[wp-forums] Policy??

[Dot 07]

Hi All,

Sorry to bother you in your busy quest to keep WordPress safe from those 
of us who lose it once in a while. But, I have an issue that I would 
like to call attention to.

When a moderator takes an aggressive stance and then makes a false 
accusation against me and then closes at topic, acting like what you 
often refer to as "Bozo". I think you have a responsibility to the 
community to moderate each other.

Here is a link to a review posted by someone using our plugin Users Ultra.
https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wow-simply-amazing?replies=11

In response to that review, I noted that the users should become active 
in the forums because of recent email content sent to my partner. Then 
esmi jumped in and claimed that what I was saying was not true and asked 
where I got the information. I provided the information and then esmi 
jumped on something else.

I have not been aggressive, rude, or attempted to call anyone names. I 
haven't challenged the authority of any moderator. I responded to the 
review of our plugin and then I am caught up in an aggressive response 
by a "long time moderator" who kept coming back after I provided the 
truthful information asked for, only to take it another step further.

What does all of this hostility accomplish?

I gave the information asked for. That should have stopped the hostile 
position of the moderator.

Personally, I don't believe this type of behavior is warranted on either 
side. If any one of us normal users were to continue to argue like esmi 
did, we could possibly be banned from participating on WordPress.org. 
How do you expect to enforce your policies of how people get banned when 
moderators behave in the same manor that could possibly result in a 
regular user being banned?

I see esmi do this type of thing more often than help. And it is 
discouraging.

Yes, one of us on our plugin team made an error in judgement and that 
error was corrected. The nastiness expressed by esmi is totally uncalled 
for. And the "I have to have the last word" tact taken in this 
situation, I believe warrants some sanctioning of the moderator. I asked 
esmi to stop repeatedly and esmi just kept coming. Then made the false 
accusation that I was stating a policy that isn't a policy. Well, 
according to the words I quoted by both Otto and Ipsenu (Mika Epstein), 
there is a policy that is being applied that goes beyond what is 
available at the link provided by esmi.

Whether or not anyone agrees with what I had to say in response to the 
reviewer, what I said is true. There is a policy being used to enforce 
(much needed) protection against spam and self promoting reviews. I 
don't argue that the policy is wrong. I do state that the policy (or 
practice) exists and I showed the quoted text to prove it.

The last statement made before esmi closed the review, is totally 
incorrect in my opinion. I have not made any false claim and closing the 
topic with an accusation that I am saying something that is not true is 
a poor example of what a WordPress moderator should be doing. Please, I 
have violated no rule. On the contrary, esmi and the tact being used is 
violating the spirit of the moderation team, from all I have seen.

I don't expect many of you to break ranks, but I think it should be 
noted that you, as moderators should take a break when you get a little 
over the top with the aggression. That thread shouldn't have been 
hijacked by a moderator who wanted to pitch a fit about something said 
that I proved to be true.

I don't mind making adjustments to the words I use to encourage people 
to give adequate reviews and to become active in the forums. However, 
when I say something that is completely true (by quoted content as well 
as what is being practiced), a moderator needs to step back and stop 
making accusations that what is being said isn't true. It in fact is true.

Please forgive the length, but there are some issues with this moderator 
that should be dealt with. There is no need for this kind of behavior on 
the forums from either side. And it is unfortunate that any of us should 
have to feel like there are sides.

I realize esmi likes to jump in and make remarks that are unfriendly and 
caustic fairly often. But someone somewhere should care about the fact 
that the rest of us are just as human and are entitled to the same 
respect we are expected to give to the "authority of the moderators".

 From all that I can determine, esmi took personally what I had to say. 
And really, it has nothing to do with esmi. It has to do with users 
having their reviews removed, and "Because we'll think they're fake and 
delete them. And eventually if it gets to be too much of a burden, we'll 
remove your plugin", and the fact that we are proactive in trying to 
make sure the reviews we receive are actually reviews and that those who 
do review become active in the forums so that they don't fall victim to 
the "I "think" it's a fake review" policy being used.

We just want to be part of the community. We have offered a quality 
project and we have called attention to something that is being done. We 
are not violating any rule. There is no need to be treated by any 
moderator the way esmi has done here. We aren't shouting it from the 
rooftops, we are responding to reviews telling the truth. We aren't 
taking it to the rants section of the forums. Only those who look at our 
reviews know it. We aren't trying to cause problems. We are simply 
calling attention to a practice that is currently being used to screen 
reviews.

I'm sure there are going to be a few who disagree, as esmi has done, I 
don't mind that, but what I have said is true from what has been said to 
our team. Is it now a WP crime to post what we have been told, when a 
moderator asks us to prove what we are saying?

I would kindly ask that the exchange be removed between me and esmi. 
Unless I violate a rule (and apparently not all of them are published), 
and I do something wrong, there is really no need for any moderator to 
highjack a review like that and claim I am making false statements after 
I showed with quoted text that what is was saying was true.

The tact of claiming there is no policy (or practice) if it isn't posted 
clearly on the welcome page is a not right, when you admit the practice 
in emails. And especially when you admit that you "fully endorse the 
practice". If it's a justifiable practice, why is there a need to hide 
what is being done? I don't agree with the way it is being done, but I 
recognize the need for it. And therefore, I approach it from my point of 
view and the views expressed by some very influential individuals in the 
emails we received.

Now I see that my responses to reviewers are being removed . How much 
"moderation" is moderation? Why am I being moderated for saying what I 
have seen in writing?