Pre-Wu days - anti-Mormon posts deleted in seconds. Sexist, racist, anti-Semitic posts remained forever. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY threads like Family Ruptures remained for ever. That made EJMR useful.
Post-Wu days - Price brothers nervous. EJMR to toilet and everyone longs for the old EJMR days. No more Family Ruptures thanks to IP logging. The HRM cabal won.
Kirk - My concern is related to the black box nature of trying to moderate sexist/racist posts. Since the definition of racist/sexist seems difficult to clearly define, I would suggest creating a database of recently flagged posts that anyone who wished could view. This helps us understand how strict mods are being by creating some transparency. This doesn't have to be a comprehensive list, perhaps just a random sampling of flagged posts.
Thanks
Kirk has implemented a revelation mechanism for the site's critics.
If they were mostly concerned about bad behavior, they will applaud the changes and move on.
If they were mostly concerned about whistleblowing, they will move the goalposts, along the lines of "It's not just about words -- it's about ideas, attitudes, who is being criticized, etc."
Everything that has a beginning has an end.
EJMR was becoming too powerful. The fundamental problem is that Econ Academia in general is a major ponzi scheme. Hence the difference between those at the top and those with much lower status is in fact an artefact of something other than real substance. And that is also why status is much more important than substance. Because substance doesn’t exist or is very rare. That Prof on an affirmative action quota in Berkeley who spews equality and other such political artefacts of control and the hard working normal Prof at Bumkum University have been “given” their status. And now this status has to be maintained. You cannot allow anonymous posters destroy this well maintained artificial hierarchy.
This was only a matter of time. It was good till it lasted because I believe what I’m trying to say has now become in its own small way broadly understood. This also gives me -your resident Dark Knight a chance to finally quit this forum.
But remember everything that has a beginning has an end. The rule of the corrupt will also end. And I will be there to finish the job.
Thank You For The Nobel Prize
To all of the people saying that it is easy to avoid sexist/racist jargon, surely you agree that the probability of the bot interpreting a random post as containing such words as being greater than zero? (to wit, is my use of the word lynching below racist? I only realized it could be misconstrued as such while giving my post a once-over). Then, given this premise, there is a small probability that any given post will land the poster on a list identifying them as a racist/sexist. As with everything online, this list will inevitably be leaked or publicized.
Why risk being placed on this list and the inevitable public lynching to follow just to post? Surely you can see that this policy creates a big disencentive for real economists to post. It is easy to see that the resulting adverse selection effect could kill the website.Why would it be leaked?
The IP wouldn't be linked to a post.
There will be a time element to the ban.
Things online are leaked all the time. If you prefer, there is positive probability that the list will eventually come out. My point stands regardless.
Kirk,
You are overcompensating. You f**ked up for years by neglecting the site and letting loathsome trolls overrun the place.
Then you managed to alienate most of the first real solid mod team you had in years. Leaving you with an undergrad and a lunatic.
I don't trust you anymore and I will not divulge any real job market info knowing you may be keeping my information.
Tat handed EJMR to you when it was time, now it is time for you to do the same.