When I read this:
[T]he year-long Obama-rox/Obama-sux flamewar has now dragged me into community moderation, and my patience has run dry. I'm now itching the ban the fuck out of the biggest dicks on the site.
I'm already at about a dozen, with ratings pulled from several more. I'm not done. If you accuse someone of being racist just because they criticize Obama? Zap! If you actually say something that is even borderline racist? Zap! If you advocate for third party? Zap! This is a Democratic site. Advocating primaries is okay. Advocating third party is not. If I see ratings pack behavior or messed up uprates or hides, I won't zap, but I'll pull ratings abilities. Hell, depending on my mood at that moment, I may zap anyway. My dev team is putting together cool reports that identify patterns, so my job will get easier, and I won't be shy in exercising them.
I can't begin to care who started what. And in fact, if two sides are engaged in battle, I'll act the same way I parent -- both sides will get punished. So those are some guidelines, but they are not all inclusive. A lot of my actions will be arbitrary, inconsistent, and sometimes might even seem capricious. I don't care. Some of you want a big set of rules printed and bound, so everyone is clear on the boundaries. Not me. I'll define "bannable dickishness" the way you define pornography or irony -- you know it when you see it.
You dragged me into this thing kicking and screaming, you get me at my very worst.
I think of this.
Part 1:
Part 2:
We're supposed to be moving towards community moderation. That means training the community to moderate the site the way that Markos wants it to be moderated.
Some of you want a big set of rules printed and bound, so everyone is clear on the boundaries. Not me.
That's not the way to do it. That's a way to bust a bunch of skulls without actually accomplishing anything except getting people afraid to moderate themselves.
That's all I'll say. I wouldn't want to be a dick about it and get wished into the cornfield.