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In relation to this question, I replied to Obie in Mos Eisley with a gif of the scene in question. Someone took issue with it, and I was automatically suspended for 30 minutes. The image is in the answer I posted as well, and no one has complained about it there.

When I asked a mod to review the automatic suspension, which I felt was unwarranted - because sci-fi movies are quite clearly on topic (and relevant, and - I would have assumed - acceptable) in chat - my suspension was actually extended to 6 hours.

Keen - @WadCheber Sit out your suspension in silence next time.
- Chat

I'm not normally one to challenge mod decisions - even when they involve suspending me - and I didn't do that here. I merely questioned an automatic suspension that I felt was uncalled for. I will admit, however, that 6 hours for basically saying "This automatic suspension seems unwarranted, can you look into it and maybe undo it?" seems a bit much.

Are we to assume that images from science fiction films that directly answer a question on the main site are now unacceptable in chat?

Note 1 - The content didn't violate the site's age restrictions, as the movie is PG-13. Thus, its content is deemed acceptable for viewers who are 13 years old (at least in the US), which is all that the site guidelines require.

Note 2 - Keen is awesome. I like Keen. A lot. I like Thaddeus, and Kevin, and AncientSwordRage. I'm not bashing mods, or a particular mod - I'm just reacting to something I think shouldn't have happened, and it isn't personal at all.

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    As I understand it, the image wasn't flagged for being off-topic, it was flagged for content that the user found difficult to watch.
    – phantom42
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 17:54
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    @phantom42 - And if said user had complained to me, I would have removed it. If said user had flagged it for moderator intervention, I would have apologized for posting it. As it is, he simply flagged it as offensive and now I'm here. Acceptable on the main site should generally be acceptable in chat, no?
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 17:56
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    This isn't related to my comment is it? It was actually flagged as offensive?
    – Ryan
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:02
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    @ryan - Nothing to do with your comment. If you or the user in question had said "I don't like that image, please remove it", I would have done so. Instead, the other user reflexively hit the flag. I asked Keen to review it the only way I could - in a main-site comment - and he extended the suspension because I asked him to review it (and hopefully unsuspend me).
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:04
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    Ah oh good. I'm with you on this one, seems a little overboard.
    – Ryan
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:07
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    @ryan And I'm now in the absurd/humorous position of getting upvotes on the main site for a picture that got me suspended from chat.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:09
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    Disregarding the actual issue and the actual picture and if the suspension was warranted or not, I can absolutely not understand the reasoning by which anything that ever occured in an on-topic work is automatically fine and uflaggable in chat. That's a highly flawed attitude you also employed before, I'm afraid.
    – TARS
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:11
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    while i dont think you should have gotten suspended, i do think that because the question was for an pg 13 rated movie, people who would view the answer would knowingly be viewing content at this caliber. while in chat we now attempt to keep everything at a PG or G rating, since pg 13 offends to many people >.<
    – Himarm
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:14
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    Anyone could be in chat. Presumably only those interested in Cloverfield would see your answer to the question.
    – Jack B Nimble
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:20
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    @WadCheber I'm not making an argument. I was merely pointing out an IMHO too overgeneralizing argument in your question, disregarding the specific issue discussed here. Do with that what you want, I'll just leave that stand. I don't feel much urge to elaborate or discuss on this any further, let alone in the current condition of the involved parties.
    – TARS
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:25
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    @Himarm - According to site policy, we're still supposed to shoot for PG-13
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:28
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    I don't think the issue is discussing questions and answers, so much as content that might be either offensive or traumatic to random people. For instance, eye-catching animated gifs that will forever loop a gruesome death.
    – Jack B Nimble
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:36
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    @TARS - Site guidelines say all content should be acceptable for 13 year old kids, basically. The image in question was approved for audiences 13 and up, so a case could be made that it is indeed automatically fine. imdb.com/title/tt1060277
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:25
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    @randal'thor I would have assumed I'd get a warning about circumventing chat suspension in comments.... coughs uncontrollably :)
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 22:22
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    I really didn't like "Sit out your suspension in silence next time." Sounded too much like "shut up and do as you're told". Wad promptly had his suspension extended when he didn't :-(
    – maguirenumber6
    Commented Feb 6, 2016 at 7:56

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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You're missing some details in your rundown of events.

  1. You posted an animated GIF of a violent moment from Cloverfield.
  2. Another user flagged it.
  3. Someone validated that flag. This caused you to receive a 30 minute chat suspension.
  4. You posted a comment on one of my posts requesting I remove the suspension. I look up the details of the suspension, and leave it in place.
  5. You start an argument with the person who flagged it, via commenting on a random post. I find these comments and delete them.

Then I extend your suspension, because this is a) abusing comments to sidestep your chat suspension, and b) harassing someone for helping to moderate the site, which is a violation of the 'be nice' rule.

  1. I post the chat message you quoted above.
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    Harassment? Seriously?
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 18:14
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    If helping to moderate the site is a good thing, I don't think "sit out your suspension in silence" is a consistent position to take. In any case, I will speak up when I think something unfair has happened, especially when it happens on the basis of an automated process rather than someone exercising actual judgment. Your chat message smacked of "You'll take what you get and you'll like it" rather than a rational explanation. Just my two cents, with all due respect. And on a minor note, we're not supposed to talk about users who are suspended from chat in chat. They can't defend themselves
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 19:02
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    chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/24120197#24120197
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 19:06
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    If no other method to contact you directly is given, it's disingenuous to punish others for seeking an appeal through the only other communication mode provided. Moreover, the comments are a necessary part of the inner workings of the site proper.
    – user40790
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:17
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    </rant>. See you in three hours. I'll consider what you've said, and I suggest you consider what I and others have said as well.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:37
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    @Axelrod Which part of #5 involves contacting me directly?
    – user1027
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:39
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    The only valid point you make is that I sort of side stepped my chat suspension by going to comments, but you did nothing to correct that - if commenting on the main site was the problem, why not suspend me on the main site until the 30 minute chat suspension ended? Simply extending the chat suspension failed to address what you say is the problem. And again, you ignored the "don't talk about people suspended from chat in chat" rule that has been repeated so many times. You and I both know you should have said that (or some less abrasive version thereof) in a private message to me.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:45
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    I apologize for going to comments to address a chat suspension, but you did something inappropriate as well. That's all I'm saying here.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:46
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    @Axelrod Something which I didn't punish him for, but you're saying I did.
    – user1027
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:46
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    Hell, I'd drop all my objections and forget that this ever happened if you'd be kind enough to delete your inappropriate comment from chat, @Keen. You did something that you and the CMs have repeatedly said is unacceptable. I have less than 3 hours left anyway - I just think the "no chatting about chat suspensions" applies to everyone, including mods.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:53
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    Which is well and good, but doesn't change the fact that you discussed a chat suspension in chat. It isn't "talking to someone" when that person can't reply. That's talking about, or at best, talking at someone. And again we both know you should have done that via a private message, not in chat where I can't reply.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 21:01
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    @TARS - I like Keen. A lot. I like Thaddeus, and Kevin, and AncientSwordRage. I'm not projecting anything - I'm reacting to something I think shouldn't have happened, and it isn't personal at all. When this is over, I'll be just as fond of Keen as ever. Liking and respecting our mods - which I do - doesn't mean I shouldn't speak up when I think something unfair has happened. And it certainly doesn't mean I shouldn't use Meta for the very thing Meta is here for.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 21:20
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    @TARS - I'm not being passive aggressive - I got annoyed, which is why I used comments in a way I shouldn't have. Now I'm not annoyed - I just think something unfair has happened, and I'm saying so. I posted two meta questions. I can't take responsibility for anyone's behavior except my own. FFS, I am openly accused of "sucking up" to mods and CMs, so when I post on meta about moderation, you can be damned sure it isn't personal.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 21:27
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    @Axelrod - More to the point: the user flagged without understanding that validated flags get people suspended. This should be impossible. When you raise your first flag, you should be forced to read an explanation of what a flag means. It shouldn't be possible to flag something without knowing that flags mean suspensions.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 22:01
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    Agreed. Also, it'd be cool to have downvotes in chat.
    – user40790
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 22:03
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You have been around SE long enough now that you should know that moderation/flagging on Chat is different - it's easier. Anyone with enough rep anywhere on SE can act on Chat flags and in my experience it's usually people who aren't regulars in a specific room that respond first to flags.

So, as was said in the comments, YES some things that will be fine on the actual Q&A site could get flagged on Chat. It's just something to live with. One time, on one of his rare visits to Chat, the guy with the most rep on ServerFault got suspended for quoting something someone else had said in Chat just a few minutes earlier. It happens.

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    I've been around SE long enough to know that my current situation is absurd and uncalled for.
    – Wad Cheber
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:12
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    If something is so huge a problem as to shut down a room frequented by so many people, it tends to be easier to stop responding to it in an automatic fashion. Rather, people who flag because they dislike that is within the acceptable guidelines of the room should be told as such.
    – user40790
    Commented Feb 1, 2016 at 20:26
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I've been around SE long enough to know that my current situation is absurd and uncalled for. – Wad Cheber

I'm glad you brought that up, your history. It's the reason I'd give both of you a pass and call it a wash. You forgot the common courtesy of not posting NSFW content in chat (!= PG13) and he forgot how to be nice. Sadly however, my advice is to take his advice. Unless you hope to revamp the flag system, I'd advise a little more caution when posting in such a volatile hive of scum and villainy.

A note about posting images (that I've learned over the years): Almost always if you have to ask whether an image is okay to post, it probably is not. You know your online peers, so, yeah, if you have to ask, it's probably best kept in your images folder! –Slytherincess

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