I can't stand by and watch stuff like this happen around here. I will not support subverses (by featuring them or making them defaults) with moderators who impose questionable rules such as "your post has to end with a questionmark". Moderators need to calm their tits and focus on nurturing and growing their communities. Rules can always be bent and what better time to bend the rules then now, while Voat is still growing and under development?
I am thankful for moderators who help keep Voat spam-free and I respect your work. I really do. I started working on automoderator for comments and submissions and your job will be made much easier when this is implemented, but for the time being, moderators need to relax and focus on removing spam and eventual illegal content. If I submit a new post and it gains some traction (hundreds of comments, views and upvoats), and my post gets removed because I broke a rule by forgetting to include a question mark in my submission title... well, I would be pissed. People take removal of their comments and submissions very seriously and moderators must think twice before removing stuff if they want to avoid offending users. Voat has a ranking process where time acts as gravity and older posts will eventually fall off the frontpage. Voat also has automatic public moderation logs and everything you remove will still be visible in these modlogs and your actions may be questioned by the community, just like what happened yesterday.
This action can be reverted if /askvoat mods can convince us that the issue has been dealt with or if some other, less restrictive community takes over.
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the_gamer_rises ago
oh snap. next pay check voat gets a donation from me
TheBuddha ago
I had a buttload of BTC (I mined them when they first started and never spent any, it was just a thing to do) and donated them to EFF. I am using a quasi-anonymous moniker because I am running for a political office and that is also why I did not wish to be associated with BTC as it has a soured reputation. I think I may make an exception and see if I can acquire some BTC and make a donation. I think the risk is minimal and the reward is great enough. I do wish I could go through my credit union though.
Feeds_On_Vegans ago
I understand your concern over an association with BTC, but honestly we need representatives out there willing to challenge these perceptions. Pick your battles for now, but I'd love to see you publicly using them down the road once you're part of the elected oligarchy.
TheBuddha ago
(Un)fortunately, an elected position is obligated, in my view, to adhere to the desires of his constituents within reason. I can advocate changes and education but if they are not receptive I am obligated to represent them. I am a representative, if elected, and not acting as an individual. Some individuality is allowed, of course, but moderation is the key in those regards. My job will not be to push my own personal agenda but to ensure the needs and wants of the electorate are better represented than the current elected official. Should public perception change (and I can facilitate that change when the situation allows) then I will advocate for such. While I may use them publicly, eventually, that would only be to foster discussion.
I am not sure that I am wording this as well as it could be... I can hope to educate but I can not change perceptions and am obligated to introduce and vote according to the wishes of my constituents in all but the rarest of cases. Being able to separate the two is why I feel I will make an adequate representative for the population that I live amongst.
Feeds_On_Vegans ago
I understand what you are saying. Kudos to you for being so conscientious of representing your constituents.
That said, there is also and implied leadership role in governance. If most of your constituents are wrong, it is part of your job to show them what right looks like and convince them to get onboard.
I'm not saying that you should make BTC a platform issue, but as you become more established and trusted in office, you should be mindful that you have influence over the conversations we have and a perception of legitimacy to lend to things you believe in.
mukt ago
I'd like to follow/friend you when /u/Atko implements that feature.
TheBuddha ago
That is appreciated - I am taking it as a compliment. However, be aware, that I am a FOSS user, supporter, and sometimes have contributed. I am not, however, a FOSS advocate. While I believe that I personally benefit from the community and the ideals I also recognize a right to create closed source and to use closed source software and hardware.
For example: I will advocate that my state teach, use, and support FOSS but not for idealistic reasons. If it can be done with increasing education while decreasing funding then I am all for it. I will, however, be absolutely advocating open standards. All of which must be compromised by my actual job which is to accurately represent my constituents needs and desires. No file, no web site, no public information (or internal information, for that matter) should require proprietary software to render properly.
Open source has its place and there is a reason to make use of it. If the state can make use of it (and, ideally, contribute to the ecosystem) then all the better. Ensuring that this is on track for a future ideal is important but it is not important to restrict proprietary software currently. Instead, I advocate that we encourage adoption and education as funding allows.
I am a social liberal and a fiscal conservative, with a bit more color than that generic statement. I could be considered a Classic Libertarian which is the group of us that thinks Ayn Rand was a moron and that things like a robust social safety net are essential for a safe and functioning society. The most important right, to me, is one's right to self-determination. Business interests, liberties, and freedoms rank pretty low on my list of concerns regardless of the misconception that people have about Libertarianism.
I am funding my own campaign. I will not be accepting donations from businesses or individuals. I would not be surprised to be elected given my current situation and voter tendencies in my area. Otherwise, well, I would not be running.
matt ago
Supports EFF...running for political office. You're a rare breed. Keep it up.