Let's cut the LGBT slurs.

[Evan]

Some commentary for those who like to use their brains.

"gay" is a slang term for homosexual that has only come about in the past 40-50 years. It by no way referred to that previously, and evolved over time to the point it is now mainstream.
By the same regard, "gay" has started to mean other things analgous with lame, boring, stupid, etc. When used in that context, you have zero right to cry offense when a word is not used according to your meaning when it didnt mean what you think it does to begin with.

Just because you are one mod does not mean you have the right to go all czar.

This raises the point, why is an alumni a moderator of this forum?
Previously, moderators were only current student members (usually officers) and would retire the status after graduating. Not sure why that stopped, but it shouldnt have.


Ultimately, why must words be censored? If someone is an asshole, they have a right to be seen and judged as an asshole moreso than you have the right to not be offended and censor them.
If we are all sitting around in the paddock shooting the shit, do you get up and start screaming BLEEP at someone if they say something "insensitive" to you? The idea is ridiculous, and it should remain just as ridiculous in an online setting.

[Senor_Taylor]

This raises the point, why is an alumni a moderator of this forum?
Previously, moderators were only current student members (usually officers) and would retire the status after graduating. Not sure why that stopped, but it shouldnt have.

Who actually runs this site? Like the behind the scenes stuff?

Also, this rule might have changed regarding inactivity of past officers. This year is the only one in my 3 years in MM where each officer had more than 20 posts on the forums.

[CaptainHenreh]

Some commentary for those who like to use their brains.

"gay" is a slang term for homosexual that has only come about in the past 40-50 years. It by no way referred to that previously, and evolved over time to the point it is now mainstream.

To be fair, it wasn't "gay" that set all this off.

As for censorship, I censored myself, once the inappropriateness was pointed out to me, and I agreed with the assessment and apologized. Your point is made moving forward, but wasn't really relevant. The "Lounge Rules" already posted, implore users:

Please be respectful of religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and so on. Were not asking you to be politically correct, we just want all to feel welcome here and some may take offense. Keep your language respectful and clean.

As I was disrespectful, I fell well within the bounds of moderation, that's what mods are for.

Whether the moderation action fell in lines with the transgression isn't up to me, but what's happened has happened.

[Jake]

There are several of us who are alumni and moderators, Evan. It's been that way since I was a student. Yes, decisions are made as a unit (or at least not on a one-person basis) and I should have chosen my words differently in that initial post to say that a discussion will be had about behavior, not insta-ban.

I am fully aware of the word gay and how it's been used, how it is used, and how it's perceived. Ultimately, the word of the day was faggot (well, faggoty) and I took quite a bit more offense to that versus someone saying "oh, that's so gay".

It's not that words have to be censored because we're all delicate little snowflakes. On any other forum, I would brush aside the faggot-this and gay-that and Jenner jokes because it's a forum of thousands of people that I don't know and blahblah words can never hurt me. But MM is, and has been, a very tight-knit group of friends. In that regard, there are some things that I refuse to brush off.

If we were all sitting in the paddock and someone used the same sort of word choice in conversation, I would 100% call them out.

Rex's apology, much like the other apologies I've received in the past, was undoubtedly sincere. The intent of this thread is to make people think, as "we just want all to feel welcome here" and I would like to keep it that way. I can think of at least 5 gay MMers without really trying and I suspect there are/have been others.

[SlimKlim]

Taylor it's kind of a community effort. Jake did the current redesign, there are a few of us that can get into the basement and bang around if the site goes down, I'm not even sure who-all has access at that level. I ended up with it because I had free time last time Mother Russia DDOS'd us.

EDIT: Logged in and took a peek and was reminded of a weird permissions issue the site is having. There is an "Administrator" user group shown as having 9 users, when I click on "Manage" it tells me i don't have permission to view or modify that group. Under the "Permissions tab" I can look at who has admin permissions and it's only me and Ryan T. I have no idea if that is the same classification as the Admin group, or who the other 7 users are. It's kind of clunky software. Even looking at my personal account permissions I should be able to view and modify user groups, so I dunno what's going on.

GODDAMMIT. Tinkering with it I set myself to "User and Groups" admin thinking that might unlock it. All it did was remove 80% of my admin permissions, including the ability to change myself back to "Full Admin." I'm going home.

[Senor_Taylor]

Taylor it's kind of a community effort. Jake did the current redesign, there are a few of us that can get into the basement and bang around if the site goes down, I'm not even sure who-all has access at that level. I ended up with it because I had free time last time Mother Russia DDOS'd us.

I see, that's what I thought. Makes sense that y'all would still be mods.

[Evan]

There are several of us who are alumni and moderators, Evan. It's been that way since I was a student. Yes, decisions are made as a unit (or at least not on a one-person basis) and I should have chosen my words differently in that initial post to say that a discussion will be had about behavior, not insta-ban.

I am fully aware of the word gay and how it's been used, how it is used, and how it's perceived. Ultimately, the word of the day was faggot (well, faggoty) and I took quite a bit more offense to that versus someone saying "oh, that's so gay".

It's not that words have to be censored because we're all delicate little snowflakes. On any other forum, I would brush aside the faggot-this and gay-that and Jenner jokes because it's a forum of thousands of people that I don't know and blahblah words can never hurt me. But MM is, and has been, a very tight-knit group of friends. In that regard, there are some things that I refuse to brush off.

If we were all sitting in the paddock and someone used the same sort of word choice in conversation, I would 100% call them out.

Rex's apology, much like the other apologies I've received in the past, was undoubtedly sincere. The intent of this thread is to make people think, as "we just want all to feel welcome here" and I would like to keep it that way. I can think of at least 5 gay MMers without really trying and I suspect there are/have been others.

Fair enough. I didnt read the original so I was speaking in the abstract but sounds like everyone is on the same page here and it wasnt an egregious abuse of power by Emperor Jake

I think the fact that most are a tight knit group here is exactly why we dont need unilateral heavy handed moderation. Interacting with someone in real life usually prevents the keyboard courage asshole syndrome. Except in real life assholes, like Rex. And me.

My one recommendation would be, unless something is way over the line, then send a PM to politely ask the user to modify the post on their own. It should be a conversation not unilateral punishment handed down from above.

The moderator thing is ultimately up to the students, but I think they should always be given the option to take over full moderating duties. Perhaps they would rather use facebook and social media (those young 'ins!) and leave some or all moderation to alums willing to volunteer their time, but the option should be there. Having a alumnus moderated forum makes it feel more like an alumni forum instead of a current official club forum.

[Senor_Taylor]

EDIT: Logged in and took a peek and was reminded of a weird permissions issue the site is having. There is an "Administrator" user group shown as having 9 users, when I click on "Manage" it tells me i don't have permission to view or modify that group. Under the "Permissions tab" I can look at who has admin permissions and it's only me and Ryan T. I have no idea if that is the same classification as the Admin group, or who the other 7 users are. It's kind of clunky software. Even looking at my personal account permissions I should be able to view and modify user groups, so I dunno what's going on.

GODDAMMIT. Tinkering with it I set myself to "User and Groups" admin thinking that might unlock it. All it did was remove 80% of my admin permissions, including the ability to change myself back to "Full Admin." I'm going home.

You're the hero we deserve, but don't need right now.

[Senor_Taylor]

The moderator thing is ultimately up to the students, but I think they should always be given the option to take over full moderating duties. Perhaps they would rather use facebook and social media (those young 'ins!) and leave some or all moderation to alums willing to volunteer their time, but the option should be there. Having a alumnus moderated forum makes it feel more like an alumni forum instead of a current official club forum.

Unfortunately, I think as time passes and the user base here slides closer and closer to 99% alumni, that's what will happen. I think this should be more of a place to gather after you graduate to continue "MM after MM" as current students just don't want to be on here. I've preached about the forums every second of every meeting and gathering until my tonsils bled and no one is interested. I think it's also a shift in internet culture. Forums used to be THE form of communication on the internet, now Facebook and other social media is taking over. Which is why I try to keep the current students group chat together. It's really the only way fast paced current college students are willing to communicate. Most of the alums here used to internet extensively before Facebook and Twitter hit the mainstream, so you're used to forum crawling ( as am I ). To others, this is an extremely inefficient way to communicate.

[*insertusernamehere*]

HA yeah no, i'll gladly leave admin/moderator duties to the folks who have moved on past college. I don't (nor do i think most students) have the time to moderate anything more than what we've got going on.

[WRXtranceformed]

I was waiting for this post after seeing that meme :p

Keep calm and love on

[ScottyB]

permission to still deride and publicly shame MMers who are vanilla frosty fans? i don't understand why they hate America

[Senor_Taylor]

What's wrong with a vanilla frosty. Do you want to fight about it?

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[Apoc]

Vanilla Frostys are like white people singing the blues. It's just not right.

[Jewels]

Vanilla Frostys are like white people singing the blues. It's just not right.

This right here folks. Truth!

[.RJ]

permission to still deride and publicly shame MMers who are vanilla frosty fans? i don't understand why they hate America

[Nate the Great]

One thing I like about MM is that its accepting of everyone and that's why I have stuck with the club for many years now. I am gay and several members know that and have no problems with it thank God. I am a little surprised that this person is being so belligerent is this a member who attends club events frequently? For the record I have no problem when someone says 'that's gay' as long as its directed at a thing like a hubcap or a bolt some kind of an thing and not a person. I agree with Justin on how to handle things going forward. Nobody has time to police, but everyone should think before they talk or post. Be considerate of others.

[Senor_Taylor]

Wow Nate, I never knew that! I'm glad so many people in MM can be open. I hope the ones that aren't have the opportunity to come out in the future. Before this gets out of hand and rumors spread. I don't believe anything was directed at anyone, but it was a meme.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[Jake]

Yeah, there was definitely no belligerence, nor was the comment directed at anyone. Just sparked a "this needs to be said" moment is all.

[CaptainHenreh]

I don't believe anything was directed at anyone, but it was a meme.

This is correct, and it's a pretty common one on the internet, and although thoughtlessly and inappropriately posted, it was directed at the poster himself, and certainly not at anyone in particular and definitely not disparaging of anyone's identity. That doesn't make it ok, but it wasn't posted with any malice or ill will.

I know all this cuz I'm the one who did it, and if there's any belligerency it's due to events that transpired after the fact, not anything related to the post itself.