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Etiquette: Negative comments

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    @Gretar: I was trying to phrase my thoughts in such a way that they didn't assume that having more moderators was either a good or bad thing. What I think about that is completely irrelevant, it's what Anton and the other moderators think that is crucial. My purpose was to raise some things that I think are important in helping them decide (and if they decide to do so, how they might do it).

    @Harry: I'm pleased to see that you've learnt to make your jokes more obvious.

  2.  

    @Andrew: I wasn't trying to make any assumptions on whether you thought being a moderator was bad or good. I was simply addressing your point number 4, that people who are moderators have said that it can be a hassle at times. I think I have heard this as well, and thought that this might detract people from wanting to be moderators. Then Charles pointed out that people who are not moderators but have 10k reputation have most of the tools available to moderators but also avoid having the "dictatorial" power you mentioned. My point was simply that if the community thinks that more moderators are needed, some people could possibly be persuaded to become moderators temporarily (people who otherwise might not want to become moderators) until there was a more even distribution of 10k users.

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    Ah, I see. I misunderstood, I apologise.

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    No problem at all.

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    The suggestion that you couldn't contact me because I didn't fill out my bio information is ridiculous. In past threads, others mentioned success Googling me. I've e-mailed some of you, and I've known some of you for more than a decade. If figuring out who I am after I give my real, unique name is too hard, you could write a comment.

    There has been extremely bad judgement shown in closing many questions, and in deleting my comments. Reopening a question much later is like gluing someone's dog back together. Don't pretend it fixes the problem. It is not a little mistake when a good question is closed, blocking people from answering the question. It should be shocking. It is a slap in the face of the questioner, and to a lesser extent, to all who took the time to answer the question. It is not fixed by voting to reopen the question later. It will get worse as more people attain enough reputation to vote to close if you continue to set bad examples. It ought to be obvious, but I guess I have to say it: Censorship is not an option you should take lightly.

    You may think I overreacted to having reasonable comments with mathematical content deleted with no justification by threatening to delete my other contributions to MO. I see Pete Clark called me "immature," which reflects pretty badly on him. Your myopic actions making MO unfriendly to mathematicians who found MO after you, and to mathematicians in fields currently underrepresented on MO, have a much larger effect than losing one contributor.
  6.  

    @Douglas Zare: +1

    It was obviously an absurd and immature (c) idea to take some second-hand internet software and make a (would-be) mathematical site based on it. The path of least effort has led this time to a very deplorable result.

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    @Douglas: threatening to delete answers to questions from Tim Gowers in response to some third party's behavior does seem to me like an overreaction, yes. I respect that this is not your position.

    However, you seem bent on construing everything in the worst way possible. I am taken aback by "I see Pete Clark called me 'immature'..." The only statement of mine that I can find that this might be a response to is:

    "I don't think this is the most mature reaction to mistreatment on MO"

    What you claim is really not a fair paraphrase of this: (i) I began by qualifying my statement as a personal opinion; (ii) I am speaking of a particular action, rather than calling a person a name; and (iii) I don't mention you or any other particular person!

    @Igor Korepanov: your comments are completely unconstructive. If you find this site deplorable, why do you come here and complain? You're not going to change anyone's mind just by saying very negative things.
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    @Igor, that was completely uncalled for, disrespectful to the people who founded and who help maintain MO (not least of all Ravi Vakil), and is not going to change the mind of those who frequent this site because they find it useful and interesting. What audience, exactly, are you writing for?

    I am very tired of people taking the stance that MO has fallen short of some lofty goal of ushering in a new era of mathematical inquiry and communication or whatever, a goal which it was never aiming for in the first place.

    • CommentAuthorAS
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2010
     
    Qiaochu: just ignore him! And you shouldn't care too much about what other people think, as long as the community is having a great time...
  10.  

    @Pete:

    Just one thing: I don't complain. On the contrary, I find meta amusing.

    As for the main part of MO, the only thing I can recommend to anybody having personal dignity is to stay away from it, and that is what I do.

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    Igor, the people who set up Math Overflow were trying to do something creative and constructive, something that would improve the world. I would say that they succeeded handsomely. Thanks to what they've done, the world is now a slightly better place.

    You don't like Math Overflow, and that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

    But you come to this discussion site and make relentlessly negative comments about Math Overflow. What good does that do? What benefit does it bring to anyone?

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    Methinks dignity is vastly overrated. MO is a great place to let go of it.

    • CommentAuthorAS
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2010
     
    @Tom: I really think you should ignore him, you are giving him exactly what he wants.
    • CommentAuthorSam Nead
    • CommentTimeFeb 16th 2010
     
    Dear Douglas -

    I think that you are an interesting contributor to the site. Please think twice before deleting useful material!
  15.  
    The worst thing to do when someone is threatening to ragequit is to say "but no, we'll miss you and your contributions". It's exactly the response that a threat like that is meant to evoke. The best thing to do is not respond.

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