. Would you get mad at a specific shelter volunteer for not being on-shift when you wanted to speak with them? Food for thought.

Simply put, I don't know what this mod said thats got you so upset, but how you've acted in this thread makes me believe you either lack all compassion and self-awareness, or you simply fail to understand humans. And that's okay - I barely understand humans sometimes too.

 

[Deleted member 293502]

I mentioned I understand that the mod *may* not be able to do anything with a screenshot (In a couple of instances that's proven not to be true, but that could be due to who the mod was).

At this time, I'm just going to tell you to provide screenshots of this moderators conduct. You can use a website like Imgur to get a link for the images and post them here.

So far, I've seen the moderator act appropriately (in this thread) and I've seen you act like someone that would get kicked out of a grocery store.

 

[RodeoMT]

Do you snap your fingers and go "Do your job better!" when a volunteer worker doesn't help you fast enough? Do you demand to speak to a volunteers manager because you didn't like their tone? Do you act this way towards pet shelter employees when there's noone that can help you right away?

That's what you're doing right now, and I'm almost positive that you wouldn't be demanding to speak to someone's manager in real life for a similar scenario.

I don't know how this mod spoke to you, as you haven't provided screenshots of that DM (which would help provide context to people without mod powers in that room), but I've had paid employees tell me to shut up and I haven't yet went to someone's manager. But you're doing that right now.

Also, shelter volunteers don't work 8 hours a day. Some only work 4, or even 2. Would you get mad at a specific shelter volunteer for not being on-shift when you wanted to speak with them? Food for thought.

Simply put, I don't know what this mod said thats got you so upset, but how you've acted in this thread makes me believe you either lack all compassion and self-awareness, or you simply fail to understand humans. And that's okay - I barely understand humans sometimes too.

Thanks for the support. I appreciate it. I think The Difference will handle it now and I have replied also.
Your job is as hard as mine in DT we take abuse and all kinds of things and maintain an even strain on the job.

 

[Deleted member 293502]

In no way did your race or religion effect how I dealt with your issue. I tried to explain to you that the forum is where you could report issues with your account. I gave you the link to the forum 5 times.

I have no authority over you, but can you (if your admin allows) provide context as to why this user couldn't use the report feature? I've tested the reporting when ignored feature before, and never had any issues.

If @TheDifference is cool with it, of course. I just am hoping we can get why that happened on the record.

 

[Deleted member 293502]

I think The Difference will handle it now and I have replied also.

Sorry, my most recent reply was before I saw this. I'll let TheDifference handle it. Thanks ❤️

 

[RodeoMT]

I have no authority over you, but can you (if your admin allows) provide context as to why this user couldn't use the report feature? I've tested the reporting when ignored feature before, and never had any issues.

If @TheDifference is cool with it, of course. I just am hoping we can get why that happened on the record.

No one has ever had an issue making a report. We are mods and we both know we can only do so much, that is why from the getgo I kept my Admin in the loop.
Thanks again

 

[TheDifference]

Sorry, my most recent reply was before I saw this. I'll let TheDifference handle it. Thanks ❤️

I normally don’t like it when other people not involved with the details get involved with threads like this. Because often it just confuses things and devolves the thread. But in your case you made some very good points and acted in a professional manner, as did Rodeo. And it’s also nice to see staff supporting each other (in an objective way). ✌🏻

 

[Mogwai786]

"In no way did your race or religion effect how I dealt with your issue. I tried to explain to you that the forum is where you could report issues with your account. I gave you the link to the forum 5 times.

Additionally I explained that if you are blocked, then the system will not let you report a user.

In no way did your race or religion effect how I dealt with your issue.

Buddy, practically the first thing you said to me when I complained I couldn't report someone for the racist abuse
I never said that impacted how you dealt with me, but something clearly has coloured your ability to speak to me, either that or you are completely incompetent and unprofessional.



Practically the first response you gave to me when I complained I couldn't report abuse was to accuse me of a previous incident without any evidence or explanation. Clearly, your response to my problem was prejudiced by previous interactions and you were unable to deal with my problem in a empathetic and professional way. If you were, you wouldn't have brought up previous issues I've had with you.

You called me a racist, a moron and retard

If I did, this would have been months and months ago, when you failed to respond to previous racist abuse from a well known racist account. You failed to do anything then, and you've failed to do anything now.

If anything, this proves that you were unable to deal with my complain in a professional and empathetic manner today, because of my response to you months ago when you were unable to deal with my complaint in a professional and empathetic manner. There's a pattern here: you're failure to deal with violations to Chat rules is it.

I also asked the name of the user you were trying to report which you did not give me.
I explained we can not take the word of a user we have to have a system generated report.
Which you called me a liar for.

Yeah, that never happened today. I can accept I probably did call you those things all those months ago when you failed to take action, I don't need to lie - I never said that.

I told you if you felt I was being rude or not listening then report it in the forum.
and lastly I told you do no harass users mods or admins, just make a report.

That's why I am. I never 'harassed' you. You kept lying and refusing to listen to what I was trying to explain to you.

You claimed I was able to report, despite me repeatedly telling you I couldn't because, I surmise, ignored accounts cannot be reported.

You then became accusatory, 'Every account on here can but yours?'. I then patiently explained to you again why I think this.

What did you say after that? 'you attacted (sic) the other user verbally and they ignored you'. You went back 6 months or something to beat me over the head about a time when you failed to deal with a serial racist. Good job!

I have all the screengrabs. I'm not afraid of anything. I've even kept screengrabs from the last time you failed to do anything towards racist abuse. It's a pattern with you. Failure to act, pissy responses, gaslighting and then I have to go to @TheDifference.

I actually don't care that you are full of personal animus towards me and want to relitigate stuff from half a year ago, but your failure to even keep an open mind that Chat's rules are being broken should stop you from being a mod.

You're not up for this.

 

[Mogwai786]

Do you snap your fingers and go "Do your job better!" when a volunteer worker doesn't help you fast enough?

Of course not. Only when they aren't doing their basic job. A mod's is to protect abnd be helpful to users. RodeoMT didn't do that. So your analogy would be more apt if it was a worker not doing a job at all. And I don't snap fingers, that would be an aggravating act - something I'm accusing the other mod of doing.

That's what you're doing right now, and I'm almost positive that you wouldn't be demanding to speak to someone's manager in real life for a similar scenario.

I'm fed up with being told how I should act by mods who, with exception of one, don't know how to speak to people and don't know how to respond to serious breaches to the Chat's rules, and don't seem to care less when it comes to being racially abused repeatedly.

So with respect, you have absolutely no idea how I should react to being constantly on the receiving end of this - as evidenced by your poor analogy.

but I've had paid employees tell me to shut up and I haven't yet went to someone's manager. But you're doing that right now.

I'm not you. You're not me. I have no way of knowing what you are saying is truth, much less if it is congruent with being stonewalled and gaslit on here. So please, don't.

Simply put, I don't know what this mod said thats got you so upset, but how you've acted in this thread makes me believe you either lack all compassion and self-awareness, or you simply fail to understand humans. And that's okay - I barely understand humans sometimes too.

Also you:

Simply put, I don't know what this mod said thats got you so upset, but how you've acted in this thread makes me believe you either lack all compassion and self-awareness, or you simply fail to understand humans. And that's okay - I barely understand humans sometimes too.

Noted. Politely I suggest that you don't bother me again. I respect that as moderators you see someone as invasive and as haranguing as me your first thought is to stick together. Charming.

But you don't know me. You don't know what happened. And despite that you have chosen to do exactly the same thing I've accused 'RodeoMT' of doing. That tells me the problem of moderators goes further than just one person.

 

[Mogwai786]

At this time, I'm just going to tell you to provide screenshots of this moderators conduct. You can use a website like Imgur to get a link for the images and post them here.

So far, I've seen the moderator act appropriately (in this thread) and I've seen you act like someone that would get kicked out of a grocery store.

I'd rather if you remove yourself from this conversation. You're not helping things at all. You're making them much worse.

You haven't even seen any evidence and yet you have already taken the side of your pal, coming to his rescue for being incomplete in the face of serial breaches in Chat rules.

You're not an honest broker, and given you are not even the senior mod, I'm not sure what you are bringing to this discussion other than unsolicited and uninformed opinions.

I'm outraged as it is at how yet again none of you appear to care at all about racism in your Chat, I don't need you making me more upset.

 

[Mogwai786]

No one has ever had an issue making a report. We are mods and we both know we can only do so much, that is why from the getgo I kept my Admin in the loop.
Thanks again

I DO.

The fact that you point blank refused to accept this, while ignoring clear breaches in Chat rules, AND instead relitigated stuff that happened 6 months ago (for the same goddamn reason) is entirely the problem here.

I can accept there is an error for whatever reason, and that screengrabs are insufficient. What I cannot is how you couldn't deal with this.

Ya'll look for fights. All of you. It's like you look for reasons to conflagrate things rather than diffuse them in a sound, helpful and empathetic way.

Jesus, what is the point of this. Waste of time.

 

[RodeoMT]

Strange. I call out people for racism all the time. The admin has seen me do it.
Why am I the only moderator that you seem to accuse of this.
I do not care what color race religion or sexual orientation a user is. I apply the rules fairly. I even bent over backward to accomidate you.
Thanks