What is flame bait?
Asked by
TJFKAJ (
947
)
July 17th, 2021
Pretty abstract description. Just curious how it is defined in the regs.
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29 Answers
Usually, an egregiously inflammatory statement. If you were modded for flame bait, then ask the mods. See the “contact the mods” button next to the “search” bar, upper right corner.
The “contact the mods” function is only visible on the desktop site. If you’re on mobile, you can access the desktop site by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
It’s a catchall justification basket concerning mod decisions.
@stanleybmanly I don’t think that’s true. Most of the mod reasons I see given are for “off-topic” responses; only occasionally “flame-bait.”
“Flame-bait” is used when the mods feel a question or response is designed to inflame or get a negative response. It really is self-explanatory.
Flame bait is a very subjective label here. Oftentimes, it depends on the mood of the mod in turn. I have seen a lot, and I mean, a lot of stuff I would tag as flame bait but nothing gets done. It stays there. Other comments get deleted as flame bait just because.
[Mod says] It’s a post that’s going to make a thread go up in flames. There’s many different types.
1) the attack on a group: “I knew I’d be dealing with idiots here.”
2) the continued argument over different threads: “More drivel from you.”
3) insanity/obscenity: “Americans should be sterilized at birth.”
4) the gossipy snark: “This guy should get together with [other user]. Match made in heaven.”
5) the sneer: “What an awful question. Are you having a stroke?”
6) the sarcastic disdain “Aw, are you going to cry now?”
7) the contemptuous dismissal: “Go lick an outlet.”
8) the completely random derail: “I bet magaheads would know.”
9) the terrible worldview: ”[ethnicity]? [crime]? Why am I not surprised?”
10) the crushing remark: “With a mother like you, it’s no wonder he killed himself.”
Most of these are inspired by real posts on Fluther, though very old. There’s more, but I’m stopping at 10 because I don’t love this. YouTube is a great place to find a higher ratio of flame-bait to helpfulness.
4 & 9 seem O.K. to me. The rest are obvious.
I have seen worse than those and have not been moderated.
^Did you flag them so the mods know to look?
^No. I do not have time to get into that. It is their job and they have the last word. It is not so important.
I don’t believe I’ve ever flagged anyone other than myself or some spam out of India. But the job itself is one of those impossible balancing acts whereby an arbiter is tasked with the repugnant and thankless work of overseeing a crowd of tattlers snitching one another out.
@Yeahright The mods don’t work here. This isn’t their job. They are each a volunteer. They don’t spend all their time reading each and every question and answer.
We all have a responsibility to report questionable content and let them decide. If there is something that seems to go against the rules, report it by using the flag function. Otherwise, they’ll never know. In that instance, it’s you who left it there and not the mods.
^Please refer above. As I said, it is not that important. Time is a luxury not all of us can afford.
^^ You spend way more time composing disparaging posts than it would take to simply flag.
Perhaps some tips in time-management techniques would benefit you?
Flagging a post only takes three clicks from a user.
@Zaku I do not have the time or the inclination. It is optional. Stop pushing it.
I don’t mean to push it…
But it strikes me as ironic that you have time to post that you have “no time to get into” something that takes 3 quick clicks, but you have time to make several comments about your lack of time for that “luxury not all of us can afford”. And you also have time to post meta questions about your perspectives on the general inadequacy of other people’s responses to questions on Fluther, including… that some posts that should be moderated, haven’t been noticed by the mods.
@Zaku Well, I’m afraid that it does seem a little pushy but since you are so persistent and seem genuinely interested, I am going to take the time to explain it to you. Although, not having the inclination should be sufficient and self-explanatory.
A little bit of semantic analysis will probably explain this …your lack of time for that “luxury not all of us can afford”. It can be taken literally, meaning I am very busy 24/7 or it can mean that I have no interest in using my valuable time in clicking three times to flag a post. I actually meant the latter.
I have no interest in monitoring any comments that are not directed to me. I am not controlling by nature, so I do not have the tendency or desire to watch what others do or say and call them out. That is what mods are here for. As I have said before, my experience with mods in the past has not been the best, so why bother at all? I can only think of one sentence that sums it all up: it is not important. It has zero relevance, and it is not worth my time. I’d rather use my valuable time to navigate through the site asking and answering questions that I find fun and interesting.
As per my questions in Meta, I take my time to ask questions because I want to. Like everyone else, we are here to ask and answer questions. I don’t scrutinize other people’s questions and can’t understand why you would do so with mine. I asked a legitimate question. Questions need a little framework. …general inadequacy of other people’s responses to questions on Fluther, You are twisting my words, taking them out of context and failing to grasp the real intent of the question.
…including… that some posts that should be moderated, haven’t been noticed by the mods. It is not that the mods have not seen the posts, it is rather a mater of opinion in what should or should not be moderated. A difference of opinion. They have the last word. It is their job after all.
^ That’s what I mean. We don’t always see eye to eye with mods. And at the end of the day, they have the last word. Like cops.
I’m in a local parents’ group on Facebook, and it’s called “______ Moms.” Recently, one of the members of the group made a post proposing that the name of the group be changed to “____ Parents” or something more inclusive. The group’s description specifies that it includes dads and other community members, but still, the person had the idea to change the name and a bunch of people chimed in, all with enthusiastic comments about changing the name. I commented that the name of the gorup should be whatever the owners of the group want it to be, and a few others commented similarly, saying if people don’t like it, they are always free to start another group.
I think of Fluther the same way. I haven’t always agreed with the Mods and just like everyone else, there have been times I’ve had things modded off and was annoyed. There was a time when a friend of mine was banned and I voluntarily left for a time in protest, as did others. Ultimately, it’s the same here as the local moms’ group. The site is what it is and if anybody doesn’t like it, they’re always free to leave. Yes, we all have the right to propose improvements or complain about things, but that doesn’t mean anything will happen. In fact, it’s very likely not to happen since the site is kind of sputtering along at this point.
This question seems to have become a tempest in a teapot.
@TJFKAJ If you don’t understand why your comment was modded off as “Flame-bait’ you can contact the mods and ask them why. That doesn’t mean it will get reinstated but you’ll get the answer you seek.
Refusing to flag then complaining why certain things aren’t removed is like seeing a crime happening, walking past it, then complaining why the police don’t show up and let the criminal get away.
Oh, why waste time calling the police anyway? It’s not my job and I don’t want to get my hand dirty. Aren’t the police literally born to solve crime?
@Mimishu1995 It’s hard to hear you when you whisper.
I was not complaining. I just answered the question and gave my opinion —like everyone else. This is not my Q. I have also said that flame bait is a matter of opinion and what needs to be labeled as such is ultimately in the hands of the mods. It is a waste of time to question their judgment.
Your analogy with reporting crime to the police doesn’t entirely apply for obvious reasons, too many to mention but these two come to mind: crime is not a trivial matter and people’s lives could be at risk.
There is a huge difference in the consequences of dealing with real life crime and the virtual reality that is Fluther.
@Yeahright Well my point is if you don’t want to flag, you can’t complain about things that aren’t removed because the mods simply don’t see it. If you already flagged and the mods didn’t do anything, then you would have a serious case for the inconsistency of the moderation here. I would be angry if all the spams I flag didn’t get modded too, and I flag spams as frequently as possible, even spams that are too obvious.
Seriously though, go watch some funny Youtube videos and stay off Fluther for a while. You seem really angry right now.
@Mimishu1995
1. Right. I do not want to flag.
2. Right. I do not want to complain.
3. Right. I have seen a case of inconsistency but it is not my problem. Totally irrelevant.
4. You say You would be angry. You are you and I am me. I do not get angry easily. Irrelevant things do not angry me.
5. Seriously though, I am not angry at all. If I were, I have a list of things I can do. Stop trying to get me out of my element because I have said it before, if I can deal with a bunch of HS school students for a whole school year, the rest is just a walk in the park.
@janbb
I don’t really care
Just curious
@longgone Pretty sure I’ve been guilty of half that list. Sorry for making your job harder!
@raum Nah…I highly doubt that. Won’t check though, just in case that ruins my happy illusion :]
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