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[2020-12-25 22:18:22 UTC -- Corrected typo (with thanks to maxwell demon) --martyb]
[2020-12-25 21:32:03 UTC -- Updated with staff info and reformatted the story. --martyb]
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(Score: 1, Troll) by khallow on Saturday December 26 2020, @04:36AM (12 children)
I glanced over the complaint and am underwhelmed. First, there's the complaint about people "impersonating" others, "wishing harm on others", and spamming. Only the last of which seems a serious problem here.
What I've seen of impersonation is pretty innocuous. Something like "khallow 2.0" or "khallow sucks ass" which tries to feebly mock the original. Now if it were say "khalIow" which could in certain fonts look almost exactly the same, then we might be talking impersonating of an odious sort. But even then, I'd be more concerned about behavior than the name. If the impersonator keeps showing up in the threads of the original in such a way that the two are easily confused, then that's spam and would fall under the purview of category three. And it'd be easy to correct via administrative tools.
As to wishing harm on others, what exactly should SN do about that? For example [soylentnews.org]
What's the punishment here?
One of the problems with doing anything about the problems you just described. The power can be abused.
The lameness filter always existed - it came with the initial code. And that ability can be taken away by other administrators, if it is abused.
As to the aristarchus entries in the submission queue, you've already stated that administrators are relatively good at dealing with spam. Well, that happens to be what aristarchus entries are. It's a solved problem being solved. And what exactly is the problem with the junk you mentioned staying in the queue? Unless someone approves it, it's not going anywhere.
just because you claim there are "extremely inconsistent standards" doesn't make them so. The handling of aristarchus's spamming the submission queue has been answered cogently enough for me, a subscriber and I'm satisfied with the solution. Meanwhile, you're not a subscriber and haven't done anything to deserve that cogent answer you claim to want.
As to toxicity, aristarchus is one of the more toxic people on this site. Sorry, not going to buy your narrative when the only action you've proposed is to support the problem you claim to be concerned about.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 26 2020, @05:11AM (4 children)
That is 100% false. I have subscribed twice, both times paying $20 and gifting the subscriptions to other users. Since I've put my name on an email to the admins to report more lameness filter issues, they are also more than capable of verifying that I have, indeed, subscribed twice. Just because I'm an AC and choose to gift my subscriptions to other users does not mean that I haven't subscribed. I gifted one subscription to Knowledge Troll, the other to martyb.
The lameness filter that generates the "douchebaggery quotient" message did not come with the original code. Yes, there has been a lameness filter in Slash for at least a couple of decades. In fact, it's a variety of filters that detect certain types of abusive comments. In this case, new filters have been added to block some of APK's spam. The problem is that the filters aren't effective and cause more harm than good. In fact, APK has posted antisemitic spam as recently this month and can modify his comments to evade the filters. Meanwhile, there are false positives that block innocuous comments. Both Slashdot and SN have modified the filters since the code was forked. Slashdot apparently now blocks the word "Nazi" and that has the effect of stifling legitimate non-abusive discussion about Nazis.
The other filter I referenced was also discussed by Bot in his journal [soylentnews.org] and TMB explicitly acknowledged [soylentnews.org] that someone else was modifying the lameness filters.
The solution to the spam cannot be worse than the problem. I see Slashdot's extremely onerous lameness filter as the end result if more filters keep getting added to block undesired text. I do believe that SN is still better than Slashdot, which is why I still read and post here, but rarely read Slashdot now.
As I said, I think SN has headed in the wrong direction during the past six months, which is why I'm not subscribing this time. If things improve, I am open to reconsidering and purchasing another subscription in a future six month period. It's not personal, this is just my way of expressing my opinions to the editors. They're free to accept or reject any part of what I've said. They own the site and it's their right.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday December 26 2020, @11:59AM (3 children)
But I still read:
That makes it way other than 100% false.
Given that I haven't run across the SN lameness filter in ages (aside from occasionally forgetting to put in a subject), I'm not seeing the alleged problem here. There is lameness to be filtered after all and it works for me.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 27 2020, @01:33AM (2 children)
I purchased a gift subscription in August, basically four and a half months ago. I paid $20, which is the price for a one year subscription. That's the second one year subscription I purchased in 2020. The subscription I purchased in August is part of the running total on SN's front page toward this six month goal. Saying that's not current enough is absurd. It actually is 100% false to say I am not a subscriber.
In terms of the text that triggered the lameness filter, it seems I'll have to split it across two posts to get it to post. I attempted to post this election night. Here goes (1/2):
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 27 2020, @01:36AM (1 child)
And here's the rest (2/2):
Again, there's no valid reason that this text should trip the lameness filter. I've twice emailed SN about this, once last month, then again yesterday. It is still a problem. It is a false positive.
I strongly dispute TMB's claim that one must be as much of a douche as APK to trigger the filter. Apparently trying to have a civil discussion about the election also does so.
Yes, the text is out of date. I attempted to post it election night. However, if you merge the two parts of the comment together and attempt to post it, you can expect it will trip a lameness filter for some reason.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday December 27 2020, @10:52PM
:-) You said "Trump" too many times. Seeing his name so often can trigger epilepsy and nausea.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 26 2020, @05:28AM
Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I bought a subscription for Knowledge Troll back in February or March, right before he abandoned his account and started posting AC. It was right after COVID started surging in the US. And I bought a subscription for martyb right after one of JMH's conspiratorial rants that attacked him. So I'm pretty sure one of my $20 subscriptions is counted in the total on the front page. I do not regret purchasing either subscription. So I misremembered when I purchased the subscriptions.
And no, I'm not entitled to answers from the staff. Neither are you. Customers aren't entitled to control how management runs their business. We can express our concerns and our frustrations, but the managers and owners get to decide how to run their business. And customers can choose whether or not to continue giving their money to the business. TMB and martyb don't owe me answers. They can choose whether or not to provide those answers and I can choose whether or not to subscribe in the future. I'm not opposed to subscribing again, I just want to see things turn around.
To be honest, I'm concerned that the site is dying, given that the number of stories has been scaled back quite a bit and most of the discussion seems to take place in journals with political topics. I hope not. I don't have the means right now to volunteer and help things turn around. That would have a far greater impact than chipping in an extra $20 for the site, but I couldn't commit to that given my situation right now.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 26 2020, @07:25PM (5 children)
You are actually the most slyly toxic user here. You respond with 100% confidence you are right, even when proven wrong. It drags conversations into the gutter and promotes tribalism over reality. Same with TMB, but he is usually more of a troll problem.
(Score: 2, Touché) by khallow on Saturday December 26 2020, @10:49PM (4 children)
Which strangely enough, no one can ever be bothered to find examples for such. It's like Bigfoot sightings.
"We were on a hunting trip, drinking beer after midnight, when we saw a proven wrong khallow slither across the road in front of our headlights. Clear as day! Sure we were wasted and none of my friends saw it, but it happened, I swear!!!"
Also, I found that any lack of confidence was utterly wasted on people like you. It's just interpreted as weakness.
Those conversations, when they go that way, would have gone there anyway. The problem is not on my end.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 27 2020, @01:01AM (3 children)
Just engage with facts and don't put your personal ideology first bruh, tis easy
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday December 27 2020, @03:43AM (2 children)
Like?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 27 2020, @06:23PM (1 child)
Vlimate change and the need for regulation. Universal healyhcare and its proven record of better health outcomes for the pooulation while saving money.
You know, reality.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday December 28 2020, @11:44PM
You're stating subjects/opinions not facts.