It is a forum for people to insult others without being held accountable for their actions. I read semi-spew, duck of minerva, and all your justifications for being here. I think you mean well, but I don't know why you let this continue on your watch. You can't be everywhere at once. Let it descend into an unmoderated abyss. Then people will see this place for what it is, and leave.
Saideman: This site really does hurt people
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I never get this logic--that this place would cease to exist if I didn't participate. There were several iterations of this kind of place before I found them, PSJR existed for a while before I started posting there. This place got going before I felt "comfy".
I think having at least one moderator that can people can actually reach is not a bad thing. No, I will not read every thread/post, but there are ways to signal the moderators so that we can examine the more problematic posts. We do get overwhelmed, and we don't dedicate all of our time to this place.
Ultimately, the internet is the internet--if this site were to go away, another site would pop up. Until someone can explain to me how the next time would be different, I am not going to buy the argument that my role here is causing this place to continue to exist.
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There are times that this place serves a valuable purpose but it could do much more if people here weren't so openly hostile to each other and if helping others was seen as good for you. How many of you have had a question about were to find data online that you know other people on here have to know? Or you don't know which stata command to use for the model you are running because fixing one problem creates another? If people wanted to help each other this would be a good place to be. Instead we have an anonymous site that encourages people to troll or give misleading advice or gives outsiders like Jesse a bad impression of the people in this field. When I googled Political Science, political science rumors was the sixth option down. Is this the image of our field we really want?
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I never get this logic--that this place would cease to exist if I didn't participate. There were several iterations of this kind of place before I found them, PSJR existed for a while before I started posting there. This place got going before I felt "comfy".
I think having at least one moderator that can people can actually reach is not a bad thing. No, I will not read every thread/post, but there are ways to signal the moderators so that we can examine the more problematic posts. We do get overwhelmed, and we don't dedicate all of our time to this place.
Ultimately, the internet is the internet--if this site were to go away, another site would pop up. Until someone can explain to me how the next time would be different, I am not going to buy the argument that my role here is causing this place to continue to exist.I don't think you should leave PSR, Steve, but I don't think the argument OP makes is that "your role here is causing this place to continue to exist." Rather, it is that you legitimate this place by being here, and that by offering "light" moderation, you are making this place worse than if it were all trolls, all the time. And that this version of PSR is worse because folks like you make this place a "legitimate" resource where trolls can spew their trollery.
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Laurencia,
That is a different argument, and one that I take more seriously. However, I am sure how much I legitimate this place when it has the reputation of being a cesspool. That is, how can it be both legitimate and a cesspool at the same time? I am also aware that I am not a big fish in the discipline, so it is not clear to me how much I legitimate this place.Light moderation? Ah, that is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it, since some people think the moderation is way too much. Even with Kirk's guidelines, there is no real rulebook, very few clear decision rules. So, I do take guidance from those here--pointing me towards the problematic stuff and the feedback I have received when I explain my moderating stances.
I think this place is better with moderation, of course. Could we do it better? Sure. Constructive concrete suggestions are always appreciated.
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Laurencia's argument is spot on.
Saideman, give yourself a little more credit. Compared to the average poster here you are Robert Dahl.
Trolls will always find a place to talk trash. This is true. But at least a job seeker who finds this site while looking for info on the market won't think: hey, there must be some truth to this, because there are real scholars here.
You have Semi-Spew and Duck of Minerva - which are good forums where you already offer advice. They have comment features.
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this is not true
other sites have existed before, now they are gone.
none replaced them (in different subfields)problem is that the moderators here allow users to attack others by name
I never get this logic--that this place would cease to exist if I didn't participate. There were several iterations of this kind of place before I found them, PSJR existed for a while before I started posting there. This place got going before I felt "comfy".
I think having at least one moderator that can people can actually reach is not a bad thing. No, I will not read every thread/post, but there are ways to signal the moderators so that we can examine the more problematic posts. We do get overwhelmed, and we don't dedicate all of our time to this place.
Ultimately, the internet is the internet--if this site were to go away, another site would pop up. Until someone can explain to me how the next time would be different, I am not going to buy the argument that my role here is causing this place to continue to exist. -
Suzan,
Most attacks get deleted especially if they get reported. Some have been allowed to stand because we do have unresolved questions about the Lacour mess.The other sites are gone because they have been supplanted by this one.
Garnette,
Ok, I was being a bit too modest about my position in the field. Job seekers coming here will find a lot of noise, and will take from this place what they will. They did before I was at PSJR.If job seekers, after five years or more of grad school, think that my posting/moderating here means that everything here is credible, then they have a bigger problem.
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What happened? Do tell us what hurts you. I am listening...
It is a forum for people to insult others without being held accountable for their actions. I read semi-spew, duck of minerva, and all your justifications for being here. I think you mean well, but I don't know why you let this continue on your watch. You can't be everywhere at once. Let it descend into an unmoderated abyss. Then people will see this place for what it is, and leave.
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Suzan,
Most attacks get deleted especially if they get reported. Some have been allowed to stand because we do have unresolved questions about the Lacour mess.
The other sites are gone because they have been supplanted by this one.
Garnette,
Ok, I was being a bit too modest about my position in the field. Job seekers coming here will find a lot of noise, and will take from this place what they will. They did before I was at PSJR.
If job seekers, after five years or more of grad school, think that my posting/moderating here means that everything here is credible, then they have a bigger problem.Sadie is a weak and self-serving thinker.
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The weirdest part of this site is the strange fixation with Saideman, honesty I don't get it-especially given he is one of (maybe the only one) who doesn't post anonymously.
He does post anonymously sometimes. He also mods anonymously sometimes. Ask him about the drug war.