Strange moderation issue - how to PM the moderation team?
I am experiencing a strange moderation issue and I'd rather keep it private until I know more details. I looked around and cannot find a way to PM moderation. Any suggestions?
Replies 13
Thanks for the suggestion but this isn't (apparently) a content issue - comments that didn't pass moderation were not (apparently) "controversial" within any discernible reasonable/objective sense. The only thing I can guess is that I wound up on a "watch list" and now some random word triggers it. I don't know if there is any human moderation at all. In fact, this reply may or may not get through.
if I am on some list I do have a slight idea as to the reason, but it would require disclosing a situation that I'd rather not disclose before contacting the mod team. If it cannot be solved, I'll likely just lose whatever remaining interest I have in participating here. I wasn't a regular SA participant anyway, largely because of the often strange issues with it, and I'm sure I will survive, as will SA, at least in some form or another.
DGT I'm on some watch list without explanation as well. I've been on it for at least a month. All we can do is leave.
Any idea of whether it is actually a "watch list" and not just some glitch in an algo? In other words, you know what you've attempted to post and had rejected. I'll assume you to be reasonable, at least until proven wrong - have you noticed any pattern in the unapproved submissions? It would be nice if someone from SA would chime in, but based on numerous other threads, it sounds like that would be unusual.
Who knows with Seeking Alpha these days. The woke crowd clearly sets the agenda now, and comment control here is really no better than Facebook. They just yanked one of my comments because I respectfully suggested they needed to end the practice of agenda-based articles. Of course that will never happen because: 1) much of the time the aforementioned agenda aligns with the woke agenda 2) agenda-based articles generate the most clicks.
Combine that with their inability to fix the "mute author" bug and you get this crap crammed down your throat whether you want it or not.
Fortunately for me I've been on SA for a long time, and the good folks - the real investors - who used to frequent this site taught me how to invest long ago - so I don't really need the crap SA is peddling these days.
@Oil Can This isn't remotely related to "woke" issues or anything political or otherwise controversial. I've never posted or attempted to post anything like that so there would be nothing to moderate on that type of topic. It is akin to a situation which allows a comment that says, "I think XYZ stock looks like it might rise (or fall) as much as 5% over the next month," vs. "I think XYZ stock-holders ought to be careful over the next month - while it might go up a fair amount, it looks more like it will drop a fair amount," with "XYZ" being a non-meme, non-WSB, older "vanilla" stock. One day the former will be allowed but not the latter, and the next day, it is the other way around.
I don't want to disclose specifics at this point, but it started with a strange exchange with a moderately popular but apparently somewhat controversial SA author who then got into some sort of spat with SA (nothing to do with our interaction whatsoever). Who- or whatever is moderating deleted a random selection of replies and counterreplies between that person and me over a couple of threads but left random others up, and then the on-going seemingly random moderation began.
If they communicated we could decide if SA is right for us or not. But having us write comments and never telling us why some get in and others don't does not impress. The watch list without communication is also a turn off.
Any idea of whether it is actually a "watch list" and not just some glitch in an algo? In other words, you know what you've attempted to post and had rejected. I'll assume you to be reasonable, at least until proven wrong - have you noticed any pattern in the unapproved submissions? It would be nice if someone from SA would chime in, but based on numerous other threads, it sounds like that would be unusual.
DGT,
I did take bearish views of Novavax. And in the Summer several comments I made probably deserved deletion. Now I ignore the stock and mute several users. The time that's passed changes nothing and no communication has occurred.
@DGT Are you sure your 'advice' concerning this stock didn't clash with this author's - or some other author's - recommendation? I - and many others - have had comments pulled in the past because we spoke out against one of SA's more popular author's recommendations - and one that just happens to have a very large SA subscription service. There is no doubt that speaking against an SA subscription author will lead to having comments pulled. Now whether that also leads to silent moderation I couldn't say. But now that moderation is secret, anything is possible.
The bottom line: YOU DO NOT HAVE FREE SPEECH ON THIS WEBSITE. Not even close. My comments have been pulled many times - and for all I know, I'm on the moderation watch list as well.
@Chihawk Research wrote: "But having us write comments and never telling us why some get in and others don't does not impress."
That is my thinking exactly. It isn't like I spend an hour on a comment or reply, but to waste even a few moments to think about and write something, especially in the context of a "conversation," only to have it rejected for no apparent reason (and with none given) is reason enough to simply drop SA completely. Frankly, I'm about to that point regardless of the outcome of this latest issue. Obviously I got some satisfaction and enjoyment from interaction on SA or I wouldn't have participated but once it becomes a chore rather than a pleasant diversion and means of interaction, there isn't any reason to visit.
There used to be a way, but not sure it exists anymore. In fact, in the past when they moderated you, they would actually send you an e-mail explaining why with an opportunity to resubmit your comment. Those days are long gone; they just silently pull comments now with no explanation. SA is not much interested in individual voices these days.
You can try clicking on the 'Factual Error' link at the bottom of an article and see if you can get someone's attention that way; but I think the odds are small of success.
Good luck.