This is a response to this thread: https://scored.co/c/KotakuInAction2/p/17tebxJDjX/
Now that we've seen the result of the return of our mod (not going to name him in the hopes that he doesn't appear) I would like to make the case for simply ignoring him and hoping he goes away.
First, even with the "new tools", nothing has changed. Bad actors are already bypassing them and it's unlikely that these measure will do anything more than embolden our friendly neighborhood subversive.
Second, whenever we get any moderation, it's a carpet bombing operation rather than a surgical strike. Instead of focusing on the actual problem, our mod apparently decided to go through the report queue and start handing out bans to everyone else as well. Not only does this not help, but it'll encourage regulars to start using alts which further muddies the situation.
Finally, and if this gets me banned so be it, we need to talk about the elephant in the room: the Jewish question.
I'm just back from a two-day ban for daring to state that all Jews believe a certain thing in order to be considered Jewish (I don't need to rehash it unless someone wants details). Note this is not an identity attack, it's an attack on religious beliefs and I made that clear.
While I was out, I was lurking. There were front page posts deriding niggers, faggots, and mudslimes (using those terms), that are still up right now (not to mention Imp being reinstated). At least one of those is an identity group and another is a religion. I did nothing that isn't done here on a regular basis, by regulars, especially during this whole Yasuke thing. But I got banned because muh auntie semetism. The mod used the classic "they're a race when they're criticised, but a religion when justifying their own atrocities" schtick. I had the exact same conversation with fishyman when he got modded on gaming, but even he had the integrity to consider my points instead of silencing me; let that sink in.
I'm not saying the mod is jewish but, to paraphrase u/then's Law: Any forum that doesn't explicitly call out subverters, will be subverted.
Either our mod gives the jewish faith preferential treatment, or he's simply responding to the highest volume of reports which is the same as handing your authority over to the most moralizing, backbiting, subversive users on the board; need I say more?
Regardless, our mod cannot be trusted to appoint any other mod. I know he likes conspiracies, so here's one: maybe he refuses to appoint another mod because he knows that none of the oldfags here are actually (((subverters))) and so he's planning on grooming some new accounts that he can instate later on?
Probably not. He's probably just disinterested. But that just means he'll appoint whoever makes the most pleasant noises at him when he should be appointing his critics, who actually care about the board.
My proposal is: ignore him.
Don't yell at him, don't mention him, don't even report posts (just gives him cover to say "well, you didn't report this post"). Every user should check New (daily, if possible) and downvote the spam to oblivion. Downvote spam comments but only reply with "Ban - reason". Anything actually illegal should be reported to site admins. With any luck, we can get this place declared abandoned and someone else can slip in. If not, at least regulars stop getting arbitrarily banned with nothing to show for it.
The nuclear option is always to migrate, but we've got a good thing going here (despite him): a vibrant, free-speech, culture war forum, with diverse opinions. I'd like to keep it that way.
Do you believe the practice of arguing in favor of your belief is bad action?
Prptip: if you answer yes then you are a bad actor by your own standard
Protip: if you answer no you undermine your core basis for calling people bad actors
Protio: if you answer "you are being a bad actor by asking this" you reveal to onlookers that you don't understand the phrase bad actor
I don't really expect an answer. I just think that you seem like a perfectly reason-capable person who is currently building up a wall in his mind. People on the other side are wrong and bad. When they win arguments, they are "bad actors" because when we lose arguments it feels bad, which makes us feel the other party did something wrong, which motivates us to find words or phrases to help attribute the bad wrongness to them outside the actual context of the argument which they have won.
Unless you believe you are right about everything, you have to accept there are people out there who are right about something, anything, that you might be wrong about. When those people clash with you, you'll be wrong. But those clashes are never pleasant. The context of an argument and of being wrong and getting your ass handed to you and feeling humiliated and frustrated- all very very negative. Therefore the correct thing is almost always sullied and associated with "enemy" feelings whereas one's pre-existing beliefs on the matter are associated with "ally" feelings. These enemy/ally associations are more powerful than the actual answer to the question "which argument is correct?" since the actual answer only serves to affect future enemy/ally associations. This dynamic is a keystone of divide and conquer.