# Moderation feedback

**URL:** <https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371>\
**Category:** Meta\
**Created:** [August 17, 2023, 12:42pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371 "2023-08-17T12:42:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pkr](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/pkr/32/29938_2.png) [@pkr](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/pkr)\
**Post date:** [February 14, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/81 "2024-02-14T20:02:01Z")

</div>

> [@noamchom](#):
>
> Because somebody has to.

💯 💯 keep up the good fight 💪 👑

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dodger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/dodger/32/3021_2.png) [@Dodger](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Dodger)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2024, 11:29pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/82 "2024-02-15T23:29:08Z")

</div>

> [@noamchom](#):
>
> As far as I can tell, your opinions are not the same as moderation rules.

Ironically, @Shawn literally _wrote_ the [moderation policy](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zcash-community-forum-moderation-policy/32538), and, as the founder of these forums, his opinion regarding how they should be moderated carries more weight than anyone else’s.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dodger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/dodger/32/3021_2.png) [@Dodger](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Dodger)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2024, 11:41pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/83 "2024-02-15T23:41:55Z")

</div>

> [@Shawn](#):
>
> So when I see users constantly repeating the same content that they already have two or three threads about I feel it’s derailing and inconsiderate to the others that are trying to have a conversation.

This echoes feedback we’ve had from multiple community members in recent months (including from ECC team members, ZCG committee members, and grant recipients), to the effect that trying to participate in productive discussions on these forums is difficult, due to “constant aggressiveness” from a small number of users “flooding every single topic” and “derailing the conversation” (quotes from actual feedback).

There are plenty of memes that allude to a person forcefully making a point about something to someone who’s not interested…

> **e.g.**
>
> ![meme1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/8/2/8281d2dea023ca8635ada290773ece099e0af1ac.jpeg)  
> ![meme2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/2/4/24d91419ef4ed86c437e265af6582ab907aa5a90.jpeg)  
> ![meme3](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/2/3/23bda88408aa7d3ea91c2ee7ce7350b684a0c56a.jpeg)

…but we’re far beyond that, to the point where it’s akin to [that scene in A Clockwork Orange](https://tenor.com/en-GB/view/a-clock-work-a-clockwork-orange-gif-22449380)…

Fundamentally, the purpose of these forums is to provide a place where people can constructively discuss Zcash.

If people are unable to have productive discussions about improving Zcash because a small number of users keep derailing the discussions, that’s a problem that needs to be addressed.

> [@Shawn](#):
>
> There’s a reason other forums like Polkadot, Ethereum, the Zcash Community telegram, Namada, etc … ban any price discussion: because there’s never an end to it and it gets in the way of other conversations. IMHO this forum should take the example from those others and simply disallow it or move it to a single thread where users can vent and not interrupt everyone else.

This approach makes a lot of sense to me. I think we should trial moving any price discussion to a single topic (e.g. [Price Speculation](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/price-speculation/16488)). We can see how that works for a few months.

We’ll formalize this with a change to the moderation policy in the coming days.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![NimmyNims](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@NimmyNims](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/NimmyNims)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:21am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/84 "2024-02-16T05:21:13Z")

</div>

> [@Dodger](#):
>
> This approach makes a lot of sense to me. I think we should trial moving any price discussion to a single topic (e.g. [Price Speculation](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/price-speculation/16488)). We can see how that works for a few months.
> 
> We’ll formalize this with a change to the moderation policy in the coming days.

The reason price discussion is relevant and constructive here is because there is a development fund. It’s relevant since your organization gets paid from it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noamchom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/noamchom/32/20269_2.png) [@noamchom](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/noamchom)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/85 "2024-02-22T20:13:36Z")

</div>

> [@Dodger](#):
>
> This approach makes a lot of sense to me. I think we should trial moving any price discussion to a single topic (e.g. [Price Speculation](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/price-speculation/16488)). We can see how that works for a few months

It doesn’t make sense because its a form of censorship.

Stripping away the context of discussions around ZEC (wherever they may pop up), and things like **adoption** or treasury finances, look like a strong armed attempt to white wash the history/ sheep dog the thought exercise of the forum/ the opinions of the growing Zcash ecosystem.

If any mention of the value/ price of ZEC gets boxed under “Price Speculation” then the forum becomes void of nuance related to how the value/ price of ZEC can interact with many aspects of the project beyond simply taking guesses about _Where will ZEC be next year_

Nimmy also makes an important point. The Zcash Foundation and the Electric Coin Company are in some part, in control of ZEC because they have taken in so many coins over the life of the project, they want to continue taking in more ZEC, over the next halving cycle, and they are the largest non-PoW sellers of the coins.

> [@Dodger](#):
>
> We’ll formalize this with a change to the moderation policy in the coming days.

**Is moderation policy really this quick to change?**  
A couple handfuls of people are annoyed by ongoing comments about ZEC, so now we snap our fingers and change the policy?

Do we all agree that this is a priority? (Over-engineering moderation rules to specifically box-in speech about ZEC/ box-out ZEC from all other threads)

Many of us saw that there is a [history of using authority to attempt to control/ change the speech of others!](https://youtu.be/Cy0rwBhlv10?si=riDnLBvx2BjY9KzB&t=348)

Did it make sense professionally to interrupt @zooko on stage, mid presentation, to tell him your opinion about what he should/ shouldn’t be saying about Zcash governance?  
_It wasn’t like he insulted your mother up there_

> [@Dodger](#):
>
> Ironically, @Shawn literally _wrote_ the [moderation policy](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zcash-community-forum-moderation-policy/32538), and, as the founder of these forums, his opinion regarding how they should be moderated carries more weight than anyone else’s.

This is a helpful piece of history. This is the first time that I’ve seen it suggested that the forum is Shawn’s Zcash forum. The presentation here is that the forum is for everyone/ all opinions and ideas.

Are you suggesting that Shawn makes the final call about the rules/ moderation?

Now that Shawn announced [his new job with the ECC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/my-new-gig-with-ecc/46915/10), I’ve got to wonder out loud, maybe we ought to try and decentralize some of this ecosystem management work(?)

* * *

To make my opinion clear, I think these forums are moderated well as-is/ with the existing policies. I’ve accidentally derailed a thread or two, and have been a broken record at times; and I haven’t been angry about cases where you moved comments, removed them, etc etc. I generally feel the same about what I’ve observed, the moderation here is what any reasonable person should expect.

The concern is that we would over extend moderation to close down discussions about the value of ZEC… making a huge blanket out of “Price Speculation” that doesn’t make sense, it is painting with too broad of a brush/ it takes away the importance of nuanced discussion.

It is nice to see a lot more people in the forum who I’d describe as (decentralized) [Activist Investors](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/activist-investor.asp). People in Zcash who have invested money, time, energy, reputation, and who rightfully feel like they were sold swampland in Florida.

There should be no surprise that as the project grows, more of these types of people would get active in the forum - making suggestions that are business/ investor/ economics minded.

It doesn’t make sense to pigeon hole all of their remarks under the “Price Speculation” banner because it isn’t all merely speculation; part of free speech is about respecting nuance of speech

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noamchom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/noamchom/32/20269_2.png) [@noamchom](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/noamchom)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 3:39pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/86 "2024-03-19T15:39:47Z")

</div>

There is a lot of healthy Price Speculation happening over here. I hope you two have rethought (and abandoned) the idea of it needing to be flagged/ merged/ cornered into the only [Price Speculation](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/price-speculation/16488) thread in the forum.

> [@Ensuring Flexibility and Sustainability of the Zcash Development Fund - Draft](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/ensuring-flexibility-and-sustainability-of-the-zcash-development-fund-draft/46976/57):
>
> ~2024.11 Miners 80% ZCG 8% Bootstrap 7% ZF 5% 2024.11~ Miners 70% ZCG 6% Bootstrap 14% ZF 10% It is miner funding that maintains the Zcash ecosystem and security, and miner funding should not be significantly reduced. If we move to Proof of Stake, there will be more miners, and the number of Zcash paid to them will continue to decrease, so I don’t want to see a significant decrease in miner funding. Bootstrap, ZF will be allocated the same number of ZEC as before. They will have a lot…

![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/6/3/635d077519c6e603f8296c1d4fba6bef9d9197bb.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/87 "2024-03-19T16:09:36Z")

</div>

There’s a difference between planning for future budgets by charting potential price movement in a thread and “Zcash dumps” or “Wen Zcash pump?” or “How come Zcash price went up/down today” type conversation.

One is constructive, one is not.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noamchom](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/noamchom/32/20269_2.png) [@noamchom](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/noamchom)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 5:54pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/88 "2024-03-19T17:54:54Z")

</div>

I like that you’re acknowledging some nuance now. (Maybe you meant to suggest nuance all along, but from the quotes below, you and Jack seem to have be framing out a black-and-white moderation policy change).

I haven’t seen any _ **When Moon** _ style price speculating in the forum for a long time, especially not as derailments of non-price threads. We’ve all collectively suffered under this Zcash bear market long enough to have had our imaginations dampened out of that kind of dreaming!

> [@Dodger](#):
>
> > [@Shawn](#):
> >
> > There’s a reason other forums like Polkadot, Ethereum, the Zcash Community telegram, Namada, etc … ban any price discussion: because there’s never an end to it and it gets in the way of other conversations. IMHO this forum should take the example from those others and simply disallow it or move it to a single thread where users can vent and not interrupt everyone else.
> 
> This approach makes a lot of sense to me. I think we should trial moving any price discussion to a single topic (e.g. [Price Speculation](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/price-speculation/16488)). We can see how that works for a few months.
> 
> We’ll formalize this with a change to the moderation policy in the coming days.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Tsupportisharmful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Tsupportisharmful](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Tsupportisharmful)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2024, 3:09am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/89 "2024-04-16T03:09:57Z")

</div>

I haven’t posted much in quite a while. Frustrating with development direction (my username should provide a clue) was a large part of it, but so has been my perception of heavy handed moderation. Upon my return I see moderation is still overly aggressive (particularly marking posts as off topic)

If the goal of moderators is to slowly drive away community members that want to encourage developers to listen to the people that actually care the most about on chain privacy and the public perception of Zcash, you are succeeding.

You may eventually achieve the echo chamber you desire but it will come at the expense of adoption of the shielded functionality that is the true purpose of zcash.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![skyl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/skyl/32/2938_2.png) [@skyl](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/skyl)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/91 "2024-06-07T01:23:42Z")

</div>

Is there a way to get the raw forum data for analysis?

 ![Screen](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/1/5/159735f826214810573fc701af17f689e1eb9eb1.jpeg)

I mean for normal plebes lol.

 ![Screen2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/1/4/144260e882e34ae3f6e431c13355c8a51604e9d8.jpeg)

> **[ChatGPT - Flagged Messages Data Extraction](https://chatgpt.com/share/2366f535-edb1-488a-826c-5270245fb947)**
>
> Shared via ChatGPT

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dodger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/dodger/32/3021_2.png) [@Dodger](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Dodger)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2024, 8:49am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/92 "2024-06-07T08:49:59Z")

</div>

FYI, Samaraanni’s post was auto-flagged by the system as Spam.

 ![Screenshot 2024-06-07 at 09.19.11](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/3/0/30f88c0274155a49a67cd9806ef50c8fe3ecc509.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dismad](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/dismad/32/18432_2.png) [@dismad](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/dismad)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 4:38pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/94 "2024-08-20T16:38:06Z")

</div>

![Screenshot_2024-08-20_09-35-47](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/original/3X/c/9/c9de6699201847bdfe584fc57a52c53684935c59.png)

Do not interact with @rep they are a scammer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:36pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/95 "2024-08-20T19:36:24Z")

</div>

Looks like it’s time to add “Live Chat” to the auto-flagged words list. Maybe “Live Support” and “Live Agent” too.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dodger](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/dodger/32/3021_2.png) [@Dodger](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Dodger)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2024, 12:58pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/98 "2024-08-28T12:58:12Z")

</div>

Your post has been hidden because it was flagged by multiple community members.

It is deeply inappropriate and a clear breach of the [Code of Conduct](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/guidelines) to suggest that another community member has cognitive issues.

You may edit your post to remove that part and leave the rest intact. If you re-post the offending section again, you will be suspended.

From the Code of Conduct:

> Forum members should strive to be kind, respectful, and interesting. Ideally, your presence in the community should improve the experience for everyone.

You were previously warned (in January) because your forum activity fell short of the standards set forth in the Code of Conduct.

You are welcome to voice opinions about Zcash governance, and to criticise leaders like myself if you believe that we are not doing the best thing for Zcash.

However, you must not engage in personal attacks on other community members.

If you continue to do so, you will be suspended.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cryptomuncher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@cryptomuncher](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/cryptomuncher)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2024, 1:57pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/100 "2024-08-28T13:57:36Z")

</div>

So because you can’t be civil and respectful to others, you want someone else to start a new forum where you can do that?

And this is one of the reasons why people walk away from Zcash. There’s a lot more to freedom than just doing whatever you want.

There are more than enough cases in Zcash history where people weren’t allowed to share their views in a public forum that related directly to technical direction. That’s completely different than what you did.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cryptomuncher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@cryptomuncher](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/cryptomuncher)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2024, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/102 "2024-08-28T15:27:45Z")

</div>

You’re clearly missing the point. If you think that having posts where you personally attack someone else censored is biased and you can’t just have a civil discourse, then maybe this isn’t the forum for you.

I do not agree with many of the things Dodger, Zooko or Josh or any of the other Game of Zcash Thrones participants, but I don’t go and personally attack any of them. Attack their ideas? Yes. Attack their positions on the tech or direction? Yes. But that’s where the line should be drawn.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/106 "2024-09-03T20:26:16Z")

</div>

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> If someone famous like him would participate on this forum, you’d accept the slight colorful speech without a blink.

It doesn’t matter if someone is “famous” or not, the rules are the rules, they apply to devs from ZF/ECC, independent contractors, miners, Zec holders, etc… everyone agreed to the rules when they chose to create an account here.

[https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/faq](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/faq)

Users can choose to abide by them or not but if they choose not to they shouldn’t be surprised when a moderator calls them out for it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 9:22am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/108 "2024-09-04T09:22:08Z")

</div>

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> So we’d kick out Nassim Nicholas Taleb and miss out of the wealth of great input he could provide, all that for having a slightly colorful speech?

Did you get permanently banned for not following the CoC? You are still here posting from what I can see.

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> The rules are good, the interpretation and enforcement is not.

So the issue is not will the rules themselves it’s that you don’t like being reminded that you are breaking them with a warning and asked to change your post as Dodger did above?

Rules without some sort of action to enforce them aren’t rules at all. Overall I would say the policy’s here are pretty lenient compared to what happens over on places like Telegram or Reddit. They are much less “please stop doing that” and more straight to the ban hammer.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shawn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/shawn/32/187_2.png) [@Shawn](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/Shawn)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/110 "2024-09-04T19:47:19Z")

</div>

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> You’re missing the point here. @Dodger was very clear I would get suspended if I would keep the same language.

You mean the same language that you later said:

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> Ok. I apologize to anyone I have offended through crossing that line. I will try to improve on that front.

It seems to me that you posted something that could be viewed as a personal attack, which is against the CoC that states:

> Examples of unacceptable behavior include:

> Personal attacks.  
> Trolling and insulting or derogatory comments.

Then after being called out for the error you apologized to Skyl so all was good.

Seemed like everyone had moved on.

Yet you are now posting that you have incurred some sort of injustice by Dodger for not unflagging your post, which you’ve not changed, after you already admitted it was wrong and apologized for it?

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> Fact is, would you kick NNT or anyone else of his prominence for having the same colored language as me? I maintain that you wouldn’t.

Hypothetical situations stemming from hypothetical people making hypothetical statements cannot be proven or disproven until the actual event occurs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![daira](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/daira/32/43253_2.png) [@daira](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/daira)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 5:22am UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371/112 "2024-09-05T05:22:54Z")

</div>

> [@jelly5649](#):
>
> Looks like Nassim Nicholas Taleb would get banned from here eventually.

Yes, he absolutely would if he said things here similar to the tweet of his that you quote.

On the subject of what happens to platforms that allow abusive speech, including ableism, see [Free to speak. ECC Update - #13 by daira](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/free-to-speak-ecc-update/48677/13) . For many of us that is an absolute red line: we will not participate in fora that allow abusive speech.

> [@](#):
>
> Fact is, would you kick NNT or anyone else of his prominence for having the same colored language as me? I maintain that you wouldn’t.

Yes we would, because I for one would kick up a huge fuss if we treated “celebrities” any differently wrt moderation policy.

> [@](#):
>
> I can’t say someone is an idiot here.

Indeed you can’t. Deal with it. There are plenty of other ways to say that you disagree with what someone has said, or even that they persistently make flawed arguments.

Personally I find that it actually helps a lot to address the argument rather than the person. And tbh, it makes the very occasional cases where someone actually is just a raging asshole and you justifiably say so despite the risk of getting banned, all the more satisfying.

[Previous page](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371.md?page=2)

[Next page](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/moderation-feedback/45371.md?page=4)
