Had two incidents in the past two days. One with a Mod and one with Eli Hodapp. First in the Satoru RIP thread. I left a nice little message for the guy but also mentionned as to why TA didn't make a small article mentionning the CEO of Nintendo since they were posting so much Nintendo-related rumours for the past few months, but also because he worked actively to bring Nintendo IPs to mobile. Very much related to the site after all. Got replied by a Mod who wanted even more justification for that (like, what is so illogical or hard to get?), but also demanded I "keep it real" for saying "he's in a much better place" as if it's not something we say when people die. So I made another post re-explaining my stance and stating the sentence was a standard one we use in my country at least. Consequence he deleted his posts AND mine so as not to lose face in the community or be ridiculed. Second incident: in the adventure of Pip review (http://toucharcade.com/2015/07/13/adventures-of-pip-review/) someone posted that they weren't gonna buy 5$+ games. Eli Hodapp told him to "get a vacation from the internet". This rubbed me the wrong way because why dismiss someone in that manner? I said (my reply is still there) "maybe you should take a vacation from the comment section and keep journalistic integrity and objectivity". Hoddap guy took it the wrong way and replied with a childish "coz it's super fun to be evil". Proceded to delete my comment and block my Disqus from TA when I said it was such an immature and un-adult way for someone of his position. There's something called work ethics. Also being actually NOT rude to people who frequent your site. Or just be mature and act like an adult who doesn't throw fits when encountering people with different visions who actually debate politely or on the same level as you are conversing. What they're doing is just being A-holes for the sake of it (as you've seen by the very intelligent reply). They have a certain position and should act consequently. This thread will most likely be deleted and my account blocked too. But I just wanted to throw this somewhere because these things just need to be called out. I see the "whiner" thing thrown oyut so much nowadays on the site, but it's just because not everyone can block/delete and get rid of what bothers them. All that's left is voicing it out. I may sound butthurt but I believe in calling out people for their wrongs whatever outcome there is. SO there.
Whilst I thought your post, in my opinion, was slightly disrespectful (i actually cried on hearing the news and for someone to say that a greater man than me made some bad choices etc just didn't sit right with me) but that's just how I felt at the time. Your man Eli and the mods, I hope, just like to chime in here and there like the smart guy at school. Sometimes funny, sometimes a bit too glib for me, but all still entertaining in different ways. Keep posting though sir as I often frequent the Vita thread and enjoy reading what you have to say.
I honestly had no bad intentions and I donno how that came across the wrong way since "being in a better place" literally means "detaching form this physical world of suffering and material things to a higher one that's more at peace and in sync with our soul". Plus I literally said he was a kind person. I don't need to incence and sanctify someone just because they passed away, so maybe that's what everyone expects? Anyway my whole point of this post is to say: when you want to be snarky, bratty, douchebaggy and pandering to likes, you have to be ready to take what you dished out. Not block and dismiss anyone who counters your path, and did so with the same amount of consideration and politeness you are using. Where's the personality? The maturity? And the fun most of all? I love debating and shooting "mean things" back and forth when good intentions are still there. I also like what you post and you "informed" me of my shortcomings many times (mainly the Rayman post I think?). I won't go anywhere as long as my account still works here. But I just felt like saying what I wanted to say. I always try to educate myself, but also try to open someone's eyes too from time to time. This is one of those times where I really want the people concerned to take 2 seconds and think "Hmmm should I be an A-hole coz I can? Or should I be the bigger guy and let these trivial things pass?".
I didn't want to get into this, but what can you do? For your information, the guy who told you to "keep it real" and made that comment about "being in a better place"...yeah, he wasn't a mod. And heh...Eli? If you take a proper look in the comment section, you'll see that he didn't respond to the person who said they weren't buying $5+ games anymore, but the person who said "LOOK OUT, YOU'LL BE CALLED A WHINER!". Look, I know Eli loves to be super-evil and whatnot...but at the end of the day, if you listen to the podcast, his comments on the support TA's been getting on Patreon and if you just look past the comment section on articles here on TouchArcade, you'll see that Eli's a very swell dude (who doesn't need my defending) who respects his readers and visitors of this site. That said, let's "keep it real"...while the majority of the people who visit this site are awesome, there's a couple of handfuls of folks (especially in the front-page comment section) who are just...ehhh, let's not describe them, shall we? Dude...inta khayyeh. I like you and all, but before you go on rambling about things, please make sure you have your facts straight. :/
Granted I thought the guy was a mod (their post was swiftly deleted and I donno how I thought they were) but actions were still taken to remove said posts (why remove mine since it was just a polite reply to explain and justify myself even though I didn't have to. So in a way my point still stands. As for the Hodapp guy he may have only replied to the "whining" post but they go hand in hand with the other poster. So he did actually respond to both statements. Enta khayye kamena man, but I DO know what I'm talking about. I know enough for journalists or people responsable for a website to differentiate between trolls and polite frequent users and their intentions. And also not to push their beliefs and remove anything that counters said beliefs when they are phrased with the same tone they are using or don't vehiculate their ideas. Do you truly believe saying "get off the internet" to someone stating a fact (coz it is a fact after all that the whining thing is overused) is something one of this position should say? Finally I also know enough to notice a change of stance on TA between opinion pieces and eye rolling mod replies on threads (not you you're cool and a peer). It's escalating a lot these days and I donno why that shift in mentality happened.
You may wanna take a look at my revisited post above yours. As for the posts being deleted, well yeah...a couple of moderators did a pretty awesome job of deleting that post and your reply, so that others wouldn't take offense to what was said.
Just looking at that thread, i was the mod. Someone had posted something which others might have found disrespectful so i deleted it. I spoke to the guy afterwards who was totally fine with it and understood. We had a few exchanged messages about it and all was good. He also asked me to delete the post where his post was quoted (which was nemerlab's). I'm not one for RIP threads, pre-internet people used to probably read news like that and think 'ahhh poor bloke...' and that was that. Now you have facebook threads saying RIP etc and 'virtual' flowers etc. For me personally its all a bit OTT. But each to their own. The guys post could have upset a few people so i deleted it. It was deleted early before the thread might have turned into a religious debate or a big argument. Thats why nemerlabs post was deleted as he quoted the deleted post. Its common practice, if someone quotes a deleted post you often delete that as well (or theres no point deleting the original). It wasnt meant to be 'censoring' anything but i know on most forums talks about politics/religion etc cause massive arguments. So there was nothing malicious, nothing to get upset about. Just wanted to nip a potential argument in the bud early on. See here is where a mod cant win. Delete a post to stop arguments and people arent happy, keep in that post and there'll be arguments and maybe reported posts etc. Cant win !
I stand corrected then and thanks for the honest reply. I also think the same on that point with you and can't help but agree now that you explained everything. I took it on a personal level and had no idea as to why I was told to justify a little nice post I made and was not insensitive at all to the situation at hand. I think GFaqs has these explanations whenever a post is removed like "removed by a mod for "insert reason". Does TA have those. I think it would help users figure out things easier. Arrgh just saw your edited sentence. But I think my above statement answers it?
Yeah to be honest we dont have a 'post removed from mod' type feature unless i type it myself. My mistake was to not tell you why your post was deleted so sorry for that. I just wanted to try and defuse a 'potential' situation asap.
Yes, there is a reason we can (and do) add when we delete posts. The thing is, only the mods and admin can see them. Vovin's post has "Could start an argument" listed and yours has "Responding to a deleted post". Of course it would be useful for users to see them, but believe me when I say they clutter things up like you wouldn't imagine, and you guys are lucky you don't see the forums like we do.
Now that I know the story, I don't see anything wrong with what you did. A mod mechanic like GFaqs would help tremendously coz it would cut your work (typing and such) and would eliminate confusion for egocentric and self-centered people like me Still not excusing the Hodapp guy at all coz he should know better and while you are defusing potential situations he is inflaming them more. You are maybe not allowed to bring him up but I can and want to. Coz that attitude is nasty. I respect you and MetalCasket even more now. So that's that. Keep it up.
Donno if I should close down this since I got the answer I wanted and got rectified on one thing. Heavily doubt the Hodapp guy would come justify himself, given how he prefers to run his mouth and block whoever contradicts him. But maybe someone wanna chime in? I really have nothing against people correcting me. So maybe I'll leave it open? Let the Mods see what's better
I wouldnt take it to heart, Eli (Hodapp) who runs this place has a good sense of humour (or humor for you americans but i think at times people may take it the wrong way. Thats the problem with forums, you can read something and take something the wrong way as you think its been said with a bad tone. If this was in person we would all be sat in a bar laughing about this sort of stuff etc.
For once French (or rather half) and English people agree on all accounts Thanks again (Metalcasket also included) for the polite and calm response. You made my job/study-hunting day a little better :3
I... don't know what happened here. A comment made in the heat of the moment didn't result in hate, flaming or bans and was resolved peacefully? You guys are amazing. I wish more of the internet was like you.
How dare you forget about the recent Donut-gate involving Ariana Grande licking those donuts? People request fair closure and punishment!! But I need to get "heated" up again to actually get things going. Any volunteers?
It was definitely a "heat-of-the-moment" post, but I wasn't looking for any beef with anyone. Just answers, plus I always like to voice out my comments (without pushing to extreme vulgarity and impoliteness). I got part of the answers I needed from what seems to be cool guys doing their job, and learned not to question the other half, take my own advice, be an actual mature and educated human being and let it go. I think online debates that drag super embarrassing, ridiculous, and a waste of time. Hopefully I wasn't any of those things today P
Don't have anything to say other than nice to see people settle things properly without being uppity.
Ha, now that you accidentally spoke my name, metalcasket, I might chime in and explain myself. @ nemerleb: Yeah, I am no mod, I did not delete the posts. Psj messaged me by the time I already made up my mind to delete my post myself and I asked him to delete your answer, to avoid a possible religious flamewar. I was simply wondering how you were laying down nice words about Satoru and then criticized him in the same or next sentence. That was not what I would call just a nice post, because it was also critical and a bit offensive. In my culture, we don't criticize recently deceased people, that's an offensive thing. But since we are in a worldwide forum shared by many cultures, I have to accept some stuff even when it's not fitting my cultural beliefs/behaviours. That's why I made up my mind to get rid of the posts and agreed to psj's suggestion. But even more wondering made me your phrase about him "being now in a better place". I am an Atheist, gods or spirits or whatever are simply non-existent for me. I do believe that this religious stuff has nothing to do in a public forum about mobile games, because religious beliefs and non-beliefs can always be the spark for a bright, burning fire, and its the poor mods who have to clean up the mess in the end, after the last round of shots were fired. But well, I guess it's acceptable in memorial threads, to add some religious phrases. But there are no bad feelings here, so let's call it a day and chill. About Eli... well, in the end, he's a nice guy. I am here since... eh... 2008 or 2009(?), and I had my handful of quarrels with him, as well as times were we stood side by side fighting stupidity (all the old members might still remember the "grassroot consumer"-thread). Eli is a devoted, dedicated person. He lives, eats, drinks and breathes mobile gaming, and every bit of touchArcade is running through his veins. It's his passion, and not just a job for him. If you read his Twitter timeline, you'll learn that he loves what he is doing. And you know what? A while ago, I thought Eli is just some kind of dick. Well, he is sometimes, like most of us are in one way or another, but he is someone who gives touchArcade a face, a character and he's not just a dork. Look at the most other mobile gaming sites. The writing staff always keeps their mouthes shut when things get hot, but Eli tends to speak up. He stands up for touchArcade, mobile gaming and the things he loves, and that's a thing I absolutely respect. But not only that, he also is able to make fun of himself. Without him, touchArcade would be a much more boring place. The best advice is, when reading something from Eli, to ask yourself what he is really saying; read between the lines. And remember that there's nearly always a personal intention behind his words. People always confuse touchArcade with an open forum/website. But we all need to learn that tA is no totally "free speech" zone. We are all guests here, have to accept the rules and show the proper behaviour as guests. We have no right to be here, we are allowed to. Yet, touchArcade still lets you speak your mind much more than on lots of other websites. Try saying things on neo...eh, ...other websites and forums that you can say here without immediate infraction or penalty. You'll get banned on other forums for much less. And a last thought that I'd like to share with all of you: if you say something on the internet, there is always the chance to get cheered or criticized by other people, so always be prepared for it. That's simply how the internet works.
