Again, I just want to clarify that the current moderation action is specifically about protecting the ability of all members, new and old, to report source-related problems e.g. scams, shipping issues, or other misconduct without being ridiculed, insulted, discouraged from speaking up. It is imperative that MESO-Rx does not create a chilling effect that stops people from reporting sources. That's all the moderation action was about.
However, there are a lot of broader grievances that aren't really about this but still worth discussing. The biggest one I hear is about the teenage lookmaxxers
Important note. The appearance of teenagers is a moderation problem and shouldn't be a community problem. The reason: Minors are not allowed to participate on the forum.
Their accounts are banned. Their threads are deleted.
No engagement is required by the community for the very reasons you guys mentioned above. The only thing we ask is that your click the "report" link to alert us if you come across a minor participating.
This year alone we've been quite busy tackling this problem. We have deleted over 750+ new accounts and 1000s of posts related to these accounts in violation of this policy .
I am happy to hear that a few of you have noticed.
We've implemented ways to minimize but it is an ongoing issue that still requires substantial attention.
I will address more of your grievances as time permits.
And we were beginning to think you were a bot with auto-generated responses.
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I know that from the outside much of this can appear to be nothing more than banter and complaining, but in truth Meso was once highly revered, and lately it feels like many of the most knowledgeable contributors are choosing to leave for other platforms. Every time I see some of the more intelligent members step away, I find myself wanting to track down where they’ve gone, because I’m not done learning from them. On the same token many if the brightest minds are right here in this thread expressing valid concern. Hanging on for whatever duration they have left in them.
More often than not, it seems to stem from the arrogance or lack of awareness among many of the newer members. That said, I’ve also been hesitant to constantly use the report function because I didn’t want it to come across as if I were the one creating the problem. From my perspective, that can easily shift the narrative to “who’s the real issue here?” However, if you’re encouraging us to make use of that tool, I’ll do so diligently and without emotional reaction moving forward.
If a member has made substantial contributions to the forum as a whole, all I ask is that any potential restrictions placed on them are given thoughtful consideration. At times, being direct or even a bit brash is the only way to communicate effectively in a way that ignorant humans/members can understand.
With that said, I’ll also acknowledge that I’ve been guilty of engaging back-to-back at times, which only perpetuates the cycle.
@Millard was genuine in reaching out to me directly, and I respect that. While I’m sure that level of communication is time consuming, it carries weight with me and reflects positively on both the forum and the individuals behind it. I assured him I would refrain and since that time I've just clicked the ignore option.
Again by no means am I a long-term member, but I've been here quite some time and my history even shows when it gets stupid enough around Meso I take months long breaks. I don't feel those who truly contribute should be held to a any different standard, but I do believe extra scrutiny should be taken before action against them.
Best wishes always.
