this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2025
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Lemmy

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Everything about Lemmy; bugs, gripes, praises, and advocacy.

For discussion about the lemmy.ml instance, go to [email protected].

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Is it just me, or are lots of mods just banning anyone with a dissenting opinion?

I like to be a bit contrarian, play devil's advocate, stuff like that, so sometimes I know what I post isn't going to jive with the community I'm posting in, but I think there's value in that. It starts a discussion and it offers a different pov.

Maybe I'm wrong and stupid, and someone can reply and explain why. I think that would be a net benefit. But what happens instead is my post gets deleted and I get banned. :/

I genuinely think this is a real issue and it leads to echo chambers, but am curious to see what other ppl think? Am I just salty? :)

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago

Do you remember forum culture? Where, if you joined a forum and were a giant pain in the ass, they kicked you out?

Large, monolithic social media sites like Facebook and Reddit got away from some of that, just because they're too big to police. But the fediverse isn't. Not yet, anyway. Bad neighbours are defederated from, and bad actors are banned.

Don't be a giant pain in the ass if you don't want to be shown the door. Or go back to spaces that are too big to GAF about you.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Absolutely would have modded these the same way mate.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

@op, you say you like to present occasionally differing opinions to open up discussion and differing ideas. According to the log this user posted you don't open up avenues for discussion. You insult and generally look like you are trolling.

If you want to open up discussion ask questions

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Just a note: you as an instance admin can see who did a moderation action, but this is not generally visible to other users. I personally don't mind this, but some moderators and instance admins consider this leaking of information that can lead to harassment. Might be better to not post screenshots like that.

[–] GrumpyDuckling 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

If you click modlog it gives you the search box and filters so anyone can search any user on that instance.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes but only moderation actions on specific users, it doesn't say who did the moderation action.

That is unless you are an instance admin. It used to be different, but this was relatively quietly changed a few releases back and many long term admins haven't realized that as for them it still looks the same as before.

[–] GrumpyDuckling 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's a toggle on the current version.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

I am pretty sure that toggle is currently broken and does nothing.

[–] GrumpyDuckling 1 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

I just checked and it does work for me just by visiting the site without logging in. It changes between "username" and "mod"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Odd, it doesn't work here on our instance.

[–] GrumpyDuckling 1 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

Could be because your instance is so big. I have a new instance with only a few users which is not federated.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

you as an instance admin can see who did a moderation action, but this is not generally visible to other users.

Eh? Since when is the modlog hidden from users? I can see the modlog on lemmy.world and I'm not an admin. I don't even have to be logged in.

https://lemmy.world/modlog

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Note how it only says "mod" and not the specific account name of the mod?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

When I'm logged in I see the mod's username.

edit: actually I see the mod names when logged into an app, but not directly via the web UI.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah, it is one of these features in Lemmy that are at best a speed bump and are pretty misleading to users similar to hiding who voted. I personally don't like that this is a feature as the main point of the mod log is transparency of moderation actions, but I know some other people disagree and not without reason.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago

I just wish it would differentiate between mods and admins. And admins of which instance.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Really? The guy who called me a moron didn't get a ban. I was polite to him, but got one anyway 😆
What I'm getting at is, when did free speech stop applying to stupid people? (I'm assuming that's why you think I deserve it - for being just factually incorrect, not too rude or anything?)

Ok I'm wrong about stuff, I'm being stupid, but isn't it better for others to rebut my arguments than just banning me? Like if you ban me you don't change my mind, nor do I just stop existing or anything...

I've been thinking about this topic lately, now that corporate social media is all about "free speech" since Trump got re elected. I don't use those platforms, but I think they banned obvious cases like racists and such, and then everyone could pretend those people didn't exist anymore and we live in a nice and happy world without racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. But it's been festering in the background, and now BOOM! you get Trump 2.0 😄

[–] southsamurai 2 points 1 day ago

No, it isn't better to rebut stupid arguments. It's a waste of time to read them in the first place.

When idiots keep repeating the same stupidity, you have to nip it in the bud before it gets rolling.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

I don't see any argument in those comments.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 23 hours ago

It's called the social contract.

If you're still in the teenager mindset, where you get to do whatever you want and it's an atrocity if someone does anything to you, then of course you will feel upset about coming in, picking a fight with everyone in the thread, and them having a little chuckle and heaving you out the door and then getting back to what they were doing before you came in.

I actually have a lot of sympathy for someone who wants to talk in a community where they feel like they are not able to. What you did is not that.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You're not posting to play Devil's advocate in a civil discussion. You're trolling. You're being disingenuous, at best. We can see your past post history.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 day ago

I know you can see it, it's no secret, but

  1. it's missing to whom and to what I replied to
  2. lots of comments have been deleted, you can't even see those afaik

In most cases I'd say I am not trolling nor being disingenuous. Maybe I did troll when I replied just "Orange man bad" to someone, but even then I was trying to create a bigger argument that Trump doesn't work alone and the issue is much bigger than 1 bad guy - there's the people around him, the party around him, etc. - and this is my genuine opinion, again, stupid or not. :/

[–] actionjbone 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

99% of people who say they're being "devil's advocate" are actually, in fact, just being assholes

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 day ago

Yeah, I know. I do try to keep that in mind though, I guess it's not working 😅

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

[email protected]

It happens sometimes. More often on some communities and instances than others. It is for the most part recognized as wrong, when it happens. Sort of a "necessary" evil aspect of moderation that Lemmy inherited from Reddit, when they adopted Reddit's moderation model which enables the creation of little fiefdoms under the exclusive control of one person or a handful of people.

Post up there if it happens to you, and you can get sympathy, feedback, and pointers to other communities that don't do that sort of thing.

Edit: Oh lol. I didn’t look at the posts. You’re within your rights to say whatever point of view you want to say. If it is blatant propaganda and accompanied by personal abuse at people who disagree with you, you’re going to get moderated for it. If you really believe in these things, find some kind of “debate” community if you want, and I’m happy to spend at least a small amount of time addressing them with you.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Thanks for your perspective, I didn't know I came across quite like that.
In my defense though, I wasn't trying to propagandize. I may be wrong and stupid but that's how people can be sometimes?! 🤷
And regarding personal abuse - the person called me a moron and I said they didn't understand geopolitics - I don't think I really abused 'em 🤔

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's funny how all of y'all are rooting for this war to continue. You know it's going to continue to be shit for Europe, right? I hope the war mongers get to actively participate since they love it so much.

Hard for anyone to see that any other way than hostile and as deliberately misunderstanding the situation.

Generally speaking, whenever you are telling somebody what they think, instead of reading what they think and then responding to it with your own response, you're in the wrong. No one here wants the war to continue.