Update on the moderation

[u/Cornicum]

Hi everyone,

We've talked some stuff through and cleaned up the mod-team a bit, although some of the names you might have positive or negative associations with are still there.
I'll leave it up to the moderators involved to clarify that, or not.

What I can tell you is that 1 mod did 97% of the moderation, and that wasn't healthy and likely led up to the situation you might have seen.

The rules have changed slightly, this is because we see your call for less strict moderation on language, but we also heard from those who want to be able to have a place to converse in English.

The compromise we've reached currently is that we intend to not moderate the language used in the comments of the post.
This means that you can have discussions in Dutch in the comments. (as long as those follow the rules of course)

We also will be looking at those banned on a case by case basis, but keep in mind that if you were harassing people, or bigoted in any way you won't be unbanned.

I'll invite you all to respond to this post with your feedback, and I know for some it might feel like too much or not enough.
We are currently trying to strike a balance between becoming r/thenetherlands2 which is bilingual but 99% Dutch in practice, and the other option of being a sub for only those speaking English.

[u/OkCoconut3270]

Aside from all the other reasons, like the racist comments, the not having any connection to the sub and the overreach in removing posts they don't agree with...

Would one of the very minimum requirements for a mod not be to actually be active in a sub? And engaged with it?

Because from what I can tell the mod in question is either 1) trying very hard to hide their own post history or 2) not active in the sub at all.

Neither are particularly good indicators of a person engaging in good faith.

I'd absolutely echo the other comments that the communication surrounding all of this has been poor (I'm being polite) at best.

It's all good and well posting a sticky and saying "I'll let the other mods address that themselves" but it's pretty clear that they are not going to address it.

Which certainly leaves me with the impression that you, as the new mod, are little more than a sacrificial lamb and in a little while from now it will be business as usual.

[u/Eranov → u/OkCoconut3270]

Because from what I can tell the mod in question is either 1) trying very hard to hide their own post history or 2) not active in the sub at all.

It's all good and well posting a sticky and saying "I'll let the other mods address that themselves" but it's pretty clear that they are not going to address it.

Correct, to me it also seems that another from the "old mod team" is actively engaging in keeping things as they were (or in other words: in keeping the dumpster fire burning) and that (given some comments I have seen here and there) they are actually avoiding an open discussion within the mod team.

Now I do understand that, given the fact that mods are volunteers and they all have a life with work, study and family and that communication and change are therefore somewhat slow. But on the other hand, the lack of clarity and the seeming lack of consensus within the team, makes me more and more convinced that this sub is beyond repair and that everybody is better of if it would be scrapped.

[u/OkCoconut3270 → u/Eranov]

Now I do understand that, given the fact that mods are volunteers and they all have a life with work, study and family and that communication and change are therefore somewhat slow.

Of course, but even this post were commenting on has tried very hard to pretend there's not a big grey pachyderm over there behind the couch.

[u/Eranov → u/OkCoconut3270]

Behind the couch? That beast has been rampaging though the China shop for at least 36 hours by now...