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Are the MODS here merely shills for this or that KS?

This place used to be special. Now it seems like one big promotion for the next KS. Seems like a conflict of interest for mods to be shilling for a KS, much less posting a KS link and then shilling for it.

Maybe I've been away for too long, but it seems to me that things have changed.

What the feth are you talking about?

Are mods not allowed to back a Kickstarter for some reason?

Codswallop

Yes, I personally line the pockets of at least 3 mods here to promote my Kickstarters.

Are MODS salespeople or impartial moderators of a forum?

 gothmog wrote:
Seems like a conflict of interest for mods to be shilling for a KS

How, at all, is it a conflict of interest? This is a generic, self funded wargaming website unaffiliated with any commercial product. All it has is a 40k slant because the majority of posters play 40k.

I can see this thread going rather well.

 gothmog wrote:
Are MODS salespeople or impartial moderators of a forum?

I'd say they're impartial moderators of a wargaming forum. Thus they have the same wargaming interests as other posters. As long as they're not breaking rules - and posting informative threads is not against the rules - there's nothing at all wrong.

 gothmog wrote:
Are MODS salespeople or impartial moderators of a forum?

They're not trying to sell anything to anyone.

The majority of the KS threads are started by non-mods.

Are you trying to say that because they're mods they can't back a ks or like any miniatures on the miniature site in which they merely moderate?

If so, that's one of the more ridiculous claims I've read in a while.

Well so much for the "mods are great" thread that got locked up last week

If any mod talks about a Kickstarter, they're doing so like any other poster, not on behalf the site. I've made threads for companies as well as Kickstarter campaigns for models I like... but it's "I", not Dakka!

Companies have always been encouraged to post here and engage with the community, but Kickstarter does seem to have accelerated that a bit. Not sure it's really a "mod issue", but more crowd funding becoming a really large part of wargaming the last two years, and thus generating a lot of discussion on Dakka.

 Tanakosyke22 wrote:
I can see this thread going rather well.

I'm really not trying to start anything. Just made an observation. I've been away from the forum for a while and, having returned, it looks to me like a lot of MODS are actively pushing various KS projects. Seems like a conflict to me, unless they are investors, in which case it is definitely a conflict.

The problem is that you don't seem to understand what constitutes a "conflict of interests".

You're not trying to start anything?

The title of this thread seems to ...suggest otherwise.

Anyway, RiTides did a pretty good job of summing everything up.

I'm still wondering what the 'conflict' is that you're seeing here.

I like blood angels too, is that a conflict?

Genuinely wondering what you see the distinction as here. I definitely think the role of crowdfunding is worth discussing... right now, it has a green light on Dakka, but that means we discuss it just like we would any company's offerings.

 cincydooley wrote:
The problem is that you don't seem to understand what constitutes a "conflict of interests".

Maybe not. Why don't you explain it to me.

 gothmog wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:
The problem is that you don't seem to understand what constitutes a "conflict of interests".

Maybe not. Why don't you explain it to me.

Well, basically, it boils down to a situation when two or more of your interests conflict....

EDIT

But seriously, you've got like 70 posts in 5 years. You say "while you've been away" I'd argue you were never really here. I think perhaps you've not fully grasped how important KS has become to wargaming.

The mods don't need to be shills to us. After you sign up they beat you up, take your lunch money and fund kickstarters with it.

OK, I hit a nerve. I could have used more tact in this post. I still say that being a MOD should carry a certain amount of impartiality.

WHY?!!!!

They're not paid!!!

Dakka is not a democracy, you are here at the sufferance of Yakface and his nominated representatives.

While it may sound trite, if you don't like that, there's other forums.

 gothmog wrote:
OK, I hit a nerve. I could have used more tact in this post. I still say that being a MOD should carry a certain amount of impartiality.

When it comes to conflict resolution and fairness in how they moderate. Not in what kickstarters they back.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 azreal13 wrote:
WHY?!!!!

They're not paid!!!

And this.

 Surtur wrote:
The mods don't need to be shills to us. After you sign up they beat you up, take your lunch money and fund kickstarters with it.

So what? Just because I haven't jumped in every thread doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention.

I think "gothmog" is also confusing "DCM" with "MOD" as well...

 gothmog wrote:

 Surtur wrote:
The mods don't need to be shills to us. After you sign up they beat you up, take your lunch money and fund kickstarters with it.

So what? Just because I haven't jumped in every thread doesn't mean I haven't been paying attention.

Well, assuming you're responding to my post while quoting another, I'd say "not paying attention" is definitely a viable theory.

 gothmog wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:
The problem is that you don't seem to understand what constitutes a "conflict of interests".

Maybe not. Why don't you explain it to me.

A conflict of interest is when they are receiving a monetary benefit and thereby distort facts to promote a given product. To my knowledge, most mods are paying INTO KS projects, which is pretty much the exact opposite. Do they promote projects they like by posting to their threads? Sure, just like literally every other poster on the boards who posts both good and bad. Also, if they were also closing threads or deleting posts that were negative or closing off other non-KS discussion, that too could be a conflict of interest but I have yet to see a shred of evidence any of that is occurring.

Since none of those things appear to be going on, I'm going to have to agree with Cincy that you don't really understand what you're saying.

 azreal13 wrote:
WHY?!!!!

They're not paid!!!

Dakka is not a democracy, you are here at the sufferance of Yakface and his nominated representatives.

While it may sound trite, if you don't like that, there's other forums.

What exactly does "getting paid" have to do with doing the right thing? But thanks for telling me to leave if I don't like the way you play your game.

 Alpharius wrote:
I think "gothmog" is also confusing "DCM" with "MOD" as well...

Quite so...

Just looked back through his post history, and it seems to be as much:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/593167.page

In that thread, he starts the rant...even without a single MOD posting in it...at least till you did, which was after him...

 gothmog wrote:
OK, I hit a nerve. I could have used more tact in this post. I still say that being a MOD should carry a certain amount of impartiality.

Impartiality towards members of the forum, in so far as we have to deal with forum-related issues, yes, certainly.

Our opinions towards the various gaming-related companies out there are entirely our own, though. I don't have to pretend to like every company equally just because I am a moderator on a forum discussing wargaming. That's an absurd idea.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 gothmog wrote:
Are MODS salespeople or impartial moderators of a forum?

What makes you think that we need to be one or the other?

However, supporting a Kickstarter doesn't make someone a salesperson, any more than sharing news or rumours of any other miniature-related goings-on. We're not here to be impartial bastions of truth. We're a bunch of hobbyists who, in our spare time, keep this forum running in a more or less orderly fashion.

Not what I said.

I said if you don't like the way Dakka, a privately owned website, is run, you have other choices.

Generally speaking, most "conflicts of interest" arise from somebody promoting something or modifying their behaviour for money or gratuities. That the Mods aren't paid is a fairly significant factor in them not having a conflict of interests about anything.

 Sean_OBrien wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
I think "gothmog" is also confusing "DCM" with "MOD" as well...

Quite so...

Just looked back through his post history, and it seems to be as much:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/593167.page

In that thread, he starts the rant...even without a single MOD posting in it...at least till you did, which was after him...

Exactly!

Also, that would explain some of this - but it wouldn't explain, justify, or excuse spamming the forum with this.

I'd suggest he contact the owners of Dakka Dakka if he feels any Moderator on this site has done anything 'wrong'.

To the point though, unless someone is somehow being pressured to back a KS campaign, I don't really see an issue. With that in mind - even given the vast powers of a forum moderator...I am pretty sure I can quite easily resist any form of pressure they might exert.

If it is simply a matter of liking or not liking a product...color me perplexed. Outside of their duties of herding the cats - moderators are normal forum members with normal opinions. Some like certain campaigns, some don't.