I am not liking the free-for-all when it comes to community moderation. So I am guilty of getting into some pie fights lately. Heck, someone who didn't like my take on a certain subject--a person with a low UID--wouldn't HR me in the diary where we were having our exchange, a diary where I HR'd no one--but went into an older diary of mine and in retaliation, HR'd my tip jar. Three months ago, that would have been a serious offense. Now, it is simply "done".
Today, I got into it in a good friend's diary where I disagreed. Not only did he not HR me, but agreed to disagree, and furthermore, as a contributing editor and a blogadmin, wrote with me for my Wednesday diary for our series. These are the adults here.
Some new user, who has not read the rules but has TU status, HR'd a comment of mine today. I would figure that they hadn't read the rules, and given that the person is not old enough to drink, probably didn't care to read them. Well, I'll tell you what I did for that user: I purchased that user a one month subscription to the Daily Kos. Because I am just that kind of guy.
More over the fold.
Not a single diary, comments "frequent" (I guess that means one), four bars of Mojo and TU status. The fellow HR's me with no explanation, in a comment which was already uprated by 5 users.
This tells me something: my TU status is meaningless. I rarely hurl a donut. I have only been around here for about three years, but have subbed for BiPM, am followed by over 100 Kossacks, and until recently, never received a donut. Until recently. Since the end of Meteor Blades as moderator and the advent of the Wild West atmosphere, I have learned that donuts now mean "I don't agree with you" rather than "you are disruptive". It's nice to publish a FAQ, but that assumes that people can actually read.
I thought I had a good reputation here. Apparently, I do not.
I am, however, a nice guy. So I purchased a gift subscription for a 19 year old person with a high UID that HR'd a comment I made. Because I am a nice guy. Also, because I wanted to make a point.
This system is not working. I even find myself saying things I never would have said. As a composer of music, one of the things I know is how certain limitations breed craft and creativity. As this stands, well, the only thing breeding seems to be microscopic.
But its Holy Week. And I purchased a one month gift subscription for someone who HR'd me who, like me, says in their profile that they are out of work. It was the least I could do.
Can't we all do better?
Updated by commonmass at Wed Apr 20, 2011 at 03:55 AM EDT
UPDATE: the user in question now has a nifty subscriber badge. I wonder, will they notice? Perhaps when the ads are suddenly gone?