Jun 18, 2005 01:17 AM
2448 Views
(Updated Jun 18, 2005 08:14 PM)
Dedicated to Nirwa ( MS id: crimemastergogo)
When a topic like this is posted on a site, it is obvious that the management wants the opinion of the consumers, the readers, and the reviewers! However, it is ironic that while they create such topics, they also censor the comments of members elsewhere just to avoid their so-called “reputation” from being stained. In the true sense of the word, Mouthshut shuts your mouth whenever the string of words coming from the mouth become too hot to handle!
There are several reasons why a member might be banned or disabled from a site, in this case, Mouthshut.com:
§ If the writer is abusive to other members in his/her comments or reviews.
§ Use of abusive or inappropriate language in his/her reviews and comments.
§ If a writer repeatedly and persistently writes junk reviews with the sole purpose of writing junk reviews.
§ If a member plagiarises material to include it in his/her reviews.
§ Creation of Duplicate or Multiple Ids.
And so on and so forth…
MS is a community, and the members are the most essential part of this community. Even though the members are held at the highest priority, according to the wording of the TOS (Terms of Service), members are supposed give their work to MS and are expected not to use them anywhere else. To control this choice is somewhat stifling when it comes to individual choices. What the management forgets is that at the end of the day, it *IS the writer’s work and the choice of editing or deleting, as long as its not changed to be abusive or offensive, should be left to the reviewer.
In the past, there have been instances when members have been flagged or blocked due to the evident reasons that the particular members were polluting the site with either abusive reviews targeted at other members or topics in general. There have been reviews and comments that have not been taken in good taste due to the sheer negativity that these reviews emitted. *In these obvious cases, in order to keep this place clean and consumer friendly, to do some cleansing and clear out the trash that inevitably collects on the site.
However, the MS management remains to be a mystery to most. While banning or disabling members, there are times when they keep the reasons behind their actions “secret”. Naturally, questions arise on whether they are justified in what they do or not, and along with these questions follow flowers and brickbats in response to the given reasons. It is thus very essential that the decision to disable a member’s must be considered carefully and be supported with strong reasons in order for the actions to be per-say “justified”. Since all members are part of this community, the decision to exclude someone must be contemplated carefully and backed with proof.
The best way that I can think of to answer the question in the topic is to divide up the people in question in different categories. The question itself is quite general as there isn’t just one right answer, but depends heavily on personal opinion. Here are the categories as I could best distinguish them -:
Idle Devils
These are people who intentionally invite trouble and create havoc around. These are individuals who like excitement and controversy and they are willing to create multiple IDs in order to keep the mess going.
My Verdict: Ignore and delete! Banning them would be affective, but that wouldn’t last too long.
Cons of banning: They’re stubborn and most of the times return with vengeance and with the aim to take revenge!
Copy Paste types
Plagiarist is a better word to describe them, and they feel free to take someone else’s work and call them their own!
My Verdict: Warn! And if the act isn’t straightened after the warning, block right away
Cons: Well if a warning is given first, there aren’t any cons as such.
Foul Tongue Keepers
These people take fancy in abusing others and intentionally provoke others. Controversy lovers and loose with their tongues, they can be quite a nuisance at time!
My Verdict: Ban right away! All they intend to do is create chaos and this shouldn’t be tolerated!
Cons: In the case that they come back, all the chaos returns with them!
Review Editors
Now this is the controversial category…! As this is where I disagree with MS personally. As I’ve mentioned above, every individual should have a right to his/her work. After all, they contribute to MS voluntarily. Keeping track of every reviewer who chooses to edit his/her reviews is not only occupying the time that could be used to check on the culprits of the categories listed above, but also gives an over-demanding impression of the management. In the extreme cases that people in this category have to be deleted, they should at least be given a warning in advance, or sent an email to inquire their reasons behind this questionable editing. Explanations after disabling an account are rather useless as it defeats the purpose of the explanations themselves!
My Verdict : Leave them alone, as long as their editing is not hurting anyone! (By “hurting” I do not mean hurting the MS management’s feelings because the review has been removed, but that the review is not offensive to anyone or contains some suspicious material)
Cons: Creates a resentment towards the site and proves to the victims that just saying that members are important in the community isn’t exactly meaningful when at slight changes, they decide to take extreme measures.
The quote below sums up all that I’ve intended to say through this review. Would appreciate your feedback on this.
There are two modes of establishing our reputation: to be praised by honest men, and to be abused by rogues. It is best, however, to secure the former, because it will invariably be accompanied by the latter.
Charles Caleb Colton (1780 - 1832)
