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General discussion

Chat room moderators abusing their power

May 13, 2009 2:57AM PDT

I'm seeing a disturbing trend where the chat room moderators are kicking and banning people for no good reason. They are very inconsistent in their enforcement of their policies. I see repeated "bad" behavior from some users, who are NOT kicked, and then a single occurrence from a different user will get them kicked. Asking questions about the kick only gets people banned!

Enforcement should be fair and consistent, not based on the mood or whims of the moderator. The moderators have no oversight or review for their actions, which just leads to more abuse.

Discussion is locked

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(NT) I bet thread lasts.
May 13, 2009 3:24AM PDT
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think before you post
May 13, 2009 7:30AM PDT

Unfair is subjective, the smooth operation of the channel is up to the discretion of the Operators PERIOD.Follow the channel policies AND do not give the OPS a hard time and you will be fine.You obviously missed one of those two.Posting a complaint will not change either channel policy nor will it change Operator discretion. You would have done better better to perhaps consider your actions, as posting a gripe in this forum will accomplish nothing.

Sincerely
DAK

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Thanks, DAK
May 13, 2009 8:25AM PDT

Thanks, DAK, for showing the same level of arrogance that you showed this morning. You only prove my point. It's that "I can never be wrong" attitude that makes people hate cops and referees.

You were not banning me for the the good of the chat room, you got angry and over-acted, pure and simple. If you're having a bad day, then I'm sorry, but you can't take it out by abusing your authority.

As for this thread, I have every right to post it, if nothing else to bring your actions to light.

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last word from me
May 13, 2009 8:38AM PDT

my actions have never been in the dark. keep it in perspective. you were being disruptive, when asked to stop it is then up to you.

I do as i see as best for the channel, you may not agree, however that is the situation, deciding to lecture me on my actions is pointless and yes will get you kicked,proceed after that and yes guess what banned,you were warned. That is the nature of a channel,I'm in the channel to do a job not argue.

That said any ban is always easily lifted,all you have to do is talk to the Op in a civilized fashion.

if you fail to see that, it is a shame
all of the CNET channels are fun and could use regulars who wish to enjoy rather than be disruptive

feel free to PM me any time should you change your mind


Sincerely ,
DAK

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How?
May 13, 2009 8:56AM PDT

How do I PM you if I am banned? Seriously. We need to have a conversation and this forum isn't the place.

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reply
May 13, 2009 9:08AM PDT

you only need to be on the network , but should you wish to PM you can join #CNETFans you need to be registered tho /msg nickserv REGISTER password [email]


hope to talk soon
DAK

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reply of how
Aug 22, 2010 5:50PM PDT

for just testing.

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I have been banned
Aug 20, 2010 3:56AM PDT

I have never successfully logged-on to the chat room. Dak has me banned me automatically.

I am not sure why? Since I have always been kicked off as soon as I am successfully logged-in and seconds later "You are banned from the channel #CNETFans"

I could understand if I wrote something or did something offensive. But like I said, never successfully participated in the Cnet chat room.

Maria L Gaycheck

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What?
May 13, 2009 7:34AM PDT

fugawe,

I don't recognize your nick, but the timing and content of your post leads me to believe you are referring to an incident this morning in #the-404 chat.

For those unfamiliar with The-404, the content of the podcast and related chat have recently been toned-down due to the video moving to CNET tv. A small (but vocal) minority of chatters have been unhappy about the changes.

#the-404 chat is separate from the main chat #CNETfans and is not associated with Buzz Out Loud.

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Not true
May 13, 2009 8:28AM PDT

Hello Gknee,

Yes, that was my incident, but I have been seeing other people treated the same way. Also, a ban from #the-404 also bans you from #cnetfans, so the issues *are* related.

Finally, I was not banned for trying to keep the #the-404 chat room rowdy (it was actually my first time there), I was banned for telling DAK he wasn't being fair: kicking some people, but not others. I was polite, I did not use profanity, and only said it once. I only wish I had saved the chat log so I could post it here.

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new live viewer and chat question related to this post
Apr 6, 2011 11:59AM PDT

Hi gknee;
I've been watching live and joining chat for the first time ever this week on BOL. I am really enjoying the show and pre-roll a lot.
I've seen a few people booted from chat, and for most I could see the reasoning. I have however noticed a few folks booted and the only thing that ties them together is the use of of a certain wine and social media pundit's last name, used as if they expected to get booted for it, and they were. Is Vaynerchuk a bad word? I couldn't find any plausible connection on the news wire, but I'm curious.
At any rate, I love the show and will keep dropping in until the working world calls me away again.

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#1 reason people start their own chat groups
May 13, 2009 7:41AM PDT

People start their own chat groups / forum because they do not like the current ones. There are a number of free and/or low cost software that you can us to create your own. If you need help finding them check out download.com or ask I am sure people could recommend a few.

If you create it then you can moderate it.

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YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME HERE CHANBOT!
May 13, 2009 8:32AM PDT

YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME!!!!

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oh that kwahhn
May 13, 2009 8:43AM PDT

lol Happy

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(NT) *** Kwahhn was kicked by Chanbot (forums won't protect you)
May 13, 2009 8:58AM PDT
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I've used your chat rooms
Dec 14, 2009 6:16PM PST

All I can say is that DAK kicks people out for any reason he/she wants.No profanity,disruption,lewdness real or implied no racism,sexism or any other -ism real or implied required.He/She won't respond when told "I don't understand your grievance.Please explain?" and then has all further posts blocked by #cnetfans.He/She simply does what he/she wants.

I find it hard to believe CBS especially are okay with this arrangement,even though,as far as I'm aware,moderators don't get paid by ANYONE to do this job,and are therefore at cross purposes to the owners interests of gaining as many viewers as possible.Moderators say-"We're just doing as told.Make it family friendly."I don't buy it,90% of the time the only disruptive thing in those chat rooms are the moderators.They're drunk on their own perceived power.

Just one more thing,who in their infinite wisdom gave these people the rights and responsibilities to Ban any person from anything on Cnet?If who ever that was,is/are in paid positions at Cnet/CBS,they shouldn't be.

Pull your socks up CBS/Cnet!Cheapest isn't always best in the long run.

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They get a little crazy sometimes, but...
Dec 14, 2009 10:10PM PST

...99.9999% of the time the mods are fair.

If you get kicked, just realize it's just a chatroom and get over it. Follow this easy advice and you'll enjoy a long and fruitful life in the chat room (probably only getting kicked once or twice every six months just like me).

Oh well, it's just the internet.

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Never knew CNET was a homophobic company
Feb 4, 2011 6:58AM PST

AT least for me, DAK is the best of the moderators it (and I use it because I don't know if it is male or female) is willing to work with you to correct the problem.

From my point I never realized CNET was such an sexist company. Anything associated with Homosexual is ban almost automatically. I mentioned how in person Wilson is a hottie and that I would like to see a Gay Day with the papi chulo's of cnet. I got banned instantly. I was told that cnet is a family friendly place and that my behavior was in appropriate, oh by the way I mentioned I had seen Wilson at a bar, and someone asked me something about the bar bathroom and I said you walk into a bathroom, you look straight, do your business, washup and leave. Mind you another person said oh take a look. one of the moderators then starts attacking me, so of course I defend myself, then he said it's not to be discussed in the room, I private message him, we discuss it, sort of calm down then comes another one and bans me out of no where. By the way they said I PM people without asking, mind you I'm barely on the chat and I never even know how to PM anyone, I took a guess and was able to PM the moderator I spoke with and he said I was making gay people uncomfortable.

It's why I decided to stop viewing the CNET shows, and I will tell others to stop as well. I had turned allot of friends onto the shows, and they have some good shows, but I can not in sound mind support a company that's homophobic. I wish them the best.

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I am banned because of my name . . .
Feb 4, 2011 9:16AM PST

My Last Name is Gaycheck . . . . DAK kicks me off. ***?

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Response to I am banned because of my name
Feb 4, 2011 12:23PM PST

It's because your name has gay in it and CNET is a sexist company that does not like anything to do with the Homosexual community. According to the guy who banned me several of the hosts contact him directly, the only hosts I saw were the guys from the 404 - Wilson Tang, Jeff Bakalar, Justin Yu, and the hosts of the Buzz out Loud - Molly Wood and Brian Tang. By the way Molly was just less then a lady.

I always thought of them as people who really didn't care about those things. Like I had said I saw Wilson at a bar, thought he was hot, but respected his distance, one he's straight, and two he deserves his privacy. They said I was in appropriate. It's their company model, just means I'll stop watching The 404 and Buzz out Loud and I'll ask my friends to do the same.

But banning you because of your name having gay that's even lower then mine. They just don't get it....